












                                  -------------------
                                      POLICE NET
              A network serving the Law Enforcement community world-wide
                                  -------------------
       


       

                                          By
                                    Joseph Gaspard


                                   With additions by
                                     Brian Roberts















                             Copyright 1991 by POLICE NET




                                   TABLE OF CONTENTS





                    File List.........................................2


             I.     Introduction......................................2



             II.    What is a Network.................................4
                            General Membership Requirements...........4
             III.   Software Requirements.............................5
                            Archiving.................................5
                            Mailers...................................5
                            Node lists and compilers..................6
                            Tossing Utilities.........................7
                            Disk Maintenance..........................8
             IV.    General Setup.....................................9
                            Modem.....................................9
                            DOS......................................10
                            Nodelist Compilers.......................11
                            Fossil Drivers...........................13
                            Batch File...............................14
                            Front Door...............................17
                            Mail Tossers.............................23

             V.     Getting Help.....................................24

             VI.    Applying For a Node Number.......................25

             VII.   Rules and Regulations............................26
                            Standards................................26
                            Echo Mail................................26
                            Security.................................27
                            Violations/Appeals.......................28


                    Epilogue.........................................29








                                         - 1 -




                                    FILES INCLUDED 

             POLICE.DOC    Software setup, Policies and operations  guide. 
             AREAS.COP     Echoes currently available on POLICE NET.
             NODELIST.XXX  The current Nodelist.
             README.1ST    Any changes since this was written.
             -------------------------------------------------------------

             To print a copy of this documentation, enter COPY  POLICE.DOC 
             PRN at the DOS prompt. This file may be distributed freely to 
             anyone  interested  in joining the network, but  may  not  be 
             altered  in  any way.  For the most current  version  of  the 
             documentation and support files, please call ROBOCOP BBS, San 
             Diego, CA. (619) 299-0351 ( Node 1:202/1, POLICE NET ).


                                     INTRODUCTION


                 Welcome to POLICE NET!  Brian and I have put this package 
             together in order to give you some answers to the most common 
             questions,  and  to give you a better understanding  of  what 
             will  be required for you, the Law Enforcement BBS Sysop,  to 
             join this exciting new service.  Once a member,you will be  a 
             part  of  a growing system of BBSs dedicated  to  Police  and 
             emergency  personnel, all linked by a series  of  conferences 
             "echoed" throughout the Network.  Your users will be able  to 
             share  ideas and information with other officers from  across 
             the Country, and eventually, around the World.
                 Membership  in POLICE NET is free.  You will  incur  some 
             expense  when registering some of the required software  and, 
             depending  on  your location, when tossing  mail  packets  by 
             telephone.   Please review the RULES section  for  additional 
             details.
                       POLICE  NET Started as a mail-toss project  between 
             ROBOCOP BBS, the founder , and L-E BBS ONLINE (Obviously  the 
             co-founder!).  We discovered each other quite by accident.  I 
             had  been actively seeking other Law Enforcement BBSs to  get 
             ideas  from, but very few of them advertised.  When  I  first 
             started  to  Log onto L-E BBS as a user, I told Brian  of  my 
             idea  to  network Police BBSs in the same way that  Fido  Net 
             does with civilian boards.  We became partners in the project 
             almost immediately, and began the task of learning everything 
             we  could  about  forming  a  network,  and  setting  up  the 
             software.   On April 15, 1991, POLICE NET became  a  reality, 
             linking  the  two primary Law Enforcement BBSs in  San  Diego 
             County together for the first time.



                                         - 2 -




                 It  has  been  a learning  experience,  believe  me!   We 
             suffered  many set backs in trying to get the software to  do 
             the  impossible, before we saw any progress.  To top  it  all 
             off, we both use completely different types of BBS  software. 
             ROBOCOP  is  a Quickbbs system, while Brian's  L-E  BBS  uses 
             Wildcat.   It  was  difficult to teach  each  other  anything 
             useful that could apply to both systems, but we managed,  and 
             here we are!  Now it's your turn.
                  
             This  documentation is meant to provide a simple overview  of 
             the  software  that will be required to handle  mail  tossing 
             automatically,  a  basic guideline for setup, and  the  rules 
             governing  membership  in POLICE NET.  In my travels  with  a 
             modem, I have discovered an unlimited amount of BBS software, 
             so I won't address too many specifics there, but I will point 
             out   some  important  things  to  look  for  in   your   own 
             documentation.   Most of the recommended software  listed  in 
             chapter  IV comes with documentation of  varying  simplicity, 
             and  with  a  few tricks, you should be  able  to  get  those 
             programs  going  fairly quickly.  We'll try  to  address  the 
             problem areas the best we can.
                  
             In  order that we keep this manual current, we would like  to 
             ask  you to note any problems not addressed here in an  ASCII 
             text file, and forward it to us.  We will try to keep up with 
             as many major software releases and problems associated  with 
             them,  so  that  new  members can benefit  from  all  of  our 
             collective  hair-pulling!  Most, if not all of  the  software 
             mentioned here is available on both founding boards,  however 
             long distance callers may want to search their area first, as 
             many  of the files are quite large, and would cost a  bit  to 
             download.

              
             Good luck getting started!  

             -Joseph Gaspard













                                         - 3 -




                                  WHAT IS A NETWORK?


             A  network  is a group of independent systems  that  share  a 
             message  base or group of message bases in addition to  their 
             existing "local" ones.  Thus, a member of one system can dial 
             his  local board, and read or write messages to other  people 
             in  other  systems,  regardless of  their  location,  without 
             having  to make multiple or long distance phone  calls.   The 
             user  enters the message in the network section of your  bbs, 
             and  logs off.  At a specific time (Zone Mail Hour, or  ZMH), 
             your  system automatically packs all the new messages in  the 
             network areas using a file compression archive such as PKZIP, 
             dials a hub system, sends the packet and picks up any waiting 
             mail.   If everything is setup properly, your  computer  will 
             automatically unpack the new messages, and place them in  the 
             proper message base.  Once all the software is in place,  the 
             Sysop need do nothing to make all of this happen.

