
 Area: THE INNER CIRCLE     ! VIP HPAVC ! 
  Msg#: 288             Sent Local                   Date: 25 Jan 97  17:12:13
  From: Me!                                          Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: X.25

Quick Austpac Tutorial:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Righto - This has to be done. Since there is a disgraceful lack of knowledge
about X.25 networks, it's about time you lamers got off your arses and had a
good play with them. So here are a few details that will get you started:

--

To dial into Austpac dial 131400 (or 01924 if you have a slow modem or are
having trouble with the PAD!) Have your terminal set to 7N1. Once you have
connected, hit return a couple of times. If nothing happens type PROF 7

OK Now you are in what's called the PAD. This is a system for machines that
don't do their own packet work. PAD stands for Packet Assembler/Disassembler.
You see X.25 is a PACKET SWITCHED network like TCP/IP is. However it is
designed for general low throughput with only the occasional high data burst.
It
is commonly used for occasional data transmition and retrieval like EFTPOS and
shit (EFTPOS uses a network called Tran$cend which as far as I'm able to tell
is
part of Austpac!).

Right. Now on an X.25 network, the address of a computer system is called the
NUA (Network User Address). To connect up to one you simply state the address
(or alias), the port number (not usually necessary!) and your NUI (Network
User Identifier). Your NUI is what identifies you and allows Telescum to bill
you for connections and data transfered. However since we don't have an NUI we
are limited to systems that accept REVERSE CHARGE CALLS. Now there are actually
a lot of systems out there that do accept reverse charge and therefore you just
give the PAD the address and nothing else.

The first place you should call would be Keylink. Keylink is an ancient email
service provided by Telescum (which is now on the Internet as well!!) It uses
the X.400 protocol for mail across an X.25 network. Now what is important about
Keylink (appart from the fact that it accepts reverse charge calls!!) is that
there is an Austpac information service on it. Type .key1 at the PAD and type
AUSTPAC.NEWS at the USER? prompt and AUSTPAC at the PASSWORD? prompt. (It's
best
to turn your capture on now as you will realize for yourselves!!)

Some other NUA's are:

262652003          National Library Online Services
22955101503        Info One
222933000          VMS System
236022002          Enter USERID: (Not sure what OS it is maybe someone knows?)
236921001          "D+B READY...PLEASE ENTER APPLICATION NAME:"
235021001          Information Express
236620000          user name? AUSTPAC.NEWS password? AUSTPAC
235121001          VMS System
229222010          "U#=" (Some kind of prompt can't Identify the OS!)
229221016          "U#=" (Again!)
236030001          VMS System
224421000          Welcome to Cray Communications - Authorised Access Only
25242100007        Deakin University.
262452036          Austpac AARNET Gateway (Not sure if this is reverse Charge!)

Play around with these and let me know what you find. I've tested them all and
they are all active.

The Austpac <--> AARNET Gateway:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

You should all know what a gateway is! If not then a gateway allows one network
to connect to another (Sometimes using completely different protocols!)
The austpac AARNET gateway allows you to connect to Austpac from AARNET (ie the
Internet - Now Telescum's network - grrrr!)  or AARNET from Austpac.
In other words you could access Austpac from an Internet account - and yes
there
are uses for this - covering tracks and scanning NUA's since Austpac
disconnects you whenever you fuck up too much are just some uses! Also you can
access the Internet from Austpac. (And there are uses for this too since
Austpac
is available anywhere in OZ for the price of a local call!)

To access Austpac from AARNET:

telnet to austpac.aarnet.edu.au
login as austpac
Enter the NUA

I think some NUA's require a -r flag before the NUA to reverse charges but not
the ones listed above! Either that or it now automatically accepts reverse
charge calls when a NUI isn't entered - The same way the standard PAD works!

To access AARNET from Austpac:

I think this requires an NUI cause I don't think is accepts Reverse Charge :(

Dial up Austpac (131400 or 01924)
Enter PROF 7 if necessary (Do it anyway it dosn't hurt!)
Enter the NUA 262452036 (And I guess an NUI! -Grrr!)
Enter the Internet Host!

Austpac Error Codes:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Some of these might be out of date but I doubt it!

CLR DER           Link Unavailable
CLR DTE           Disconnected from NUA
CLR ERR           Syntax Error
CLR NC            Network Congestion or Fault
CLR RNA           Reverse Charge NOT accepted

Other X.25 Networks:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Since there are probably thousands of X.25 networks all over the world and the
fact that they are linked up, Networks need a DNIC (Data network Identifier
Code). Austpac's is 5052 and 5053 off the top of my head. To access an NUA on
another network you simply state the DNIC as well.

Trust me when I say the X.25 is BIG really BIG! Countries that haven't bloody
heard of the Internet use X.25 and X.25 has been around for donkeys years!!
Austpac it's self as set up in 1982 when TCP/IP was in nappies. (The first RFC
I've read about TCP/IP as we know it today was in 1980 and that was simply a
request for comments!)

The X.25 networks in Australia include:

Austpac (5052)
Austpac International (5053 - Austpac International was formerly called Midas)
Australian Teletex Network (5054)
Australian Private Networks (5057)
SprintNET (There are local numbers for each state and you are connected to
           SprintNET via OTC satalite to a PAD in the US. Formerly known as
           TELENET. There are HEAPS of DNIC's for SprintNET being probably the
           largest X.25 in the world as far as I know. There are DNIC's for
each
           state in the US and probably every country it extends to!)
Tymnet    (Tymnet is another US X.25 network available in OZ. Owned by British
           Telescum. Known as BT Tymnet. However I've heard that the US
           Telecommunications Company MCI has taken over British Telecom and
           thus Tymnet as well.)

I dunno if 5054 and 5057 are still Teletex and the privaate networks however.
As for other X.25's in oz well I'm POSITIVE there are small privately owned
ones. Not sure about other ones however. There are probably other's I don't
know about. If any body knows of any or discovers any, let me know!

--

Ok I hope you find this interesting, cause it took ages to type! Especially
since my back is so fucked!! :(

Have fun exploring! (Just be careful I believe that it is quite easy to trace
people on X.25's that are owned by Fone companies! However use your head and
you should be OK! Read The Cuckoo's Egg to find out about how they traced Hess
to Germany though Tymnet!)

Regards,

mE!

-!- FMail/386 1.20
 ! Origin: - Neural Hijack - NeuralNet WHQ - (397:100/1)
