[nos-bbs] Fwd: Re: Bpq <~~>Jnos connects & forwading

[Mark Herson, N2MH]

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Replied to wrong email address. 
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73, Mark, N2MH
5G


-------- Original Message --------
From: "Mark Herson, N2MH" <n2mh at n2mh.net>
Sent: 13 December 2024 1:03:31 pm GMT-05:00
To: nos-bbs-request at lists.tapr.org
Subject: Re: Bpq <~~>Jnos connects & forwading

This same topic has come up recently between myself (jnos) and NC8Q 
(bpq). Over the past several weeks I have looked into this and have some 
recommendations. The following is part of an email that I recently sent 
to Chuck, NC8Q. It is based on two live BBS systems that I have. One is 
jnos (in NJ) and the other is bpq (in NC).

In my case, my AMPR gateway is external to jnos. It is a raspberry pi 
and provides 44-Net service to all of my different servers. I don't know 
how important that might be to this discussion, but it does need to be 
mentioned.

Excerpt from NC8Q email:

In the BPQ world, `MAP` is the configuration directive to build the 
appropriate connection. In the jnos world, the configuration directive 
is called `attach axip`, `attach axudp`, or `attach axtcp` depending on 
the protocol chosen.

The syntax between the two is completely different. But, at the end of 
they day, they accomplish the same thing (almost).

I say `almost` because there is a fundamental difference between BPQ and 
jnos on how the feature is implemented and used. And, this drives a 
special configuration requirement on the BPQ side for things to work 
correctly.

In jnos, each service uses a different ssid for outgoing connections. In 
my case, when the jnos BBS in NJ makes a connection, it uses N2MH-2. 
Netrom nodes broadcasts use N2MH-8 and convers uses N2MH-3. So, when 
talking to a BPQ machine, BPQ needs to accept *all* incoming ssid's, not 
just one of them. Thus, for me, the BPQ end needs to be a generic N2MH, 
not N2MH-8. A generic callsign is how BPQ accepts all incoming ssid's 
from that callsign. For an axudp connection, the bpq MAP statement looks 
like this:

MAP N2MH <hostname/ip addr> UDP 10093 B (not N2MH-8)

BPQ, on the other hand, uses only its node ssid for outgoing 
connections. Thus, BPQ to BPQ connections only need a single ssid for 
the other end. In a sense, when BPQ specifies an ssid in its MAP 
statement, it creates an ax.25 firewall rule that only allows that 
callsign and ssid to be allowed into the system. To my knowledge, jnos 
has no such rule and allows access to any and all stations arriving from 
the ip address specified for the far end.

So, keeping this in mind for my jnos system, you can use any of 3 
different MAP statements to reach me, depending on network. [The three 
networks are AREDN Mesh, AMPR ipip, and Internet.]

Finally, I have found that BPQ does not like to have links to 2 systems 
with the same basic callsign (N2MH in my case). Thus, you, as the remote 
system have to choose which system you will link with.

BPQ and jnos work fine with each other, but the details have to be 
understood. And, to my knowledge, these details are not published 
anywhere. My two systems have been successfully linked together at 
various times using any of the 3 networks. They play together real nice 
in the sandbox. But, you have to know the details.

Hope this helps.

73, Mark, N2MH

MeshPhone: 973-2111
AX25: n2mh at n2mh.#nnj.nj.usa.noam