Transcript Document

Michigan Section
Packet Network
Status Report
as of
January 2005
By: Jay Nugent WB8TKL
[email protected]
7/8/2015
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Four Major Topics:
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What is the current status of our Packet Networks?
Maps, anyone?
How are we progressing? Are we on the right
course? What are the pitfalls?
Who do I get to build this thing? Where do I learn
how to use it? When will the job be done?
Our “ToDo” List
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What is the current status of our
Packet Networks? Maps, anyone?
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We only know about what each County or District
*shares* with the rest of us. So SHARE!
Please submit all Moves, Adds, Changes, to the
MEDN mailing list for inclusion in a “Master”
database.
From this data anyone may develop their own
Network Topology Maps.
The “Maps”…..
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MEDN
Michigan Emergency Digital Network
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Based on
MSYS full
service BBS’s
Operate on
145.76 MHz
FBB-style
packet mail
forwarding
*Can* be
given IP
addresses to
become
“Hosts” off an
IP backbone
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How are we progressing? Are we on the
right course? What are the pitfalls?
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Progress is good, albeit slow. We are approaching *critical
mass* as more and more stations get on the air and are
joining in the “Packet RE-Revolution!”
Many folks still are not deploying due to lack of training,
complicated by having no “standards” to follow. They don’t
know where to begin.
We have (re)learned that a single statewide frequency is
not scalable. Folks want to know what freqs they should or
can use.
Some consistency is needed in the assignment of SSID’s
(such as no SSID for Home stations, -4 for nodes, -10 for WL2K, etc.)
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What should we use?
AX.25, TCP/IP, NetROM, Digis, xNOS, MSYS,
WinLink, ROSE, etc…
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AX.25 – The protocol that EVERYBODY can speak!
TCP/IP – The INTERNET protocol suite (Telnet, SMTP, POP, FTP, Finger,
ICMP/Ping/Traceroute, HTTP, etc.)
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Digipeaters – Always good when nothing else is available (but watch for
the hidden transmitter problem!)
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MSYS – MEDN Network has many deployments.
Full service BBS with
automatic FBB ‘packet’ mail forwarding (not SMTP)
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xNOS / Hamgate – Uses AX.25 & TCP/IP.
IP routing with full service
BBS with automatic FBB forwarding as well as SMTP mail services (alias lists,
rewrite support, etc.). NOS is the Swiss Army Knife of packet!
WinLink 2000 – SMTP only (and nothing else)
NetROM – Supported on any TNC-2 “clone”, xNOS, and many BBS
programs like MSYS
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Etc…
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Everything that speaks TCP/IP, work together
Everything that speaks NetROM, work with other NetROM
nodes as well as with xNOS
WinLink *can* speak over TCP/IP
MSYS can act as a TCP/IP “Host”
Must I use WinLink? No. That is one of the many choices each
individual county must make. Base your network design on what serves YOUR
community best. WL2K is a “recommendation” by ARRL ARESCOMM.
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Do I need Pactor?
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Should we use the Internet?
Only if you are going to pass traffic over HF to other
Pactor equipped stations. (SCS is the *only* source of P2 and P3 modems)
Certainly! Use whatever resources get
the job done. If there are no Terrestrial RF paths to your destination, or you
need gobs of bandwidth (i.e. to move huge JPG images) use of the Internet is a
good choice. Internet survivability is excellent.
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Who do I get to build this thing?
Where do I learn how to use it?
When will the job be done?
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“If you built it, they will come”. You will need to build *something*
to attract interest. More people means more available resources (time,
money, manpower).
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Google for Packet related websites and tutorials. Ask
questions on the MEDN-HAM Yahoo list. Ask others to
come in and do “Packet Training Seminars”.
It will NEVER be done!
REMEMBER: It’s your equipment, your time, your skills,
and your money – Built what YOU understand and what
YOU can support.
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Our “ToDo” List:
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Begin using LAYERED network topologies (multi-freq)
Each County use its own Local Access Frequency
Establish Gateway Nodes between neighboring networks
Establish reusable backbone frequencies and setup links
using directional antennas wherever possible
Develop and use an SSID assignment “standard”
SHARE your network topology maps with others!
We need a Frequency Coordination body now!
Each District needs to assign Packet Representative(s)
to the Digital Committee
Section Digital Committee needs to meet ASAP!
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