Subj : Compression question
To   : Bob Jones
From : Bo Simonsen
Date : Sun Jul 13 2003 10:52 am

Hello Bob!

Jul 12 19:36 03, Bob Jones wrote to Bo Simonsen:

 BS>> Yes then it was a 255 * 255 limit? Or did the 
 BS>> nodenumber up to 32768 bee allowed? (afaik is this the limit now).

 BJ> When the 255 (or so) node limit was change, the new format used 16 
 BJ> bit ints and not 8 bit unsigned integers for the new format.  So, 2d 
 BJ> was about 32K * 32K for the limit.  Some software process the 16 bit 
 BJ> ints as signed (since the "default" address for the node applying for 
 BJ> a node number became -1/-1, at least in some software.....  

A node number is ought to be unsigned :)

 BJ> In actuallity, Net and Zone numbers had some structure to how they 
 BJ> were originally assigned.....  If I remember correctly, we had some 
 BJ> European nodes in the 2d setup....  This forced an issue with the 
 BJ> netmail hour that was established in / for the North American 
 BJ> continent, which got solved when zones were introduced....

Oh i notice europeans net does start with region20 sweden so 200 is the lowest 
net in Zone2, the explanation is, because there only was 2d addresses then 
Europe was getting into fidonet?

 BS>> Okey, then Europe got into fidonet too i guess :)

 BJ> Yes.....

 BJ> Originally, zones were one digit, regions were two digits and nets 
 BJ> were three digits, with all uniquely assigned through out fidonet.  

So is it still in Europe, nearly, in my Region it's :)

 BJ> Eventually some duplication started to appear in Zone 2 because they 
 BJ> needed more region and net numbers, but they kept similar numbering 
 BJ> conventions.  And when the second round of three digit net numbers 
 BJ> ran out in zone 1, four digit net numbers were introduced in zone 1.  

Okey, and after that in zone 2?

Germany and Russia is the only regions with 4 digit netnumbers.

 BJ> Last I looked, net 343 exists in both spain (in zone 2) and the US 
 BJ> (zone 1).....  Yes, the 2d addressing in echomail path and seen-by 
 BJ> lines can cause problems *if* echos are not properly gated between 
 BJ> zones.....

Okey i guess Net236 don't exist in Zone1 :)

 BS>> Hmm.. i don't know HeathKit, something like D'Bridge?

 BJ> No.  HeathKit made electronic kits.  Some of their last kits were the 
 BJ> H-100 and I believe a H-150.  The H-100 was the kit form of the 
 BJ> Zenith Z-100, and the H-150 was the kit form of the Z-150.  [I 
 BJ> believe Zenith bought HeathKit before HeathKit went out of 
 BJ> business...]  I put two H-100's together....  

Okey a computing device :) It just sound like some fidonet software in your 
prevouis post.

 BJ> We probably should move this to another echo if we continue it (or to 
 BJ> netmail)....  We're getting a bit far from Squish, which like other 
 BJ> mail mashers, only has 2d path and seen-by lines.....

That's right, answer me in Netmail.

Regards,
Bo

--- Msged/LNX 6.1.2
 * Origin: The Night Express, Roennede Dk (2:236/100)

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