[aprssig] Network Monitoring & Analysis Tools

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> mfranc at verizon.net 07/20/06 10:20 PM >>>
>What currently exists for network monitoring and analysis 
>for APRS?  Has anyone made a list?

 http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/aprsdos.html

The page above shows most of the network viewing tools in the 
original APRS which includes:

 - PHG ranges so  you can see relative coverage areas of digis
   and their intersections.  ALso easy to see weak areas for mobiles.

 - DIGI Hop counts which colors in the coverage areas of all
   digis with the same number of hops from you.   IE, all areas
   that are 1 hop away from you are shown in yellow, 2 hops in
   violet, direct is RED.

-  USER hop counts.  Colors in all those stations that are the
   same number of hops from you.  IE, all RED stations you can
   hit direct, all yellow ones, you can hit with 1 hop, etc...

 - ALOHA range - shows the area around you that represents 
   a 100% full channel

 - TRACE function draws a line from sender to your station
   through each of the intermediate digis so you can see how
   a packet got to you

 - DIGI-RANGE - draws a line from each digi to each station it
   hears direct.  These "star-bursts" show the actual coverage
   area of digis.

 - HEARD list - shows a sorted list of the number of packets per 
   hour per station for last 24 hours and sorts.  Instantly shows
   who the big air-time consumers are

 - DIGIPATH page shows the statistics of the number of users
   of each type path, such as RELAY, or WIDE, or WIDE4-4, etc.

 - DIGI PATHS Page - shows the path of each user

With all these tools (all located under the "ANALYZE" key menu)
it is very easy to assess the local RF network.  Since only
RF stations are involved.

de Wb4APR, Bob