[aprssig] NetNodes, the future

[Ralph Milnes]

Bob Wb4APR wrote:

>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..
----------


Maybe the software for this already exists -- or partly exists. There's a
program called Xrouter that handles RF-to-internet/AX.25-to-TCP/IP
transfers.
http://www.g8pzt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/software/software.htm

Strangely it's a DOS program that will run in a Windows DOS box. I don't
have any experience with it. Another ham (kb7rsi at cox.net) mentioned that he
was using it to connect packet nodes via the internet. I don't know how or
if a Node list is generated.

Just a lead if someone wants to explore this..

Perhaps some more experienced packet users have a better lead.

73, Ralph KC2RLM