Based on original by Jerry Schwartz 1995-97 Used without permission under claim of fair use Heavily modified by Philip Lozier 2001 for purposes of updating information NO CLAIMS OF COPYRIGHT OR RESTRICTIONS ARE CLAIMED OR OTHERWISE IMPLIED How FidoNet Works ----------------- FidoNet is designed around point to point transfers: each system can call any other system (literally, using phone lines and modems, or by utilizing routed netmail through an internet based distribution method). In order to do this, it depends upon a telephone directory called the Nodelist . The Nodelist allows you to look up a system by its node number and retrieve a telephone number (and some other helpful information). A FidoNet address consists of four components: Zone: ----- The highest component of a FidoNet address is the Zone number, which ranges from 1 to 6. (Other Zone numbers are used by networks which are not part of FidoNet, but use the same technology.) Each Zone corresponds approximately to a continent: Zone 1 is the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean Zone 2 is Europe, including Russian Asia Zone 3 is Australasia Zone 4 is Latin America Zone 5 is Africa Zone 6 is the Asian Pacific Region: ------- For practical and historical reasons, each Zone is divided into Regions. A Region is a contiguous portion of a Zone, but it isn't used when specifying an address. Net: ---- The Net is a geographical area within a Region; Nets may be large or small, covering a large state or a part of one city, but are set up primarily to minimize telephone company charges as well as localize groups of users for practical purposes no matter what type of feed they use, be it POTS, FTP, E-Mail attach, or TCP/IP mailer. For nodes who do not have a local net in their area capable of providing a certain type of feed that they require, or no local net at all, it is encouraged that they find a local net that does have the capabilities to service them within their region. Node: ----- A Node was originally an individual system, but in practice corresponds to an individual phone number; a system may have more than one phone number, and the only way to list more than one phone number is to assign each a unique node number. Certain type of nodes, known as IONs (Internet Only Nodes), do not have their systems available via telephone lines, and special accomodations are provided for them for nodelisting purposes. Point: ------ Technically, Points are not members of FidoNet; they are "subnodes" and are not directly called by Nodes under most circumstances. Newer software does support having Points in the Nodelist, though, and can call them. Some local nets are now providing full nodelistings for systems that would have been trditionaly viewed as points in order to reflect a more complete listing of who is actually utilizing FidoNet. In many areas, although a traditional node may be set up for multiple users, the SysOps are the only ones posting in FidoNet, so some have come to view a point as no less than these systems are. Controversy exists about this, but it is definately the view of many that FidoNet node membership should be made easier than ever before to attract new people on board, and once again begin the expansion of FidoNet as a whole. A complete FidoNet address would look like 1:142/928.0 Each level (Zone, Region, and Net) has a Coordinator whose primary duty is to assemble the corresponding portion of the Nodelist. How does FidoNet really move the mail? -------------------------------------- Not by having every node call every other one, of course; although that is still done if the sysop really wants to make sure that his Netmail is delivered. Each type of traffic travels slightly differently, and generally it moves along paths which are mutually agreed upon by the sysops involved. This type of transfer is called store and forward. Netmail can move directly, from the originating Node to the destination; but it can also move via ERN (Echo Routed Netmail) in order to save long distance calling charges. ERN relies upon routing configurations and charts used by various levels of hubs in order to guide the netmail to its final destination. If a node in New York wrote a netmail to a node in Moscow, and was using ERN, his/her system would likely call their local hub via a POTS connection (but not always), whos system would then store it and forward it to their uplink by an FTP connection. When the netmail arrived at the higher level it would be processed to be forwarded in the most direct manner to the hub that the node in Moscow has their ERN path assigned to, who would then pass it down in the similar manner it was recieved to their local net hub, to be directly dialed out to the node itself. The above is just a -likely- scenario, but due to the differing methods of distribution there could be a varying combination in exactly how the mail is routed to the destination, but, the ideal configurations on the parts of the various hubs should insure it is delivered in the most direct route possible. Echomail moves every which way. Because of the sheer volume of Echomail, most systems do not handle every conference. Each system which handles a conference makes copies of each message for any adjacent systems which haven't already seen it and sends the copies on their way. Arranging for Echomail to be shipped around used to be a major problem, so much so that special Echomail Coordinators exist at each level in the administrative hierarchy. Their primary duty is to make sure that Echomail doesn't start running in circles. The Z, R, and NEC's (Zone, Regional, and Network Echomail Coordinators), often operate high end hubs that do not depend on direct dial connections, and such connections often exist for the node level members on a local net end only. Although FidoNet is a volunteer organization with no paid staff and no membership fees, and many free feed sources are available, there are some echomail providers that do charge a fee for their services. The paid services are often very stable, established and reliable sources, but free alternatives do exist, and no node is required to recieve their echomail feed from any source they wish not to, and are free to choose their providers, although it is highly recommended that any node at least have established a feed with their local hub for at minimum their "local network exclusive echoes", which are always provided free of charge. These types of echoes are not available except on the local level, and are not distrubuted outside of the local net itself, and are invaluable for the communications between node members on matters of local importance. File Distributions work the same as Echomail in most regards.