Notes how to deal with changing IP numbers when using GnuGk

More and more users enjoy the bandwidth of cable modems and other dial-up broadband services. One problem many users have to deal with in these setups is, that their IP number is changing from time to time.

Changing IP number for endpoint, stable IP for gatekeeper

When the gatekeeper maintains a static IP number and only the endpoints receives a new IP number, the best way would be for the endpoint to unregister it's alias (at best from the old IP number, but this will probably also work from the new one) and then re-register with the same alias from the new IP number.

If your endpoint doesn't do that and you have access to the OpenH323 Gatekeeper status port, you can write a small script that connects to the gatekeeper and unregisters all endpoints on the old IP number ("unregisterip 1.2.3.4"). Most endpoint will try to re-register automatically. If the enpoint uses the new IP number for the reregistration everything is well.

If you have nc (netcat), the script is as simple as this:

echo -e "unregisterip 1.2.3.4 \n quit" | nc hostname 7000

or use the supplied Perl script:

unregister_ip.pl 1.2.3.4 hostname

Another way to deal with this is to use

[RasSrv::RRQFeatures]
OverwriteEPOnSameAddress=1

This will allow the reregistration of an endpoint with a different IP (see manual). But you still have to tell the endpoint to re-register.

Changing IP number for the gatekeeper

When you are using gatekeeper discovery in your endpoint you don't have to specify a fixed IP in your endpoint config. The endpoint will try to find a gatekeeper using IP broadcasts.

[more ideas, anyone ?]

Last updated: 20. Dec 2007
Page maintained by Jan Willamowius