Original Message Date: 27 Dec 91 20:48:11 From: Uucp on 1:105/42 To: Tom Jennings on 1:125/111 Subj: IP link Z1-Z2 From m2xenix!rain.psg.com!randy From: randy@psg.com (Randy Bush) To: Matt.Whelan@f1.n3.z3.fidonet.org (Matt Whelan) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 91 17:41:09 PST Cc: george.peace@f13.n13.z1.fidonet.org (George Peace), Thanks to the very friendly and helpful folk at EUnet (helps if you attend conferences together), the Z1-Z2 link via the Internet is now operational. Today, we move only mail for 2:500/ALL and a test echo. We will now start the ramp up, lots of echos, all Z2/Z1 mail (Henk will exchange it with the official 2:2/1), ... We have every reason to believe it will all go quite well. Thanks also goes to Henk, who hacked the stuff to make his DOS system cooperate with EUnet over UUCP. The interface is seamless, you will never know that Henk and I did not do a pure FidoNet connection, as we merely ship the packed and compressed *.MOn files via the Internet link. For the moment, we are not shouting about it. Some of the reasons are: o Z2 is still a war zone, and there is no sense attracting bullets, especially as they idiots would probably attack our kind benefactors at EUnet who do not need the grief. o Sysops will think that it's generally ok to ship FidoNet-FidoNet traffic over the Internet. It is NOT. We have special dispensation from the particular IP carriers involved. NSFNET, the US backbone, has specifically stated that they will not carry FidoNet-FidoNet traffic at the current time. o The PTTs can actually raise an objection to our avoiding tariffs. The defense against this objection has to be researched on a link by link basis. o Someone doofus will figure out a way to abuse it. So, please don't spread it around. Matt, we also have consent on this end to do the same for the US to/from Australia link, and I gave you the names of the folk down there. Get your act together, save some bucks! randy