Is port-forwarding always necessary?

[coreybrett]

I am using 3CX v10 on a box with a private IP address, behind a Linksys router with a public address.

CallCentric is my VOIP provider.

I am able to send and receive phone calls without any port forwarding setup.

How is this possible? I was under the impression from different blog posts and the user-manual that port-forwarding was a must.

I'm not trying to "fix" anything, I'm just looking to better understand how this is functioning.

 

[leejor]

While it may work, and it could be because of the specific router, how "busy" your network is, or something else, it may not be problem free for long. Obviously, in your case,at the moment, the packets are able to "find" their way through your router.

The way to guarantee that you won't have any issues in the future is to use port forwarding, as recommended.

It's like someone saying "look, my bicycle rides just fine with flat tires, who says I need to put in air?"

You can leave it, and see what happens, but, if you start having problems....

 

[coreybrett]

Is it possible that CallCentric is doing something on their end that other providers don't?

I've had the current config running for well over a year, without any issues.

 

[leejor]

It may be. I've used ATA's (behind a router)directly with VoIP providers and not used any port forwarding. On a small setup it is probably no different.