{"id":1519,"date":"2021-03-22T07:10:53","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T01:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enablex.io\/insights\/?p=1519"},"modified":"2025-08-05T09:49:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T04:19:44","slug":"what-is-webrtc-and-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enablex.io\/insights\/what-is-webrtc-and-how-it-works\/","title":{"rendered":"What is WebRTC And How It Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

The world of web-based communication is changing at the speed you might not even imagine<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Now, for making a video conferencing call<\/a>, sharing a file\u2014all that you\u00a0<\/span>need<\/span>\u00a0is a\u00a0<\/span>URL, thanks to the power of<\/span>\u00a0WebRTC\u00a0<\/span>for opening the door of infinite possibilities for\u00a0<\/span>developers and businesses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Developed by Google in 2011<\/span>\u00a0as an\u00a0<\/span>open-source<\/span>\u00a0framework<\/span>\u00a0comprising standards, protocols<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and JavaScript APIs<\/span>, WebRTC<\/span>\u00a0or Web Real<\/span>–<\/span>Time Communications facilitates<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>peer-to-peer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>transfer of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>audio, video, and data\u00a0<\/span>without plugins<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0native applications<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0or any third-party\u00a0<\/span>proprietary\u00a0<\/span>software<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Supported by<\/span>\u00a0major browsers including Chrome, Safari, Mozilla,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>Opera<\/span>, t<\/span>he scope of new standard Web\u00a0<\/span>Real-Time<\/span>\u00a0Communication goes beyond the realms of web bro<\/span>wsers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> It\u2019s indeed an exciting and disruptive technology built on top of free JavaScript APIs<\/span>. All it requires<\/span>\u00a0is<\/span>\u00a0a few lines of JavaScript code, and you can enjoy a rich video calling with peer-to-peer data transfers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> But wait! i<\/span>t\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>not that simple:\u00a0<\/span>it l<\/span>everages\u00a0<\/span>a variety of protocols\u00a0<\/span>and standards\u00a0<\/span>including\u00a0<\/span>SDP (Session Development\u00a0<\/span>Protocol), SIP (Session Initiation Protocols), NAT,\u00a0<\/span>ICE,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>UDP\/TC<\/span>P, and many more<\/span>\u00a0to provide secure, interoperable (between browsers), real<\/span>–<\/span>time browser-based\u00a0<\/span>peer-to-peer\u00a0<\/span>communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Also read: The Most Comprehensive Guide on WebRTC<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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How WebRTC Works<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Similar to<\/span>\u00a0any genuinely disruptive technolog<\/span>y<\/span>, WebRTC may\u00a0<\/span>initially\u00a0<\/span>sound cool and\u00a0<\/span>magical!<\/span>\u00a0IT folks\u00a0<\/span>can be lured by the promises of building\u00a0<\/span>the next Zoom application only to discover\u00a0<\/span>how compl<\/span>icated<\/span>\u00a0it can be to gain an<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>idea of the\u00a0<\/span>multiple\u00a0<\/span>moving components\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>understand\u00a0<\/span>how\u00a0<\/span>all of them\u00a0<\/span>fit into\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>overall piece of the puzzle<\/span>\u2014called WebRTC<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Y<\/span>ou\u00a0<\/span>can, however,<\/span>\u00a0get into the skin of things<\/span>\u00a0once you understand the<\/span>\u00a0basic\u00a0<\/span>concept.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>To enable<\/span>\u00a0WebRTC<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>communication, the following\u00a0<\/span>four\u00a0<\/span>steps<\/span>\u00a0are required<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>ccess to media streams<\/span>\u00a0through webcam or microphone<\/span>\u00a0(carried out via\u00a0<\/span>GetUserMedia\u00a0<\/span><\/b>JavaScript API)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>B<\/span>asic<\/span>\u00a0network<\/span>–<\/span>related information such\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>ports and IP addresses and this information needs to\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>shared with\u00a0<\/span>an<\/span>other browser<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>through signalling<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(carried out via\u00a0<\/span>RTCPeerConnection<\/span><\/b>\u00a0JavaScript API)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>nfo about the parameters of media data<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>carried out via\u00a0<\/span>RTCPeerConnection<\/span><\/b>\u00a0JavaScript API)\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 4:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>Transfer media data<\/span>\u00a0(carried out via\u00a0<\/span>RTCDataChannel\u00a0<\/span><\/b>JavaScript API)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Broadly, these objectives are achieved with\u00a0the following\u00a0three main JavaScript groups:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. GetUserMedia (or MediaStream API)\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The API\u00a0<\/span>is used to access a webcam or microphone of the device<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>enables developers to\u00a0<\/span>receive\u00a0<\/span>access to\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>video\/audio stream objects<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> It\u00a0<\/span>assists\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>selecting<\/span>\u00a0the desired input user device out of multiple media capture devices. Whether\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>taking\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>profile picture of a user, collecting audio samples, or recording audio\/video\u2014getUserMedia\u00a0API performs these tasks.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> For instance, to open a default media device, it works the following way:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n