                  The  message bases that are "tossed" in this manner  are 
             called   "ECHOES".   They  are   basically   subject-specific 
             conferences  that are monitored by a moderator, in  order  to 
             keep  them  on-track and on the subject.   Any  participating 
             system  can create an echo, but must also be responsible  for 
             the  moderator as well (see the Rules section for  details!).  
             By  nature, echo mail is "public" mail.  That is, you  cannot 
             enter  a private note to someone in the network.  The  reason 
             is  simple:   Why should us poor Sysops pay to  toss  private 
             mail (grin)?
                  There are two basic groups of echoes available in POLICE 
             NET.  Group  S  echoes  are  restricted  to  Law  Enforcement 
             personnel,  while group G echoes can be open to civilians  as 
             well.  Members can choose not to carry an echo or a group  of 
             echoes, and are only required to carry the echo "Sysop NET".

                  POLICE NET has a few requirements of systems wanting  to 
             become part of the network:
                       1.  You  must be a Law Enforcement or EMT  BBS,  or 
             offer  secure  message areas for Law  Enforcement.   You  may 
             allow  civilians  on  your  system, but  MUST  abide  by  the 
             security arrangements provided for the network.
                       2.  You must be able to toss mail at baud rates  at 
             or  above 2400 baud.  The network standard is currently  true 
             9600 V.32/V.42, but we will also support 9600 HST by the  end 
             of May, 1991.
                       3.  You must apply for a node number following  the 
             procedures outlined in chapter VII.



                                         - 4 -




                                 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

             We  assume that you already have your BBS in place on  a  IBM 
             based  system, and running from a batch file.  Hopefully  you 
             have  some  knowledge  of errorlevel calls  and  other  batch 
             conventions, and are using MS DOS version 3.3 or higher.
                  There  are  several programs you will need in  order  to 
             send  and  receive  mail packets, pack and  unpack  mail  and 
             maintain  your message bases.  We will try to break down  all 
             of  these  programs in some sort of logical order,  but  read 
             through  the  setup chapter before you log on to  your  local 
             guru board and perform file rape! 

             ARCHIVE PROGRAMS:

                  We  urge you in the STRONGEST possible terms to  collect 
             every  compression  program  that  exists!   Most  front  end 
             mailers  will  detect  a type  of  compression  program,  and 
             attempt  to  unpack your mail using that  software.   If  you 
             don't have that program, you'll get a nasty surprise the next 
             morning!   Dump all of the archivers into one directory,  and 
             make sure the path statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT lists  that 
             directory.   The  following  is a list  of  the  most  common 
             programs, by their extension names:

                          .ZIP    .ZOO    .LHA    .LZH   .ARC

                   POLICE  NET uses the convention PKZIP by default.   You 
             should  use this to make outbound packets.  You  may  request 
             that  all packets sent to you be done in another format  when 
             you  apply for a node number, but all outbound mail  must  be 
             "Zipped".

             THE FRONT END MAILER:

                  The  front  end mailer manages your entire  system.   It 
             controls  all internal and external events,  detects  inbound 
             and outbound mail, dials and sends packets and files, detects 
             "human" callers and passes them off to your BBS program,  and 
             is  always "up".  It is completely automated and so the  most 
             complicated program in your system.  More than one Sysop  has 
             commented to me that it was easier to set up their BBS than a 
             mailer!
                  
                   In spite of the claims you'll find in the documentation 
             of   the  majority  of  the  available  mailers,   most   are 
             notoriously buggy.  Many, such as Binkley Term, use  outdated 
             control files with documentation that leave a lot of the  set 
             up  to your imagination.  That is why we recommend  only  one 
             type of front end mail program:  

                                   FRONT DOOR 1.99c.



                                         - 5 -




                  Front Door uses a setup program with pull down menus  to 
             walk you through the process.  It has a full featured editor, 
             a  simple communications terminal, and I have not  found  any 
             significant  bugs in the software.  The documentation gets  a 
             bit  confusing in some places, but we will try to cover  many 
             of those in the Setup chapter.  Front Door is offered free of 
             charge by the program's author.

             NODELIST MAINTENANCE:

                  A  nodelist is a simple file that  contains  information 
             about each member system in the network.  In it's raw form it 
             is merely an ASCII text file.  In order for the mailer to use 
             the information in the file it must be processed into a  data 
             base  format.   Front  Door uses the  processed  nodelist  to 
             determine who to send mail to, what phone number to dial, and 
             who  the Sysop of that system is.  Thus, it is  important  to 
             keep your nodelist up to date.  Front Door will not even  run 
             without  a processed nodelist on file!  We have included  the 
             most recent nodelist in this package, but remember to use the 
             new list available AFTER you have been accepted into the net, 
             as it will have your system listed.
                  There  are two programs we use to process the  nodelist.  
             They must be run in order:

             PARSELST            Run this one first.
             FDNC                Run this one after Parselst.

             When you get a new nodelist, you can run a simple batch  file 
             from  your  nodelist directory (see Front Door in  the  Setup 
             chapter) to process it into usable form:

                                 ECHO OFF
                                 CLS
                                 cd \FD\NODELIST
                                 del *.fd* *.idx *.dat *.bak
                                 PARSELST
                                 FDNC /f
                                 copy nodelist.bbs f:\quickbbs
                                 del nodelist.bbs


             Both  programs have to be configured using a  simple  control 
             file.  More on that in the Setup chapter.






                                         - 6 -




                                     MAIL TOSSING:
                  
             A front end mailer doesn't actually touch your message  base.  
             It relies on support programs called "tossers" to pack/unpack 
             mail,  delete  duplicate messages, reorganize the  last  read 
             pointers,  and  place the new messages in  the  right  place.  
             When  set up correctly, all this will  happen  automatically, 
             and all you will have to do from now on is read the mail!
                  
             Unfortunately  for some of you, our experience is limited  to 
             Quickbbs  message  base  systems.   Brian's  Wildcat  uses  a 
             support  program to convert selected folders in  the  Wildcat 
             message base to Quickbbs format to be tossed by the  programs 
             listed  below.  I, of course run a Quickbbs system.   If  you 
             don't run either types of BBS software, our best advice is to 
             find  a local Fido Net system that operates the same type  of 
             software  as you do, and pick their brains.  We'll  help  you 
             figure  it all out and include it in this manual in the  next 
             release.                                             
                  
             There  are two programs that we have found to toss to/from  a 
             Quickbbs message base system:

             TOSSCAN      The fastest and easiest.
             QNET_265     A little more complex to set up, but also good.

