Printable View
Any plan to switch from voipwelcome.com on launch?
After all, this is your sandbox for VOIPo BYOD customers, and the URL pretty much gives away the relationship leads back to VOIPo.
For those that are in the opposite camp of this thread, this might be important.
I completely back this up. It would also be cool if somehow we could have it on our server. Dont know how voipo could pull it off though.
100% agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by computergeek7632
At worst case, it would be perfect if we pointed a URL to VOIPo DNS so they could use a provided URL as the SIP URL. I expect this would need to be a variation that we provide for VOIPo use.
Example Reseller Site is:
- ResellerExample.com
Examples for SIP:
- ResellerExample.net
- ResellerExample-sip.com
- Reseller-Example.com
- something-completely-different.com
Similar to how hosting companies provide private label DNS.
EXAMPLE 4 is my preference, and have a URL that I could use already.
Assuming a reseller has control over his/her domain's DNS, would it work to make a CNAME record for something like sip.reseller.com and point it to sip.voipwelcome.com?
A subdomain can be easily redirected, but I think VOIPo would need it on their DNS just like I set usa2k.com registered at Godaddy to the HostGator DNS Servers. I am not expert in DNS though.
So I would expect the URL would need to be tied to DNS servers at VOIPo.
I guess that means all resellers would be on one DNS server, and that would be a clue ...
Perhaps there is a Hosting Guru that can explain how this should be done?
Yes, and No.Quote:
Originally Posted by usa2k
Voipo would need to add your sip.yourdomain.com to their DNS, but you could use a CNAME record at ANY DNS provider you choose.
So at GoDaddy, you can use their DNS, point the A record to your IP at Hostgator, and a CNAME for sip at voipo. Alternatively, when you register the domain you can point it at Hostgators DNS servers, but have Hostgator add the CNAME record for you to point to Voipo.
I'm not a DNS expert by any means, so there may be a better way than this. A CNAME record will show the voipwelcome.com domain if a customer does a DNS lookup on your domain, so this isn't completely invisible.
I recall that Tim chose the voipwelcome name to set it apart from the Voipo name in anticipation for the reseller program.
True, but it found other uses!
I am thinking now JimDog may have the said best and simplest approach. Forwarding would mean that VOIPo would not need to accommodate alternate URL names.
Use a Permanent Redirect to forward to perhaps:
In any case, I would sure like to hear what VOIPoTim's Tech Guys think? Is it already possible with the right redirect syntax?
You could do all of the above from your end.Quote:
Originally Posted by usa2k
Example
Option 1
Using CNAME on your DNS
Domain: usa2k.com
CNAME: sip -> Address: sip-byod.voipwelcome.com
This allows you to use sip.usa2k.com address and if Tim changes the IP, you don't have to worry since it points to his name record and not IP.
Option 2
using "A" record on your DNS
Domain usa2k.com
A Record: 67.228.77.18
This allows you to use sip.usa2k.com and look like you own the server at a glance. Reverse look up still reveals sip-byod.voipwelcome.com but you cant change that. This is a common method in virtual and hosted server space.
Draw back is, if Tim changes his IP, you need to update that IP on your DNS entry.
sip-byod.voipwelcome.com and sip.voipwelcome.com shows up as an A record however the reverse look up comes back with sip-byod.voipwelcome.com. So for CNAME, i would recommend using sip-byod.voipwelcome.com but for A record, it doesn't matter since the DNS entry is an IP.
sip-byod.voipwelcome.com IN A 67.228.77.18 3600s (1h)
sip.voipwelcome.com IN A 67.228.77.18 3600s (1h)
Hope this helps,
M
Thank you for the education!Code:C:\>ping in.usa2k.info
Pinging in.voipwelcome.com [67.228.177.9] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=61ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=61ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=62ms TTL=51
Ping statistics for 67.228.177.9:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 61ms, Maximum = 63ms, Average = 61ms
C:\>ping in.voipwelcome.com
Pinging in.voipwelcome.com [67.228.177.9] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=61ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=61ms TTL=51
Ping statistics for 67.228.177.9:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 61ms, Maximum = 63ms, Average = 62ms
I tried a test on a URL that is unused and unrelated to the Reseller Account to see how your suggestion would work :)
Ping gives away the redirection very easily. Did I miss anything, or is the idea, that few people would try and ping the URL? At DSLReports.com people routinely check to see how they look in response time from the company they may decide on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by man
OK. Setting the A record to the voipwelcome.com IP
And the CNAME for 'in' to '@'
Then ping looks to belong to my URL.
Test call to sip:5551234444@in.usa2k.info
(Use your VOIPo number in place, seems to work interchangeably.)
The only thing is a dedicated URL is needed because the A record assignment is part of the disguise.
