So could you show the simh ini file for the failed instance?
Johnny
On 2025-09-07 05:18, Brian Roth wrote:
> OK. I cannot figure why but for some reason, if I build the nodes on
> working Pi's and then transfer the files over to the Pi's with the non-
> working nodes, they communicate. And vice-versa, non-working nodes stay
> non-working on the good Pi's. They are all updated, using 4.x version of
> simh, same compilers etc. At least I have a work around.
>
> BTW Terry All of the NCP info was exactly the same. I did the
> calculations and verified the scssystemid in modparams, stripped the ini
> files to the bare minimum to no avail.
> Brian.
>
>
> On Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 05:58:01 PM EDT, Terri Kennedy <terri-
>
hecnet@glaver.org> wrote:
>
>
> [I mistakenly sent this reply to an address not subscribed to the list.]
>
> On 2025-09-06 16:30, Brian Roth wrote:
>
> > This is really kicking me. I have a rack with 5 Pi's in it. All are
> > going to the same switch. 2 of them have 4 simh instances each that are
> > working fine (DECNET). TCP-IP is working fine on all of them. They are
> > all wired. On the Pi thats running SCOOBY I created a 11/780 running
> > VMS 5.5. It does not communicate as well even though it says circuitup
> > (same problem as SCOOBY) OK, I created another instance on an entirely
> > different Pi with the same results. I have changed around the assigned
> > MAC address's in the simh ini files, swapped switch ports. Running out
> > of idea's here. I have Wireshark on one of the Pi's but have no
> > experience using it. Guess I better learn.
>
> Remember, DECnet (assuming Phase IV) is going to change the MAC address
> to one derived from the assigned DECnet address. The DECnet address
> should also match SCSSYSTEMID, although I believe it will complain if
> they don't.
>
> Unique MAC addresses in the SIMH config prevent multiple nodes from
> clashing with each other before DECnet starts, as well as confusing the
> switche(s) that the nodes are connected to.
>
> > On Friday, September 5, 2025 at 02:10:04 PM EDT, Johnny Billquist
> > <
bqt@softjar.se <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>> wrote:
> >
> > I would probably guess at a problem with the actual MAC address usedby
> > that MicroVMS system, but it's pretty hard to troubleshoot this
> > remotely.
> >
> > But it's very clear that all the other nodes are not seeing 31.282 as
> > up, and so any communication will be failing.
> >
> > Other possible problems could be if the connection to the outside
> > network is actually configured differently on this instance than the
> > others, for example.
> >
> > Trying to think of other possible problems it could be. Maybe posting
> > the simh config for the failing machine, as well as for one working,
> > could be helpful.
> >
> > Johnny
> >
> > On 2025-09-05 20:04, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> >> I've seen issues sometimes, but I don't know the full extent of what
> >> the
> >> exact results might be.
> >>
> >> But don't matter. Now we know they are all simh instances.
> >>
> >> Johnny
> >>
> >> On 2025-09-05 19:57, Paul Koning wrote:
> >>> I thought SQE failure is only a warning and would not stop the device
> >>> from working.
> >>>
> >>> pul
> >>>
> >>>> On Sep 5, 2025, at 1:27 PM, Johnny Billquist <
bqt@softjar.se > <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>>wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> That's one possibility. Another if he's running on some kind of
> >>>> emulator on a system that don't actually allow programmatic change
> >>>> of
> >>>> the MAC address, and you need to set the MAC correctly in the
> >>>> emulator before starting up. And if it is real hardware, is it
> >>>> connected to some switch then?10baseT? Does he have an adapter that
> >>>> can do SQE?
> >>>>
> >>>> There are many possible ways things could not work. What we can see
> >>>> isjust that incoming broadcast/multicast packets work, but so far
> >>>> nothing else.
> >>>>
> >>>> Johnny
> >>>>
> >>>> On 2025-09-05 19:22, Paul Koning wrote:
> >>>>> Is it WiFi? That doesn't work with DECnet MAC addresses (it
> >>>>> doesn't
> >>>>> like it when the NIC changes its address to aa-00-04-00-xx-yy).
