Dni-Pro #01 18 ноября 2000

ZXNet

FidoNET - Network, FIDO, BBS and ZX-Spectrum.

                          WARNING!

                  This material is taken from

                 Magazine Black Raven-2

                 full responsibility

                 editor of this jour-la.

                  Mikhail Maksimenko (MAX)


         Network, FIDO and ZX-Spectrum


       FIDO - a network of friends. Contact

          with those around you as you

           would like to be treated.


                                (C) Jesus


   If you have an idea what
modem, computer networks in general and in the FIDO
particular - you can not read this section. It is designed to 
give a general idea about these things for beginners.




                 Contents

 1. Digression.
 2. BBS.
 3. FIDO.
 4. Network structure.
 5. How to become a member of FIDO.
 6. Wiring diagram domestic

    HAYS modem.



           Digression


   Assume (for a start - just suppose) you have a computer, 
modem and telephone at your fingertips. Put it all together 
into a single integer you suddenly find yourself in a completely

new, exciting world, the existence of
which you probably did not know
earlier. You find yourself in the center of events
not only your country but all over the world.
Your social circle is expanding to such an extent that you are 
unable to keep the names of all the friends in memory. All news 
are available to you almost at the time of their appearance. 
Cities, countries, borders more does not exist. There is a vast 
cyberspace with no borders, government, censorship and other 
unnecessary things a normal person. 

   And all this you get without getting up from their familiar 
seat. All this - the computer network. And access to all this 
you just something simply need a computer, modem and

phone.



                   BBS


   (Bulletin Board System - Electronic
bulletin board). ACS is the most simple solution for your 
network. In this If there is a charge for telephone

calls to the server and you're calling on this server. After 
connecting your modem to a modem server, on the last run 
special terminal program, which might have something to pass on 
the screen of your terminal and read commands from your 
keyboard via modem. 

   The main purpose of the BBC, as it had not tried to raise - 
is file sharing. When you call on the BBS, you can use

that the same modem, pick something that you are available or 
you can submit something. And while many sysops (system 
operators) and the welling in his station a lot more functions, 
still send and receive files remains the main purpose of the 
BBS. Speak on any acceptable network communication is not 
necessary. Most often, all communication reduces to communicate 
with a host of the BBC, discussing their interests, or, at 
best, for communication between users of a single station, 
which often range just limited to one human

paragraph.



                  FIDO


   There lived a man. And all night long, this guy rang in his 
BBC friends. Ringing - ringing, and tired. AND

made a man a lotion, which
called itself in due time, passed a peasant prewritten letters
girlfriend's phone, and takes the answers if
there. So a network of FIDO, which
said a man named in honor of his dog (Fido in translation from 
English - the right). Came in 1984. 

   Over the years the network grew and widened. It
were more new stations. There were new, better program.
Improved technology, the structure
network. Soon the network members was not enough personal 
contact with each other, and they came up with the echo of the 
conference, which was may communicate directly together. 
Ehokonferentsii like magazines or newspapers which are 
distributed worldwide, and in which each participant can write 
the network. 

   Network crossed the borders of countries and
network members realized that in order to
send a letter to a distant friend, is not
necessarily spend a lot of money on international calls. Simply 
send an email to neighbor node, which forwards it to the next, 
again avoiding the high costs. AND so email, albeit for some 
time (in Currently, for example, a letter from Chelyabinsk in 
Quebec, Canada, is about three days) to reach the addressee on 
the line call that would require a lot of money. 

   Network continued to grow. The amount of transmitted mail - 
proportionally. Nodes worked mainly at night, and then we found 
that sometimes in order to convey an important personal message 
to any node have pretty tense, because

aforesaid site the whole night through busy pumping echo mail 
via a modem. Then members of the network introduced fidoshny 
"hour radio silence" - ZMH, zonal postal hour. During

this hour, which is set in
accordance with the time zone is prohibited
transmit on the network that anything other than personal
personal mail.


