Synchronet QWK Packet Networking
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's start with some basic definitions. A QWK netted BBS is either a node,
a hub, or both. A node is a BBS that calls another QWK net hub to transfer
packets (receiving QWK and sending REP). A hub is a system that receives calls
from other nodes and transfers packets (sending QWK and receiving REP).

Configuring Your BBS as a QWK Node
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the SCFG program, you'll need to specifiy your system's tagline (usually
the system name and phone number), the hubs to call, when to call, what node
will do the calling, and which sub-boards to carry for each hub (a sub-board
can send and receive messages from more than one hub!).

The hub's System ID is important and must match the System ID of the hub BBS.
For each hub, you can specifiy a list of sub-boards to network. For each
sub-board, you must also set the conference number for the sub-board on the
hub BBS. In Synchronet, conference numbers are based on the Group/Sub-board
relationship. Group 1 / Sub 1 is conference number 101, Group 2 / Sub 3 is
conference 203, etc. (Note: this is NOT the conference number for the sub-board
on your BBS. It is the conference number on the hub BBS.) Also, for each
sub-board you must set the method of Ctrl-A code handling. If the hub system is
a Synchronet BBS, you'll want to leave Ctrl-A codes in. If it is not, you'll
probably want to strip them.

You'll need to decide which node will do the calling-out and configure it so.
You'll also need to decide if you want your BBS to call-out multiple times
per day at any given time based on a total number of calls per day (usually,
if all your hubs are local) or if you wish the BBS to call-out at a specific
time every day (usually if one or more hubs are long distance).

You also need to set the command line to execute to perform the call-out. This
is almost always a batch file. An example is:
%!qnet

Which will execute QNET from the EXEC directory. QNET, in this example, is a
batch file that executes Telix or another communications program to perform
the call-out (Robocomm is quite popular for calling PCBoard and Wildcat BBSs,
but its script interpreter is far inferior to Telix). Both Robocomm
(SBBSQNET.RS), Telix (SBBSQNET.SLT and QNET.SLT), and  Qmodem (SBBSQNET.SCR)
scripts come with SBBS. If you're not calling a PCBoard or Wildcat hub, we
strongly suggest you use the Telix or Qmodem scripts for call-outs.

Note: The above mentioned scripts are distributed in the EXEC directory.

The above mentioned QNET.BAT is as follows:

@echo off
cd \telix
telix sqnet q

This changes directory to the \TELIX directory and execute Telix, automatically
performing the script QNET.SLC (compiled QNET.SLT) which inturn calls
SBBSQNET.SLC (compiled SBBSQNET.SLT) for each hub to call. The 'q' parameter
runs Telix in "quiet mode".

If you do use Telix to perform your call-outs, you'll need to edit the QNET.SLT
file for all the hubs your system calls and then compile it using the CS.EXE
program included with Telix. You shouldn't need to edit the SBBSQNET.SLT file.

Before having your BBS perform that call-out to a QWK network hub, you must
have the sysop of the hub create an account for your system using your system's
QWK BBS ID as the login name. If the hub is a Synchronet BBS, the sysop will
need to give your account the 'Q' restriction, configure your account's new
message scan to only include the sub-boards you are going to network, and set
your new message scan pointers for the netted sub-boards to a relatively recent
date. The 'L' and 'T' exemptions are also helpful on a QWK network node
account.


Configuring Your BBS as a QWK Network Hub
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being a QWK network hub, just means that other QWK network compatible systems
are going to logon to your system and upload and download messages. All you
have to do is create a user account for each QWK network node that is going
to call your system. The user name/alias should be the QWK system ID of the
node BBS. The account needs to have the 'Q' restriction.

The 'Q' restriction is used only for QWK network node accounts. An account
with this restriction will receive the QWK: prompt immediately upon logon
and can't access any other facility of the BBS. This restriction also allows
that account to send messages that are from other users as well as receive
private posts that are to other users.

