[FlexNet] RE:TCP/IP and FlexNet

[flexnet@mailman.qth.net]

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Papson" <jpapson@telular.com>


> Hello All:
>
> Here is a nice piece that one of the local TCP/IP Groups wrote about
> interfacing FlexNet and TCP/IP...
>

That was interesting reading!  I am close to nailing down a method for using
FlexNet on HF, and one problem I have is FlexNet creating a bogus, unwanted
connection if the BBS drops it's end of the link. (protocol error, manual
disconnect, etc..)  I believe the information about SSID's in there will
allow me to get past that problem.

One other problem.... I have finally discovered how to make FBB BBS take
control of all of the link parameters so that it can access HF through a
FlexNet node's port sucessfully. This is a project I have been working on
for several years. The remaining difficulty is this:

The link parameters are only controllable by the BBS software. So, if a ham
comes into the node on a VHF or UHF port and then initiates a connect on the
HF port, FlexNet goes crazy with MAXFRAME and PACLEN, as usual, making it
just about unusable on HF. (As usual)

OK, how can I deny access to the HF port to anything other than the BBS
program?

OR, how can I hide the HF port so that users of the node will not be tempted
to monkey with it?

I am not trying to run an HF gateway here... The HF port goes to a "BBS
only" frequency used for forwarding messages.

As soon as I get these last few bugs squashed, I'll write up an article
telling how to get it all set up and operating. I am sucessfully using
FBB/FlexDigi right now for BBS forwarding chores on HF and have been for a
month or so, but still have the two problems I have outlined here, to deal
with. After that, it will be ready for prime-time!

Charles Brabham,  N5PVL