[nos-bbs] Multiple routes to one destination

[(Skip) K8RRA]

Greetings fellow NOS users.

AMPRNET 44.102.132.20 is my jnos home, and with a dynamic IP from my ISP
I have chosen to remain with only a radio link to the world.  Another
close jnos node has provided fine service in connecting me to the
remainder of 44...

Being VERY fortunate, there is a second equally qualified jnos in the
opposite direction with equal access to 44... network.  It makes sense
to me that I should be able to use that second path equally.  Well not
for return packets -- they are routed to the first path and that breaks
the symmetrical rule we try to follow [more on this below].

As I read documentation, the "route add ..." command provides for a
"metric" to break ties found in multiple routes.  That is logical --
except jnos does not permit me to "route add ..." a second route to the
same IP.  Therfore for example, I am prevented from specifying two
gateways with different metrics.  Instead jnos replaces the original
route with the new route, thus the route table *seems* to support only
*ONE* route to any remote IP.  

SO -- is metric a documentation flaw or am I reading challenged?

As I further read documentation, jnos supports "rspf" that I have not
tested yet.  If I were to implement rspf to find a best route to a
remote site, then it *seems* logical that I must modify the static route
table to allow rspf to work it's magic.  Likewise, the nodes carrying
the response packet back to me must permit route table magic to permit a
symmetrical route.

Is anyone using rspf now?  Where might I find expanded documentation for
this jnos feature?

73
de [George (Skip) VerDuin] K8RRA k