             Both  programs come with various utilities for  cleaning  and 
             packing  your  message base, deleting old messages,  etc.   I 
             highly recommend using these utilities after ZMH, and  before 
             any disk maintenance.

             ------------------------------------------------------------
                                       -WARNING-

             It is highly recommended that you make back up copies of your 
             current message base and put them in a safe place BEFORE  you 
             start  experimenting with any "kill" switches found in  these 
             utilities, or you may end up with an empty message base!
             ------------------------------------------------------------

             The  program that Brian uses to convert Wildcat  messages  to 
             Quickbbs data base files is called:

                                        Q2W_W2Q
             FOSSIL DRIVERS:

                  Most BBS programs require some sort of fossil driver  to 
             keep track of the carrier signal.  We suggest the following:

                                     BNU or X00124




                                         - 7 -




                                   DISK MAINTENANCE:

             While  this  subject doesn't deal directly with  operating  a 
             network  system,  it  is  an important  part  of  your  daily 
             maintenance  routine.  Disk fragmentation becomes a  critical 
             cause  of  system  failers, or crashes,  as  you  place  more 
             demands on your storage area.  Since you will be reading  and 
             writing  to disk more often, deleting and adding messages  in 
             different locations on the disk, and accessing various  files 
             more  often, it becomes very important that you "plug up  the 
             holes",  so  to  speak, by  running  a  disk  defragmentation 
             program.   If  you haven't been doing so, you  will  probably 
             notice a significant decrease in access time to the disk, and 
             an  increase in available disk space the first time  you  run 
             the program.
                  There  are  a  couple  of dozen  such  programs  on  the 
             commercial  market.   We recommend two  of  those  commercial 
             programs, as being the fastest and most trouble free.  I have 
             yet  to  find  a  Shareware  program  that  compares  to  the 
             following software:

             NORTON SPEED DISK    Available in the Norton Integrator.

             PCTOOLS COMPRESS     Available in Pctools.

             Both are excellent investments, and are found in almost every 
             software  store.  We advise running either program from  your 
             nightly  maintenance batch file, using the  "auto"  switches.  
             This should be the LAST ITEM OF MAINTENANCE PERFORMED.



             ------------------------------------------------------------

                                       -WARNING-
             There  has been an increasing amount of reports  from  Sysops 
             around   the  country  of  Norton  Speed  Disk  version   5.0 
             corrupting  some files and destroying others.  So  far  Peter 
             Norton has not come out publicly with any acknowledgement  of 
             this  problem,  even  though it has  occurred  among  a  wide 
             variety  of systems and software.  We advise using  an  older 
             version  of Norton's otherwise excellent Speed  Disk  program 
             until this problem is corrected.

             ------------------------------------------------------------




                                         - 8 -




                                     GENERAL SETUP

             The  following chapter deals with setting up  the  individual 
             programs  mentioned  in the previous chapter.   This  is  not 
             meant to replace the documents that come with those programs, 
             but as an overview of setting up your system as a whole.   We 
             have  structured  this document in the basic order  that  you 
             should  use  when  starting  the task  of  making  all  these 
             separate   programs  work  as  one  system.   We  have   also 
             identified  a  few  problem  and/or  unclear  areas  in  some 
             programs, and hopefully put them into the proper perspective.
                  
             We  suggest keeping a printed copy of this guide  handy,  and 
             using  this chapter in order.  It will greatly  decrease  the 
             amount of time it takes you to set up your system.

             GETTING STARTED:

                  1.  If you haven't already done so, make a printed  copy 
             of your BBS software documentation.  You will be referring to 
             it often, so keep it handy.
                  2.  Print  a copy of the Front  Door  documentation.   I 
             suggest  getting  a  3" three ring binder  and  putting  both 
             documents in there.
                  3.  Print a copy of your fossil driver documentation.

             Unless  you multi-task, you will need to set aside a time  to 
             take down your BBS in order to start setting up your mailer.
             If  your BBS does not take the phone off the hook, call up  a 
             comm program such as TELIX, and in the terminal screen type:
             
                                        ATM0H1
             This  will  silence the modem's speaker (M0),  and  take  the 
             phone  off the hook (H1).  If you wish the modem back on  the 
             hook, just type:

                                        ATH0

             Once you've got the phone line set the way you want, go  back 
             to  DOS and change directories to the root directory  on  the 
             boot  drive. Now you're ready to reconfigure your system  for 
             POLICE NET!







                                         - 9 -




                                    SETTING UP DOS:
             
             We  assume  you  have MS DOS version 3.3  or  higher.   If  a 
             suggested command does not work on your system, refer to your 
             DO manual. 
                  The   first   thing  you  should  do  is   modify   your 
             AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, using a simple ASCII  text 
             editor.  The following are the only changes you will need  to 
             make in these files:
                  1.  Add FD to your path statement in your AUTOEXEC file.  
             Example:    PATH=C:\dos;C:\comm;C:\FD
                  2.  Add the  directory where you  keep all your  archive 
             programs to the path as well.
                  3.  If  you are not now using a fossil driver, you  will 
             need one to run Front Door.  You may need to add a  statement 
             in  either AUTOEXEC or CONFIG, depending on which driver  you 
             use.
                  4.  Add the statement: SET FD=<your path>to AUTOEXEC.BAT


             The following examples were taken directly from ROBOCOP BBS:

             AUTOEXEC.BAT:
             ------------
             ECHO OFF
             c:\qemm\loadhi /r:4 c:\qemm\files=40+
             c:\qemm\lastdrive=G:
             PATH C:\;c:\dos;c:\4dos;c:\Norton;c:\pctools;c:\zip;f:\fd;
             cd\
             chjoy3
             cd \mouse
             c:\qemm\loadhi /r:3 mouse
             set DOORPCH=pcb
             set QBBS=F:\QUICKBBS
             set LIB=F:\QUICKBBS\LIB
             set FD=F:\FD
             set DSZLOG=F:\QUICKBBS\DSZ.LOG
             set DSZ.COM=F:\QUICKBBS
             cls
             cd\
             desk