This is not perfect. If the A record points to the IP for in.voipwelcome.com
It does not seem possible to also point at the IP for sip.voipwelcome.comsip.voipwelcome.com
in.voipwelcome.com
voipwelcome.com
All resolve to different IPs.Code:C:\>ping in.voipwelcome.com
Pinging in.voipwelcome.com [67.228.177.9] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=61ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=62ms TTL=51
Ping statistics for 67.228.177.9:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 61ms, Maximum = 63ms, Average = 62ms
C:\>ping in.usa2k.info
Pinging usa2k.info [67.228.177.9] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Reply from 67.228.177.9: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=51
Ping statistics for 67.228.177.9:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 63ms, Maximum = 63ms, Average = 63ms
We'll look at the domain/dns situation closer to launch, but may introduce an entirely different domain.
Thanks Tim!
I've been reading through this thead on how to "hide" the voipwelcome.com connection from customers.
Has there been any success in doing this? What is best method?
Sounds like USA2K has a workable solution. But for DNS noobs, can someone explain how to do this? Can it be done in cpanel?
I haven't tried, but I was thinking I could do this by creating some subdomains in cpanel, and redirecting them to the following:
in.voipwelcome.com
sip.voipwelcome.com
cp.voipwelcome.com
voipwelcome.com
etc...
In short, I don't know what all I'd need to redirect, or how, lol. But I think it would help me protect my customer relationships and provide a more fully "branded" service.
Thanks in advance for any additional information. :)
I have placed the user control panel in a frame on my site.
Works perfectly, so they don't see it there.
However, they do see it if they look at their device settings.
Yes, I've got the CP running in a frame/wrapper, so that's a partial solution.
But for users using a softphone, I have to tell them to use the proxy: sip.voipwelcome.com. That is the main thing I'd like to resolve. And I suspect resolving that would also disguise the control panel domain.
Any word on this? We're about to ramp up and would really like to avoid using sip.voipwelcome.com or at least hide it (especially for the softphone proxy setup).Quote:
Originally Posted by VOIPoTim
If the DNS redirect option works, can someone post a "step by step" for non-DNS gurus? Can it be done in cpanel? Would we have to log into our domain hosting (enom, etc) account? Please help. :)
Hey guys,
Any word on masking the voipwelcome.com domain yet? I really want to be able to use my own domain for the proxy url and control panel.
I'd be happy to register a separate, dedicated domain, solely for this purpose.
I just need to know the general steps necessary (point A register and/or CNAME).
I'd also like to know that VOIPo plans to support some methodology, so I don't have sudden and unexpected connection issues later.
Thanks in advance.
It's on our list of things to look at so hopefully soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern
It's a lot more complex than just pointing the DNS because the domain it connections to plays a part in a lot of things throughout our VoIP network and it'd have to all be setup to accommodate the name or other wise some calls may fail or features won't work.
I see the value in setting the name to a custom one, but it's just a matter of retrofitting our system so it can accommodate different names in all places.
man I did the same thing
Created a cname proxy.voipmyway.com and pointed it to sip.voipwelcome.com
Only issue is users still see sip.voipwelcome.com when they log into the portal. Also even redirecting the site unless you do url cloaking will still display the actual site.
That's a good sign if you're not having service issues with that setup since it may mean we don't have to do as much changing as we expected when we go through it.Quote:
Originally Posted by genxweb
Where are they seeing sip.voipwelcome in the portal?
Tim sorry about that I never logged in as a normal user. I always assumed clicking on account in the panel gave me the same view as them. I used a clients account today and logged in and saw I have been mistaken.
Thanks
Last night I started to give clients the cname address I created and it did not work. I opened a ticket with support and they said this is not supported.
The error I get is too many hops, though a trace route shows the same amount of hops.
Yeah, unfortunately that's what I thought. Like I said earlier it'll require some changes in many parts of our system to retrofit it for different domains since the domain is a huge part of the VoIP signaling.Quote:
Originally Posted by genxweb
It's on our list.
Couple of crazy ideas on this subject, for anyone who's interested. I was brain storming and thought I'd share with the forum users. :)
1. To hide the cp.voipwelcome.com control panel, might it be easier to create a separate set of control panel pages with direct links? In other words, individual pages without a built-in menu. Then resellers could have the option to use the current control panel, or create their own control panel menu, using their own site buttons, and just run the various pages in iframes. That would look great and hide things for the most part. My only assumption is that the login page would also have to run in an iframe, and that the other pages would work, so long as the session didn't time out.
2. To hide the sip.voipwelcome.com proxy address (which is typically only visible to softphone users), we use a generic "auto provisioning" script for X-Lite. Then each reseller could host the script on their own server/domain. The script would provision X-Lite to use sip.voipwelcome.com as the proxy. This would effectively hide the info from most users. Anyone who wanted to dig around could still see it, but at least it wouldn't be as prominent and reseller Branding would be more uniform.
Of course, resellers can already do their own auto provisioning script. But I suspect Voipo techs could do it much faster. And it would spare all the resellers from a lot of duplicated effort.
Anyway, nothing urgent. Just some things to consider as an intermediate solution until a full domain masking project is feasible. :)
Any developments on this front?