A Hobbyist DECnet Network - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

9 Dec 2005

...

Subject: A Hobbyist DECnet Network
   From: "Robert Armstrong" <bob at jfcl.com>
   Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:41:03 -0800
     To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'"	<cctalk
at classiccmp.org>

  I'm interested in setting up a network of hobbyist DEC machines linked
together in a DECnet phase IV network.  Why?  I suppose there's no really
good reason, but it seems like it would be fun to be able to do "SHOW NET"
or "NCP SHOW ACTIVE NODES" and see a whole long list of machines that
aren't
mine :-)  Besides, it would be a good way to share access to real,
non-simulated, VMS/RSX/RSTS and even, maybe, TOPS-10 or 20, machines.

  Does anyone else agree?  Is anyone else interested in participating? 
I've been able to do that here for about 15 years internal to my room.
Mostly 3100s (pizza box) of the microVAX flavor, MicroVAXIIs and 
MicroVAX2000s.  Decnet is cool and LAVC is something I've never been
able to reproduce with PCs.  I try to boot the FLYIN: cluster a few 
times a year with members (CESSNA:, PIPER:, RUNWAY:, FBO:, MOONY:,
MAUL:, BEECH: and C150U:).

All of my VAXen are headless, I use a VT1200 xterm to "set host"
to them.

As to doing ove the internet, DSL, and floating addresses are a problem.

There used to be a TOAD on the net (DEC system20 or somesuch), Is it still?

...
   I know I'm not the first to think of this; in
particular, I've had a few
email discussions recently with Johnny Billquist about HECnet,

	http://www.update.uu.se/~bqt/hecnet.html

At some point I'd like to link up with HECnet, but right now Johnny is
having ISP problems and it sounds like HECnet is down to one or two nodes.

  Are there any other hobbyist DECnet associations that are going strong? 
Start with www.OpenVMS.org and link from there.

...
   As for technology, it seems like the best thing would
be to use the
Internet as our communications medium.  Nobody wants to pay for
point-to-point leased lines anymore, after all.  Multinet, TCPware, and even
DECNet Phase V all have the ability to send DECnet traffic over IP.  Right
now I'm leaning towards Multinet - they have a free hobbyist license
program, and Multinet can create point-to-point virtual DECnet circuits
using UDP packets that can be routed over the Internet.  They're simple to
set up and administer. 
More money that I can devote right now (power too).  But interesting to
follow and maybe later..

...
   I have a fair amount of Internet bandwidth available
at my location, and I
can set aside a VS4000 VLC or model 90 to serve as a dedicated Phase IV
routing node.

Bob Armstrong 
Actually a MicroVAX2000 with a RD54 is enough for routing if you can 
shoehorn the OS and enough ram in it.  Routing is not a high cpu usage 
problem.  For phase IV routing VMS5.4 is enough and that fits in a 
RD53(71mb) well enough and isn't as ram hungry as V7.x.

Allison