Gating Criteria
The following is the basic criteria for what an IGate gates to/from RF.
Gate all packets heard on RF to the Internet EXCEPT
- 3rd-party packets (data type } ).
3rd-party packets should have all before and including the data type stripped
and then the packet should be processed again starting with step 1 again.
- generic queries (data type ? ).
- packets with TCPIP, TCPXX, NOGATE, or RFONLY in the header (last 2 are
optional).
Gate message packets and associated posits to RF if
- the receiving station has been heard within range within a predefined time
period (range defined as digi hops, distance, or both).
- the sending station has not been heard via RF within a predefined time period
(packets gated from the Internet by other stations are excluded from this test).
- the sending station does not have TCPXX, NOGATE, or RFONLY in the header.
- the receiving station has not been heard via the Internet within a predefined time
period.
A station is said to be heard via the Internet if packets from the station
contain TCPIP* or TCPXX* in the header or if gated (3rd-party) packets are seen
on RF gated by the station and containing TCPIP or TCPXX in the 3rd-party header
(in other words, the station is seen on RF as being an IGate).
Gate all packets to RF based on criteria set by the sysop (such as callsign,
object name, etc.).
Paths
IGates should not modify paths of packets gated to APRS-IS except to append
,qAR,IGATECALL (IGATECALL = the callsign-SSID of the IGate). Packets
containing TCPIP or TCPXX in the header or 3rd-party header should not be gated
to APRS-IS.
IGates must use the 3rd-party format on RF of
IGATECALL>APRS,GATEPATH}FROMCALL>TOCALL,TCPIP,IGATECALL*:original packet data
where GATEPATH is the path that the gated packet is to follow on RF. This format
will allow IGates to prevent gating the packet back to APRS-IS.
q constructs should never appear on RF.
The I construct should never appear on RF.
Except for within gated packets, TCPIP and TCPXX should not be used on RF.