
                                                                Page No. 1.

                       Sound Blaster Connection Network
                        Information Document Release #1
                    (C) Copyrighted to Matthew Taylor 1991

               Formulated On Behalf Of And With The Permission Of
                                  Ultra Force

                                    ---*---

                              WHAT IS THE SBCnet?
                              -------------------

         The Sound Blaster Connection Network is an idea that a well known
     group of Sound Blaster programmer's in Holland named 'Ultra Force'
     came up with early in 1991. It's based on the idea of having a network
     of BBS's spanning the world that have specialised support for the
     Creative Lab's Sound Blaster Card, the most exciting thing to happen
     to affordable sound on the IBM PC in its history.

         It centres around such BBSs freely sharing & exchanging ideas,
     programs and information pertaining to the Sound Blaster card for the
     the good of all the people out there who've invested in this fine
     piece of sound hardware. Bulletin Boards are an excellent way to
     achieve mass distribution of such information, as shown by the huge
     sucess of Shareware in recent years, mostly attributable to the BBS.

         The invention of the FIDOnet amatuer mail networking system in
     the early 1980s suddenly opened up a whole new facet of BBSing.
     Normally local only messages could now be quickly and easily shared
     between other BBSs around a city, a country and around the globe. The
     end result has been that those involved have come to a much greater
     understanding of each other and a realisation of how much we really
     do have in common as a race of made up of many peoples.

         Using this technology SBCnet now provides the opportunity for all
     those interested in the Sound Blaster out there in this big world of
     ours to meet each other, talk with each other and share what knowledge
     they have, what programs they've written and or have come across so that
     all of us may too benefit.


                               HOW DOES IT WORK?
                               -----------------

         Using the same programs and protocols as FIDOnet, BBSs involved in
     SBCnet will be able to send and recieve message to and from any and
     all other systems in the SBCnet. Many echo mail conferences covering
     various subjects related to the Sound Blaster have been set up to carry
     messages on a country and global basis. As needs grow, more of these
     will be introduced.



 

                                                                Page No. 2.


                         WHO DOES WHAT JOBS AND WHERE?
                         -----------------------------

         The network as a whole will be be resided over and guided by
     Ultra Force, since it was their idea from the beginning to create
     such a Network. The mail host for each Region of the world will
     oversee the smooth operation of their area and will be responsible
     for transporting mail into and out of their region. Within a Region,
     Networks will be overseen by Net Co-ordinators who will be ultimately
     responsible for admitting new members to the SBCnet. Where appropriate,
     mail HUBs will be assigned within networks to ease the cost to BBSs in
     outlying areas of that network and to make mail flow more efficient.


                   BUT I DON'T RUN A BBS, CAN I STILL JOIN IN?
                   -------------------------------------------

         Yes you can, if you have good reason to do so. Grounds for such a
     move may be along the lines of, you write programs for the Sound
     Blaster or you live in a remote place not currently close to any SBCnet
     BBS where you can contribute readily, or you have access to other
     regular information/programs that will be of interest to users of
     SBCnet that are not already accessable or being utilised by another
     Network member. Such systems will be granted a Private Node and will
     pick up mail as any other system but will not be accessable as a BBS.
     These type of nodes may only be allocated and approved by the Region
     Co-ordinator with the blessings of the network host involved.


                                 HOW DO I JOIN?
                                 --------------

         To join first you need to find out where your nearest Host is.
     Probably the place where you got this file from will be able to help
     you with that part. Next you should send a message to that BBS through
     the mailer program you intend to use using the address 15:xxxx/9999
     where xxxx is the network number you intend to join. In this message
     you should state your intention to join SBCnet and if applicable why
     and give a bit of a summary of why you are interested in the Sound
     Blaster and how you can contribute to the network. Also file attach a
     filled out application form that will then be passed onto the guys at
     Ultra Force for you. You will probably hear from them soon after you
     join. All mail polling times and conferences you are to link to are
     then to be worked out between you and your host. Mail arrangements are
     entirely up to the host to assign and are done so on a case by case
     basis.


