
                HELP WITH FINDING THE UUCP NODE IN YOUR REGION
                ==============================================

                       By: James Goldbloom  (1:109/611)
                           Support System for INET



TO ALL INET USERS:

The following reply was made to Paul Andries, a new user to INET who
had difficulty in locating a node in his region which routes UUCP
type Internet netmail.  This node is called the GATEWAY node.

Please read this entire document to get a better sense of what to
do to find the node, how to set Inet accordingly in dealing with
possible costs, and also what questions to attempt to ask to the
proper individuals in your region!

I hope you find this document very useful if you can't find a UUCP
node in your net region as of yet.  If you did not, netmail me
with instructions on future notes and suggestions you think I
should include?  You will be credited in future documents like this!

Read on, kind user...


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In a Message to James Goldbloom <01-21-95 21:38> Paul Andries Wrote:

PA->           In order to fully test and use your software, I need a UUCP
PA-> Gateway Address. My Hub is also the Echo Mail Co-ordinator for our
PA-> area. Everyone POLLS him and exports their mail to him. I mentioned
PA-> your software and I was setting it up, he was unable to give me a
PA-> UUCP Gateway address. So this leaves me as a sitting duck unable to
PA-> test the software.

Thanks for writing, Paul.  Here is some advice on seeking out a gateway:

In the unlikely but possible occurence your own HUB does not know what
UUCP is, where it is, or who it is... <smile>...

Send mail to node "0" in your region, who most likely is the coordinator in
charge of your net (hopefully), and ask this question:

"What node number in this net region is the node which sends routed mail
to Internet via the UUCP gateway, so it's a local call for me?"

Or, look in your nodelist for any instance of "UUCP" for a flag for
any nodes which have it, in YOUR region.  Consult someone in your
area for software to do this (to search a nodelist, generate reports)
and you MAY be able to do this right in your mailer (send to 'UUCP' and
then after that try "Guucp" and lastly try "Postmaster" see what gets listed
if any...) If any of 'em are a local call, write 'em right away to get
permission to send to them, first!.  If you find one which works for you,
configure INET lines 4 and 6 accordingly, based on their node #, and
how the mail should be addressed to them.

In the next paragraph, when I say 'UUCP' I am also referring to the
possibilities of it being 'GUUCP' or 'POSTMASTER'...

You see the idea is to send to a node in your region which is a local
call, thus making the internet "free" to you and your users.  If there
really is none, you may of course use any UUCP node which is the gateway
for any region or net you pick at random (since they will most likely
be long distance calls) but must get permission first from Postmaster there
or whosever name is listed in the nodelist.  He or she will surely ask you to
ask the same type of question I asked you to, but usually you'll send to that
UUCP node via ROUTED mail from YOUR local hub. This may work, but it's damned
slow.  Using a random node is a last, last, last resort, and remember you
need permission first.  INET does handle netmail costs, in the event this is
what you have to do, but permission must be granted, and usually it will NOT
be - because your local coordinators may set up a UUCP gateway anyway if
enough users warranted it in your area.  THAT is your goal, to save costs!

Let me explain the 3 general types of routing schemes for Internet mail:

This is the routing you WANT, to save costs:

1.  User sends mail on your BBS - message marked crash.
2.  Inet calls a local UUCP (Guucp, Postmaster, whatever) node in your net
    region and sends it there.
3.  That node sends directly to Internet...

The next acceptable method (routed method via local hub):

1.  User sends mail on your BBS
2.  The message IS addressed to the UUCP (or whatever name) node anywhere
    but the messsage is NOT marked crash.  Important!
3.  You set up your mailer to route to your LOCAL HUB (it may be your
    backbone hub, but whichever hub you use which allows routing... ask.)
4.  The message goes to your local hub and it then sends to the UUCP
5.  The UUCP sends out to Internet

Least desirable method (involves costs):

1. User sends mail on your BBS
2. Message is marked as crash, addressed to any UUCP node, anywhere, which
   gives you permission to send to them.
3. Your mailer calls that system directly (long distance) and you charge
   your users accordingly and setup INET.CFG accordingly (MessageCost).

Ok, this summs up finding the gateway!  Enjoy, and don't be afraid to ask
people questions.  The mail *must* go through!

;-)

-James (1:109/611)
Support System for INET, The Internet Connection

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Please do not hesitate to write me, James Goldbloom, at 1:109/611 anytime
in order to answer questions about configuration of INET, or
configuration of your mailer (if I can possibly help) to handle routing.
The author is also readily available to handle questions and answers.  Send
netmail to Mark Williamson, 1:202/750 for help.

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Q:  Can I use LISTSERV commands with Inet?
A:  Absolutely!  Of course this depends on your UUCP host, but normally you
can use any LISTSERV, MAILSERV, etc. commands to download or subscribe to
newsletters or text files that are distributed through the Internet.

What is a LISTSERV? Well, a LISTSERV is a mailing list program designed to
copy and distribute electronic mail to everyone subscribed to a particular
mailing list.   You can use Inet to send messages to LISTSERV to subscribe
to newsletters or just to download a file via email.  I'm not going to go
into detail on this stuff here, I'll just let you do one and you will get
some real good information in the process!

Fire up Inet and send a message to LISTSERV@UA1VM.UA.EDU.  Leave the
subject line blank (Yes, Inet 1.6 allows a blank subject line).  Then, in
the body of your message, type in:

GET COPY NOTICE F=MAIL
GET NET INTRO F=MAIL

make sure this is the ONLY text in the message body.  Then, send the
message off.  In a couple of hours, you'll have a couple of long messages
waiting for you.

Here's another very neat thing you can try:

Load Inet again, type in 'inetlist@aug3.augsburg.edu' as the To: line.
Leave the subject blank, and just press return once in the message, save
it, and send it!  You'll get Yanoff's list of interesting Internet sites
around the world that you can grab information from by using Inet as your
guide!

One more before we go!  This one will give you the "Navigating the
Internet" workshop text.

Type in 'LISTSERV@UBVM.BITNET' as the To: line
leave the subject blank
Type in 'INDEX NAVIGATE F=MAIL' as the message body.

When the reply comes back, it will have a list of files you can get via
e-mail from LISTSERV@UBVM.BITNET on the NAVIGATE mail list.

As you should see here, UUCP hosts are much more than just person-to-person
email gates.  They offer just about all of the luxuries of full internet
connections without the cost!  Please be sure to check with your UUCP host
Administrator before overloading his system with mail.  It is a courtesy
issue, and one that will ensure your continued use of his system :)

VERY IMPORTANT:  TO USE THE ABOVE INTERNET COMMANDS VIA UUCP, YOU MUST
                 DISABLE ANY SIGNATURE TEXT THAT IS APPENDED TO THE
                 MESSAGE.  THE MESSAGE BODY CONTAINS COMMANDS FOR VARIOUS
                 PROGRAMS ON HOST SYSTEMS.  EXTRA GARBAGE COULD MESS THINGS
                 UP.

Have fun!

Best regards, Mark Williamson.

