Packet Radio Network Changes
By Tadd, KA2DEW
[email protected]

There is an Amateur Radio packet network which has existed in our area for about 13 years.  It lets a ham with a 2 meter radio make a connection to another ham at a distance of hundreds of miles to exchange text messages and data.  We use it for Dx spotting, e-mail and bulletin traffic, national traffic system, round table chats, weather instrument messaging, and many other applications.  Our packet network is kind of like the Internet except that it is done entirely over ham radio, by hams, and it is quite a bit slower.  The hardware and software that are used on packet are much simpler and we hams can go look at the network architecture and play around with it.  We can even add to it.  It's rather inexpensive to do so.  We can also use the network from our portables or leave our home stations connected into the network 24 hours a day.
There are a couple of hundred backbone node sites in the connectable network ranging from Erie PA to Montreal to Baltimore to Boston.  These sites make up the backbone of the packet network.  The nodes are connected via dedicated point to point ham radio links on 51Mhz, 223Mhz, 420-450Mhz, and higher frequencies.   
This article isn't about what exists now.  It's about what is happening to it.  In short, we're going to be using a new software package to run our network node sites.
Up until 3 years ago the network nodes were all running a software package called TheNET.  TheNET sits in a TNC.  That's the same TNC that makes up a home packet radio station.  A TNC is a rather dumb device compared to the state of the art desktop computer.  Heck, a TNC is a rather dumb device compared to a desktop computer of the early 1980s!  TheNET suffers from the limita

tions imposed by the tiny amount of memory and computing power available in a TNC. 
In the late 1980s a German ham Gunter Jost, DK7WJ, created FlexNet along with what is now known as "The FlexNet Group".  FlexNet is much more powerful than TheNET.  In the US we run FlexNet on 80386 based PCs using the TNCs as dumb modems, a task they are well suited for.  FlexNet is compatible with current packet stations and will require only a minor amount of learning on the part of the users to take full advantage.
FlexNet allows many more sites to be in the network and to be visible from the other sites than TheNET.  It makes connections much faster than TheNET and when a connection is not going to work, makes it much more obvious much sooner.  This improves the user experience.  FlexNet automatically performs routing and chooses fallback paths so the network survives outages better.  Powerful features are available including Polling user ports, route tracing, searching for users across multiple nodes, and even HTTP when used with MSWindows95.  TCP/IP operation over FlexNet is much easier and takes no intervention on the part of the node operators to add users.
The important thing about this article is the change that is happening.  I'm one of the principals behind the K1TR packet node in Windham.  We have 8 radios providing packet network support at the site, linking to Andover MA, Concord NH, Chester MA (in the Berkshires), Kingston NH, Nashua NH, a DxCluster, the TCP/IP repeater in Marlboro MA, and a 2 meter user port. As I type this, Thanksgiving Day, only one of the sites that K1TR links to is running FlexNet.  That's the node in Chester MA.  Our site, K1TR in Windham, is running both FlexNet and TheNET.  Since we're in the process of changing the site, it becomes interesting (hopefully not difficult) for the users of our equipment be

cause they have to figure out what's going on as we slowly migrate equipment to FlexNet.  Since our neighbor sites in New Hampshire are not yet running FlexNet, in order to connect to or from those sites and K1TR, you will have to manually connect from one network to the other.  This isn't difficult.  A little poking around will lead you to the information you need.  Try the I command on the FXWNDM node or on the FlexNet node to get help. 
Since the K1TR site is the first node site in New Hampshire (or even in the Boston Metro Area) to use FlexNet we're sort of early adopters and are feeling our way around.  Limitations of print media will make it difficult for me to keep you updated as to the current situation at the node site.  I can only offer you clues and guidelines as to what we INTEND to do.  There are a few things we can regard as solid.
1. We'll do our absolute best to not lose any connectivity on or through the site at all, at any time. 
2. We'll try to make it easier, not harder, to use the network for all users and all services.
3. There will be a node in the TheNET network called FXWNDM:K1TR-13.  From there you can reach the K1TR FlexNet node.  Use the I command on FXWNDM to find out how.
4. Connecting to K1TR-1 on 145.07 will get you into K1TR node.  Once K1TR-1 is converted to FlexNet, you will get a welcome text that gives clues to other late breaking info including how to connect to K1XX DxCluster.
For more information on FlexNet, packet radio networking in general, technical and user info, point your web browser at http://www.packetnetwork.org/k1tr
You can connect to my packet station on 145.07 or from the K1TR node.  Beep wildly but not after 10pm.  Thanks.