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A FidoNet Primer
What Is
FidoNet?®
How FidoNet Works
Who Runs FidoNet?
FidoNet and Other
Nets
How to Join
Needful
Things
FidoNews
Search FidoNet Nodelist
FidoNet via Internet
HubsFidoNet Zone 1: Read about FidoNet, get the information you need to join, and submit an application. (external link)
FidoNet.org (external link)
There is a German site similar to this one at
www.was-ist-fido.de.
This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit
http://ss.webring.com/navbar?f=l&y=jerryschwartz&u=10013044
 This FidoRing-FidoNet Web Ring site owned by Jerry Schwartz . Previous 10 | Skip prev | Previous | Next | Skip next | Next 10 Random Site | List Sites | Join FidoRing Web Ring
What Is FidoNet ® ?
FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail network with over 15,000 mail
nodes world wide. Most mail nodes are publicly accessible Bulletin Board
Systems (BBS), some of which have hundreds of members. Before Internet access
became commonplace, FidoNet probably ranked up there alongside some of the
better known commercial on-line services in terms of the number of people who
used it. Now, of course, it is adapting to the new technologies and many
FidoNet systems are also web servers, news servers, and generally
accessible over the Internet in one way or
another.
FidoNet nodes are often personal computers in somebody's basement; the
system operator (sysop) may be a young child or a retired grandfather. Some
nodes are networks consisting of dozens of PCs or larger systems, and some are
run by governments, fire departments, or large corporations to support the
needs of their constituents or customers. A few are actually money making
ventures.
FidoNet offers three basic types of service:
Netmail:
Netmail is linked to the origin of FidoNet. It is simple, person to
person, electronic mail messages.
Echomail:
Echomail is a broadcast medium: every message that anyone enters,
anywhere in FidoNet, gets distributed automatically to every other person who
has subscribed to a particular conference (or echo). What kinds of
conferences does FidoNet carry? There is something for everyone: genealogy,
Star Trek, quilting, various software and hardware products, and just plain
"chat" echoes. Each conference has one or more moderators, whose job
it is to ensure the smooth flow of conversation and to keep people more or less
on topic and within the bounds of common politeness. However, unlike some other
conference schemes which allow each message to be examined before it is
distributed, Echomail is wide open. A moderator cannot remove a message
nor prevent others from reading it. For this reason, the moderator has only one
power, and it is considered absolute: the moderator can insist that anyone's
access to the conference be severed. The moderator's powers are one
reason that echomail hasn't been completely obsoleted by Internet newsgroups:
it is easier for a moderator to control problem posters and spam is much
less likely.
File Distributions:
In addition to electronic mail, FidoNet can (and does) distribute
programs, pictures, and text files. This is similar to Echomail, although
somewhat more centralized: a system subscribes to a File Distribution and then
receives all files that are placed into distribution at one or more points of
origin. These File Distributions are as varied as Echomail: they include
shareware programs (try before you buy) of all kinds, works of literature
published by Project Gutenburg (dedicated to making all public domain and
copyright expired literature available in machine readable form at no charge),
pictures of missing children and s (no milk carton required), and the
Tibetan Electronic Resource Guide.
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
metaphorically through some other mechanism). 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 or IP
address (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. The geographical definition of a Net has
seen some elasticity with the reduced reliance on telephone calls to actually
move the mail.
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.
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.
So, a complete FidoNet address would look like1:142/928.0
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 Low Priority
Mail (LPM). LPM relies upon the fact that most systems will automatically
accept any incoming Netmail and move it on its way in the general direction of
its destination. That might mean sending it to an intermediate system in an
adjacent town, or it might mean sending it to a hub in a central location, or
it might mean sending it up to someone in the FidoNet hierarchy. The
Coordinators move things up and down anyway, so a message might go up three
levels and down three levels to cross the globe.
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.
New technology has greatly simplified the transportation of Echomail.
