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ZONES, ZONEGATES, ZONEHOSTS AND IFNA KLUDGES
Tom Jennings
25 Jan 88
I believe Fido/FidoNet 12f's addressing is spirit & letter of the<68>
"law". It works as follows:
I am node 1:125/111. I enter a message to 2:500/1. Fido does<65>
this:
a) Create the .MSG file as we all know it.
b) Since the destination is outside our own zone:
1) put the ifna kludge algorithmic address into
the .MSG file header: "myzone/destzone". This case,
the message is marked "1/2", ie. implied full address
is "1:1/2", if the IFNA Kludge "zone gate".
2) Put the "full" address into the INTL line:
"^AINTL 2:500/1 1:125/111".
Programs that don't understand the INTL line just route according<6E>
to ancient tradition to 1/2, with no side effects. Programs that<61>
understand INTL lines do whatever it is they decide to do.
The only thing that Fido does that is different here is that it<69>
hides the ugliness. Fido has a pure three level addressing<6E>
scheme, and knows enough to how to treat what I call "fully<6C>
addressed" (INTL lines) messages properly.
By default, Fido treats the network as a true three level<65>
addressing scheme; a message addressed to "2:500/1" will go to<74>
"2:0/0", the host for that zone. Zone Host not Zone Gate. I<>
realize this isn't what is desired, IFNA kludge or not, and am<61>
not trying to foist anything on anyone. The intent was a "pure"<22>
FidoNet three level mailer, and thats what I got.
The problem is solved by the router. There is a route file,<2C>
supplied with the FIDO.EXE program, called ROUTE.DEF. It only has<61>
to exist, and it is applied to *all* possible FidoNet routing<6E>
unless overridden. By default, Fido will do the Zone Host<73>
routing; all you do is specify a new host:
Zone 2; ZoneGate 1:1/2
...
Zone N; ZoneGate 1:1/N
A ROUTE.DEF file is supplied with Fido v12f. Instead of all mail<69>
for zone 2 going to "2:0/0", the "pure" ZoneHost, it goes to (in<69>
this example) "1:1/2". It could all go to "1:125/31" and drive<76>
Bob Kovach crazy. It could even go to "3:1/1" and waste<74>
everybodys time. For a Fido operated in Europe, in Zone 2, it<69>
would have a ROUTE.DEF that contained:
Zone 1; ZoneGate 2:2/1
My intent was to build a mailer devoid of all kludges, plus solve<76>
the stupid shit IFNA Kludge thing. Plus not force someone to use<73>
"my way".
Zones are here to stay, and I do not like coding things twice.<2E>
Network addressing issues are very serious, and we have to live<76>
with them for years, and I want to do things "right". This is my<6D>
solution; if anyone is interested in implementation details just<73>
ask!