             CONFIG.SYS:
             ----------
             device=C:\QEMM\qemm386.sys ext=960 RAM ROM EXCLUDE=C800-C9FF
             files=8
             BUFFERS=1
             stacks=0,0
             install=c:\qemm\loadhi.com /tsr /r:1 c:\dos\share.exe



                                        - 10 -




             device=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:2 c:\dos\ansi.sys
             device=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:2 C:smartdrv.sys 320 /a
             device=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:3 C:\hc2\atdoshc2.sys
             device=c:\qemm\loadhi.sys /r:1 C:\ramdrive.sys 640 /e
             device=f:\quickbbs\X00.sys e b,0,19200 R=2048 T=2048
             shell=c:\4dos.com /s:x /u /p /h

             Do not go with the FILES and BUFFER statements listed  above. 
             These are specific to a multi-tasking environment under  QEMM 
             and Desqview.  Make sure you have at least the following  for 
             non-multi-tasking systems:

             FILES=40
             BUFFERS=40 (unless you use a disk cache program)

                 The   next  thing  you  should  do  is  to  make  a   few 
             directories.  The easiest way is to use the DOS "MD" command, 
             as in:
                                       
                                         MD FD

             The following is a list of the directories and subdirectories 
             you will need to have before you unpack your software:

                                          |--DUPES
                                          |--NODELIST
                         C:\  FD ---------|--MAIL
                                          |--PACKETS
                                          |--FILE

             UNPACKING YOUR SOFTWARE:

                  Move the nodelist, and unzip PARSELST and FDNC into  the 
             directory FD\NODELIST.  Unpack Front Door into the  directory 
             FD. Don't unpack the mail tossing utilities yet.  Now you are 
             ready to begin to set up your system.

             PARSELST AND FDNC:

                  As  we  stated earlier, this manual is not  intended  to 
             cover every aspect of the setup of each program, but to  help 
             you  get started and  ease you over some of the rough  spots.  
             As  such,  we  won't get into all the things you  can  do  in 
             either of these programs, as that would take a small book  in 
             itself!   Brian and I are still learning all the things  that 
             you can force Front Door to do with these little gems!

                  Both  Parselst and FDNC  are similar, in that  they  use 
             simple ASCII control files to get their instructions.   These 
             are named PARSELST.CFG and FDNODE.CTL respectively.  Use your 
             favorite text editor to open up the files and follow 



                                        - 11 -




             the  instructions  listed  as  "remarks".   Here  are  a  few 
             examples  highlighting  some of the confusing parts  to  each 
             file:

             PARSELST.CFG:

             Node 1:202/1                 ; My network address
             Country 1                    ; My country code
             MaxBaud 9600                 ; My highest baud rate
             ;MyList ROBOCOP.LST          ; My private nodelist
             Complete                     ; Give entire nodelist
             UseZone                      ; Don't change Zone to Region
             NoComments               ; Don't output comment lines
             NoRoute                  ; Don't generate Nodelist.Fon file
             ;NoNodeList              ; Don't generate Nodelist.Bbs file
             Version6
             NoFidoList            ; Don't generate human readable files
             NoUserList            ; Don't generate FidoUser.Lst file
             Dial
                1-619-
             End

             Cost 85 500
                1-619-          0
                1-714-         25
             End
             ---------------------------

             The above list is the easiest of the two to set up.  Remember 
             that  everything preceded with a ";" will be ignored  by  the 
             program,  so  you can make comments to  yourself  for  future 
             reference.   ROBOCOP  BBS  is located in area  code  619,  so 
             you'll  want  to change that to YOUR area code.  For  set  up 
             purposes,  you  are allowed to use the  node  number  1:<your 
             region>/999.  Check the chapter on applying for a node number 
             for further details.

             FDNODE.CTL: (Read the Front Door Documentation!)

                  This is a long file, and largely self explanatory.   The 
             part  that  was confusing to me the first time  was  all  the 
             phone numbers!  Here are some highlights:

             COST 25 150                       ; Default
                                               ; Default
             ;
             ; Local (to me) numbers
             ;
             1-619-299-      0


                                         -12-




             Change  the Local (to me) number(s) and prefix  locations  to 
             your area numbers.

             ; Domestic (to me) but not local numbers
             ;
             1-204-         50                 ; Manitoba Canada
             1-306-         50                 ; Saskatchewan
             1-403-         50                 ; Northwest Territories
             1-416-         50                 ; Ontario
             1-418-         50                 ; Quebec
             1-506-         50                 ; New Brunswick
             1-514-         50                 ; Quebec

             Obviously, these will have to be modified to suit your  area.  
             For  now, you need do nothing but place your number  anywhere 
             that you see "local".  That will be enough to get you  going. 
             Once your system is up and tossing mail, you can go back  and 
             fine-tune these files.  
                  If you haven't placed the compilers and the nodelist  in 
             the  nodelist  directory, do so now. Run your batch  file  or 
             type the command lines for the compilers.  Your node list  is 
             now ready for Front Door and POLICE NET!

             FOSSIL DRIVERS:

                  If  you already are using a high speed modem,  then  you 
             should be familiar with fossil drivers.  These  communication 
             programs  have  only one purpose in life:  To  supervise  the 
             comm  port(s).  Front Door requires one to run.   Both  Brian 
             And I use different drivers, and oddly enough, we use them in 
             the two ways they can be used:  As a device driver, and as  a 
             executable  program.  I use X00124 as a device driver  called 
             at  boot up by my config.sys. There are a number  of  reasons 
             for  this, but the main one is I load it in high memory  with 
             my  memory  manager, and it uses less  "headroom"  that  way.  
             Brian  doesn't have that capability, and so prefers  to  call 
             BNU  as a program from his BBS' batch file to save on  device 
             driver  space.  Both ways work fine.  BNU is pretty  straight 
             forward, but X00 does have a few switches to deal with.   The 
             following  is my command string in CONFIG.SYS for X00.   Keep 
             in mind that I'm using a locked comm port at a very high rate 
             of speed:

