> > >1. Use a VPN network with multiple (failover) servers to connect to, > >linked together, geographically spread out. This enables us to > >create a private network on top of the internet or any other network > >medium that can encapsulate the VPN. We think about using OpenVPN. > > The problem I have with a VPN or any form of tunneling where you have > to connect to a fixed point first (as opposed to encapsulating > packets as needed on specific links) is that you can easily end up > with sub optimal routing (especially for those of us far from the > core of the network). The setup time for OpenVPN is quite lengthy > (in the order of 30 seconds in my experience), so to bring it up > dynamically on a point to point basis would be rather slow. > > We were more thinking about opening up a link to the VPN on startup and keeping it open. You are thus always connected to the virtual network even if you do not send any data. Its as if there is a big switch in the middle of the world and every repeater has a connection to it.
And we would like to see multiple vpn servers, that are interlinked to eachter. so multiple big switches linked to eachother. preferably on 100mbit (or higher) links and not on dsl/cable stuff (the repeaters can use these ofcourse). But I have been reading up on Johns ideas and it seems you do not even need IP to do DV and well this might only be usefull for DD then if you like to have a big network where everybody can talk to everybody over DD's TCP/IP. However, you could also replace the ipv4 in DD by public ipv6'es and have the same effect. Or just use DD only for a local network with an internet gateway and just use any subnet you like like you would on your home lan (DD NAT). I have not used DD before since well, the investment, so i have no idea how it works. We have a problem here with the 10.x subnet because our wifi wan uses 10.98 and this could conflict with the dstar stuff. we currently run an ethernet vpn over the 10.98 network which in turn has the 10.x dstar network. in the end all the repeaters can see eachother on 10.0.0.2 10.0.0.3 .4 .5 .6 etc but they still talk to eachother via the external ip address. (i think we have missed something here about repeater zoning) Anyway, using a VPN and IP addresses for DV looks like overhead. Maybe a system based on the workings of IRLP or Echolink would be a better approach... 73s Robbie ON4SAX
