by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN This series of articles originally appeared in the Badger State Smoke Signals between 1995-2003, and is a tutorial designed to help newer packet operators navigate the Wisconsin Network and use common packet radio facilities. Packet Radio operators who have been active for some time may also find some of this information useful, and we hope you do, too. Part - 1 - Explains what a node is in it's basic form. Part - 2 - Explores how nodes are connected together in a network. Part - 3 - How nodes exchange routing information. Part - 4 - Making the best of bad paths. Part - 5 - A network journey - Green Bay to Milwaukee. Part - 6 - The journey continues. Part - 7 - Segmenting your connection circuit - how and why. Part - 8 - Q&A about nodes. Part - 9 - A look at the X-1J node. Part - 10 - An introduction to TCP/IP packet stations. Part - 11 - Using TCP/IP stations as network nodes. Part - 12 - Your station as part of the packet network. Part - 13 - Optimizing your radio and TNC for packet use. Part - 14 - BBS Basics with emphasis on the MSYS BBS. Part - 15 - Sending messages from an MSYS BBS. Part - 16 - Using an MSYS BBS as a Node. Part - 17 - Q&A on the MSYS BBS. Part - 18 - Using the Kantronics KA-Node Part - 19 - Using the REQDIR and REQFILE on BBSs. Part - 20 - 9600 bps TNC and radio information. Part - 21 - Handling NTS traffic via Packet Radio. Part - 22 - How to avoid "Flame" messages. Part - 23 - Part 1 of "The New Age" of Packet Radio. Part - 24 - Part 2 - Automated packet and "new" protocols. Part - 25 - TCP/IP and Future Packet. Part - 26 - More TCP/IP and future packet - network needs. Part - 27 - General Info on mail forwarding to your TNC. Part - 28 - Setting a Tiny-2 TNC up for mail forwarding. Part - 29 - Setting a KPC-3 TNC up for mail forwarding. Part - 30 - Setting up an AEA TNC for mail forwarding. Part - 31 - Emergency operations and packet radio. Part - 32 - More info on emergency packet operating. Part - 33 - Planning your emergency packet system. Part - 34 - An APRS Primer. Part - 35 - Internet Gateways - Part One. Part - 36 - Internet Gateways - Part Two. Part - 37 - Internet Gateways - Part Three. Part - 38 - Internet Gateway Q&A. Part - 39 - A look at Flexnet. Part - 40 - What is TNOS/Linux, do I need it? --Return- - Back to the Main Index Using the Wisconsin Network - Part One by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN This is part one of a series of articles designed to help packeteers understand and use the packet radio node network in Wisconsin. In Part one, we start off with a general discussion of nodes and networking, in basic terms. It is oriented toward the newer packet operators, but even experienced operators may find some useful information in here. We hope that this series adds to your enjoyment of the packet radio, and you find it good reading. What is a node? A node in it's basic form can be called an intellegent digipeater. Those of you who have operated your packet stations any time at all know that every TNC can be used as a Digital Repeater. This is done in order to extend the distance a packet station can send and receive packets. A digital repeater just simply repeats packets that are addressed to it. An intellegent digipeater has the ability to make sure that the repeated packets reach where they are supposed to go. Nodes are sophisticated, intellegent digipeaters, and some types are capable of much more than just digipeating. For our purposes, we will lump these nodes into 3 catagories, Non-Network Nodes, Special Purpose Nodes, and Network Nodes. A Non-Network node is one that basically is an intellegent Digipeater. It recieves a packet from one station, And sends it to another, checking to see if it arrived. Alone it serves a useful function. It will also tell you what stations it has heard, and when. A good example of a non-network node is a Kantronics KA-Node, sometimes called a "Wild Node". This KA-Node is part of most Kantronics TNC's. Some nodes, including fancier Kantronics nodes, perform special purposes, like Gateway Service. This brings us to the Special Purpose Nodes. These may connect 2-Meter packet radio activity to 20 Meters, connect Packet radio to a satellite link, access to a Public Bulletin Board System, or a DX Spotting system. Special purpose nodes may be linked to other nodes in a Network, but not always are. Some newer nodes provide so many features that they almost can be classified as Multi-Purpose. Then we come to Network Nodes. The Network Node is connected to other Network Nodes, and together they offer one attractive feature. That is the ability to send and receive packets over great distances with great speeds. These nodes carry digipeating on to a science, and even speak their own language to make sure the packets reach their destination. There are several different kinds of Network Nodes out there, and we will not devote the time and space to something you aren't likely to encounter. In Wisconsin, the over- whelming majority of Network Nodes in use are called "TheNet". This is the type of firmware (operating system) that the node uses to route packets to the right place. Our discussion of Network Nodes will be oriented toward "TheNet" type nodes found in Wisonsin. Note that the Network Nodes know how to get "route" a packet based on where you want to tell it to go. Each node has talked to other network nodes, telling it what it can hear and talk to. They exchange information on what other nodes it can connect to, and the signal quality of these nodes. We won't get into the details of how the process works here, but this fact is useful to know. Each of these nodes has a callsign, like any other Ham Radio Station. They are sponsored by a club or an individual, like a voice repeater. They also have another name they are known by, an alias. This alias generally starts with the state name, and 3 to 5 letters that give some clue to its location. Usually these are chosen from the local airport designator. For example, here in Green Bay our local network node is known as WIGRB, WI for Wisconsin, with GRB the airport designator. Other nodes on the network know that WIGRB exists, the best way to get to it, and where else it can go. This is valuable information for packet operators, because it helps to get them where they want to go. In Part-2, we will discuss how a Network is put together, so you understand how to use it in an effective way. Using the Wisconsin Network - Part 2 by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN In Part one of our series, we discussed what digipeaters and nodes are, the different kinds of nodes, and what makes them so special. In Part Two, we will continue our discussion. Let's review. A digipeater is a simple repeater of packets. A node is a more sophisticated repeater of packets, it knows if a packet was received, and can often allow you to send your packets over a very long distance. A network node is linked to other nodes and is often capable of doing more than just repeating your packets. We've talked about using nodes to pass our packets a longer distance. However, the need for a network of nodes grew out of another problem closely related to this need for distance. You may have found that not everybody in the packet community is on the same frequency in different parts of the state. This was done on purpose, so that people would not crowd up on one frequency, making it useless. Different areas of the state are divided up into seperate Local Areas. This is usually done by region, county, or even parts of a city. Each division is called a "LAN", meaning "Local Area Network", having a separate LAN frequency. Some way had to be devised so that different areas could communicate with each other, and that is where the network of nodes comes in. The Nuts and Bolts of a Node system. A node in it's physical form is a TNC, a Radio and the antennas it needs to work, similar to other packet stations. The TNC is specially modified with a different set of operating instructions. Some garden variety TNC's have a node built in, like a Kantronics TNC. Network nodes are most often dedicated TNC/Radio Combinations set up specially for the purpose. Network nodes are also connected, by Radio, by wire, or by both. Nodes connected by wire at one location form a "Node Stack". The node radios in a particular stack operate on different frequencies and all "Talk" to each other, and with other node stacks. They exchange information concerning their ability to contact other network nodes. Network Nodes that contact each other over the air usually do so on dedicated frequencies reserved for Node-to-Node commun- ication. This is called a "Backbone", and is devoted to connecting different nodes together so that your packets can be passed a greater distance and to other LAN frequencies. The graphic below will demonstrate a pair of network node stacks that carry packets between 2 LANS by way of a backbone. If you guessed that the people operating on the Green Bay LAN can connect to the people operating on the Appleton LAN even though they are on different frequencies, you are right.