In addition to the 'Q' restriction, the 'L' (logons per day) and 'T' (time
per day) exemptions may be helpful, depending on how many times the node will
call your system a day and the time per call/day and logons per day allowed by
the ML you've given the account.

Before the QWK network node calls your system, you need to configure the
accounts new message scan to only include the sub-boards that you are
networking with it (&N main section command). If the account already has the
'Q' restriction, you can use the ;CHUSER command to change into that account
and edit its configuration. Also, keep in mind that new user accounts have
their new message scan pointers set to the beginning of time automatically.
If you do not set a QWK node account's pointers to a recent date/time (&P main
section command), the first time the node calls in and receives messages, it
will receive every message on every networked sub-board. This may be preferred
by some, but most sysops don't want a large group of old messages from a
foriegn BBS to suddenly appear on their sub-boards.

Be sure to give all node accounts sufficient access to read and write messages
on the sub-boards networked between the node and your BBS. The account will
also require the 'E' exemption if you wish elite text to be preserved in
messages (only available when ctrl-a codes are left in).

Step-by-step Instructions for DOVE-Net
======================================
(These instructions are for Synchronet v1b r1. With other versions, these
instruction may differ slightly.)

1.	Run SCFG (type SCFG from a NODE directory or hit 'C' at the Waiting For
	Call screen).

2.	Select "Message Base" and hit ENTER.

3.	Hit the END key to move the lightbar to the end of your group list.

4.	Hit the INS key to add a new message group.

5.	Enter "DOVE-Net" for both the long and short group names.

6.	Hit ENTER on the new "DOVE-Net" message group.

7.	Hit the END key to move the lightbar to the last option ("Message
	Sub-boards...") and hit ENTER.

8.	Hit the INS key to add a sub-board.

9.	Enter "General" for both the long and short names.

10.	Enter "DOVE-Net" for the QWK name.

11.	Enter "DOVE-GEN" for the internal code.

12.	Hit the END key to move the lightbar to the bottom of the sub-board
	listing.

13.	Repeat steps 8 through 12 for the following sub-boards:

	Long and Short Name		QWK Name	Internal Code
	-------------------------	----------	--------
	Advertisements			Ads		DOVE-ADS
	Entertainment			Entertain	DOVE-ENT
	Debate				Debate		DOVE-DEB
	Hardware/Software Help		Technical	DOVE-HLP
	Programming			Program'n       DOVE-PRG
	Synchronet Discussion		Synchronet	DOVE-SYN
	Synchronet Sysops Only		SBBS Sysop	DOVE-SYS

14.	Hit HOME then ENTER to edit the first sub-board in the list.

15.	Hit END then ENTER to edit the sub-boards Network Options.

16.	Hit 'Q' then ENTER to modify the "QWK Networked" option.

17.	Hit 'Y' then ENTER to change this option to "Yes".

18.	Hit ESC to move back to the sub-board config option menu.

19.	Hit the UP ARROW key then ENTER to modify the "Toggle Options".

20.	Hit ENTER, 'Y', then ENTER to set "Allow Private Posts" to "Yes".

21.	Hit END, ENTER, 'Y', then ENTER to set "Allow Message Quoting" to
	"Yes".

22.	Hit ESC three times till you're back at the "DOVE-Net Group" menu.

23.	Hit UP ARROW, ENTER, 'Y', then ENTER to clone the options of the first
	sub-board into the rest of the group.

24.	Hit ESC twice and answer "Yes" to the "Save Changes" menu.

25.	Hit UP ARROW to select "Networks" and hit ENTER.

26.	Hit ENTER to select "QWK Packet Networks".

27.	Hit DOWN ARROW, then ENTER to edit your "Default Tagline".

28.	Enter the name and phone number of your BBS.

29.	Hit UP ARROW, then ENTER to edit your "Network Hubs...".

30.	Hit INS to create a new hub entry.

31.	Enter the QWK System ID of the hub BBS. If you are using Vertrauen for
	your hub, enter "VERT".

32.	Now hit ENTER to edit the new hub. The window should look like this:

	Hub System ID		VERT (or whoever your hub is)
	Pack Command Line	%!pkzip %f %s
	Unpack Command Line	%!pkunzip -o %f %g %s
	Call-out Command Line	%!qnet
	Call-out Node		1
	Call-out Days		Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
	Call-out Time		00:00
	Networked Sub-boards...

