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- UK AMPRNET TCP/IP Newsletter
-
-
- Mike Chace - G6DHU
-
- Issue 3 Volume 1 - May 1991
-
-
- 1. Introduction
-
- Well, there's very little to report on the software front in
- this issue. Likewise, I've no information to report on
- network development. Please, if you've got a reasonable
- amount of activity in your area, then mail me and I'll
- include the information in the next newsletter.
-
-
- 2. A Plea
-
- Is anyone in the Swindon area reading this and
- interested/active on TCP/IP? If so, please contact me with
- a view to providing an IP link between Bath, Bristol and the
- Home Counties. Thanks.
-
-
- 3. Beginners Information Pack
-
- The G6DHU TCP/IP Beginners Information Package is now at
- v1.4, having added an updated KA9Q NOS manual and a manual
- for the BM mailer. The pack is available from me at the
- address below on receipt of a suitably formatted (MSDOS 720k
- or Atari ST) 3.5 inch disk and return postage. A must for
- anyone considering TCP/IP on Packet Radio!
-
-
- 4. Tutorial Time!
-
- I've decided to devote this issue to some tutorial material
- on the subject of how to connect to other IP stations using
- the services of the NET/ROM node network. So here goes....
-
-
- 5. Connecting to IP nodes using NET/ROM.
-
- Let's take as our example, the situation where G7YYY and
- G7ZZZ are 2 IP nodes. They can't reach each other direct or
- via digipeaters, but they both have a local NET/ROM node.
- Let's make it a bit more realistic by saying that our two
- stations are separated by 3 network nodes as below :-
-
- g7yyy-5 Node A ------- Node B ------- Node C g7zzz-5
-
- I'm also going to assume that both stations use the
- conventional -5 SSID to denote an IP node.
-
-
- Using NET/ROM
-
- The basic problem to overcome on the network node side, is
- to make both IP node callsigns appear at the opposite end of
- the netrom link. That is, G7ZZZ-5 appears in the node table
- of Node A and G7YYY-5 at Node C.
-
- To do this, you will need to enlist the help of your local
- node sysop. The sysop can then 'lock in' each IP node and
- give it a route quality that will allow it to traverse the
- network ('propagate') to the opposite end of our intended
- link. Once this is done, we are in a position to set up an
- IP link to the other station using the netrom network.
-
-
- Setting Up IP to use netrom.
-
- Both stations will need to start their netrom interfaces to
- be able to use netrom for sending IP frames. This is done
- by the 'attach netrom' command. Starting the netrom
- interface will allow us to send and receive packets using
- the netrom protocol and to make connections using the
- services of netrom.
-
- There are lots of other commands which set the
- characteristics of the netrom interface ('netrom ...') but
- the defaults should be good enough for the purposes of this
- discussion.
-
- Once we set the netrom interface going, we will periodically
- send a broadcast using the netrom protocol which announces
- the existance of our netrom node to the local nodes. Once
- such a broadcast is heard, and we are 'locked in' to the
- local node, our netrom callsign will propagate through the
- network.
-
-
- 6. Using IP over netrom.
-
-
- Using the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
-
- Where have we got to now ? Well, we are ready to use netrom
- to forward our IP traffic across the network to our remote
- station. We've done the important work of setting up the
- network for us to use, so all we need to do is setup each
- end of the link to send IP across netrom.
-
- The first thing we need to do is tell NOS/NET what netrom
- callsigns correspond to IP addresses so that we can 'wrap'
- node. ARP (the Address Resolution Protocol) allows us to do
- this. ARP tells our system which netrom callsign matches a
- give IP address, so for instance, G7ZZZ would fix the
- following ARP entry....
-
- arp add g7yyy netrom g7yyy-5
-
- This says, to reach host g7yyy (i.e an IP address) use
- netrom and send the netrom packet to g7yyy-5.
-
-
- Setting the IP route.
-
- As usual we also need to have an IP route to the station
- that we wish to connect to using netrom. Again taking
- G7ZZZ's point of view, the command is...
-
- route add g7yyy netrom
-
- This just says that the IP route to g7yyy will use the
- netrom interface.
-
-
- 7. Netrom Routing.
-
- That's just about all there is to setting up a route across
- netrom. There are probably one or two finishing touches to
- apply and this concerns setting up local netrom routes.
-
- As I mentioned before, the netrom network functions by
- periodic (usually every half an hour) broadcasts which send
- information to local nodes about which nodes can be reached
- from the node currently broadcasting. So, in our model,
- g7yyy will receive broadcasts from Node A and g7zzz from
- Node C.
-
- We usually don't want to have to wait an hour or so for all
- this information to be gleaned from broadcasts (especially
- at switch on) so we can fix our own netrom routes locally.
- These routes will then be updated in the light of subsequent
- broadcasts from the local node. To fix netrom routes we can
- use the 'netrom route add ...' command.
-
- So, taking G7ZZZ as our example, s/he could set up netrom
- routes as follows :-
-
- netrom route add NodeA GB7AA ax0 50 GB7AA
-
- netrom route add IP1010 G7YYY-5 ax0 50 GB7AA
-
- The first command sets up a direct route to G7ZZZ's local
- node (which has an alias of NodeA and a callsign of GB7AA).
- The second command sets up the netrom route to g7yyy's IP
- node (via GB7AA).
-
- As I mentioned earlier, you don't need to fix netrom routes,
- but it does mean that on switching on, you don't have to
- wait for the netrom broadcasts to send you the information
- which you already know.
-
-
- 8. Recap
-
- Let's remind ourselves of the steps needed to get links
- across netrom going..
-
- 1) Get your local node sysop to 'lock' your node into
- the network.
-
- 1a) Ensure that they set a high enough route quality
- for you to reach your intended remote IP node.
-
- 2) Set up your netrom node ('attach netrom')
-
- 3) Add netrom routes for your local node and remote
- IP node.
-
- netrom route add ..... (local node)
- netrom route add ..... (remote IP node)
-
- 4) Fix the ARP entry, mapping an IP address to a
- netrom callsign
-
- arp add .....
-
- 5) Fix the IP route to the remote station
-
- route add .....
-
-
- 9. 221 Closing.
-
- Brickbats and bouquets (and perhaps an article or two ?) to
-
- 84 Frankland Close
- Bath
- Avon BA1 4EL
-
- or via email (mikec@praxis.co.uk), AMPRNET g6dhu.ampr.org
- [44.131.20.3] or NTS (G6DHU @ GB7IMB).
-
- 73, Mike
-
- [End of Newsletter]
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