Search RFCs

RFC Editor

File formats:

Status:

INFORMATIONAL

Updated by:

RFC 8996

Authors:

M. Spencer
B. Capouch
E. Guy, Ed.
F. Miller
K. Shumard

Stream:

INDEPENDENT

Cite this RFC:TXT  | XML  |  BibTeX

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC5456

Discuss this RFC: Send questions or comments to the mailing listrfc-ise@rfc-editor.org

Other actions:Submit Errata  | Find IPR Disclosures from the IETF  | View History of RFC 5456

Abstract

This document describes IAX, the Inter-Asterisk eXchange protocol, anapplication-layer control and media protocol for creating, modifying,and terminating multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP)networks. IAX was developed by the open source community for theAsterisk Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and is targeted primarily atVoice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call control, but it can be usedwith streaming video or any other type of multimedia.

IAX is an "all in one" protocol for handling multimedia in IPnetworks. It combines both control and media services in the sameprotocol. In addition, IAX uses a single UDP data stream on a staticport greatly simplifying Network Address Translation (NAT) gatewaytraversal, eliminating the need for other protocols to work aroundNAT, and simplifying network and firewall management. IAX employs acompact encoding that decreases bandwidth usage and is well suitedfor Internet telephony service. In addition, its open nature permitsnew payload type additions needed to support additional services. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it ispublished for informational purposes.

For the definition ofStatus,seeRFC 2026.

For the definition ofStream, seeRFC 8729.