[aprssig] NetNodes, the future

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> HamLists at ametx.com 12/29/04 7:08:54 AM >>>
>APRS has prospered... Because I do not have to configure 
>(one configuration works almost universally (RELAY,WIDE...)
>By simply addressing a message to the remote station (no path 
>settings required).  

Agree completely but ONLY for 1 hop or so on a non-congested
channel.  Message exchange is a POINT-to-POINT process that
requires acknowledgment and other than occassional one-liners is
just grossly inefficient on an APRS system.

HAM communications needs a good point-to-point system for
file and paragraph transfer,  It is *impossible* to do this on APRS
and APRS was not designed to do this.  Thus we need 
CONNECTED mode connectivity on another channel to augment
APRS.

Thus, why not a universal global NETgate system based
on the very viable and transparent NetROM/TheNET system?
Seems a slam-dunk to me...

>(Do we set up for I35, I30, I20, or I45 linking? 
> What about US75?
>Hmmm.  Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.)

The decision there is *very simple*.  The new LINKn-N 
system was not designed for "linking", and cant possibly
be used for linking because of simple basics of packet
radio.

1) The decision is simple.  If you are driving along I-35, then
use 35LNKn-N.

2) Linking in this context is a multi-hop end-to-end system which 
everyone in packet knows cannot work beyond about 1 or 2 
hops even on a clear channel. (for end-to-end messaging (acks) etc)...

3) APRS was desiged for one-to-many on a shared  channel.  
It was never designed and cannot possibly handle end-to-end 
point-to-point connected traffic (messages, even one liners on 
APRS are like "connected" traffic because of acks).

Thus there is only one "decision" and it is trivial:
1) If you are sending brief info to everyone use APRS
2) If you need to pass files or traffic or paragraphs
   to someone, then look on your APRS map or on your
   radio's front panel list for the call and freq of the nearby
   NETgate and connect to it, and then connect to
   anyone on the planet..
3) I just cannot imagine anything simpler... (KISS)

Bob, WB4APR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Bruninga
> Posted At: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 9:27 PM
> Subject: [aprssig] NetNodes, the future
> 
> The thing we really need is NetGates.
> 
> These are simply a TNC and a radio hooked to the internet but 
> they look to the RF user just like a TheNet or NetROM node.  
> Thus, they are a global level-4 AX.25 packet radio Network 
> that is independent of application and transparent to the 
> existing RF system.
> 
> About the only thing that has to be different is the node list.
> It can't be 3500 nodes deep.  The basic node list would have 
> to be organized around distance.  If you ask for nodes, it 
> will give you a list of the 10 nearest.  Other than that it 
> has connectivity to every node in the world.  All you need to 
> know is its callsign.
> 
> That would be HAM radio at its finest.  It wouldn't mater if 
> the node was in the next town by RF or the next state by the 
> internet.  It appears like a NetROM or TheNET node with 
> one-hop connectiivty to the RF node.  Which I suggest we call 
> a NetGate.
> 
> If I knew how to write the code, it would be sure fun to do..
> 
> de Wb4APR, Bob

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