What is WebRTC?

• Provides browsers with Real Time Communication
• Free & Open Source
• Supported by all modern browsers*
• Feb 2014, first cross-browser connection

WebRTC Features

• Real Time Voice and Video communication
• Peer to Peer Communication
• State of the art Codecs (VP8)

What is WebRTC

WebRTC Adoption

• Thousands of verticals in health, legal, services
• Sobered after 1st wave of startups
• Safari support opens up new opportunities

What is WebRTC

WebRTC, The Good Parts

• Made Real Time Communication ubiquitous
• Provides free & open-source APIs
• Lowered the bar to entry

What is WebRTC

WebRTC, The Ugly Parts

• Cheap start, expensive end game
• Costly development
• Connectivity problems

What is WebRTC

How WebRTC Works

• WebRTC APIs
• Handshake of a WebRTC call
• Services needed for WebRTC

We'll see the following:

WebRTC APIs

• getUserMedia acquires audio / video
• RTCPeerConnection audio / video communication
• RTCDataChannel Data communication

How WebRTC Works

• getStats Statistics

Handshake of a WebRTC call

How WebRTC works

Peer 1

Peer 2

STUN Server

Signal Server

1. Peer 1 asks their IP from STUN
2. Peer 1 offers SDP to Signal --> Peer 2
3. Peer 2 asks their IP from STUN
4. Peer 2 responds with their SDP via Signal
5. Peer 1 & 2 send ICE Candidates via Signal
6. Winning Candidate establishes connection

Notes

* Simplified version, TURN missing

* SDP: Session Description Protocol

* ICE: Interactive Connectivity Establishment

Services Needed for WebRTC

• Signal Server: Your implementation to enable communication between peers.
• STUN Server: Session Traversal Utilities for NAT, low resource daemon.
• TURN Server: Traversal Using Relays around NAT, extreme resource server.

How WebRTC Works

Building WebRTC Apps

1. Prototype using public WebRTC services
2. MVP using third-party WebRTC services
3. Grow using your infrastructure

The general rule of thumb 👍

Third-Party WebRTC Services

TokBox https://tokbox.com/

One stop shop service, oldest in the market.

 

Xirsys https://xirsys.com/

A la carte WebRTC services, as old as TokBox.

Also: Vidyo, Twillio WebRTC

The rest: https://www.callstats.io/2017/10/17/sdk-comparison/

Building WebRTC Apps