             Device=f:\quickbbs\X00.sys e b,0,19200 R=2048 T=2048

             For a 2400 BPS modem, use:       X00.sys e



                                        - 13 -




                                    THE BATCH FILE:
                  
             Now we get to the fun stuff! The first thing you are going to 
             have to do is to start writing a new batch file.  It would be 
             a good idea to make a printout of your existing batch file to 
             use as a reference.  Currently, you are allowing your BBS  to 
             determine  the  baud  rate  of the  caller,  and  manage  the 
             progress  of the call.  That is one of the first  things  you 
             will  have  to  change.   Front Door  will  manage  the  call 
             progress,  and  pass  off "human" callers to  the  BBS  using 
             different errorlevels for each baud rate.  This is an example 
             of the beginning section of a typical batch file:

             @echo off
             :START
                F:
                cd \fd
                FD
                if errorlevel 255 goto START
                if errorlevel 231 goto DISK_MAINT
                if errorlevel 230 goto MAINT
                if errorlevel 155 goto 19200
                if errorlevel 150 goto 9600
                if errorlevel 140 goto 4800
                if errorlevel 130 goto 2400
                if errorlevel 120 goto 1200
                if errorlevel 115 goto 300
                if errorlevel 57 goto UNPACK_MAIL
                if errorlevel 56 goto PACK_MAIL
                if errorlevel 33 goto RESTART
                if errorlevel 10 goto QUIT
                if errorlevel 1 goto MAJOR_ERROR
             :19200
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b19200 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS
             :9600
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b9600 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS
             :4800
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b4800 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS


                                        - 14 -




             :2400
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b2400 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS
             :1200
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b1200 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS
             :300
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -b300 -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS

             Note  the  errorlevels 10, 33, 56 and 57.   These  should  be 
             exactly as you see them here.  Front Door always exits on  an 
             errorlevel  of  10, so you must have this free.   When  Front 
             Door determines that a call is coming in at 2400, it exits at 
             the  errorlevel you place in the setup program.  If you  have 
             written  the batch correctly, that errorlevel will  take  the 
             call  to  the ":2400" label, and execute the  commands  found 
             there.   Note the statement " -b2400" after Quickbbs  in  the 
             :2400  label.  This is the command line that starts  Quickbbs 
             at 2400 baud.  Almost all the BBS software I've seen has some 
             sort of command line switches that you can use to specify the 
             baud  rate  with,  so yours may be  similar.   Lets  continue 
             looking at the batch file:

             :AFTER_BBS
                if errorlevel 230 goto MAINT
                if errorlevel 100 goto QUIT
                if errorlevel 33 goto RESTART
                if errorlevel 17 goto POKER
                if errorlevel 14 goto BAGM
                if errorlevel 13 goto BANK
                if errorlevel 12 goto BACK
                if errorlevel 9 goto QDOG
                if errorlevel 5 goto NET&ECHO
                if errorlevel 4 goto ECHO_ONLY
                if errorlevel 3 goto NET_ONLY
                if errorlevel 1 goto MAJOR_ERROR
                goto LAST_CALLER





                                        - 15 -




             :RESTART
                cls
                cd \quickbbs
                quickbbs -r -e0 -s
                goto AFTER_BBS
             :UNPACK_MAIL
                cd \quickbbs
                modem 1 OFF
                Tosscan toss
                goto START
             :PACK_MAIL
                cd \quickbbs
                modem 1 OFF
                Tosscan scan
                goto START
             :ECHO_ONLY
                cd \quickbbs
                modem 1 OFF
                Tosscan scan
                goto START
             :NET_ONLY
                cd \quickbbs
                Tsutil export
                goto START
             :NET&ECHO
                cd \quickbbs
                Tosscan scan
                Tsutil export
                goto START
             :QUIT
                cd \quickbbs
                modem 1 OFF
                cls
                nocurs
                be rowcol 10,20 "Exiting Front Door and ROBOCOP BBS" 
                normal
                cls
                cd\
                exit

             We're not going to go into every detail of a batch file  with 
             you here, but this should give you an example to refer to  if 
             you  get  stuck  along the way.  Most Sysops  are  more  than 
             willing to give you a copy of their Batch file, and it  would 
             be a good idea to look at more than one.




                                        - 16 -




                                      FRONT DOOR:
                  
             To access the setup program, go to your Front Door  directory 
             (FD, if you followed our advice), and type:

                                         SETUP

             From  here on it's just a matter of going into each  "field", 
             and customizing it for your system.  The following is a  list 
             of a few of them, and our recommended settings:

             Under Global/Address:
             --------------------
             System   F:\FD\
             Netmail  F:\FD\MAIL\
             Files    F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\UP\
             Packets  F:\FD\PACKETS\
             Log file F:\FD\FD.LOG
             Banner   F:\QUICKBBS\TEXT\BANNER.TXT   (You make this file) 
             Nodelist F:\FD\NODELIST\
             In-event F:\QUICKBBS\TEXT\IN-EVENT.TXT (You make this file)
             QuickBBS F:\QUICKBBS\
             Swapping G:\

             Under Mailer/Miscellaneous:
             --------------------------
             Mail from unlisted systems           No
             Mail from "unprotected" systems      Yes
             Mail from unlisted points            No
             Kill empty received messages         Yes
             Terminal-only (no mail)              No
             Mail-only (no BBS)                   No
             Match remote's zone                  No
             Present all AKAs to remote system    No
             Trigger exit upon receipt of netmail Yes  (Very Important!)
             +- Upon receipt of ANY file           No
             Print received messages              No
             Busy retries                         30   (Just in case.)
             Resend retries                       30
             Retry delay                          15
             Delay before first call              No
             Days to keep mail history            7
             BBS software name                    ROBOCOP !!
             Seconds before passing to BBS        11
             Minimum undialable cost              1




                                        - 17 -
    



             Under Mailer/File Requests:
             --------------------------
             Mode      Systems in nodelist can request
             List      F:\QUICKBBS\TEXT\FILES.TXT  (See below)
             Alias
             Message
             Max match 0
             Max time  0
             Max size  0
             Min speed 2400
             Limited   No
             Start     01:00
             End       01:50
             Days      -------A

             The file listed above is a simple ASCII text file that  looks 
             like this:

             F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\UTIL\
             F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\GAMES\
             F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\BBS\
             F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\OTHER\
             F:\QUICKBBS\FILES\COPS\

             Front Door uses this file to determine where a file might  be 
             located when a file request is received.

