[aprssig] APRS-IS vs. FireNet

[Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists]

Actually, it is a very necessary limitation due to the abuse that occurred early on in APRS-IS and that would continue today.  For instance, it is far too easy in a configuration such as yours for you to accidentally inject FireNet packets into APRS-IS.  Many aprsD users had multiple connections to full server feeds overrunning their systems causing loops, abusing the free bandwidth donated by each upstream server sysop by implement unnecessary duplicate connections.  You can disparage the software authors but it is actually implemented to respect the donations of free servers (and bandwidth) to the APRS-IS network and to prevent possible misconfigurations which can cause significant network issues.

Your "common thing" does not make sense.  If you want to gate from an amateur radio network to APRS-IS, configure it that way!  That does not require multiple upstream connections and is supported by at least javAPRSSrvr.  If it is not an amateur radio tracker network, keep it off of APRS-IS which is primarily for interconnecting -amateur radio- RF networks.  Again, please respect the free donation of resources by your fellow hams and limit feeds into APRS-IS to amateur radio related packets only.  While it is easy for you to abuse the intent of APRS-IS, it is requested that you respect the thousands of other hams that make use of it every day for amateur radio purposes.

73,

Pete Loveall AE5PL
pete at ae5pl dot net



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason KG4WSV
> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:01 AM
> 
> On Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 10:58 AM, Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists
> <hamlists at ametx.com> wrote:
> > That is why conscientious authors limit your connection capabilities to a
> single server at a time.
> 
> That would be a pretty ridiculous limitation.
> 
> My standard home configuration (xastir) includes a connection to APRS-IS
> and another filtered connection to firenet so I can get all the NWS data.  I
> frequently use server ports to connect to other data sources (non-APRS
> tracking systems, both ham and non-ham RF, etc) as well.  One common
> thing that I may want to do is gate from some "server" that's effectively a
> tracker (or even a small tracker
> network) over to APRS-IS.
> 
> Limiting to a single connection sounds like a crutch for poorly designed
> software than is not configurable enough for gating to work correctly.
> 
> -Jason
> kg4wsv