For example, in North America almost every echo is broadcast from a satellite
to special receivers on the ground; the equipment and use of this service is
much cheaper than the long distance telephone calls needed to accomplish the
same thing. (The return traffic, which is relatively small from any individual
system, still goes by telephone most of the time.) As an alternative, there are
systems on the Internet that have bundles of
Echomail available for FTP, or via some kind of FidoNet-specific protocol;
since many sysops have Internet access, this is a convenient alternative.
Although FidoNet is a volunteer organization with no paid staff and no
membership fees, some of these Echomail providers do charge for their service.
This has occasioned some debate, but since their customers usually save a lot
of money over the "old way" there is no orchestrated move at this time to do
anything about it one way or the other. Any sysop is free to get his Echomail
wherever he likes, so long as he doesn't cause technical problems for others
(by inadvertently creating circular paths, for example); so if you don't like
the way one source is doing things, you can go elsewhere at the drop of a hat.
File Distributions work
the same as Echomail in most regards.
Who Runs FidoNet?
The nodes which make up FidoNet are owned by individual hobbyists,
schools, businesses, newspapers, governments, and clubs. Since most of them are
Bulletin Board Systems first, and FidoNet nodes second, they are an independent
lot; they always have the option of leaving FidoNet, adding or even starting
other networks (both FTNs and others), or just going it alone.
Curiously (or perhaps inevitably) for such a loosely defined group,
FidoNet is not a democracy. It is formally an autocracy consisting of:
An International Coordinator;
Six Zone Coordinators;
A few dozen Regional Coordinators;
Scores of Net Coordinators; and
A large number of Hub Coordinators.
The IC is elected by the Zone Coordinators from among themselves; the
Zone Coordinators are elected by the Regional Coordinators in their Zone; and
all of the other Coordinators are appointed by the level above them,
and serve at pleasure. (Note that the Zone Coordinator appoints the very
Regional Coordinators who in turn elect him.) The primary duty of each
Coordinator is to edit a portion of the Nodelist; that portion is sent up the
chain for consolidation and then a master update is passed back down. Their
other duty is to settle disputes; their only power to enforce their decisions
is embodied in their control of a Nodelist segment, and that means that the
only effective punishment which can be meted out is excommunication (loss of a
Nodelist entry). The Network Coordinators have the additional duty of fielding
new node applications (see How to Join ).
None of the Coordinators is paid, nor are they under any contractual
constraints: FidoNet has no corporate existence in any formal legal sense, and
no dues, meetings, or any of the usual trappings of an association or club. In
fact, FidoNet has very few rules, chiefly
Meet the technical requirements promulgated by a standards committee;
Use a current Nodelist;
Be able to receive mail at the appointed time (each Zone designates
an hour for this);
Do not be excessively annoying; and
Do not be too easily annoyed.
Clearly there is some room for interpretation, and so the diplomatic
skills of a Coordinator can make the difference between a happy Net and a Net
in open rebellion.
The tension between a rigid autocracy on the one hand and a "go shove
it" attitude on the part of the individual sysops is what keeps FidoNet
flexible (and keeps certain echoes boiling). In many places, Coordinators are
effectively elected despite the rules: the winner of the election is appointed
by the Coordinator above.
All of this is spelled out in the document referred to as " Policy4 "
(P4); despite its shortcomings, every attempt to replace or amend P4 has
failed.
FidoNet and Other Nets
FidoNet has inspired other networks using similar software; these are
often referred to as Fido Technology Networks (FTN). Many FidoNet sysops belong
to a dozen or so FTNs. Some of these FTNs arose out of political fights within
FidoNet, some deal with local issues, and some are just for people with special
interests (not necessarily ual). Many of these other networks have
gateways which link Netmail and Echomail back and forth with FidoNet.
The Internet is another animal altogether. Every FidoNet node has an
Internet address which is based upon its FidoNet address. An example would be
p1.f928.n142.z1.fidonet.org There are systems
throughout the world which function as mail gateways between the two networks.
There is no default gateway, however, so a particular FidoNet node may or may
not be able to receive mail from the Internet.
By virtue of having an Internet address, and the ability to address
systems on the Internet, a FidoNet message can be sent to or received from
other networks such as AmericaOnline (aol.com ), Prodigy (
prodigy.net ), and CompuServe ( compuserve.com ).