             Under mailer/errorlevels:
             ------------------------
             300             115
             1200            120
             1275            0
             2400            130
             4800            140
             9600            150
             19200           155
             38400           0
             Received mail   57
             Create BAT.file No

             Note that the above errorlevel calls match the example  batch 
             file!   Make  sure yours do the same.  Anything with  an  "0" 
             will pass to the next command in the batch.

             Under Editor/Origin lines:
             -------------------------
             (Please use the conventions outlined in the Rules chapter)




                                        - 18 -




             Under Manager/Events:
             --------------------
                  Ok,  now  comes the tricky part.  The  following  is  an 
             example of the first screen:

               #   T  Days      M  Start   Length  Min/Lev  Max   Address
               ----------------------------------------------------------
               0   @  -------A  +  00:00   00:01        0     -1  1:202/1
               1   X  -------A  +  01:30   00:01      230     -1  1:202/1
               2   Z  -------A  *  02:00   01:00        0     -1  1:202/1
               3   C  -------A  +  03:00   21:00        0     -1  1:202/1
               4   X  -------A  +  03:00   00:01      231     -1  1:202/1

             Event #0 is mandatory!  Put it in first.  The "T" at the  top 
             is  the event TAG.  An "X" tag signifies an  external  event, 
             and must have an errorlevel listed.  You can have as many  of 
             these  events  as you want.  I run a maintenance  event  just 
             before  ZMH, and run one that packs my message bases and  de-
             fragments  my disk afterwards.  The "Z" tag stands  for  Zone 
             Mail Hour.  Here is the two screens you'll modify:

             Tag         Z
             Days        -------A
             Modifier    Ignore eventbase (*)
             Start time  02:00
             Length      01:00
             Min.cost    0
             Max.cost    -1
             Behavior
             Use alias   1:202/1
             Retry delay 0

             And under behavior:

             Allow users during event              No
             Exit when mail is received            Yes
             High priority (crash) mail only       No
             Allow file requests                   Yes
             Pickup file requests                  No
             Hold (don't send) file requests       No
             Attempt to pickup waiting mail        Yes
             Allow nodes to pickup waiting mail    Yes
             Send-only                             No
             Receive-only                          No
             End event when no more mail to send   No
             Send to CM systems only               No
             Send to non-CM systems only           No
             Only execute event once               No
             Inactive                              No



                                        - 19 -




             The  "C" tag is for Continuous Mail, and is used to send  and 
             receive  mail during normal hours.  This is important if  you 
             wish to "poll" another system for waiting mail, and want your 
             system to unpack the mail automatically.  Here is the two set 
             up screens for this event:

             Tag         C
             Days        -------A
             Modifier    Add eventbase (+)
             Start time  03:00
             Length      21:00
             Min.cost    0
             Max.cost    -1
             Behavior
             Use alias   1:202/1
             Retry delay 0

             And under Behavior:

             Allow users during event              Yes
             Exit when mail is received            Yes
             High priority (crash) mail only       No
             Allow file requests                   Yes
             Pickup file requests                  Yes
             Hold (don't send) file requests       No
             Attempt to pickup waiting mail        Yes
             Allow nodes to pickup waiting mail    Yes
             Send-only                             No
             Receive-only                          No
             End event when no more mail to send   No
             Send to CM systems only               No
             Send to non-CM systems only           No
             Only execute event once               No
             Inactive                              No


             The  tricky  part is that each event "tag", other  than  "X", 
             must match a tag found in a file you must now create,  called 
             ROUTE.FD.   The documentation makes creating this  file  very 
             confusing, so I have included two examples of a Route.fd file 
             using  the  tags  found above.  The first example  is  for  a 
             system  hub.   A  hub would dial out to get  mail  from  each 
             system,  and download any packets that the  receiving  system 
             does not have.  The second example is typical of most systems 
             in POLICE NET, in that it waits for the mail call instead  of 
             dialing out:



                                        - 20 -




             Route.Fd example #1:
             -------------------

             No-Route All

             SCHEDULE C MYNET/ALL
             No-Route 202/ALL
             No-Route 1:ALL
             Send-To 202/2

             SCHEDULE Z MYNET/ALL
             No-Route 202/ALL
             No-Route ALL
             Send-to ALL
             Poll 202/2
             Poll 202/3
             Poll 202/4
             Poll 202/5

             Route.Fd example #2:
             -------------------

             No-Route All

             SCHEDULE C MYNET/ALL
             No-Route 202/ALL
             No-Route 1:ALL
             Send-To 202/2

             SCHEDULE Z MYNET/ALL
             No-Route 202/ALL
             No-Route ALL
             Send-to ALL

             As you can see, there is not much to this file.  Place it  in 
             the Front Door directory, and go back to SETUP.

             Under Manager/Folders:
             ---------------------

                  This is where you tell Front Door where the mail is, and 
             what it is (Local, Echo, Netmail, Etc.).  Here is an  example 
             of the screens, and what they should look like:

               #   Status    Users      Password  Title
               --------------------------------------------------
               1   EXI--Q--  *             No     POLICE ECHO
               2   EXI--Q--  *             No     Firearms Echo




                                        - 21 -




             The edit screen for folder #1, POLICE ECHO, looks like this:

             Status
             Origin   ROBOCOP BBS  San Diego, CA (619)299-0351
             Title    POLICE ECHO
             Board    8
             Users    1
             Password No
             Use AKA  1:202/1
              
             The "Board" number is for a Quickbbs system. Under  "Status", 
             you'll see another screen:

             Restricted
             Echo info  *
             Export Ok  *
             Echomail   *
             Local
             Translate
             QuickBBS   *
             Private
             Read-only

             If  you change to a non-Quickbbs board, the  previous  screen 
             will change as well:

             Status
             Origin   ROBOCOP BBS  San Diego, CA (619)299-0351
             Title    POLICE ECHO
             Path
             Users    1
             Password No
             Use AKA  1:202/1


                  Now  go back and double check each field, and make  sure 
             you  haven't  left anything out.  A  brief  explanation  will 
             appear  at the bottom of the screen for many of  the  fields.  
             Once you are sure you have everything in place, you can  test 
             the  system by calling up your fossil driver and typing  "FD" 
             from the proper directory.  You will get an error message  if 
             you  have done anything wrong.  To exit, type ALT Q.  To  use 
             the  on-line  features, type ALT P, and a pop  up  menu  will 
             appear.  You can reconfigure the set up program from there.





