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

