I installed GnuGk and some Openphone terminals on a LAN. Everything works well, thank you!
Now it is time to call an external phone. However, I've read about something called the NAT Traversal Problem of H323 and SIP.
I am behind a NAT router/firewall myself as well as most of the very small business the software is targeted at.
Well, you need to set NetworkInterfaces to include your public address, and set your NAT to forward the required ports to gnugk.
Not sure what you mean by 'external phone'. If it's just an IP phone on a public IP that will register with your GK, the above is all you should need.
Same for a gateway with FXO ports to the PSTN.
If you will be calling via a commercial carrier, they probably won't register with your GK; define them as a permanent endpoint. They may have special requirements (prefix, authentication, need to register with them, etc.) but they should give you the needed details.
Also I read about H323 loosing ground.
This is true. However, the major carriers are still H.323-oriented. Those dealing with consumers and small businesses mostly use SIP.
My question is: am I on the right track with GnuGk and H323 in general.
IMO, if a simple gatekeeper will meet your control needs, gnugk is the way to go. If you need a full PBX (IVR, voicemail, transfer, conferencing, etc.), then use Asterisk (and SIP).
How can I solve the "NAT Traversal Problem".
gnugk works well if there is only one endpoint (which can be a multiline gateway), or a child GK, behind each remote NAT. If your system would require multiple gatekeepers, using SIP may be simpler.
Did I understand well that Asterisk fills the gap.
Asterisk by itself has limited H.323 capability. Many folks use Asterisk and gnugk together.
If so, is there a version (or alternative) for the Windows platform.
Asterisk can run under Windows. See http://www.voip-info.org/tiki-index.php?page=AstWind . However, IMO there is no good reason to do so. A production system needs a dedicated machine. Else, you get choppy voice when other applications run. You might as well save some cost, and gain some reliability, security, and performance, by eliminating the Windows layer. For testing, you can set up a dual-boot machine with both operating systems.
Please be considerate with me; I'm just a simple db-programmer.
TIA, Elphi
Good luck,
Stewart
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