[nos-bbs] use of SSID

[Jay Nugent]

Greetings Skip,

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006, (Skip) K8RRA wrote:

> Great & informative response Jay - thanks for the time you spent writing
> it!  Let's focus on one small aspect for this moment:(?)


> On the subject of only CONV bridge.
> I did not specify "convers mycall ..." and the sysop response to "conv
> mycall" is "" or null - thus it defaults to k8rra-1(?).

   No.  If it defaulted to K8RRA-1 and you try an AX25 connect to K8RRA-1
then you would be dropped into the CONVerse bridge, which you are not.  
Actually it would *CONFLICT* with your 'ax25 bbscall k8rra-1' setting.  
So no, if 'conv mycall' is left blank it does not default to anything.  
It just means that you have no way to 'directly' connect to that service.


> Isn't it a misnomer to "connect to CONV bridge" since "connect" syntax
> is intended for BBS-to-BBS interconnect via AX-25?

   No.  An AX25 "connect" can be to ANY service.  Whether that service be
a BBS, a console, a teleprinter, a PBBS, a CONVerse bridge, a Node, or a
database.  It's mearly a way of establishing a connection between two
stations setting up a path that data may flow between them.


   From the Alphabet-Soup prompt on Hamgate.Washtenaw I connected to my
own CONVerse bridge (wb8tkl-6) by establishing an AX25 Connect via a
nearby digipeater:

 ?,A,B,C,CONV,D,E,F,H,I,IH,IP,J,K,L,M,O,P,PI,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Z >
c 145.76 wb8tkl-6 n8mwd
Trying...  The escape character is: CTRL-T
*** connected to WB8TKL-6
Conference @ WASHTENAW  Type /HELP for help.
           Welcome to the Ypsilanti, MI HamGate Converse bridge
   /b = bye    /w = who    /i <call> = invite    /c # = switch channels


   Since Hamgate.Washtenaw is configured with 'conv mycall wb8tkl-6' it 
knew that connections to this call/ssid pass their data stream to the 
CONVerse service.

   So let's say that a user here in Washtenaw County wished to join the
Saturday 8pm Statewide CONVerse Net on channel 41.  Rather than connecting
to the BBS (wb8tkl-3) and then having to type in CONV (which consumes
TWICE as much RAM since TWO sessions are being managed in memory), he may
go directly into the CONV bridge service by connecting to wb8tkl-6.

   See, easy as pie! ...or is that cake?


> NOTE: at k8rra BBS, "connect vhf-1 wa8rsa-6" fails to execute a
> connection...
> This is perhaps because CONV is based on TCP-IP link and not the AX-25
> link?

   CONV will respond to *either* AX25 (as shown above) -or- TCP.  But when 
connecting via TCP you must include the "port" number for the CONV 
service, which happens to be port 3600.  That way the Telnet connection 
knows what 'service' to connect to.  As shown below:

?,A,B,C,CONV,D,E,F,H,I,IH,IP,J,K,L,M,O,P,PI,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Z >
t hamgate.alcona 3600
Trying...  The escape character is: CTRL-T
*** connected to 44.102.238.1:convers

Please login with '/n <call> [channel #]'

/n wb8tkl
Conference @ ALCONA  Type /HELP for help.
           Welcome to the N8AVX Harrisville,MI Converse bridge
   /b = bye    /w = who    /i <call> = invite    /c # = switch channels


   BTW - Since a TELNET does NOT convey your callsign to the distant end
of the connection, you get prompted to login with your callsign ( /n
wb8tkl).

   Koolness!  And with JNOS there is always more than one way to skin a
cat.  Personally I prefer method #49, to use a power sander... YOW!! ;-)

      --- Jay Nugent  WB8TKL
          Chair, ARRL Michigan Section "Digital Radio Group" (DRG)
          [www.MI-DRG.org]

"Getting rid of terrorism is like getting rid of dandruff.  It cannot
 be done completely no matter how hard you try." -- Gore Vidal
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