BinkP Setup

How to join an Echomail network or netmail-peer with another BBS.

What you need

• Your node address assigned by the network coordinator
  (e.g. 21:1/199)
• The uplink's host, port, and session password
• A short list of echo areas you want to subscribe to
• A few free hours on a weekend

Step 1 — register the network

/admin/echomail/ → Add Network. Fields:

Optional but useful:

• CRAM-MD5 if your uplink supports it (most modern hubs do)
• TLS if the hub speaks BinkP-over-TLS

Step 2 — register echo areas

/admin/echomail/areas/ → Add Area. The tag must exactly match
the network's tag (BBS_SCENE, fsx_gen, etc.) — coordinator will
have a list.

Step 3 — first poll

/admin/echomail/poll/<network> runs an immediate BinkP session.
Watch the log for handshake success and "received N packets".
On the first poll you'll often get a big initial dump as the uplink
catches your node up.

Step 4 — automated polling

Sysop adds a cron entry (recommended every 30–60 minutes):

*/30 * * * * curl -fsS https://bbs.a-net.fyi/admin/echomail/poll/fsxnet

Or use the built-in scheduler under
/admin/echomail/schedule/.

Areafix

To subscribe to a new area without bothering the coordinator,
send a netmail to the AreaFix user at the uplink's address with
the body:

%PASSWORD yourareafixpw
+BBS_SCENE
+SYSOP_HELP

ANetBBS has an AreaFix processor for inbound areafix requests
on your own node too — useful if other BBSes peer off you.

TIC files

For BinkP-distributed file echoes, see TIC Processor.