                                        - 22 -




                                     MAIL TOSSERS

                  
             If  you are not operating from a Quickbbs message base,  then 
             this  section  is not going to be a lot of help to  you.   No 
             doubt there are mail toss utilities for a wide variety of BBS 
             systems,  and  a quick check with your local Fido  Net  Sysop 
             that  is operating your software will probably point  you  in 
             the  right  direction very quickly.  If you have  a  Quickbbs 
             system, unpack your tosser into the BBS directory now.

                  For a quick BBS system, the act of tossing mail into and 
             out of your message base is ridiculously simple:

             TOSSCAN:

                  To toss new mail INTO your message base use the  command 
             line:                       
                                     TOSSCAN TOSS.

             To  scan your message base for, and pack new  OUTGOING  mail, 
             use the command line:

                                     TOSSCAN SCAN

             QECHO (from the file Qnet):

                  See  the  documentation for the available  command  line 
             switches to customize the program for your system.

                  Both  of  these programs should be  operated  from  your 
             batch  file to exit and pack/unpack mail automatically.   For 
             examples, see the BBS batch file example on pages 14 and 15.
             Make  sure  your errorlevel calls match those  configured  in 
             Front Door, and your BBS software.
                  I  am  keenly  interested  in  any  and  all  mail  toss 
             utilities available for other BBS software.  If you  discover 
             any, please let me know, and forward me a copy.











                                        - 23 -




                                     GETTING HELP

             If you are having trouble getting the programs listed in this 
             documentation to work properly on your system, try  rereading 
             the  individual  program's  documentation.   (When  all  ELSE 
             fails,  read the docs!)  Double check all your settings,  and 
             document  what  is going on.  If all that fails  to  set  the 
             light bulb off, follow these steps to get outside assistance:

             1.   Get  out  the old modem, and start  calling  your  local 
             boards.  Many Law Enforcement Sysops forget that the civilian 
             BBS  market is quite a bit larger and more  experienced  than 
             us!  Most Sysops are more than willing to go out of their way 
             to help out.  POLICE NET uses Fido Net conventions, so almost 
             any  Fido Sysop with the same software as you can be a  great 
             resource!

             2.   Failing that, and willing to spring for the phone  call, 
             you  can  call us at the numbers below.  These  are  the  BBS 
             numbers,  and  require initial registration, so  be  patient.  
             Both  boards  accept direct ASCII uploads  into  the  message 
             bases, so for you long distance callers it would be advisable 
             to write your message before you log on.  This will also help 
             you organize your thoughts, so that you give us a clear  idea 
             of the problem, and what you have done so far to try to solve 
             it.  In most cases, if you leave a voice number, we will  try 
             to return your call and "Talk you down."

             3.   You can also mail us the message through another  POLICE 
             NET  node.  Address it to the appropriate node listed  below.  
             For  the number of the nearest PN network system,  check  the 
             enclosed Nodelist.

             Joseph Gaspard,
             Founder, Managing Director
             ROBOCOP BBS San Diego, CA (619)299-0351  (1:202/1)
             Quickbbs system running under Desqview.

             Brian Roberts,
             Co-founder, Regional manager
             L-E BBS ONLINE! San Diego, CA (619)596-0870 (1:202/2)
             Wildcat system on an IBM AT, Quickbbs echo message base.








                                        - 24 -




                              APPLYING FOR A NODE NUMBER

             In  order  to become a member of POLICE NET you must  have  a 
             valid node number issued by the Managing Director.  There are 
             a few simple steps you must take to be granted access to  the 
             network:

             1.  You must have your system ready to send and receive  mail 
             during  the designated ZMH at the time of  application.   All 
             software  must  be running and free of  glitches  BEFORE  you 
             submit your application.
                       
             2.  You must have read and agree to comply with the rules and 
             regulations currently in effect.  By applying to the director 
             for  a  node  number, it is assumed that  you  agree  to  all 
             policies of the net.

             3.   The application shall be in the form of a  message  sent 
             over the net into the SYSOP NET echo message base.  It  shall 
             be  addressed  to  the  Managing  director  of  the   network 
             (Currently Joseph Gaspard  1:202/1 ) and specifically request 
             access to the net.  The message must detail your system, it's 
             Law  Enforcement/ EMT affiliation, and a mailing  address  to 
             send  you  your node number.  It is important that  you  send 
             enough  information  about your system that we can  make  the 
             correct determination as to your suitability for  membership.  

             4.    Please  include the Echoes you wish to pick up  in  the 
             application.

             5.   Applicants are to use the Node 1:<your area>/999,  until 
             their permanent number is issued.  Areas are defined by  Fido 
             Net convention.

             6.    There  is  no fee for membership in  POLICE  NET.   For 
             information on charging your system users, see RULES. 

             7.    Please  make sure that your TEAR LINE conforms  to  the 
             standards set forth in the RULES chapter.

             Both  Brian  and I are more than willing to help you  get  to 
             this  point,  so don't hesitate to call us with  any  problem 
             that has or hasn't been addressed in this manual.

             If you've come this far, WELCOME ABOARD!!

