New subject: Verifying the identities of IP coordinators

14 Jan 2016

...
  Subject:
 Re: [44net] Verifying the identities of IP coordinators
 From:
 "Marius Petrescu" &lt;marius(a)yo2loj.ro&gt;
 Date:
 01/14/2016 08:10 AM

 To:
 "AMPRNet working group" &lt;44net(a)hamradio.ucsd.edu&gt;

 The reason is simple why not to allow automatic requests:
 The coordinators may have a certain IP allocation scheme in there minds. Maybe regional,
maybe some other criteria.
 That means that not every request out of the blue fits that scheme.
 So an IP range may be unallocated, but it does not fit the allocation scheme.
 An coordinator would change the requested one allocate the right one, which would not
happen in an automated system.

 e.g. in YO, I allocate IP ranges based on regions, so that the first number in the block
fits the requestors region number (the same as in the callsign).
 I had requests like "please allocate 44.182.35.xx to me", the user being in
region 8.
 It resulted in allocating the first unused 44.182.8x.xx /24 subnet to him, and not the
original requested one.
 This would not have been possible in an automated system.

 Marius, YO2LOJ 
It is the same here, Marius.
When someone applies for an address I need to know where they are located, if applicable
to which
access point they want to link, if they want a single address or a subnet, what size of
subnet they need,
a motivation when that is larger than the default /28, etc.
Once I have that information I look at the already assigned addresses, and assign them one
that fits.
(there is a different area in each subnet where single addresses and subnets are
allocated)

Sure it could all be catered for in input forms, but the amprnet portal currently
doesn't, and upgrades
to its functionality appear to occur only very infrequently.   I don't think it is
worthwile to spec out everything
and have someone spend time on implementing it, only to find ourselves locked into that
system which may
not be optimal once some decision is made to handle things differently.

Furthermore, many applicants really need some guidance and make requests that are
incomplete or not
justified (e.g. request allocation of a /22 network for a single station).

The semi-automatic mechanism appears to work well and makes it easy to ask for more
information.

Rob