FlexNet/BPQ Ethernet Link Info

FlexNet / BPQ Ethernet Link Info

by Charles Brabham N5PVL

General Info:

The following two-computer setup has proved satisfactory for interconnecting FlexNet, TexNet, ROSE, IP, and NetRom networks.

FlexNet node computer:

386-20dx, 2 MB RAM, 1.44MB FD, 2 Serial Ports, Monochrome VGA Video
Tigertronics BayPak BP-2 1.2kb modems (2)
Ethernet card for the link.
Software: FlexNet 3.3e Node

\\
| | Full-duplex ethernet link between 'BPQ and FlexNet
//
BPQ/BBS computer:

486-66dx, 4MB RAM, 420 MB HD, 1.44MB FD, VGA Video
Ethernet card for the link.
DRSI PCPA-1 TNC, 1.2kb
Software: BPQ node and server (BBS) software.

Interconnecting TexNet/FlexNet:

After running the two-computer BPQ/FlexNet setup described earlier for a week or so, I saw a need to make a few changes. Direct connects from TexNet to the FlexNet node were still possible with that setup, and when this occurred, the connectee's callsign was not negotiated. FlexNet has an AX25 stack, but no NetRom/TheNet features so TexNet's "***Linked to" message is not processed.

It appears that FlexNet will have to join most BBS software in having to filter all of it's dealings with TexNet through a 'BPQ switch.

To this end, I changed the configuration by adding a radio port to the 'BPQ machine, which it lacked before. This radio is on the TexNet freq, forcing all incoming TexNet connects to go through 'BPQ first so the connectee's callsign will always be processed.

Ethernet Link:

Once I had the BPQ-FlexNet serial link running well and documented, I was anxious to try the BPQ-FlexNet ethernet link out, which is of course much faster, and easier to add to. Sometimes free Com ports are hard to come by!

I used the W0RLI BPQETHER package described in my article "BPQETHER and the Network Box" which appeared in the TPRS Q-Report a while back, and can also be seen on my web page. On the FlexNet side of the link, I used the ETHER driver, which was specifically designed to "talk" to BPQETHER. - And it does!

Since I know nothing about Ethernet, I used the "thousand monkees with typewriters" method to accidently stumble upon this set of parameters which work for me and my equipment. If I had known what I was doing, I would have included more remarks and explanations!

From BPQCFG.TXT

PORT
ID=Ethernet Link
TYPE=EXTERNAL
PROTOCOL=KISS
IOADDR=0
INTLEVEL=97 ; As in ODIDRV Below.
SPEED=0
QUALITY=100
MAXFRAME=5
TXDELAY=0
TXTAIL=0
SLOTTIME=5
PERSIST=0
FRACK=1000
RESPTIME=100
RETRIES=10
PACLEN=236
FULLDUP=1
ENDPORT

This is pretty much an exact copy of the sample included with W0RLI's BPQETHER package.

Below is my batch file to start up the network and 'BPQ. Notice the program pnppkt, which is a Packet driver specifically for my ethernet card. Look on your ethernet card's disk for it's own packet driver. If you have no disk, there are generic drivers for NE1000 and NE2000 compatible cards.

BPQNET.BAT

pnppkt 0x60 -i -- PKT driver for my card.
lsl
pdether
ipxodi /a /d
odidrv 97 -- See BPQ Port example above. Must match with INTLEVEL=97
bpqcode

Here's the FlexNet node's batch file. Notice that the second SER12 driver ( BayPak, BayCom ) is REM'ed out. That was the TexNet port, which is now handled by a DRSI card in the BPQ machine. The second FlexNet radio port will be in limbo until I pick a frequency. - Then I'll un-REM it.

FlexTex.Bat

CLS
ECHO _ _
ECHO - -
ECHO !!! !!!
ECHO *** TexFlex 01 starts in 5 seconds. *** ( CTRL-C to stop. )
ECHO OFF
SLEEP 5
LH ktc20pkt 0x60 --- PKT driver for that card.
FLEXNET 60
LH FLEXDIGI
LH ETHER /i=0x60 /a=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
LH SER12 1
REM LH SER12 2
FLEX

The ff:ff:ff:ect. stuff is the "broadcast address", which acts like a shared radio channel.

I have a five-port ethernet hub, and have already added a card and third link to my Win95 machine, which I can now use to experiment with new software without disrupting the operation of the nodes and BBS.

Parameters loaded in for FLEXDIGI, using TNC.EXE:

MY N5PVL 0 5   --- Mycall with SSIDs 0-5

MO 0 d      --- Port 0, Fulldup Ethernet ( No speed given )
P T 0 0      --- Port 0, TXD 0
P S 3 0      --- Port 0, SSID -3

MO 1 1200   --- Port 1, 1200 bd (BayPak)
P T 20 1   --- Port 1, TXD 200 ms.
P S 4 1      --- Port 1, SSID -4

L 0 N5PVL-0 @   --- Link Non-FlexNet neighbor on Port 0 ( BBS )
L 0 N5PVL-2 @   --- Link Non-FlexNet neighbor on Port 0 ( BPQ switch )

From the FlexNet node, "M" brings up the BBS.
From the BPQ Switch, "BBS" brings up the BBS
Or you can connect to the BBS "direct".

When you connect to the BBS, you can do so "direct" due to the "Link" setup. It's as if the FlexNet node was not there, though actually everything goes through it.

The ability to connect "direct" to the BBS is important to local users.

The ability to connect to the BPQ node is important for incoming connections from TexNet, which uses the archaic "***Linked to" system. FlexNet does not process "***Linked to", and so is not capable of the callsign-negotiation that incoming TexNet connections require. When the callsign is not "negotiated", all incoming TexNet connectees get stuck that TexNet node's callsign. Their call gets "lost". - A recipie for chaos.
For this reason, all incoming TexNet connections should go to the BPQ node, and then to either FlexNet or the BBS, Cluster, ect. This ONLY applies to TexNet. If you do not have TexNet in your area, you do not have this problem, as TexNet appears to be the last hold-out on using "***Linked to".

FlexNet has an AX25 stack, but no NetRom support. Briefly, that means that the FlexNet node will not appear on local NetRom NODES lists, and does not have an "alias", as NetRom Nodes do. For this reason, if full NetRom compatability is important on a particular frequency, then by all means allow the BPQ switch to handle that Radio port, with the serial link ( or ethernet ) providing the gateway to FlexNet from there.
This setup is very "flexible", in that between FlexNet and 'BPQ, just about any digital ham equipment can be hooked up to the system, from Baypaks to KISS TNC's to CLOVER boards. You name it. The same advantage holds for software, as it is possible to run servers (BBS, Cluster, ect) on both computers. And, as the FlexNet logo says, "We route everything".