APIs and Datasets

The following APIs and datasets are available for consumption by AllStarLink users and applications.

Node Lookup Information

This information is needed for app_rpt and other clients to connect to all the nodes in the AllStarLink mesh network.

The preferred way to do lookups of node connection information (i.e., IP address, port) is to use DNS. This is the most efficient way for both your node's data consumption as well as being friendly to the AllStarLink project's budget. New nodes and node connection information changes are generally propagated to DNS within 60 seconds of registration. More information on using DNS can be found at DNS Servers.

asnodes.org

Please note that the asnodes.org domain is not related to, maintained by, or supported by the AllStarLink project. All users should use the nodes.allstarlink.org domain.

The following URLs can be used to retrieve a text file containing the current directory in the "extnodes" legacy format. Files are served from a Cloudflare CDN Cache and are only updated on the listed "Cache Time" interval.

URL	Cache Time	Notes
https://snodes.allstarlink.org/gennodes.php	5m / 300s
https://snodes.allstarlink.org/diffnodes.php	5m / 300s	Identical to `gennodes.php` and retained for backwards compatibility. Use `gennodes.php` for new implementations.
https://node1.allstarlink.org/cgi-bin/nodes.pl	5m /300s	Deprecated; switch to `gennodes.php`

Do not retrieve these APIs more than once every ${CACHE TIME} per listed URL.

The ?hash= Parameter

Previously, the diffnodes.php endpoint had a "differential" parameter ?hash= that would download a diff/patch version that could be merged with a "full" version using the patch(1) too. This parameter has been retired to reduce server load and bandwidth consumption and will be completely ignored. Nodes concerned about bandwidth utilization downloading the node database should use DNS lookups or retrieve the data file no more than once every ${CACHE TIME} seconds as listed above.

Node Description Directory

This information is the node description information, informally called the "Allmon Database" or "Allmon DB". Files are served from a Cloudflare CDN Cache and are only updated on the listed "Cache Time" interval.

URL	Cache Time	Notes
https://allmondb.allstarlink.org/allmondb.php	15m / 900s

Do not retrieve these APIs more than once every ${CACHE TIME} per listed URL.

Stats API

The Stats API can be used to retrieve certain information about nodes and their links:

URL	Rate Limit	Notes
https://stats.allstarlink.org/api/stats/	1 request / minute / IP	All reporting nodes.
https://stats.allstarlink.org/api/stats/${NODE}	30 requests / minute / IP total	Stats on an individual reporting node. Rate limited from a single IP regardless of the node(s) requested in any combination.
https://stats.allstarlink.org/api/stats/mapData	1 request / minute / IP

These return JSON that is self-describing.

Authentication APIs

There are node registration APIs available for applications.

WebTransceiver

The original Web Transceiver (WT) was a browser-based Java applet that one could use from the AllStarLink website to call nodes directly. That feature itself has been long gone since browsers no longer support Java Applets. However, the background technology still exists and has been leveraged for other applications.

Using this method, clients are issued a token by allstarlink.org either "faking" a login on using the /api/v2/auth-wt-legacy API endpoint. Clients provide the ASL portal username and password and receive back a token. The client then places an unauthenticated IAX call to a node which is handled by the [allstar-public] context. Within that context is a mechanism for verifying that the token for the incoming CallerID (the callsign) is valid. If it is, it lets the call through and connects the application to the node. If it can’t validate, then it hangs up.

If you are a node owner, and you wish to allow these applications to connect to your node via the Web Transceiver method, you need to ensure that WT is enabled in your Node Settings in the Web Portal. See Editing Node Parameters for more information on how to find this setting. You should also confirm that you have an [allstar-public] context in extensions.conf, and that it isn't commented out (it should be there and active, unless you've previously made changes).

Simple Node Auth

This API is for authenticating infrastructure clients such as node audio test sites using the Node number and node password. This API is not "open" in that arrangement to use them must be made with the AllStarLink Infrastructure Administrators. Contact N8EI or WA8WCO on The ASL Community.

URL: https://allstarlink.org/api/simple-node.auth.php

HTTP Method: POST

Input:

    {
        'api':'API_PASSWORD ,       <--- provided by ASL Infra Admins
        'node':'NODE_NUMBER' ,
        'passwd' : 'NODE_PASSWORD',
        'cookie' : 'COOKIE'         <--- any string desired by the app
    }

Output:

      {
           'status' : "OK" | "ERR"
           'auth' : "1" | "0" ,    <---- 1 = Success, 0 = Failure
           'cookie' : 'COOKIE'     <---- As provided by input or empty string
           'msg' : 'MESSAGE'       <--- If status = Error, has the error, otherwise blank
      }

Danger

All other HTTP methods or malformed JSON will be ignored.