HECnet connection error from RSX-11M-PLUS node - HECnet

13 Feb 2023

Hi,

I'm attempting to connect to the area 29 node and Keith Halewood has very helpfully
set me up with a listener.

I've been getting a strange error on the Multinet link and updated to the latest BQ-IP
from December 2022 before posting this. I continue to have the same problem after the
update.

My IP stack is fine - I can ping and get the NTPDATE time and I can access my RSX11M
system via Telnet.

The Node has the right area and number and I can access it from the other node using RMT.

However when I try to bring up the link to HECNet I keep getting this error repeating:

...
 NCP SET CIR IP-0-0 STA ON 14:29:03  COT -- Date
is 13-FEB-2023
14:29:03  MLTNET V1.27  starting.
...

 14:29:05  MLTNET - IP-0-0 XMIT fail. IOSB=-3
14:29:10  MLTNET - IP-0-0 XMIT fail. IOSB=-3

I can see the traffic leaving on my DSL router to the Area 29 router and the replies
coming back. So I am bit mystified. I think IOSB error -3 is IE.DNR - Device not ready?

Node details:
...
 NCP SHO KNO NOD 
Known nodes summary as of 13-FEB-2023 14:32:39

Executor node = 29.850 (CLIONA)

   State = On, Identification = CLIONA RSX11M+ V4.6

Remote                       Active                      Next
Node            State        Links   Delay  Circuit      Node

29.1 (A29RT1)   Unreachable
29.2 (A29RT2)   Unreachable
29.852 (SADHBH) Reachable                   UNA-0        29.852 (SADHBH)

Below is recent correspondence - I will post it hear as it may be helpful:

Hi

It’s set up as a “Level 2 router” – perhaps that is the problem? I’ve looped in Johnny in
case he has an idea where the problem may be?

Regards
Peter

...
 ;
=====================================================================
;  DEC - Section  1 - Define the target and remote nodes
; =====================================================================
;
; Generating node 29.850 (CLIONA), Id = CLIONA RSX11M+ V4.6
; Node type is level 2 router
; Highest node number in network is 1023
; Highest area number in the network is 63
; Network command terminal and layered product support will be included
; The MACRO-11 and FORTRAN/COBOL/BASIC+2 user libraries will be supplied
;
; The remote node names are:
;      29.852  (SADHBH)
;      29.2    (A29RT2)
;      29.1    (A29RT1)
;
; <EOS>  Do you want to:
*        <RET>-Continue, S-Skip, R-Repeat section, P-Pause, E-Exit [S]:
;
; 
From: Keith Halewood &lt;Keith.Halewood(a)pitbulluk.org&gt; 

The only thing I can think of is DECnet with more than 1 interface needs to be an L1
router and not an endnode. Other than that, I’m not at all familiar with RSX and Johnny’s
IP stack.

From: Peter Whisker [mailto:peter@whisker.org.uk] 
I'm getting IOSB error -3 which I think may be IE.DNR Device not ready. I can see the
IP traffic going out and back on the interfaces both sides of my router. I need to check
if I've missed some DECnet configuration.

On Mon, 13 Feb 2023, 10:39 Keith Halewood, &lt;Keith.Halewood(a)pitbulluk.org&gt; wrote:

I can see your connection attempts. The DECnet router 29.2 is reporting ‘unexpected packet
type’, adjacent node 29.850, packet header 01 29.850