                                   


                                        - 25 -




                                      POLICE NET

                                RULES AND  REGULATIONS

                                 As of April 15, 1991

             1. STANDARDS
                       1.1    All hardware and software standards shall be 
             set by the founding systems.  Deviation from those  standards 
             may be made by the individual participating systems, as  long 
             as the Managing Director is informed and the proposed changes 
             do not adversely affect the network as a whole.
                       1.2    All  mailers  must be  Fido Net  compatible. 
             Zone Mail Hour must be automated.
                       1.3    Zone  Mail Hour is set  at  0200-0300  hours 
             Pacific  Standard  Time Daily.  No human callers  are  to  be 
             allowed  on during this time.  All systems MUST be  available 
             for mail only during this time.
                       1.4    Point systems, or other non-members are  not 
             allowed to post POLICE NET echoes.  No member system may send 
             packets containing all or part of the POLICE NET echo base to 
             any  non-member system without permission from  the  Managing 
             Director. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis.
                       1.5    POLICE   NET  is   a   private,   non-profit 
             organization.  Member systems operators may not charge  their 
             users  for  this service, other than to  recover  any  ACTUAL 
             costs of providing this service to their system's users as  a 
             whole.
                       1.6    POLICE  NET  does not  discriminate  on  the 
             basis of race, creed, sex, or Country of origin, nor does  it 
             tolerate such discrimination among it's member systems. 

             2. ECHOES
                       2.1    Any member system may request to  create  an 
             echo subject to all of the following rules.
                       2.2    Any  new   echo  must  be  approved  by  the 
             Managing Director, via the Sysop Net conference.
                       2.3    Any  proposal  should  have  all   necessary 
             details  posted,  such as the subject  matter,  and  security 
             group.  The start date(s) will be set by the Directors.
                       2.4    The  system proposing the echo shall  be  in 
             charge of moderating the conference.  He/she may ask  someone 
             else to take this responsibility voluntarily. 
                       2.5    The  Directors  have   authority  over   all 
             echoes,  their  content  and  the  monitoring  thereof.   The 
             Managing  director  may remove an echo or it's  moderator  at 
             anytime  for  reasonable cause, subject to all  the  enclosed 
             rules herein, and subject to the enclosed appeals process.
                                 

                                         -26-




                        2.6   All  moderators of  any conference must be a 
             member  system  operator,  co-operater,  or  other   approved 
             person.  All moderators must be approved by the Directors.
                        2.7   The  individual  system  operator  is  fully 
             responsible  for the actions of any user with access  to  the 
             network message bases through that system.  This includes any 
             point system channeled through that system.

             3.  TEAR LINES
                       3.1    All tear lines throughout the network  shall 
             be consistent with the following example:
              <System Title>_<City>,_<2 Letter State code>._(XXX)XXX-XXXX
                       3.2    No deviation from the tear line in rule  3.1 
             will be allowed.  All information shall be mandatory.
                       3.3    No member system shall use  another  systems 
             tear line, node number, or any part thereof.
                       3.4    Aliases shall not be allowed in the network.

             4.  SECURITY
                       4.1    All significant breaches of network security 
             shall  be  reported to the Managing Director  promptly.   Any 
             general  warnings shall be issued by the  Managing  Director, 
             and NOT the reporting system.
                       4.2    All  member and prospective  member  systems 
             shall  endeavor to prevent the unauthorized entry of  non-law 
             enforcement  personnel  into any "S" group message  base,  or 
             other message base designed for Law Enforcement only.
                       4.3    For the purposes of this network,  the  term 
             "Law Enforcement Personnel" describes the following persons:
                  A.   Any Peace Officer, Deputy, Constable,  Marshall  or 
             other sworn Law Enforcement official, active or retired.
                  B.   Any member of the above's immediate family.
                  C.   Any member of a recognized investigating agency, DA, 
             FBI, NIJ et al.
                  D.   Any  member  of  Transit  Police,  or  Metropolitan 
             Transit Security agency.
                  E.   Any Emergency Medical Technician.
                       4.4    No privileged or confidential information is 
             to be exchanged within the network.  No unethical or  illegal 
             acts, materials or files shall be allowed within the network.  
             The  exchange of copyrighted software is  strictly  forbidden 
             among  members  of  POLICE  NET.   This  DOES  NOT  apply  to 
             freeware, shareware or public domain software.
                       4.5    Civilian users  are  allowed to  participate 
             in any "G" group message base.
             



                                        - 27 -




                       4.6    The  SYSOP NET  echo shall be restricted  to 
             the   systems  operators  and  co-operators  of  member   and 
             prospective  member systems only.  "Read only" access to  Law  
             Enforcement  users  may be granted at the  individual  system 
             operator's discretion.

             5.  VIOLATIONS/APPEAL
                       5.1    Any willful or continuing violations of  any 
             of the operating rules or standards of the network may result 
             in  the  offending  system being  removed  from  the  network 
             without notice. 
                       5.2    The systems operator of a system removed  in 
             rule 5.1 may file a written statement appealing the  removal.  
             The statement shall be addressed to the Managing Director via 
             a neutral system, and routed through the SYSOP NET echo.   It 
             should address all points of appeal clearly.
                       5.3    The Managing Director of POLICE NET shall be 
             the  sole  judge of the merits involved in any  appeal  to  a 
             membership  rejection.   He may, at his discretion,  put  the 
             matter to a vote of the general membership.  The judgment  of 
             the Managing Director shall be final.
                       5.4    The  statement of appeal must be  dated  and 
             sent  no later that 30 days after the date of  being  removed 
             from the network.  This appeal is NOT a right of membership.
                       5.5    The   Managing   Director   shall   make   a 
             reasonable  effort to resolve the conflict without  resorting 
             to removal of the offending system.

             6.   DISCLAIMERS
                       6.1    The contents of this document are subject to 
             change  without prior written notice.  The current rules  can 
             be found on Nodes 1:202/1 and 202/2.
                       6.2    Should any of the rules be found contrary to 
             law, the other rules shall remain in effect.















                                        - 28 -




                                   
















             POLICE  NET  is  a  private,  non-profit   telecommunications 
             service    dedicated  to  the  men  and  women  of  the   Law 
             Enforcement  communities world-wide.  It is the goal  of  the 
             Directors  of this network to foster increased  communication 
             between  Police  officers of a wide variety  of  departments, 
             counties, states and countries in order that we may all learn  
             the tools to better serve ourselves and our communities in  a 
             safe and effective manner.

             It  is also the goal of this network to provide a place  that 
             Law  Enforcement professionals can feel safe and  comfortable 
             not  only  for entertainment, but to broaden  their  personal 
             view of the world around them.




















                                        - 29 -
