Michigan Section Packet Network Status Report By: Jay Nugent WB8TKL WB8TKLARRL.NET

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Michigan Section Packet NetworkStatus Report
By Jay Nugent WB8TKL WB8TKL_at_ARRL.NET

• as of
• January 2005

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Four Major Topics

• 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?

• 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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MEDNMichigan Emergency
Digital Network

• Based on MSYS full service BBSs
• 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?

• 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 dont 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
  SSIDs (such as no SSID for Home stations, -4 for
  nodes, -10 for WL2K, etc.)
• 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.)
• Digipeaters Always good when nothing else is
  available (but watch for the hidden transmitter
  problem!)
• MSYS MEDN Network has many deployments. Full
  service BBS with automatic FBB packet mail
  forwarding (not SMTP)
• 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
• 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.
• Do I need Pactor? 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)
• Should we use the Internet? 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?

• 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).
• 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 Its 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

• 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!