[HamWAN PSDR] New to HAMWAN (NE Portland)

[Bart Kus]

This is likely the greatest failure in my early HamWAN design work: 
choosing to make the PtMP frequencies be Part 97 only.  The utility of 
the network suffers as a result of this decision.  I think we could have 
done a better job if HamWAN were run under ISM / UNII licensing, and 
were simply implemented and operated by hams.  Most (if not all) of the 
backbone runs ISM / UNII frequencies and can carry encrypted traffic, 
but the sectors can't since they're strictly in P97 spectrum.  Perhaps 
it's time to revisit that decision for a better future.

I would love to see a properly designed distributed communications 
system for HamWAN.  I have many design thoughts on this, but they're too 
long to share here.  It's all gated on developer time.

Blockchain should be completely compatible with Part 97 regulations, so 
it can run on HamWAN as well.  It doesn't use encryption, just 
cryptographic signatures / hashing, which is fine by the P97 rules. This 
is why IPsec(AH) is usable over P97 as well.

Given the ordering-a-pizza allowance in general for amateur radio, and 
given that blockchain is also fine, I can see how ordering a pizza 
through a HamWAN blockchain would be OK.

Would love to hear more details of what Kent thinks would work well over 
such a network.  We could definitely use some more software people 
participating in the project in general, and especially those with a 
security / cryptography / networking focus.

PS: Back when I was doing the original design work, https:// was still 
fine as long as your web server used a null cipher.  Support for this 
mode has since been removed from all browsers.  Sadness.  I have 
requested Chrome put it back, but to no avail.

PPS: We have had far better success with SSH.  MikroTik (our router 
vendor) did respond to our request to implement SSH with null cipher 
support, and you can now use a custom built ssh client 
<https://hamwan.org/Standards/Network%20Engineering/Authentication/SSH%20Without%20Encryption.html> 
to SSH into HamWAN routers while remaining P97 compliant and retaining 
most security benefits of SSH, aside from privacy.

--Bart


On 9/5/2018 9:47 AM, Carl wrote:
>
> Hello Kent,
>
> Please keep in mind, it is strictly prohibited (by Federal regulation) 
> to do any kind of business/commerce over amateur radio (which includes 
> HamWAN), and further, no encryption of any kind is permitted over 
> amateur radio.  For these reasons, you cannot utilize HamWAN for 
> commercial purposes, even in a disaster/emergency scenario.
>
> As to your location and getting HamWAN, the various sector locations 
> are clearly identified on the HamWAN website. I’m going to guess that 
> possibly Capitol Park (a few blocks north of Kaiser Permanente (Group 
> Health) might be your best possibility.
>
> As to a connection to your mother – you won’t get a direct line of 
> sight connection, however her house may permit connection to a HamWAN 
> sector (possibly Capitol Peak or BawFAW?). However, to have an 
> installation/connection there would of course require your mother to 
> hold an amateur radio license also.  Every HamWAN client dish must be 
> programmed with that operator’s amateur call sign, which is sent as 
> part of the data packets transmitted to comply with FCC ID requirements.
>
> As to “rural ham radio operators becoming the internet providers”, 
> again that can only be to other amateur operators, and that can only 
> be for amateur radio communications – no business, commerce, or 
> encryption. You can’t even connect to an https:// connection, just http://
>
> Carl, N7KUW
>
> *From:*PSDR [mailto:psdr-bounces at hamwan.org] *On Behalf Of *Kent Dahlgren
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 5, 2018 9:23 AM
> *To:* psdr at hamwan.org
> *Subject:* [HamWAN PSDR] New to HAMWAN (NE Portland)
>
> Hey, y'all.
>
> I just purchased the recommended "Mikrotik RouterBOARD Metal 5SHPn 
> wifi radio," and am seeking an antenna, but will likely be up and 
> running soon.
>
> I'm located at 66th and Sandy/Fremont area, and am interested in 
> running a couple of experiments:
>
>   * Set up a HAMWAN relay connection between here (my home) and where
>     my mom lives (Ryderwood, WA)
>
>   * Testing the mobile blockchain software my team created
>
> I'm currently CTO for a company called Bitnation, and we've created 
> (and continue to update) an Android/iOS app that provides 
> decentralized blockchain-based economic services over secure and 
> anonymous chat.
>
> I'm pretty interested in pursing real experience in getting this to 
> work over HAMWAN, to demonstrate that it would facilitate baseline 
> communication and commerce in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
>
> My goal is to help rural HAM radio people become the internet 
> providers, if that makes any sense.
>
> I've also invested in an AltheaMesh router, fyi.
>
> Kent
>
>
>
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