[nos-bbs] stupid question #6

[Bill Vodall WA7NWP]

Rick Williams wrote:
> Bill,
> 
> If you were starting from scratch and setting up a network for say a
> Section, would it be practical to use the home LAN IP numbers? I already use
> 192.168.0.xxx for my home LAN and I would expect many others do the same.

Sure.   Remember we have 255 subnets available.   .0 through .254.  That 
doesn't even consider the 10.x system.

> How could you configure such a system to work well over a few hundred miles
> or more?

IP NUMBERS ARE SIMPLY FOR ROUTING PACKETS.   There is nothing special 
about them.  Build a LAN.  Everybody with connectivity in the LAN uses 
IP numbers in the LAN's subnet.   Build a second LAN.  Use a different 
Subnet.  Connect the two (or however many) LANS with gateways (or 
tunnels) and use IP numbers accordingly.   It takes a bit of planning to 
build a VPN if all the clients are going to talk directly.  Net44 has 
done that.  Anybody can do it with other numbers.  Real questions are
if that's what is needed.  Is it required to have all the "clients" 
connected?   Another very good questions is if you want the clients to
be ON THE INTERNET at all.  Let the gateway do gateway stuff.   Another 
even better question is if you want to use TCP/IP over packet.  Even at 
9600 doing low overhead (non-TCP/IP) exchanges with raw compressed AX25 
works much better.

Here's an area where Winlink has it right.  Low overhead packet 
exchanges on RF, many "dumb" gateways and simply using DNS (no-ip.com) 
for organization.

> Then how would that work into other networks?

Gateways and tunnels.


> If you have a 44 address and are using say a JNOS2 server and connect into
> the internet with e-mail, how does the internet see that interface point?
> Just as a regular e-mail based upon whatever currently exists? And then you
> just convert that to the internal 44 system so the outside never even knows
> there is a 44 address?

The IP number doesn't matter.  If you're doing Email with TCP/IP on a 
ham system,  POP it off the gateway and SMTP it to the gateway.  Let the 
gateway deal with the real Internet issues.   Same applies to 44 net or 
192.168 non-routed nets.

For a pure 44 system as per your question -- the 44 numbers would be 
seen as the real origination station.   Hidding the numbers is what is 
generally done with the non-routed nets.  It's not necessary with 44 net 
numbers.  Not necessary but probably a good idea to hide the numbers 
unless you want the SPAM and viri of the web trying to directly deliver 
their spew of toxins on a bandwidth limited RF channel.


Bill