33.	Hit END, then ENTER to edit the configured "Networked Sub-boards".

34.	Hit INS to add sub-board.

35.	Hit END, then ENTER to select the "DOVE-Net" group.

36.	Hit ENTER with the "General" sub-board highlighted.

37.	Enter "201" for the Conference Number on Hub.

38.	Select "Leave in" for the "Ctrl-A" menu.

39.	Hit END to move the lightbar to the bottom of the sub-board list.

40.	Repeat steps 34 through 39 for the following sub-boards:

	Name				Conference Number
	-------------------------	---
	General 			201
	Advertisements			202
	Entertainment			203
	Debate				204
	Hardware/Software Help		205
	Programming			206
	Synchronet Discussion		207
	Synchronet Sysops Only		208

41.	Hit ESC four times and answer "Yes" to the "Save Changes" menu.

42.	Hit ESC to go back to the main "Configure" menu.

43.	Hit UP ARROW and enter for the "System" menu.

44.	Move the lightbar down to "Message Option..." and hit ENTER.

45.	Set your "BBS ID for QWK Packets" to an abreviation of your BBS name
	(must start with an alphabetic character). Remember your QWK BBS ID;
	you'll need it later.

46.	Hit ESC twice and answer "Yes" to the "Save Changes" menu.

47.	Now hit ESC to exit SCFG.

48.	If you're not already at a DOS prompt, get to one (i.e C:\SBBS\NODE1>).

49.	If you haven't already installed TELIX, do so now.

50.	Copy the files QNET.SLT and SBBSQNET.SLC from your EXEC directory into
	your TELIX directory.

	Example:
			copy \sbbs\exec\qnet.slt \telix
			copy \sbbs\exec\sbbsqnet.slc \telix

51.	Change into your TELIX directory.

	Example:
			cd \telix

52.	Edit the QNET.SLT file.

	Example:
			edit qnet.slt

53.	Move down to the lines that start with "copystr". If you installed
	Synchronet into your C:\SBBS directory, leave these lines alone.
	Otherwise, change "C:\SBBS\DATA" into the drive and directory where
	you installed Synchronet with "\DATA" on the end (for both lines).

54.	Move down to the line that starts with "call".

55.	Change "VERT" and the phone number to match the BBS ID and phone number
	of the hub you are calling. If your hub is Vertrauen, leave "VERT" as
	is. If you are in the 714 area code, remove "1-714" from the phone
	number.

56.	Change "QWKID" into your system's QWK BBS ID.

57.	Change "password" into the password you wish to use on your hub BBS.

58.	Save the file and exit the editor.

59.	Compile the SALT script.

	Example:
		CS QNET

	If you do not get the message "CS done..." then you did something wrong
	when editing QNET.SLT. Copy it from the EXEC directory and start over
	at step 51.

60.	Call your hub system and let your hub system's sysop know what your
	BBS QWK ID and password are.

61.	If you installed TELIX in a directory other than "\TELIX" or on a
	different drive than than Synchronet, you will need to edit the
	QNET.BAT file in your EXEC directory to have it change drive and
	directory to the correct location of TELIX.

*** End of DOVE-Net Step-by-step instructions ***

To configure your call-outs using a terminal program other than Telix, you
may need to write your own scripts. Scripts for Telix, Qmodem, and Robocomm
are provided in the EXEC directory.

/* End of QWKNET.DOC */

