FidoNet: A Technical Overview of the 1984 Store-and-Forward Email WAN
By
BruceEel
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
This article provides a comprehensive technical overview of FidoNet, a point-to-point and store-and-forward email WAN developed in 1984 that uses modems on the direct-dial telephone network. It covers the technology's architecture, operational tools, usage patterns, and historical development. The author notes FidoNet has over 20,000 public nodes worldwide and has been ported from MS-DOS to various platforms including UNIX and Apple // systems, with gateways connecting to the Internet.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledFidoNet is a point-to-point and store-and-forward email WAN which uses modems on the direct-dial telephone network.
It was developed in 1984, and has over 20,000 public nodes worldwide.
Although originally based on MS-DOS hosts, it has been ported to environments ranging from UNIX to the Apple //.
There are gateways from FidoNet to the Internet, usually via
Article URL: https://www.fidonet.org/inet92_Randy_Bush.txt
Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48370291
Points: 21
# Comments: 7
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