Re: [44net] Time to restructure the network?

While this is of course always welcome, please do understand that this is not related to the current discussion! What I am proposing here is to deploy an overlay network (VPN tunnels) to route the AMPRnet around the world and to connect users to it. The autorouting within that overlay network could be done using BGP. It could also be done using OSPF. This use of BGP is NOT related to announcing someone's subnet on internet using BGP! For that, you could require an AS number, amongst other things. (it is also possible that it can be announced using the AS number of your ISP) However, to operate our own overlay network, a group of routers that interconnect using BGP over VPN tunnels, we do not require AS numbers from a LIR! We just use private AS numbers. In the 32-bit AS number space there is a large range of private AS numbers that we can (and already DO) use for that. We already have an allocation scheme to split this range across countries, so we do not need a central registry for them either. Maybe we should refer to this usage of BGP as BGP44, to make clear that it is not related to the use of BGP on internet? Of course, BGP and BGP44 are the same protocol running on standard hardware, but the usage is different. Much like an intranet and the internet use the same protocols, but their usage is different. So while this contribution is of course always welcome, please (those who do not completely understand the discussion) note that it is not related to what we are discussing. That being said, once there is a deployment of VPN routers like I propose, it will be much easier to have parts of AMPRnet announced from the datacenters where these are located. That could be considered part 2 of the project. Rob