Join FidoNet

Fidonet, and Fidonet Technology Networks (FTN), are international amateur networks of computer systems. They often operate a public access BBS and all are connected via modem and/or via the Internet as well.

The following are links to information about how to join Fidonet:

• www.fidonet.ca/how-to-join.html
• http://www.fidonet.us/joinfido.htm
• http://www.z1.fidonet.org/how-to-join.html
• http://www.fidonet.org/joinfido.html

As SBBS does not include an FTN capable program, other programs will need to be added to your installation in order to add the capability. The main one is a mailer, which is the program used to trasfer the echomail, netmail, and other files between systems.

An FTN/Fidonet capable mailer for Internet connections. Open source, and available for MS Windows, Linux, and other systems. See also the BinkD HowTo.

This a simple TIC processor that can work with BinkD and other mailers, and that was specifically developed to work with Synchronet. See also the TinyTIC HowTo.

• Message echo - A way to distribute messages between systems.
• File echo - Like a message echo, but for distributing files instead of messages.
• TIC - “TIC” is the standard file extension for the information file that is sent along with a file that is distributed in a File Echo.
• Node - How a particular FTN/Fidonet system is referred to.
• Network Coordinator - Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a LOCAL segment of the nodelist for his/her NET, a NET may cover part or all of a city and or part of a country.
• Regional Coordinator: Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a REGIONAL segment of the nodelist for his/her REGION.
• A REGION may cover an entire country or just a part of a country depending on it's size, the REGIONAL address is not obvious in the end node address.
• Zone Coordinator - Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a ZONE segment of the nodelist for his/her ZONE, a ZONE can cover a single country or several countries.