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STUN Client

By , 20 Apr 2007
 
Screenshot - stun.jpg

Introduction

STUN - Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) through Network Address Translators (NATs). In few words, it just helps you to map your local computer IP:port to public IP:port.

STUN working idea is pretty simple. The client just sends a UDP packet out to the STUN server and the server answers back with IP:port you connected. STUN does three tests to detect the NAT type.

In test I, the client sends a STUN Binding Request to a server, 
without any flags set in the CHANGE-REQUEST attribute, 
and without the RESPONSE-ADDRESS attribute. This causes the server 
to send the response back to the address and port that the request came from.
           
In test II, the client sends a Binding Request with both the 
"change IP" and "change port" flags from the CHANGE-REQUEST attribute set.  
              
In test III, the client sends a Binding Request with only the "change port" flag set.
                          
                                    +--------+
                                    |  Test  |
                                    |   I    |
                                    +--------+
                                         |
                                         |
                                         V
                                        /\              /\
                                     N /  \ Y          /  \ Y             +--------+
                      UDP     <-------/Resp\--------->/ IP \------------->|  Test  |
                      Blocked         \ ?  /          \Same/              |   II   |
                                       \  /            \? /               +--------+
                                        \/              \/                    |
                                                         | N                  |
                                                         |                    V
                                                         V                    /\
                                                     +--------+  Sym.      N /  \
                                                     |  Test  |  UDP    <---/Resp\
                                                     |   II   |  Firewall   \ ?  /
                                                     +--------+              \  /
                                                         |                    \/
                                                         V                     |Y
                              /\                         /\                    |
               Symmetric  N  /  \       +--------+   N  /  \                   V
                  NAT  <--- / IP \<-----|  Test  |<--- /Resp\               Open
                            \Same/      |   I    |     \ ?  /               Internet
                             \? /       +--------+      \  /
                              \/                         \/
                              |                           |Y
                              |                           |
                              |                           V
                              |                           Full
                              |                           Cone
                              V              /\
                          +--------+        /  \ Y
                          |  Test  |------>/Resp\---->Restricted
                          |   III  |       \ ?  /
                          +--------+        \  /
                                             \/
                                              |N
                                              |       Port
                                              +------>Restricted

/// <summary>
/// UDP is always blocked.
/// </summary>
UdpBlocked,

/// <summary>
/// No NAT, public IP, no firewall.
/// </summary>
OpenInternet,

/// <summary>
/// No NAT, public IP, but symmetric UDP firewall.
/// </summary>
SymmetricUdpFirewall,

/// <summary>
/// A full cone NAT is one where all requests from the same internal 
/// IP address and port are mapped to the same external IP address and port.
/// Furthermore, any external host can send a packet to the internal host, 
/// by sending a packet to the mapped external address.
/// </summary>
FullCone,

/// <summary>
/// A restricted cone NAT is one where all requests from the same
/// internal IP address and port are mapped to the same external IP address and port.
///  Unlike a full cone NAT, an external host (with IP address X) 
/// can send a packet to the internal host only if the internal host 
/// had previously sent a packet to IP address X.
/// </summary>
RestrictedCone,

/// <summary>
/// A port restricted cone NAT is like a restricted cone NAT, but the restriction 
/// includes port numbers. Specifically, an external host can send a packet, 
/// with source IP address X and source port P, to the internal host only if 
/// the internal host had previously sent a packet to IP address X and port P.
/// </summary>
PortRestrictedCone,

/// <summary>
/// A symmetric NAT is one where all requests 
/// from the same internal IP address and port, 
/// to a specific destination IP address and port, are mapped to the same external 
/// IP address and port.  If the same host sends a packet with the same source address 
/// and port, but to a different destination, a different mapping is used. 
/// Furthermore, only the external host that
/// receives a packet can send a UDP packet back to the internal host.
/// </summary>
Symmetric

Using the Code

// Create new socket for STUN client.
Socket socket = new Socket
    (AddressFamily.InterNetwork,SocketType.Dgram,ProtocolType.Udp);
socket.Bind(new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Any,0));

// Query STUN server
STUN_Result result = STUN_Client.Query("stunserver.org",3478,socket);
if(result.NetType != STUN_NetType.UdpBlocked){
    // UDP blocked or !!!! bad STUN server
}
else{
    IPEndPoint publicEP = result.PublicEndPoint;
    // Do your stuff
}

History

  • 20.04.2007 - Initial version

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

About the Author

Ivar Lumi
Estonia Estonia
Member
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Comments and Discussions

 
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GeneralWCF interop STUNmemberngocdonghack200119 Mar '09 - 4:10 
Dear sir,
 
Your post is great but do you have any ideal about WCF? Does anyone know how to make this work with WCF?
GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmemberIvar Lumi19 Mar '09 - 4:29 
Hi,
 
It should run on CF or then need only minmal changes.
GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmemberngocdonghack200119 Mar '09 - 15:00 
Thanks for quick ans!
 
Could you please explain more about this and how to use it with WCF?
I've looked for this solution in a long time and really need this!
GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmemberIvar Lumi19 Mar '09 - 20:36 
If you just need stun, it probably wiser to compile to new dll.
 
I dont see what your problems using in CF, odes it use some method what isnt supported in CF ?
GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmemberngocdonghack200120 Mar '09 - 5:46 
My problems is that when i've got a global & local mapped address and the next step is to open a communication channel, but i don't know how to do it! Could you please give me a simple example of message transfer between node through STUN?
GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmvpUwe Keim17 Apr '10 - 7:47 
"WCF" stands for "Windows Communication Foundation[^]"
"CF" stands for ".NET Compact Framework[^]"
 
Are you sure you and the original poster of the question talk about the same thing? Smile | :)
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GeneralRe: WCF interop STUNmembercwienands8 Oct '10 - 5:26 
Check out my answer under 'How i connect to remote machine using Stun'. You'll have to figure out how to use UDP under WCF and use the hole punching technique to make it work. STUN only helps you to find out the necessary info, public IP and port, to do hole punching. You'll also need an additional rendezvous server.
 
Christoph

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