Jump to content

FidoNet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 213.87.9.71 (talk) at 08:25, 23 January 2003 (more technical details). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Fidonet is an inter-connecting file and message transport system used by BBS's before the explosion of the Internet.

The Fidonet is (usually) a dialup-based system, where the nodes connect to each other and exchange files according to a set protocol. Since the connections are using the same phonelines that are used for the normal users of the BBS, the fidonet transfers only happen at special times of the day.

Today Fidonet supports it's own standarts for netmail (much the same way as internet mail), echomail (usenet-like news) and file transfers. Recent standarts describe ways of transferring Fidonet messages and files by TCP/IP so it's possible to run Fidonet over Internet.

Fidonet echomail conferences are reflected in usenet news hierarchy and there are mail gates for exfchanging messages between internet and Fidonet.

Fidonet is operated by computer amateurs (many of them also hackers and radio amateur) and is free.

Fidonet is a tree structure, with fully automated software suites as nodes and additional end users' software at leaves.

Typical software suite includes a mailer (a program that handles physical transfer of files and messages between systems), tosser (which packages messages to be transfered, performs basic routing sometimes acting as a compatability layer for end user's software) and some other misc utilities.

End user's software includes a (message) reader in addition to the list above.


In recent past Fidonet was particularly popular in Russia


  • [1] a web page about fidonet.'
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=FidoNet&oldid=610832"