KISSTCP - KISS over TCP

Name

KISSTCP -- KISS-over-TCP Tunnelling.

Description

KISSTCP is KISS Protocol carried within a TCP/IP stream instead of the more usual RS232 link.

This can be used to interface between Packet systems on the same PC, or another PC which could be in an outbuilding, a hilltop, or the other side of the world.

The server (remote) end of the link could be a soundcard packet program or a stack of real KISS TNC's connected to a simple serial-to-tcp converter.

Each active KISS "channel" would map to an XRPi "PORT", in the normal way.

Setting Up KISSTCP Links

Assuming you have a KISSTCP server to connect to, you would set up an KISSTCP link as follows:

Configure and test IP routing between XRPi and the server. If you don't have reliable IP routing there's no point in proceeding! Use "Telnet <server-ip> <tcp_port>" to verify that the connection is possible.
If you are linking via the Internet, it makes sense to use the Internet IP addresses for this purpose, rather than the amateur (44.x.x.x) ones, because the routing is more reliable and the throughput is faster.
Add an KISSTCP interface to XROUTER.CFG as follows:
```
INTERFACE=9
	ID=KISS over TCP Interface
	TYPE=TCP
	PROTOCOL=KISS
	IOADDR=127.0.0.1    ; IP addr of server. Default is localhost
	INTNUM=8001         ; TCP port of server. Default is 8001
	MTU=256
ENDINTERFACE
```
(Choose the interface number to suit yourself).
This interface can support up to 16 PORTs, one per KISS "channel".
If you attempt to set up more than one interface associated with the same server you will get the initialisation error "Duplicate Interface".
For each active KISS "channel", add a port similar to this:
```
PORT=8
	ID=Soundmodem 144.675
	INTERFACENUM=9
	CHANNEL=A
ENDPORT
```
You must specify at least ID, INTERFACENUM, and CHANNEL. The latter must be different for each PORT.
All the usual KISSOPTIONS can be used.

If everything has been set up correctly, XRPi will automatically connect to the server, and KISS traffic can flow. If the connection gets broken it will automatically re-establish.

Notes

See also

KISS	-- KISS Protocol
TCP-IFACE	-- TCP Interface
XROUTER.CFG(8)	-- Main Configuration File