            Using the Wisconsin Network - Part 36
                 by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN

     In our last installment of this series, we started a
discussion of Amateur Radio-to-Internet Gateways.
Non-interactive gateways (used for mail forwarding and to
complete the network) are largely "invisible" to you. So we
will devote our time to the discussion of using interactive
gateways. These packet radio stations can perform most, if
not all, of the following functions:

1) Handling Internet E-Mail (Outgoing and Incoming).
2) Provide access to other Amateur Gateways. 
3) Allow connections to Internet sites of Amateur Interest.
4) Provide local node service.
5) Provide access to Amateur "Converse Servers" (more on 
   that later).
6) Provide access to a few Amateur-interest "mailing lists".
7) Make dedicated node circuits available to other packet
   operators in other parts of the country.

     By far the most popular use of a gateway is for Internet
Electronic Mail. You could use a gateway to E-Mail anybody who
has an internet E-Mail address. Of course, there are some
limitations as to who you can E-Mail because we are using
Amateur Radio. Legality, privacy, and other message content are
important considerations here.

     That being said, how do you do it? Surprisingly enough,
there is not to much difference between gateway E-Mail
messaging and "regular" packet messaging. The procedure is the
same as using any BBS, in fact, you are greeted with a
BBS-style prompt when you log-in. Consider the prompt you get
when logging into the KB9BYQ gateway in Appleton:

CALL,BBS,WX,CONV,ATH,1200,NODE,NWS,IND,SIMI,ZED,MI,FLJ,BYP,OEQ,
KARL,BGATE,SYSOP,CAN,TEXAS,GRB4,A,B,C,CO,D,E,FI,G,H,I,J,KM,L,M,N,
O,P,PI,PO,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z,?>

     While this seems to be quite a lengthy prompt, some of it
will look familiar. Notice the K, KM, L, R and S in there. They
do the same thing as on any other mailbox or BBS. While the 
Appleton gateway does not support mail into the packet BBS system,
some other gateways also provide this service.

     The procedure for sending Internet E-Mail is the same as
you are used to, assuming you have used a packet mailbox or BBS
of some sort. Assume you want to send a message to your friend,
who has an E-Mail address of bigbob@aol.com. After you get the
prompt, type:

s bigbob@aol.com

You will get a return prompt of:

Subject:

As usual, you will type in a subject, and press the Enter key.
The next prompt says:

Enter Message (^A Aborts, end with ^Z or /EX on a new line):

Then, you type your message. When you are through, press the
Enter key and send the key combination Control and Z, or send
 /EX to close the message. The gateway will respond with:

Message forwarding to bigbob@aol.com

and return the BBS-style prompt.

     Reading mail is exactly the same as you normally do - R 1
will let you read your message #1 on the computer. KM will kill
all of your messages, and K (followed by the message number)
will kill a selected message. 

     While this is simple enough to do, there are a couple of
things you need to be aware of before you send off your first
message. 

1) Internet E-Mail addresses are case-sensitive. You cannot
   expect to leave your "Caps-Lock" on and have an address
   interpreted correctly. BIGBOB@AOL.COM is not the same as 
   bigbob@aol.com, nor is it the same as bigbob@AOL.com.

2) While we are on the subject, it is not considered good
   etiquette to type your message out entirely in upper-case.
   Internet-savvy folks refer to this as "Shouting".

3) What's legal? In general, you follow the same rules
   regarding voice radio operation. While the FCC does permit
   us to carry on a limited amount of business over the air, it
   does not allow us to run a business over the air. It is best
   to be safe with this. Do not make any business inquiries via
   E-Mail and make certain the language in any message (sent or
   received) is within the limits of Part 97.

4) What's permitted? The gateway operator becomes the "first
   forwarder" of any traffic you may receive. Because of the
   his license is on the line, he sets any restrictions on 
   it's use. Consult the gateway Sysop about his usage policy.

5) Disconnect if you start to receive an inappropriate message.
   Reconnect to the gateway, list the message, and kill it. If
   it is unwanted E-Mail from a commercial promoter ("SPAM"),
   notify the gateway Sysop. If the offending mail is from an
   acquaintance, perhaps a phone call to him or her is in order.

6) Incorrect addressing will result in an error message
   appearing the next time you log in to the gateway. If you
   get one of these, simply kill off this message, along with
   the original "bounced" message. Re-check your addressing,
   and try sending the message again.

That's all for this time. In the next installment, we'll
discover more things you can do with a gateway. Until then, 73
from Andy.