> >>>>> paul
> >>>>>> On Sep 5, 2025, at 1:14 PM, Johnny Billquist <
bqt@softjar.se > <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>>
> >>>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Well, GEEZER (31.278) is not seeing 31.282 as up. So that's why
> >>>>>> you
> >>>>>> have a problem. This usually means that packets are working in one
> >>>>>> direction, but not the other.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Was this a real machine? How have you connected it to the rest of
> >>>>>> the network?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Johnny
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On 2025-09-05 18:45, Brian Roth wrote:
> >>>>>>> The address is 31.282. No File access, Phone or NCP Tell to other
> >>>>>>> nodes but it is still able to go out and find a router. It
> >>>>>>> (31.282) can phone itself and set host but other nodes it just
> >>>>>>> hangs. If I phone anothernode it will just sit at "Establishing
> >>>>>>> Decnet Link and then error to "Node is not reachable.
> >>>>>>> Brian.
> >>>>>>> On Friday, September 5, 2025 at 12:38:11 PM EDT, Johnny Billquist
> >>>>>>> <
bqt@softjar.se <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>
> <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>> wrote:
> >>>>>>> No. Qbus ethernet or Unibus ethernet makes no difference here.
> >>>>>>> Does anything else work? NCP to other nodes? Phone? File access?
> >>>>>>> What's the address of that microvax?
> >>>>>>> Johnny
> >>>>>>> On 2025-09-05 17:59, Brian Roth wrote:
> >>>>>>>> Hello, I currently have 8 simh vax machines on Hecnet all
> >>>>>>>> working
> >>>>>>>> fine.
> >>>>>>>> Its a mix of machines running VMS 3.5 to 7.3 and while some were
> >>>>>>>> abit
> >>>>>>>> of a challenge they all talk. I recently configured a Microvax
> >>>>>>>> II
> >>>>>>>> with
> >>>>>>>> MicroVMS 4.6 as well as Decnet 4.6 and assigned it to my area
> >>>>>>>> 31.
> >>>>>>>> The
> >>>>>>>> network loads without errors and I am able to SET HOST to itself
> >>>>>>>> butto
> >>>>>>>> no other nodes in my area or vice versa. SHOW KNOWN CIRCUITS
> >>>>>>>> showsthe
> >>>>>>>> hosts I manually defined. SHOW KNOWN CIRCUITS CHARACTERISTICS
> >>>>>>>> showsa
> >>>>>>>> designated router in my area so its finding that. If I bring a
> >>>>>>>> router
> >>>>>>>> node down it successfully finds another in the area.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> The microvax node:
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Known Circuit Volatile Characteristics as of 5-SEP-1987
> >>>>>>>> 11:37:16
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Circuit = QNA-0
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> State = on
> >>>>>>>> Service = disabled
> >>>>>>>> Designated router = 31.278
> >>>>>>>> Cost =4
> >>>>>>>> Router priority =64
> >>>>>>>> Hello timer = 15
> >>>>>>>> Type = Ethernet
> >>>>>>>> Adjacent node =31.278
> >>>>>>>> Listen timer = 45
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> The working nodes match with the exception of the circuit. All
> >>>>>>>> theother
> >>>>>>>> machines are UNA-0 (UNIBUS) and this one is of course QNA-0
> >>>>>>>> Couldthis
> >>>>>>>> be the problem?
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> Brian.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>>>> --
> >>>>>>> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> >>>>>>> || on a psychedelic trip
> >>>>>>> email:bqt@softjar.se
> >>>>>>> <mailto:bqt@softjar.se><mailto:bqt@softjar.se
> >>>>>>> <mailto:bqt@softjar.se>> || Reading murder books
> >>>>>>> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B.
> >>>>>>> Idol
> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> >>>>>> || on a psychedelic trip
> >>>>>> email:
bqt@softjar.se <mailto:bqt@softjar.se> ||
> Reading murder books
> >>>>>> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
> >>>>>>
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> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> >>>> || on a psychedelic trip
> >>>> email:
bqt@softjar.se <mailto:bqt@softjar.se> ||
> Reading murder books
> >>>> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
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> >>
> >
> > --
> > Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> > || on a psychedelic trip
> > email:
bqt@softjar.se <mailto:bqt@softjar.se> || Reading
> murder books
> > pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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