messages are posted and responded to in the usual way with C-NET, without
the user having to know what system to send it to, or execute a separate P-
file, or any other difficult (or awkward) commands.
19.2 NETWORK MAPPING
Using a mapping routine similar to several IBM-style network systems, Multi-
Net uses a multiple-branching system of mapping messages throughout its
network. Below is a sample of what a typical map might look like. In this
map, keep in mind that the system titled ‘YOUR’ can be your BBS system.
LAND ---------- APLO ------------ROSE
! !
INFO YOUR
!
STBD
Now, it might seem that it would be impossible to get a message quickly
from the system labeled ‘INFO’ to the one labeled ‘STBD’. In fact, it is
very simple for Multi-Net to so this, and takes no more time for it to
figure out how to get it to there, as it does to get from ‘INFO’ to ‘LAND’.
This brief example is merely a reference to show you what a map MIGHT look
like if you were to draw one out. It can be as complicated or as simple as
you would like it to be.
It is also economical to use, as messages only go to those systems who
either the message is intended, or is in the routing of each message. Take
again the example of ‘INFO’ to ‘STBD’. The message would never be sent to
‘ROSE’, as it is not in the shortest path to ‘STBD’, yet, if it were to go
from ‘INFO’ to ‘LAND’, it would go no further than those two systems. In
this way, Multi-Net is able to keep the cost of sending messages to a
minimum.
19.3 NETWORK SECURITY
Great care has been taken to discourage a hacker from breaking into your
computer through the network. Using special characters to indicate a Multi-
Net call, passwords, and close-tolerant timing, it is difficult to say the
least to ‘hack’ your way into the Multi-Net network.
19.4 COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED
Are there any complicated steps to using Multi-Net?
No, as we mentioned, almost all the guesswork has been taken care of in the
network. In this way, you (the Sysop) can enjoy the network as much as
your users can by spending more time in your message bases, rather than
wondering what went wrong.
Is it possible for the network to ‘hang’ when calling?
We have taken as many precautions as possible to prevent this from
happening, however, it would be impractical (and nearly impossible) to
prevent it from EVER happening. It is unlikely that the network would,
under most conditions, ‘hang’ with the modem connected. The receiver would
eventually ‘time-out’ and would break the connection should the sending
system hang. In the event that the receiver be the one to ‘crash’, the
sender would run out of time waiting for the receiver to figure out it was
being called.