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External Applications

There are a number of different applications that can be used to interact/connect to the AllStarLink Network. As ASL3 runs Asterisk at its core, there are a number of different ways to leverage IAX and SIP connections to connect to your node.

This section will explain some of the common utilities available, and how to do basic configuration to get them to connect to your node.

External applications used a few different ways to authenticate and connect to an ASL Node.

Method Details
AllStarLink Network Registration When nodes come online, they attempt to register themselves with the ASL Registration system. The registration request uses either HTTP or IAX, and the registration server validates the node credentials and saves the current IP address of the node. Other nodes query the registration database using DNS queries or look at the node information from a downloaded copy of the nodes database to find the IP address and port to connect to the desired target node. When a connection is initiated to a target node, the target node uses the [radio-secure] context in extensions.conf to process the incoming connection.
IAX Direct Authentication An IAX-based client presents a username and password that must match credentials that are configured on the remote node in the ASL config files. If the credentials match, the client is authenticated and may connect. DVSwitch Mobile and certain softphone applications can use this method. See IAX Authentication for more information on configuring nodes for IAX direct authentication.
SIP Direct Authentication An SIP-based client presents a username and password that must match credentials that are configured on the remote node in the ASL config files. If the credentials match, the client is authenticated and may connect. Many softphone and VoIP handsets use this method. See Setting up a SIP Phone for configuration information. This is the preferred method for all stock applications such as softphone applications.
ASL Portal / "Web Transceiver" The original Web Transceiver (WT) was an in-browser Java applet that one could use from the AllStarLink website to call nodes directly. That feature itself has been removed as browser no longer support the old Java Applet concept for important security reasons. However, the authentication technology still exists, and is leveraged for other applications.

Note

Not all nodes permit Web Transevier mode. Some nodes, particularly some larger networks, have WebTranseiver disabled. This is gracefully by unselecting WT support in the node configuration on the portal or more aggressively by removing the configuration. If you cannot connect to a node with a WebTransceiver-based app most likely it does not support connections with WT mode.

Application Configuration Examples

Application IAX Direct SIP Direct ASL Portal / WT
RepeaterPhone 🚫 🚫 ✅
Transceive ✅ 🚫 ✅
DVSwitch Mobile ✅ 🚫 ✅
SharkRF M1KE
(using "AllStarLink" mode)		 🚫 🚫 ✅
IAXRPT ✅ 🚫 🚫
Linphone 🚫 ✅ 🚫

DVSwitch Mobile

DVSwitch Mobile does have a method called Node Mode, which registers as its own node number.

SharkRF M1KE

SharkRF refers to connecting via this method as "AllStarLink Mode" in some of their documentation. It is, in fact, actually using "Web Transceiver" mode.

RepeaterPhone

RepeaterPhone for iOS can be used to connect to AllStarLink nodes.

Tip

RepeaterPhone solely uses ASL Portal / WebTransceiver authentication. A client node is not required and users do not need to create servers or node simply to use RepeaterPhone.

Be sure to read their FAQs.

Detailed steps to configure RepeaterPhone:

  1. Purchase and Install: Obtain the RepeaterPhone app from the Apple App Store.

  2. Access Settings: Open the app and tap the Settings gear wheel.

  3. Add AllStarLink Account:

    • Tap "New Account" and then select the AllStarLink emblem.
    • Enter your AllStarLink callsign and password (used for logging into the AllStarLink portal).
    • Tap "Add Account".

  4. Add Nodes to Favorites:

    • Go to the Favorites section (star icon).
    • Tap the "+" symbol to add a new node.
    • Choose your AllStarLink username.
    • Enter the node number of the desired AllStarLink node.
    • Give the node a name (e.g., its callsign).
    • For Authentication, select "Account" to use your AllStarLink account (configured in Step 3).

  5. Connect and Use:

    • Once you've added nodes to your favorites, you can connect to them by selecting them and tapping "Connect". You'll transmit by holding down the green circle, and you can adjust microphone gain and speaker/non-speaker mode using the provided icons.

