Kantronics KPC–3 Plus User Manual page 129

Static Node
The default values for the K-Net node will cause every neighbor node that you hear to
be included in both the routes table and the nodes table (QUALITY = 255/70 and
MINQUAL = 70). Initially, this may be a bit of a problem since weak neighbor nodes and
their distant nodes may be saved in your nodes table. Try to connect to all the neighbor
nodes that are listed in the routes table. Be sure that you have set the number of
NETROUTE such that all neighbors will be included. Make note of which nodes respond
with a good signal and modify the routes table with the ADDROUTE command to set
and lock the quality of these nodes to a number higher than either value automatically
assigned by the QUALITY command for either port. For example, if the QUALITY
command is set to 255/70, and all good routes are locked at a quality of 115, setting
MINQUAL to 115 results in a static node that is only aware of the neighbor nodes that
you have "locked in". This node will never have any new neighbor nodes or distant
nodes automatically added to the nodes table. If distant nodes are to be listed in the
nodes table, they must be manually added to the nodes table using the ADDNODE
command, listing one of the existing neighbors as the route. Since distant nodes may
have multiple paths from your node, the preferred route and alternate route(s) to a
distant node can be specified with multiple ADDNODE commands. When connections
to these distant nodes are requested, your node will always use the locked route path(s)
in spite of changing band conditions.
Part of the responsibility of being a node sysop is maintenance. It's probably a good
idea to set MINQUAL equal to or less than QUALITY from time to time in order to see if
any new neighbor nodes appear in your routes table. If a good path to a new neighbor
shows up, lock the new node route with your "good" neighbor quality and then reset
MINQUAL to its previous value.
Dynamic Node
The default values for QUALITY and MINQUAL will allow all neighbor nodes that are
heard to be listed in the nodes table. This means that both good and marginal neighbors
will be listed in the nodes table. Of course, the nodes table will be larger than with the
static node settings, but the benefit obtained is that the node will know when new
neighbors appear and then automatically include them in the nodes table. Although
distant nodes that may have good routes from your node will not be listed, some sysops
feel that this is one method to control the propagation of marginal nodes. Another effect
of dynamic node settings is that users can take advantage of band openings that could
allow the use of nodes not normally visible on the network. This can lead to some frantic
DXing when band conditions permit. The dynamic approach allows the nodes table to
be elastic. It will grow as previously unknown neighbors appear, and shrink as the
obsolescence counters for each route decrement.
Once the K-Net node has been in operation for a while, and you have noted your "good"
and "not-so-good" neighbors, a combination of static and dynamic settings can be used.
By locking in "good" neighbors at high quality values, you can force the routing logic to
take a preferred route in spite of changing band conditions. As long as MINQUAL is
equal to or less than QUALITY, new neighbor nodes and nodes heard by virtue of a
band opening will also come and go as the obsolescence counter is either reset or
decremented. In all probability, your neighbor nodes will have "good" nodes that your
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