reasons for new Winsock TCP/IP implementation, and Winsock with TNC wit

[Gary Crum <crum@n.kb7eec.ampr.org>]

mikebw@bilow.bilow.uu.ids.net (Mike Bilow) wrote, in NOS-BBS Digest 213:
>Given this situation, the last thing we need is to reimplement a parallel
>and probably conflicting Winsock stack of our own in order to get access
>to AX.25.

Here are a couple reasons to build a new Winsock implementation based on NOS:

1. Trumpet Winsock is shareware, not free.  Does anyone know of an officially
free Winsock?

2. Such a Winsock IP implementation derived from the KA9Q NOS implementation
would naturally support multiple network interfaces, and IP routing.  Does
anyone know of a Winsock module that does these things?

It seems like some people reading nos-bbs are not aware that the free
ETHRAX25 software will allow existing Winsock implementations (e.g. Trumpet)
to use COM-port-connected KISS-mode-TNC radio network interfaces (preferably
fast ones).

ETHRAX25 is currently at
ftp://ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/misc/ethrax25.zip
I haven't even tried it yet.

I think I'll send this to both nos-bbs@hydra.carleton.ca and
TCP-Group@ucsd.edu, with the thinking that moving this discussion to
tcp-group is appropriate.

P.S.  Here's a third and perhaps most important reason:  Freely available
source code to a Winsock-compatible TCP/IP implementation will foster
interesting development.  This be quite in line with a primary FCC-designated
purpose of amateur radio frequency allocations -- communications technology
development.  This in FCC Part 97.1.  Go, FCC, the most improved government
department this last year! -- except for frequency auctioning perhaps.