Re: [44net] 44net problems - was: 44net cool toys

I tend to agree with Danny here. I have a networking background in the wireless LAN world and was thrilled to find out that there was some public IP's set aside for hams as we all are wireless geeks one way or another. I thought it would be great to experiment around wireless mesh since we have RouterOS, HamWan, OpenWRT, and such. Before last night, I didn't even realize that someone was hosting a VPN server to traverse the commodity internet so that I could portal to the 44 space. I just wish that there was more documentation to newcomers like me, so that other gen-x'ers might want to play around too. So I agree, but let's remember that the network is for experimenting. If everyone knew everything about networking, then no one would even want to mess with the 44. Maybe someday it could be updated to include routing protocols like BGP and OSPF, like normal networks use. RIPv2 is pretty old, and very limited. No one wants to play with that. But, I can see why we have to use it as the 44's link to the internet is probably 1 Gig or less. So, besides my early morning rambling, here are some questions from a newcomer's perspective: 1. How do I use the 44 net? 2. What equipment do I need to get started? 3. How do I route my IP range from my house to California without asking Comcast to advertise my IP's? 4. Besides Linux programs, what types of programs are out there for normal hams to use on PC's? 5. Why is there generally only an EMCOMM use case for the 44 net? I'd like to experiment with the 44 net and I probably will. Maybe we should all come together and make suggestions on ways to modernize the 44 net. Matthew L. Bonadies Campus Network Operations Wireless Networks Indiana University - Bloomington mbonadie(a)iu.edu (812) 855-2422 -----Original Message----- From: 44net-bounces+mbonadie=iu.edu(a)hamradio.ucsd.edu [mailto:44net-bounces+mbonadie=iu.edu@hamradio.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Danny Messano Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 9:56 PM To: AMPRNet working group Subject: Re: [44net] 44net problems - was: 44net cool toys (Please trim inclusions from previous messages) _______________________________________________ I've been little more than an observer for some time, but I must say ALL the points in this e-mail are right on. I began thinking about 44 almost 5 years ago, and to reiterate a few points made: 1. Coordination at first seemed almost impossible. I was told by a few other hams, "Good luck getting an address. 44-net is dead". I sent a number of emails over a span of 2 years before I got the attention of who I believe is the most recent coordinator for my area. I was greeted with a "You DO know that a /24 is 253 routable IPs?" After 3+ years of trying to get anything, I asked for a sizeable segment that I could break up and route as needed. I didn't want to wait 3 years for every /29 I needed for a new project. I'm sure the portal has made things easier, but with all the space available, why the grief over a /24? I didn't ask for a networking lecture, I know what a /24 is.. 2. Some of my experience with even getting addresses coordinated, along with what Steve pointed out in the Terms and Conditions, as well as the overall complexity, I haven't found 44 to be very welcoming. If a club posts their repeater rules, and they consist of "Feel free to use the repeater. The tone is unpublished... you'll need to figure it out, here's a list of 20 things NOT to do, oh, and we're watching you!", I am probably not going to use the repeater. I have a strong networking background, and I am far from being an appliance operator, but it's hard to make a pizza if you've never seen one, the recipes are so vastly different that the concepts aren't clear, and it almost appears intentional. Danny On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 7:45 PM, Steve Wright <stevewrightnz(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote: -- "From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it." - Groucho Marx (1895-1977)