[HECnet] Use of Area 63 for Testing

[Paul Koning]

> On Apr 6, 2021, at 5:21 PM, Mark J. Blair <nf6x at nf6x.net> wrote:
> 
> Thanks, that is interesting and good to know. Ok, I should probably just use node numbers in my own amply sized allocation within area 2. I'll think of some node names to request for them. If a collision occurs later because of 2 people running unchanged simulation instances on subnets with live HECnet connections, that should limit the damage to just those individuals and anybody trying to connect to them, right?
> 
> -- 
> Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
> https://www.nf6x.net/

If I understand right...

Given that you have an area number assigned to you, if people connect nodes in that area and get node number conflicts, that won't bother anyone outside the area unless they try to connect to that address.  If they do, they'll probably reach one of those two and the connection may work, while the other is essentially invisible.  Or if you're unlucky, the packets will be spread to the two and no connection to that address works.  But other nodes in the area will be ok.

The main thing is to connect nodes you're not sure about via an L1 router, NOT an L2 (area) router.  That way, if they misbehave, it can't spread over the L2 backbone.

	paul