Node Authentication

RepeaterPhone supports different authentication methods. You can choose between "Account" (using your AllStarLink web portal credentials) or "Node" authentication (using an IAX username and password provided to you by the node owner).

Transceive

Transceive for macOS can be used to connect to AllStarLink nodes.

Tip

Transceive solely uses ASL Portal / WebTransceiver authentication and IAX Direct authentication. A client node is not required and users do not need to create servers or node simply to use RepeaterPhone.

Be sure to read their Help section.

For detailed steps to configure Transceive, see their page on Setup.

DVSwitch Mobile

DVSwitch Mobile for Android can be used to connect to AllStarLink nodes.

DVSwitch Mobile (DVSM) supports different authentication methods. You can choose between "Web Transceiver" mode (using your AllStarLink web portal credentials), "IAXRpt" mode (using an IAX username and password provided to you by the node owner), or "Node" mode (where DVSwitch Mobile configures itself as a real node).

For support, see their Support Forum, they also have a Support Wiki.

Web Transceiver Mode

When used in this mode, DVSM requires the user to have an account on the AllStarLink Portal, but you do NOT need to apply for a node number. Note that WT mode in DVSM requires the paid version.

Why use this mode?

  • Quickest way to connect to the AllStarLink Network

  • Only requires a valid account on the AllStarLink Portal

Disadvantages to this mode?

  • Requires setting up and authenticating an account on the AllStarLink Portal

  • Not all nodes allow the Web Transceiver authentication method (many systems specifically block it on purpose)

To use Web Transceiver Mode:

  • From the main Dialer screen in DVSM, press and hold the "D" button

  • If this your first time using WT mode, press "WT Setup"

    • Put your AllStarLink Portal username and password in the appropriate boxes
    • Press "Update Token"
    • If successful, the dot to the left of the Update Token button should turn green
    • Press "Save"

  • Otherwise, press "Enter WT Mode"

You will return to the dialer screen, and you should see the mode in the lower part of the screen (under the "More" button) change to "ASL-WT".

You can now dial any node that supports Web Transceiver.

To see if the node you want to connect to supports Web Transceiver, press and hold the "D" button. In the menu that pops up, press "Extended ASL Lookup". Put in the node number in the "Node Number" box, and press the magnifying glass to query the system. Check and see if the result indicates, "WT Enabled: True".

To exit Web Transceiver Mode:

  • From the main Dialer screen in DVSM, press and hold the "D" button

  • Press "Exit WT Mode"

You will return to the dialer screen, and you should see the mode in the lower part of the screen (under the "More" button) change to "ASL-RADIO".

IAXRpt Mode

When used in this mode, DVSM requires the user to have received a username and password (aka secret) from the node owner who's node you wish to connect to (and that node owner needs to configure iax.conf with the same credentials to allow authentication, see Node Configuration below).

Why use this mode?

  • Node owners can specifically allow users (ie. club members) to connect to their nodes, while still blocking general Web Transceiver access

  • Bypasses allow/deny lists that may be in use for controlling node access (since the user is authenticated with a pre-configured username and password)

Disadvantages to this mode?

  • More complicated to setup as it requires node owners to configure/assign user credentials on their node(s)

  • User credentials only apply to a particular node (or possibly nodes under the control of the same administrator)

To use IAXRpt Mode:

  • Obtain the following from the node operator of the system you wish to connect to:

    • Hostname of their AllStarLink server
    • IAX Port of their AllStarLink server (often 4569)
    • Your assigned username
    • Your assigned password (aka secret)

  • Press "Accounts" at the top of the screen

  • Press any empty account slot

  • Fill in the following:

    Setting Value
    Protocol: IAX2
    Hostname: Hostname of the remote AllStarLink server
    Port: IAX port of the remote AllStarLink server (often 4569)
    Username: Username (supplied by the node owner)
    Password: Password (supplied by the node owner)
    CallerID: Your callsign
    Caller Number: Must be 0
    Node: Node number of the node you are connecting to
    Phone Mode: checked
    Public Authentication: not checked
    Auto Connect: not checked

  • Save your settings, and this account will be selected, and should try and register

  • When you return to the dialer screen, you should see the mode in the lower part of the screen (under the "More" button) change to "ASL-PHONE".