   Here in outline the main technical
FIDO principles:


    Network (personal, personal) mail;


    Echo Conference;


    rauting (the path of a personal letter from one node to 
another via other nodes, when send even and does not know 
through what nodes will his letter, but can be

ensure that it reaches).


    Zonal Mail Hour.


   Currently, the FIDO network has more than 36,000 sites 
worldwide. In addition, each node can have as many

arbitrarily points - nodes of lower
order. Therefore, the actual number of
network members do not know anybody.

   The official list of official sites
FIDO network issued centrally and updated weekly. To any BBS, 
part in Fido, you can find Nodelist - so called list.


   More detailed and more comprehensive
information on FIDO can be found in official documents of the 
network, which can be also be found on almost any BBS, a member 
of FIDO. This fidopol - fidonet policy, a document that 
describes the structure network hierarchy and the basic rules 
of conduct; echopol - echo policy - description respectively, 
structure and ethics for echo-conferences FIDO; FTS *.*, FSC 
*.* - Technical standards and recommendations for

Fidonet Technology Networks (FTN).



             Network structure


   Functional unit of the FIDO network - is
node. Node represents the most often, a computer with a modem, 
which has the appropriate software ensuring that bind to a 
special schedule with other nodes. Each node has its own unique 
network address. 

   Theoretically, all the nodes in the network are equal.
Topologically - no. Typically, sites are grouped by locality in 
the network, network - in the region, the region - in the area. 
All this is reflected in the host address. Ie knowing FIDO 
address most often up to the settlement to determine location 
of the site. 

   It is currently used 4razmernaya system addresses. Ie 
address in FIDO consists of 4 numbers separated by special 
characters. Namely: 

nomer_zony: nomer_seti / nomer_uzla.nomer_pointa

For example:

2:5010 / 14.7 - my pointovy address. Here:

               Zone 2 - Europe and Russia

                Network 5010 - Chelyabinsk and

                area.

                Node 14 in the network of 5010

                7-Point 14-th site.

Obviously, the node with address 2:5010 / 14.0
hierarchically higher than 2:5010 / 14.7. And this
indeed the case. Full members
networks are the only nodes with zero number Point (hereafter - 
simply nodes). Often just their address 0 after the point is 
not specified, and simply write 2:5010 / 14 for example. Node 
is free to choose with whom to maintain a contact network 
within the network. Point is attached to the node and all its 
relations with the external world only through the node, sysop 
who called him "boss." Node can connect to itself any number of 
points, and he also bears responsibility for any of their 
actions. Node that has regular contact with a certain number of 
other nodes called hub. Most often in such sites does not happen

BBC in view of their high workload.
In each network node sysop with node numbers
0 is the network coordinator, which
defines and controls rauting (passing and dohozhdenie pochny 
inside and outside the network), changes in the mode of 
operation of the units and perform other administrative 
function. There are also regional, zonal coordinators and the 
network. All of these elected positions, and do not in any way

least do not give of benefits over other nodes, except the 
responsibility for making solutions.

And probably suffice. I think the above
information enough to start
work. Everything else can be found in
official documents of FIDO, or simply
After talking with a friend sysop - fidoshnikom.



         How to become a member of the FIDO

The first step - a call to the BBC. Phones
ACS easy to find, if you have access
to the computer. Often they are published in
newspapers and magazines. Call us, do not be afraid
mistaken, communicate with the sysop. Sysops
usually well-meaning people, and be happy to explain everything 
that you do not understand. The only thing that I want to say - 
DO NOT hang up if the other side of the voice replied. 
Necessarily Take up, apologize and politely

inquire about the mode of ACS.
Well, after the first step has been taken -
orient been easy. If a sysop
BBS - site FIDO - you have every right
(Of course not right away) to ask him to give you pointovy 
address. Although, he has full right to refuse you. If the sysop

ACS also Point - you can ask him
Board.
In general, sick of me here to paint the obvious. 
Sorientiruetes themselves. Main - Do not rush. And remember - 
no you do not have to (just like you - nobody). Each node in 
the network runs on its own enthusiasm and totally unselfish, 
so Much will depend primarily on

your attitude towards others.