NF/ Observatory Networking with Linux

The WNMU Node is NFO's connection to the Internet. The eth0 interface is an NE2000 card connected to Western New Mexico University's system. The eth1 interface is the Wavelan card that talks to both the Pinos Altos Node and to the David's Basement Node. Wavelan works very well over the one mile path to David's Basement. The WNMU Node is unique in that it must act as the proxy server for the computers not directly connected to WNMU's system. Check the arp settings in the following rc.local file:

#! /bin/sh
echo "setting ttyS2 to irq 5"
/bin/setserial /dev/ttyS2 irq 5
echo "sending commands to TNC"
sleep 1
/bin/stty 9600 clocal < /dev/cua2
/bin/echo -ne "\300\001\025\300" > /dev/cua2
/bin/echo -ne "\300\002\377\300" > /dev/cua2
/bin/echo -ne "\300\003\004\300" > /dev/cua2
/bin/echo -ne "\300\004\004\300" %gt; /dev/cua2
/bin/echo "Commands to TNC done..."
#echo "setting /dev/ttyS3 to irq 11"
#/bin/setserial /dev/ttyS3 irq 11
/sbin/ifconfig eth0 192.136.110.153
/sbin/ifconfig eth1 192.136.110.153
echo "Starting WWW Server"
/etc/httpd
echo "Attaching AX25 link to Radio Port"
/sbin/axattach -s 9600 /dev/ttyS2 KC5ZG-1
sleep 1
/sbin/ifconfig sl0 192.136.110.153
/sbin/ifconfig sl0 mtu 512
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.158\
        gw 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.159\
        gw 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.170\
        gw 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.152\
        gw 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.128 eth0
/sbin/route -n add default gw 192.136.110.128 eth0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.3 eth0
/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.130 sl0
/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.136 sl0
/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.151 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.151 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.154 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 198.59.153.200 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 198.59.153.205 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.152\
        gw 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.150 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.155 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.156 gw 44.30.2.130\
        sl0
/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.145 gw 44.30.2.130 sl0
echo "Clearing stale file locks"
rm /etc/mtab~
rm /nos/spool/mail/*.lck
rm /nos/spool/mqueue/*.lck
rm /nos/spool/*.lck
echo "Publishing wnmu arp entries"
/sbin/arp -s 198.59.153.200 00:c0:df:46:b1:b6 pub
/sbin/arp -s 198.59.153.205 00:c0:df:46:b1:b6 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.150 00:c0:df:46:b1:b6 pub

The ham radio equipment for this node is similar to that used at the NF/ Ranch Node with the exception the the transceiver which is a TEKK data radio. In its spare time www.wnmu.edu also acts as the web server for the University and NFO.

This node is located in the basement of a Victorian mansion in downtown Silver City. It is the mail server for the observatory and connects the Wavlan part of the network to a coaxial cable Ethernet that is the LAN for the computers we use for teaching an advanced astronomy class. These computers are located near the astro mansion. The data reduction computer is also on the Ethernet LAN and is in a house around the corner from the astro mansion. rc.local looks like this:

#! /bin/sh
/sbin/ifconfig eth1 192.136.110.150
echo "Adding routes"
#/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.147 sl0
#/sbin/route -n add 44.30.2.146 gw 44.30.2.147 sl0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.153 eth1
/sbin/route -n add default gw 192.136.110.153 eth1
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.152 eth0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.158 eth0
/sbin/route -n add 192.136.110.159 eth0
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.152 00:40:95:26:76:fb
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.158 00:40:95:26:77:ab
echo "Publishing wnmu arp entries"
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.1 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.3 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.4 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.5 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.6 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.150 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.156 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.151 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.154 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.153 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/arp -s 192.136.110.7 00:40:95:14:ea:41 pub
/sbin/route add 198.59.153.200 gw 192.136.110.153\
        eth1
/sbin/route add 198.59.153.205 gw 192.136.110.153\
        eth1

How the NF/Observatory Got Its Name

I Hope I've provided enough detail in this article to help others set up their own wide area network. Some of the ham radio information will be useful only to licensed amateur radio operators, but the Spread Spectrum devices are available to everyone.