  • Press the "Connect" button, and you should be connected to the target node, and see the status change in the lower part of the screen to show the target node.

Node Mode

When used in this mode, DVSM requires the user to have an account on the AllStarLink Portal, AND have a node number assigned to them associated with that account. In this mode, DVSM is configured such that it registers with the AllStarLink registration servers as that assigned node.

Why use this mode?

  • Makes your application appear as a node on the AllStarLink Network, using existing node authentication methods
  • Does not require node owners to assign specific credentials to users
  • Does not rely on the Web Transceiver method being enabled on nodes

Disadvantages to this mode?

  • More complicated to setup, as you need to register for a node number in addition to creating an AllStarLink Portal account
  • Connections to nodes are subject to allow/deny lists on the remote system, which could prevent connections

To use Node Mode:

  • Login to the AllStarLink Portal, go to Node Settings and get the following:

    • Your node number
    • Your node password (hover your mouse over the password field to see it)

  • Press "Accounts" at the top of the screen in DVSM

  • Press any empty account slot

  • Fill in the following:

    Setting Value
    Protocol: IAX2
    Hostname: register.allstarlink.org
    Port: 4569
    Username: Node Number (from Node Settings)
    Password: Node Password (from Node Settings)
    CallerID: Your callsign
    Caller Number: Leave blank
    Node: Leave blank
    Phone Mode: not checked
    Public Authentication: not checked
    Auto Connect: not checked

  • Save your settings, and this account will be selected, and should try and register

  • When you return to the dialer screen, you should see the mode in the lower part of the screen (under the "More" button) change to "ASL-NODE".

  • You can now dial and connect to any other node, as if you were any other node on the system.

Registration Updates

Because you entered register.allstarlink.org into the account settings, DVSM will maintain a registration session with the main registration server. This server keeps a list of all the registered nodes and their IP addresses. When a node connects to another node, this list is used to lookup the IP address of the node trying to connect and if the IP address matches the list, a connection is established. The connection to the registration server is refreshed once per minute.

On older systems running ASL2, the node list is downloaded by nodes from the registration server on a schedule, typically once every 5 minutes. As a node, you have to be registered for at least this amount of time for a remote node to get the updated list and your IP address. You may need to wait for the node list to propagate out to the network before you can connect to your desired node. ASL3 uses DNS lookups by default, so you should be able to connect to ASL3 nodes almost immediately.

Outbound Calls Only

While you are registered with the AllStarLink Network as a node in this mode, you are still only able to make outbound connections only. DVSM currently does not support other nodes connecting to you.

SharkRF M1KE

The SharkRF M1KE can be used to connect to AllStarLink nodes.

See their Support Page for documentation on how to configure and use the M1KE.

In order to connect to an AllStarLink node, you will need to configure an IAX2/AllStarLink Connector.

Node Authentication

M1KE supports different authentication methods. You can choose between "AllStarLink" (using your AllStarLink web portal credentials) or "IAX2" authentication (using an IAX username and password provided to you by the node owner).

IAXRpt PC Client

Don't Use IXARpt

IAXRpt was originally written and distributed by a company called Xeletec, but it has since been orphaned, and their download servers have been offline since 2019. As such, you will need to download the setup file from elsewhere. AllStarLink strongly discourages continued use of this application as future improvements to the system may render IAXRpt unusable. Also, ensure that you do not install a malware-hijacked version of IAXRpt.

IAXRpt is a specialized Windows "soft phone" program which allows users to connect from their PC's to an AllStarLink node.

