Please be aware at this time that Fidonet is no longer exclusively a plain ol' telephone system (POTS) network.

For the purpose of this page, we will assume that you are in the Region 19 area. If not, read this anyway. It gives information that we believe will be of benefit to you and you can look on our "Locator" page for a Region or Net in your area. By now we hope you have looked over the other pages on this site and are at least a little curious or interested in getting in on this Fidonet thing. There are several ways to be a part of Fidonet.

1. You can call a BBS and become a User on that system. If it is a Fidonet BBS, you can generally access the Fidonet conferences (known as Echos) that might be carried on that system.
2. You can become a Point off of a Fidonet BBS that offers such service. Check with the BBS that you call to find out if they offer this service and how it works. Here's some links to Point Software.
3. You can become a full Node in Fidonet and start your own BBS. See below:

1. You need to get a copy of Fidonet Policy 4 and read it. This will give you information on how Fidonet works and how to apply for a Node number. If you wish to read Policy 4 online, here's a link; Policy4
2. Decide what software you want to use. There are many programs available on many platforms. For the most part, you will need a Mailer, a Mail tosser and the BBS software.
   To find these programs, click here.
   1. The Mailer is the program that calls your Hub and other Nodes to exchange messages and files. It does the actual dialing of the phone number and connecting.
   2. The Mail tosser is used to put messages that are coming into your system and messages that are going out from your system into the message base or to the mailer to be sent.
   3. The BBS software is the program that you and your Users "log into" to read the messages, retrieve or send files or play the games that you might have on your system.
3. You will need a copy of the current Fidonet Nodelist. This file is the "address book" to Fidonet. It contains a listing of each  Node, Hub, Net, Region and Zone in Fidonet. The format of this file may not make much sense to you, but your Mailer software will know what to do with it. :)
4. Depending on the software you have chosen, you might need some utility programs. We really can't tell you which ones you will need, but the documentation in the software you have chosen should give you the names of the programs.
5. Now the work begins. You need to install the software you have chosen and configure it. We wish we could be of more help here, but there are so many different platforms and software combinations that to try to offer direct help via this page is not possible.
   1. With any new software, there is a "learning curve". We in Region 19 will try to be as healpful as possible. Your best bet would be to check out our Help page. Find the software you wish to use there and read any help that the links offer.
   2. If you still need help, check out our "Help Desk"
   We don't have all of the answers, but we will try to help you. :)
6. If you have made it this far, you probably have what it takes to be a Node in Fidonet. :) You should have read Policy 4 and figured out how to apply for a Node number, have your software setup and a Nodelist in place. Send your application as instructed in Policy 4 to the proper place with the information required and you should hear back from the person responsible.
   1. Please don't expect an instant response. While we will try to be prompt, Fidonet is a hobby and the people in this hobby have real lives to live. Please allow up to a week for a response.
   2. If you don't receive a reply, feel free to contact another person or send a message to the Regional Coordinator of Region 19. We truly want to see new people in Fidonet and try to help people as much as we can. Here are some contacts to help you:
   • Frank Vest, He's a "Web-Idiot", but tries real hard. :-)

Being a Fidonet Node/Sysop isn't for everyone. It requires a "desire to do this " and a willingness to spend time and effort. There is no pay involved and all the people that make Fidonet what it is are unpaid volunteers. If there is a comparison to the hobby of Fidonet, it might be an Amateur Radio operator. An Amateur Radio operator will spend time, money and effort to build a system just to communicate with others. A Node in Fidonet does the same with one exception... A Fidonet Node often opens his/her system to others to use and enjoy.

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