On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 11:05 PM, Tal Raveh <talr(a)talr.co.il> wrote: The IPIP network has been this way for a long, long time. It is only recently within the past few years that 44net subnets have been implementing BGP for those who have the means and capabilities. 44net is a network intended for inter-operation with the Internet at large. The idea goes back to the idea that Ham Radio operators could inter-operate not only between each other on 44net but universities, schools and other interests. Keep in mind that this space was allocated before the commercialization of the Internet when the network was used for science and research. There are many reasons why it doesn't make sense for a single tunnel to a given country/region. Cost is one - who pays for the tunnel? Not every network can have a benign benefactor such as UCSD. Another is redundancy, if that one gateway goes out, it could impact an entire region as many locations are not interconnected. Yet another is experimentation where you can try out new protocols or run mesh networks or etc... The major benefit of the IPIP tunnel system is that if I choose to take down my gateway, it doesn't affect anyone else on the network. Vice versa with your network, if you do something crazy, I can drop your traffic without dropping the rest of the network. It also spreads the cost of the network making each gateway fiscally responsible for the network they're responsible for - with the caveat of traffic going through the 44net wormhole via UCSD. Keep in mind these are publicly routed IP's we're speaking of. These are not designated as non-routable IP's and will not be dropped by the Internet routers. There is no NAT involved. While most people have at least one IP, many devices reside behind NAT on local networks. The Internet originally wasn't meant to have NATing. It's a stop gap. And we see the negative effect that NAT has on everything from VoIP to gaming to simply being able to transfer a file. 44net IP's do not have these limitations. Can you do everything with a regular IP over a 44net IP? Certainly, and you should for commercial/personal purposes. But in the realm of Amateur Radio, it makes sense to utilize 44net to the fullest extent as the technology and legalities let you.