Add support for IPv6

[tduboys]

Hi,
I'm trying to use Jamulus with my own dedicated server in both ipv4+ipv6 stack.

When I try to connect to the DNS with A and AAAA record, nothing happens. I dont see any packets sent from my client, and on my server (with wireshark).
When I use the IPv4 directly, all is working.
When I use the IPv6 directly, I see my client sending a lot of packets to 127.0.0.1:22124

Is there something wrong on my setup or on the client part regarding IPv6 ?

I'm using Jamulus 3.4.4 on Archlinux
Thanks

[corrados]

IPv6 is not supported by the Jamulus software. Just IPv4.

[corrados]

This issue has been migrated from Sourceforge. Created: 2015-12-13
Creator: Volker Fischer

Right now Jamulus only supports IP v4 in the protocol messages. As a results, a Jamulus server cannot be operated if the internet connection is IP v6 only.

Volker Fischer - 2020-03-11

Interestingly, I just tried out to register a Jamulus server on a internet connection which has IPv6 only and the registration succeeded. I have not yet an explaination for this behavior but it is good news that it works.

[gutobenn]

Hi, @corrados!
Could you provide more details about why IPv6 isn't supported?
I'm living in an area where almost everybody's IPv4 are behind CGNAT and isn't easy or cheap to find virtual private servers nearby.
We are interested in understading how much effort is needed to add IPv6 support. Maybe we could try to help on this implementation.

[corrados]

The Jamulus network protocol is completely IPv4 based. New protocol messages would have to be defined. Of course, somehow compatibility to old versions have to be preserved.
I am not sure if you start a Jamulus server on a pure IPv6 network, can a client which is connected via a IPv4 network access that server?
A lot of open questions... And I guess a lot of changes are needed to the Jamulus software to support IPv6 in a clean and compatible way.

[gutobenn]

Good news!

@lfzawacki and I got it working on IPv6 hosts using socat! 😃

I'm going to document it very soon. We've tested it only on Linux, but it seems socat can be installed on Mac and Windows too.

[biermanncarl]

@gutobenn Have you already done any documentation on how you did it?
I'm having the same issues with IPv4 being not available. IPv6 support would be really big for Jamulus.

[gutobenn]

1. Install socat on server and clients.
2. On the server, execute sudo socat UDP6-LISTEN:31476,fork UDP4:localhost:31478.
   It makes socat forward IPv6 packets from port 31476 to port 31478 (jamulus default) as IPv4 packets.
   I've choosed 31476, but you can use any other available port. Just don't forget to allow connections to this port on any firewall in your network (routers or computers) and to configure port forwarding in your router, if needed.
3. On the client, run sudo socat UDP4-LISTEN:31478,fork UDP6:[server_ipv6_here]:31476, replacing server_ipv6_here with the server IPv6 address.
   Then connect your Jamulus client to 127.0.0.1.

For debugging, you can execute socat with parameters '-d -d -d -d' and '-v'. Wireshark or similar might be very useful too.

If you want to connect a client to the server in the same LAN network, just use the server's local IPv4 address, like 192.168.0.13.

[streaps]

The Jamulus network protocol is completely IPv4 based. New protocol messages would have to be defined. Of course, somehow compatibility to old versions have to be preserved.

I'm not sure what part of an UDP protocol would be different on IPv6 or IPv4. As the socat experiment shows, this is not really true.

I think the additional IPv6 overhead is 20 byte per packet (with 2.5 ms packets -> 64kbps per stream).

[KnobbyCLARKE]

I have just been through the exercise of getting a Static IPv4 address from my ISP because otherwise mu private Server would not work because ISP uses CGNAT. It is only a matter of time before ISP "encourages" move to IPv6. I have a dual protocol Router but I do not want to have to stop using Jamulus because it does not support IPv6 and as a MacOS user I do not want to have to get involved with the underlying Unix. Please can we at least see some work being done on this issue.

[berndbb]

I just setup an IPV6-only Server just to discover, that I cannot use it for its main purpose: Jamulus. Bad Luck. Of course, I would like to see IPv6 working.
I wouldn't mind setting up something like socat on the server (although I have to admit I would never have found this solution ...).

But my mates from our choir will surely ran away if things are getting even more complicated than installing asio-driver, a new unknown software Jamulus and typing strange letters into the server field.

[berndbb]

I just want to confirm that the "socat-method" from gutobenn (May 26th) worked on my ubuntu-server 20.04. I was able to connect from my home pc to a Jamulus Server running on the ubuntu instance which is only reachable via ipv6.

Maybe I have to supply a script for the users to let them connect with one click (by using the "Jamulus -c" option). Have to check for socat for windows first.

Does somebody know how to write such a start script for Mac-Devices?