More recently, many FidoNet nodes are directly accessible from the
Internet by telnet, as news servers, or as web servers such as
http://www.fido-online.com/ which is
in both Russian and English.. Some serve as ISPs as well, merging the two
technologies in both directions. A web search engine will turn up tens of
thousands of hits if you search on the word "FidoNet."
How to Join
The requirements for joining FidoNet are extremely few:
Get a copy of the FidoNet policy document,
Policy4
;
Get a copy of the FidoNet Nodelist;
Set up a working system; and
Send a Netmail message directly to the nearest Net Coordinator with
the information spelled out in
Policy4
, and agreeing to abide by its technical requirements (primarily the
ability to send and receive mail, at a minimum for one hour per day during the
middle of the night).
Once you are in, you can then make arrangements with other sysops to get
your mail.
In practice, it can be a little more complicated, of course.
Policy4 is pretty clear, but it won't help you set up your software. Some software
is well documented, some is not; some is a beast to configure, some is not;
some is free, some is not. Assembling all of the bits and pieces takes time and
technical savvy. (The analogy to ham radio is not accidental.)
You may want to join FidoNet as an Internet-Only Node (ION). It sounds
like a paradox, but there are many such nodes in FidoNet. They enjoy the
comradeship that FidoNet's size allows, but don't want to devote a phone line
to it. Joining as an ION may pose special challenges, since the Net Coordinator
who covers your location might not be set up to handle Internet-based traffic.
In that case, you should contact one of the existing Internet-capable nodes for
assistance. The IP-based FidoNet mail movers
would be a good place to start. Shannon Talley, 1:275/311, maintains
this list.
Conversely, it might be that the Net Coordinator for your area doesn't
have dial-up capabilities. In that case, there may be a hub listed specifically
to accommodate dial-up nodes; or you might have to contact another sysop for
guidance.
Your best bet is to ask questions of the other sysops. Most are quite
eager to help, and will have all of the software and utilities you need
available for you to download. I can be reached at jerryschwartz@comfortable.com and would be happy to give you a hand.
Needful Things
Now that dial-up Bulletin Board Systems are few and far between, your
best bet for assembling the pieces you'll need is to search the Internet for
"FidoNet." Particularly useful sites include
The FidoNews Web Site, which
includes search engines for locating both Bulletin Board Systems and software
you'll need
COMM Port OS/2, which has a
variety of FidoNet-related software among other things
FidoNews
Like most other communities, FidoNet has a newsletter: FidoNews,
published every Monday. Submissions come from all over, since anyone can make a
submission and the Editor traditionally has a very light hand. FidoNews is sent
as a file distribution world wide, and is also available on the Internet in a
number of ways.The current issue of FidoNews includes lists of FidoNet-related web sites, types of software, Internet-based hubs, and so forth.
Obtaining copies: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews Editor via manual download or
file-request, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
FidoNews is available from
If you are already running a FidoNet-style system, you can request
the latest issue as FIDONEWS from 1:270/720, 1:140/1, 1:142/928, or
1:396/1
The latest issue is also available as a web page in
English,
Estonian (not current), and
Swedish
Every issue every published is available in English from a German
FidoNet site at www.was-ist-fido.de
For offline reading, you can ftp the latest from
ftp://ftp.fidonet.org/fidonews/
or ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/
From a list-server by sending a message to
majordomo@fidonews.org with the
command help in the subject and the command lists in the
body
By FTPMail ftpmail@fidonews.org (subject: help)
Many of these sources also have back issues available. Individual issues
are named FNEWSynn.ZIP, where y is a letter designating the
year (H is 2000, G is 1999, F is 1998, etc.) and nn is a two-digit
number representing the week of the year.
Written by Jerry
Schwartz, 1:142/928. © Copyright Jerry Schwartz 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,
2000, 2002, 2003
Fido®, FidoNet®, and the dog with diskette are
registered marks of Tom Jennings and Fido Software. The version of the dog with
diskette used in this document was found on Wangi's World-Wide-Web Fidonet
Resource (no longer extant) and is used without permission.
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