On Wed, Apr 23, 2014 at 11:24 PM, Jann Traschewski jann@gmx.de wrote:
I don't need to know who I am talking to. I only need to know that I am talking to a radio amateur.
Jann,
I suspect the difference of opinion here comes from the local rules we are bound to. Cory (and myself) need to know the identity, who, is connecting to our network over the internet, because if we don't then we can be liable for rule violations. Here's the associated section from the FCC rules:
ยง 97.219 Message forwarding system (d) For stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operator of the first forwarding station must: (1) Authenticate the identity of the station from which it accepts communications on behalf of the system; or (2) Accept accountability for any violation of the rules in this part contained in messages it retransmits to the system.
We have an RF network connected to 44net and don't want fines and our licenses revoked if someone else from 44net forwards something against the rules to our network. To protect ourselves, we have to know the *identity* of the other 44net station sending the data.
Without this specific law, I can see how you would not care so much about authentication. I think Cory's point was simply that source filtering is not enough to determine identity. He happens to be a professional in the information security field and was offering his professional expertise to anyone who needs help with authentication.
Tom KD7LXL