In order to use the IAXRpt PC Client, you need to be supplied with a username and password (aka secret) from the node operator who's node you want to connect to, as well as the hostname and port of the node server. That also means that the node operator needs to configure their node to allow external connections from IAXRpt, and authenticate users. More information for node operators on how to configure their node is provided below.

The IAXRpt client is getting pretty old and it may not play nice with newer version of Windows, your experience may be less than stellar. Things may not work as expected, but until someone writes a new software package, this is what we have to work with.

Minimize to Tray

Beware that if you "minimize" the IAXRpt client window, it will appear to disappear (doesn't minimize to the Taskbar). When you minimize the window, it will minimize to the Tray instead. Go find the icon in the Tray to maximize/restore the client window.

Node Configuration

This section is for node operators, and covers how to configure your node to allow for connections from clients such as IAXRpt and DVSwitch Moblie (using IAXRpt mode).

Authentication Flow

Before we get into configuration, you need to understand how an incoming call is processed by Asterisk.

  • When a client attempts to connect to a node using one of the aforementioned clients, the incoming call is processed through iax.conf

  • The context in iax.conf that is used is determined by the username that the client sends

  • If a context name is found that matches the username, the secret in that context is then compared with the password the client sent to authenticate the client (otherwise the call is rejected)

  • If the authentication succeeds, the call is passed to extensions.conf for further processing, using the context defined by the context = directive

Therefore, for each user that you want to allow to connect to your system via this method, you either need to use one default username (context) and password (secret) in iax.conf for all users, or you need to add a specific context to iax.conf for each user (and provide them with a unique password (secret)). If you choose the latter, ALL the contexts can still point to the same context in extensions.conf for common processing.

IAXRpt Client Configuration

This section is for users installing the IAXRpt client, and configuring it to connect to a dedicated node.

You will need to obtain the following from the node operator who's node you wish to connect to:

  • username

  • password (aka secret)

  • node hostname

  • node IAX port

Install and open the software, then go to Options --> Account --> Add.

Step 1 Add Account

Fill in the boxes as follows:

Setting Value
Account Name Node Number
Description Friendly name/description of the node/system you're connecting to
Host Hostname of the node (supplied by the node operator), defaults to port 4569
Username Username (supplied by the node operator, may be iaxrpt or something custom)
Password Password/secret (supplied by the node operator)
Confirm Type your password again
Type Duplex
Remaining Settings Leave default

IAX Port

By default, if the node you are connecting to uses the default IAX port of 4569, you just need to put the hostname in the Host box. If, however, the node you are connecting to uses a different port, you need to specify it at the end of the hostname, such as wb6nil.somewhere.com:45691.

Click Save and then Done.

Now, go to Options --> Preferences --> CallerID (tab).

Step 2 CallerID

Put YOUR callsign in the Name box. This will be what is displayed in Allmon3 when you connect to the node. Be sure the Number box is set to 0.

While in this same window, go to the Codecs tab.

Step 3 Codecs

Many node operators may have removed GSM as an allowed codec (because the audio quality is poor). Change your Preferred Codec to u-law, which is the standard codec that AllStarLink uses. You can set the Allowed Codecs as shown to prevent IAXRpt from trying to negotiate a poorer audio quality codec.

Click Done when you are finished making changes.

You MAY need to adjust Options --> Devices for your speaker and microphone setup on your computer.

You should now be able to select the node (Account) from the drop down box beside Call: on the main screen, then click Connect to connect to the node.

Other IAX/SIP Devices

ASL3 runs on Asterisk. As such, it is possible to connect other IAX/SIP phones, soft phones, and soft clients to it.

Unfortunately, due to the vast number of devices available and their individual quirks, how to do that is beyond the scope of this document.

If you do have a working device, and want to share the configuration for others to use, and have it included here, please open an Issue on GitHub, or open a Pull Request to update the manual.