[Freeswitch-users] Getting started wiki page & external gateway: do I understand correctly?

[Jim]

Hi list,

More or less beginner, home situation; trying to set up fs (again)..

I've got 2 questions:

1. Posting here to make sure I understand before modifying the wiki.
Could you please correct me if I'm wrong?

Over here
http://wiki.freeswitch.org/wiki/Getting_Started_Guide#External

it says
"The External (formerly "outbound") profile handles outbound
registrations to a SIP provider."
However, earlier on it also mentions you can let external devices (i.e.
user phones in their own networks) register with that profile... so I'd
change this to:
"The External (formerly "outbound") profile also handles outbound
registrations to a SIP provider."

Then this:
"The external profile allows anonymous calling, which is required as
your provider will never authenticate with you to send you a call."

Skimmed through the bridge book p78, Receiving calls, which seems to
confirm external profile does not require authentication.
Ok, fine.

Then this:
"In order to secure your FreeSWITCH it is wise to link your outbound
profile to a dialplan context other than 'default', which in the default
configuration is the where authenticated users are placed."
Seems this advice mixes a default situation (default dialplan being
sensitive) with conditional advice (your outbound profile which would be
external in a default config).

I would change outbound to external in order to lessen confusion:
"In order to secure your FreeSWITCH it is wise to link your exgternal
profile to a dialplan context other than 'default', which in the default
configuration is where authenticated users are placed."

... although what is probably really meant is something like:
"As mentioned, the profile used for outbound registrations allows
anonymous, unauthenticated calling. By default, this profile is the
external profile. In order to secure your FreeSWITCH, don't link this
profile to a dialplan that allows dialing paid numbers or dialing users
(who may be bothered/harrassed) without any further checking.

Summary: in a default configuration: don't link your external profile to
a 'default' dialplan."
... which is a mouthful.

2. Given the above, if I want to have external users in their own
network behind NAT register to me, it would be best if I define an
additional profile that does require SIP authentication, right?

I can then use the external profile to register with SIP trunks etc.

Thanks!
-- 
Regards,

jb