M17 Reflectors Open Alpha

[KC1AWV]

In order to separate tasks and duties, a new M17 Reflector and Group registration system is available and open for open alpha testing.

M17 Reflectors

Using the alpha M17 Reflectors system, you can self-register and update your reflector information. You will need to register your reflector yourself on the new alpha system, the records from the old list and the new one are incompatible.

Registering your reflector requires the following information:

• Designator - This is the 3 characters after the M17- that identifies your reflector, i.e. USA, or BRO
  
• Dashboard URL - This is the address for your reflector dashboard. This must start with https://
  
• IPv4 - The public IPv4 address to your reflector
  
• IPv6 - The public IPv6 address to your reflector (optional)
  
• Port - The UDP port your reflector is listening on (generally 17000 unless you've changed it)
  
• Sponsor - The sponsoring amateur radio station or club
  
• Country - The country served by the reflector
  

Once your reflector is added, it will be in a Pending state until reviewed by a Reflector Admin. Once approved, the status will change to Published and cannot be accidentally deleted. You can change the status to Deleted and remove the reflector yourself if needed.

Features to be added:

• Group Registration
  
• Email reflector and group admins on new registrations
  
• Reflector and Group list API (to generate host files)
  

Questions, comments, and ideas can be sent here as a reply to this thread.

Steve KC1AWV

[SP7LAK]

Will the old M17 Reflectors list be closed?

[jviladoms]

Hello, not sure if this is the place for alpha version feedback but I've found that if you edit your reflector you can select the status of this. The fact is that if you try to change the status, it keeps correctly to pending and the status publish is not set but anyway you shouldn't have the option to change the status.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,
Jordi - EA3IHG

[K2IE]

Steve, is it valid to enter a DNS host name in place of th IPv4/6 addresses?

[KC1AWV]

Will the old M17 Reflectors list be closed?

Eventually, yes. Self-registration and group management functions will be separated from the main M17 Project website.

[KC1AWV]

Hello, not sure if this is the place for alpha version feedback but I've found that if you edit your reflector you can select the status of this. The fact is that if you try to change the status, it keeps correctly to pending and the status publish is not set but anyway you shouldn't have the option to change the status.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,
Jordi - EA3IHG

My PHP-fu is rusty   I'm aware of that issue and it will be resolved once the beta code is working.

[KC1AWV]

Steve, is it valid to enter a DNS host name in place of th IPv4/6 addresses?

Negative, for two reasons.

1. DNS is inherently a bad idea when it comes to promoting free and open communications. DNS can be easily spoofed, blocked, censored, or otherwise made useless.

2. The reflector host file requires IP addresses, for the above reason as well as space constraints.

I strongly suggest that reflectors be hosted on a static IP in a data center or cloud provider. This will solve issues caused by home networks, such as: routing, firewall, dynamic IPs, and availability.

Most people use DNS to 'hide' their IP addresses, or to provide a workaround for dynamic IPs. This is not suggested as a simple lookup will reveal the IP address, and a lot of SSL certificate providers will not issue a certificate to a dynamic domain name provider.

EDIT: While you may be able to provide a DNS address to the system, it will be translated to an IP address when it is added to the host files. I suggest using a static IP when adding a new reflector.