                                                                 Page No. 3.

                           TECHNICAL PARTICULARS
                           ---------------------

         To avoid clashes with other networks, and for ease of operation,
     particularly in the early days, SBCnet has been set up with the
     following stucture:

   3 Zones To Cover Globe:  Zone 14 - Europe
			    Zone 15 - Australia/Pacific
			    Zone 16 - United States/Canada

   Regions used to Subdivide the Zones into Areas:  Region 100 - Central Europe
                                                    Region 150 - Scandinavia
						    Region 400 - Australia

     Other Regions will be assigned as needed.

     Networks Numbers, 4 Digits Corresponding to
       region numbers, used to logically divide a
       large area into smaller sections. Going up
       in increments of 100 for large areas and sub
       areas of this to go up in increments of 10.

       For example: Net 4000 - New South Wales Australia
		    Net 4100 - Victoria Australia

     Network host is to have nodes /0 and /100 of their network.
       All other nodes follow on in groups incrementing by 1 each
       time starting with 101. Jumps to the next 100 to be made
       for main sections of a network eg large areas distant from
       the host such as another main city. These areas are to have
       a mail HUB assigned using the node number corresponding to
       first number in the multiple of one hundred for their area
       as well as the actaual multiple of one hundred

       For example: In Net 4000 - Sydney Section - Hub has nodes 2 and 200

                                                ie Node Numbers 15:4000/2
                                                              & 15:4000/200
                                  1st system off HUB has number 15:4000/201

      All such HUBs and new sections are to be assigned by the host
        involved with the permission and consultation of the Region
        co-ordinator for the region covering the area in question.



                                                                Page No. 4.

                           NODELISTS, ECHOLISTS ETC.
                           -------------------------

          The Nodelist for SBCnet will be automatically distributed to all
      each Friday of the year by the Region host and will pass down stream
      to all systems by Saturday. For the time being a completely new
      nodelist will be given out each week as the size of it at present
      will not cause any problems and nodelist management is still yet to
      be fully organised so NODEDIFF files are not a reality at present. All
      changes to the nodelist should be submitted to the region host by no
      later than 6pm on Thursday (Local time for Region Co-ordinator).
      A newsletter will also be published and released by the same procedure
      and will be open to all USERS of the network for contributions, not
      just sysops. An up to date list of echoes available within each
      region will also be sent to hosts by their region co-ordinator along
      with the nodelist each week. The extension of all files indicates the
      method by which it is compressed and the also the 2nd and 3rd digit
      of the day number of the year to which it applies. Once extracted the
      full day number can then be realised. The latest version of all these
      files will always be available for file request from all hosts under
      the following MAGIC filenames:
                                       Nodelist   - SBCNODES
                                       Newsletter - SBCNEWS
                                       Echo List  - SBCECHO
                    also   SBCnet Membership Kit  - SBCKIT


                                 CLOSING WORDS
                                 -------------

          With your support this network will grow rapidly and will become
      what the Guys at Ultra Force have had visions of. Please get in
      contact with any good Sound Blaster programmers you know and encourage
      them to join. If you know where the programmers of some of the things
      we all love to show off to our jealous friends are, please tell them
      about SBCnet and pass on the Information Kit You Recieved this file
      in. Thankyou for your support.


      If You Have Any Problems Or Questions. Please Contact Me!

      Matthew Taylor
      Lake Macquarie BBS
      +61-49-754120

      SIGnet 28:2200/105
      SBCnet 15:4000/0

                                     --*--


      Sound Blaster is a registered Trademark of Creative Labs.
      IBM PC is a registered Trademark of International Business Machines.
      FIDOnet is a registered Trademark of Tom Jennings.
      Sound Blaster Connection Network is a Trademark of Ultra Force.

