Netrom-Node mini-Howto

4. Setting Up Netrom

Netrom has applications and files that control it's function and to achieve the G8BPQ look and function we must use these in ways never intended. Below is a list of these components of Netrom:

• nrattach Application
• netromd Application
• nrports Configuration File
• nrbroadcast Configuration File

/usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netrom
/usr/sbin/nrattach -i 44.30.2.5 netnod

Nrattach gets some of it's information from a configuration file called nrports. This file is shown below:

# /etc/ax25/nrports
#
# The format of this file is:
#
# name call-sign alias paclen description
#
netrom          K5DI-1  #CRUCE   235    Switch
netnod          K5DI-4  CRUCES   235    Real Node

There is no change to the nrbroadcast file so the remaining changes will be made to the ax25d.conf file. In this file you normally put the real netrom application called k5di-1, but since a call to k5di-1 or #CRUCE gets undesirable results, leave that entry out of ax25d.conf and a user will get just a "busy" when calling.

Instead put in the netnod and that will allow ax25d to answer a call to CRUCES. This is shown in the example below:

# /etc/ax25/ax25d.conf
#
#  AX25D Configuration File.
#
# AX.25 ports begin with a '['.
#
[CRUCES VIA ax0]
default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
[k5di-4 VIA ax0]
default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node 
[CRUCES VIA ax1]
default  * *    *   *   *    0 - root   /usr/sbin/node  node
[k5di-4 VIA ax1]
default  * *    *   *   *     0 - root  /usr/sbin/node  node 
#
# NET/ROM ports begin with a '<'.
#
<netnod>
default         * *     *   *   *   * -  root   /usr/sbin/node node
# 

With these changes netrom node broadcasts will include the node K5DI-4:CRUCES and K5DI-1:#CRUCE. By testing it was determined that a call from any node to k5di-1 or #CRUCE got a busy, and a call to k5di-4 or CRUCES connected to the node on this system.