ZONES, ZONEGATES, ZONEHOSTS AND IFNA KLUDGES Tom Jennings 25 Jan 88 I believe Fido/FidoNet 12f's addressing is spirit & letter of theچ "law". It works as follows: I am node 1:125/111. I enter a message to 2:500/1. Fido doesچ this: a) Create the .MSG file as we all know it. b) Since the destination is outside our own zone: 1) put the ifna kludge algorithmic address into the .MSG file header: "myzone/destzone". This case, the message is marked "1/2", ie. implied full address is "1:1/2", if the IFNA Kludge "zone gate". 2) Put the "full" address into the INTL line: "^AINTL 2:500/1 1:125/111". Programs that don't understand the INTL line just route accordingچ to ancient tradition to 1/2, with no side effects. Programs thatچ understand INTL lines do whatever it is they decide to do. The only thing that Fido does that is different here is that itچ hides the ugliness. Fido has a pure three level addressingچ scheme, and knows enough to how to treat what I call "fullyچ addressed" (INTL lines) messages properly. By default, Fido treats the network as a true three levelچ addressing scheme; a message addressed to "2:500/1" will go toچ "2:0/0", the host for that zone. Zone Host not Zone Gate. Iچ realize this isn't what is desired, IFNA kludge or not, and amچ not trying to foist anything on anyone. The intent was a "pure"چ FidoNet three level mailer, and thats what I got. The problem is solved by the router. There is a route file,چ supplied with the FIDO.EXE program, called ROUTE.DEF. It only hasچ to exist, and it is applied to *all* possible FidoNet routingچ unless overridden. By default, Fido will do the Zone Hostچ routing; all you do is specify a new host: Zone 2; ZoneGate 1:1/2 ... Zone N; ZoneGate 1:1/N A ROUTE.DEF file is supplied with Fido v12f. Instead of all mailچ for zone 2 going to "2:0/0", the "pure" ZoneHost, it goes to (inچ this example) "1:1/2". It could all go to "1:125/31" and driveچ Bob Kovach crazy. It could even go to "3:1/1" and wasteچ everybodys time. For a Fido operated in Europe, in Zone 2, itچ would have a ROUTE.DEF that contained: Zone 1; ZoneGate 2:2/1 My intent was to build a mailer devoid of all kludges, plus solveچ the stupid shit IFNA Kludge thing. Plus not force someone to useچ "my way". Zones are here to stay, and I do not like coding things twice.چ Network addressing issues are very serious, and we have to liveچ with them for years, and I want to do things "right". This is myچ solution; if anyone is interested in implementation details justچ ask!