Announcement
coturn: Free Open Source TURN and STUN Server for NAT Traversal
coturn is a free open source implementation of TURN and STUN servers. It is used to facilitate NAT traversal for real-time communications applications like WebRTC, VoIP, and online gaming.
Project Introduction
Summary
coturn is a robust, free open-source implementation of the TURN (Traversal Using Relays around NAT) and STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) protocols. It is a critical component for enabling peer-to-peer networking in environments affected by NAT, widely used in real-time communication applications.
Problem Solved
Network Address Translation (NAT) and firewalls often prevent direct peer-to-peer connections for real-time media. TURN and STUN servers are essential for discovering public IP addresses and ports (STUN) and relaying media traffic when direct connection is impossible (TURN), ensuring connectivity for applications like WebRTC.
Core Features
Comprehensive Protocol Support
Supports RFC 5766 TURN, RFC 5389 STUN, RFC 6062 TURN Extensions for TCP, and RFC 6156 IPv6 Extensions for TURN.
Flexible Authentication
Offers various authentication mechanisms including shared secret, static users, and external databases.
High Performance and Scalability
Built for high performance and scalability, capable of handling a large number of concurrent connections.
Multiple Transports
Supports multiple transport protocols including UDP, TCP, TLS, and DTLS.
Tech Stack
Use Cases
coturn is fundamental for any application relying on peer-to-peer connections for real-time data streams where direct connectivity cannot be guaranteed due to NAT or firewalls. Key use cases include:
WebRTC Video/Voice Calls
Details
Enabling audio/video calls and data channels between users in WebRTC applications, ensuring connectivity even when peers are behind different NATs.
User Value
Guarantees connectivity for real-time communication features, improving user experience and reliability.
VoIP Communication
Details
Providing relay services for VoIP softphones and devices that cannot establish a direct connection due to NAT, ensuring call audio flows correctly.
User Value
Ensures audio path connectivity for VoIP calls in complex network environments.
Online Gaming
Details
Allowing players behind NAT to connect and exchange data directly or via relay for online multiplayer games.
User Value
Facilitates peer-to-peer gameplay and reduces server load by enabling direct connections or efficient relay.
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coturncoturn
coturn is a free open source implementation of TURN and STUN servers. It is used to facilitate NAT traversal for real-time communications applications like WebRTC, VoIP, and online gaming.