Howdy All,

So what is the proper way to check/send Netmail (or really, to set it up on a BBS for users)?

I personally followed Avon's YT video on creating Netmail base-type in my fsxNet group, with Net Address 21:3/226 (my node) ... I call it "fsxNet - Private Netmail (21:*)"...

When I select this area and post a message, after typing username, this being netmail, it asks for a netmail address (as expected) ... I enabled search, so I can type Agency and find 21:1/101 confirming I want to netmail user peconi@21:1/101 ...

However, when I login to Agency BBS, I cannot find this message anywhere... Unlike my Silfen Path BBS, Agency does not seem to list Netmail area anywhere ...

I go to Messages (M), then New Message Scan (N) and nothing is found waiting for me anywhere ....

So, either Agency BBS does not support Netmail (which would strike me as odd), or I don't know what I'm doing once there :) ...

Also, how do I send Netmail to say CloudDancer @ 21:3/226 from Agency?

Sorry for all the possibly n00b questions, but I forgot more than I ever knew ... That should be a tag line ...

Cheers,

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Silfen Path BBS: Columbus,Ohio: bbs.silfenpath.com (21:3/226)

Hey Clouddancer!

On Fri, Jan 23 2026 10:33:53 -0600, you wrote:

When I select this area and post a message, after typing username,
this being netmail, it asks for a netmail address (as expected) ...
I enabled search, so I can type Agency and find 21:1/101 confirming
I want to netmail user peconi@21:1/101 ...

This sounds correct.

However, when I login to Agency BBS, I cannot find this message
anywhere... Unlike my Silfen Path BBS, Agency does not seem to list
Netmail area anywhere ...

Did your system process the netmail, and then send it to Agency? I'd imagine this would be able to be seen in your tosser's logs, and then your mailer's logs. Unless you have it setup to poll immediately after you logoff your system, it might take a bit for your system to poll at it's scheduled interval. So the mail could have been sitting on your system still waiting to go out.

I go to Messages (M), then New Message Scan (N) and nothing is found
waiting for me anywhere ....

Try an area list, and see if there's an area that looks like it would be for "Netmail".

So, either Agency BBS does not support Netmail (which would strike
me as odd), or I don't know what I'm doing once there :) ...

It definitely supports netmail. I've talked back and forth with Avon plenty of times over the years.

Also, how do I send Netmail to say CloudDancer @ 21:3/226 from
Agency?

You might have to look for and join the netmail area (which may or may not be in the FSXnet converence/group). Then you can probably hit (P) to post a message and it might ask you the same questions as above.

Sorry for all the possibly n00b questions, but I forgot more than I
ever knew ... That should be a tag line ...

How are you ever going to learn if you don't ask?! ;)

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/700)

Did your system process the netmail, and then send it to Agency? I'd

Yep, saw one mail out in the results of mutil which gets auto called.

I looked for a Netmail-like area all over, but could not find it on Agency BBS ... If you have the ability, can you try and netmail me and I'll reply back:
- clouddancer@21:3/262

How are you ever going to learn if you don't ask?! ;)

Thanks :)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

... Error 3032 - Recursion error. See error 3032.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Silfen Path BBS: Columbus,Ohio: bbs.silfenpath.com (21:3/226)

Sorry,

I looked for a Netmail-like area all over, but could not find it on
Agency BBS ... If you have the ability, can you try and netmail me and I'll reply back: - clouddancer@21:3/262

Meant to say if you 21:3/226 ... I only just got the node # yesterday, can't remember it :)

Tnx.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Silfen Path BBS: Columbus,Ohio: bbs.silfenpath.com (21:3/226)

Hey Clouddancer!

On Fri, Jan 23 2026 14:51:06 -0600, you wrote:

Yep, saw one mail out in the results of mutil which gets auto
called.

Ok. Then at least we know it was sent.

I looked for a Netmail-like area all over, but could not find it on
Agency BBS ... If you have the ability, can you try and netmail me
and I'll reply back: - clouddancer@21:3/262

I connected over there, and looked everywhere I would think it /should/ be, and also couldn't find it. So I'm not sure what he has going on.

Either way, I sent a netmail. I send all netmail for zone 21 to Avon, so he should forward it on to the net 3 hub (deon?) and then to you. If you don't get it, something else might be broken, like his "Y" command from his main menu on his BBS.

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/700)

Hey Clouddancer!

On Fri, Jan 23 2026 14:51:06 -0600, you wrote:

I looked for a Netmail-like area all over, but could not find it on
Agency BBS ... If you have the ability, can you try and netmail me
and I'll reply back: - clouddancer@21:3/262

* Origin: Silfen Path BBS: Columbus,Ohio: bbs.silfenpath.com
(21:3/226)

I've now also sent a netmail to you at 21:3/226, since that is what your origin line says, but not what you originally wrote to me. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/700)

Hey Clouddancer!

On Fri, Jan 23 2026 14:54:46 -0600, you wrote:

Meant to say if you 21:3/226 ... I only just got the node #
yesterday, can't remember it :)

Saw this after the fact, but I caught it. 262 was easy for me to remember, because it's my area code. From here on out I'd probably continue entering the wrong one. ;)

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
--- SBBSecho 3.35-Linux
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/700)

Hey,

I've now also sent a netmail to you at 21:3/226, since that is what your origin line says, but not what you originally wrote to me. ;)

Thanks, smart!

I will look to see if I receive it and let you know.

However, since it's NetMail, will it be delivered if sent to clouddancer@?

I wonder if Real Names must be used so Petar Smilajkov would be better ... Hmmmm ...

Thank you for testing w/ me either way!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

Accession,

The only things in my mailin logs are:

Jan 23 17:19:03 Netmail from Clearing Houz (21:3/100) to CloudDancer (21:3/226)

Jan 23 17:19:03 Netmail from Clearing Houz (21:3/100) to Petar Smilajkov (21:3/226)

So, clearly netmail of sorts is coming to me, at least from Clearing Houz. I know that works as I can send AreaFix and FileFix messages, and get replies back ...

But, no private messages whatsoever. :(

So odd...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

Some troubleshooting steps for my Netmail:

Sending Netmail to ping @ Clearing House
- from Petar Smilajkov@21:3/226 to ping@21:3/100

--LOG-->
Resuming from 21 in netmailfsx
Jan 23 18:50:26 Route (Petar Smilajkov@21:3/226 to ping@21:3/100) via 21:3/100 Jan 23 18:50:26 Export netmailfsx #21 to 21:3/100@fsxnet
Jan 23 18:50:26 1 msgs from fsxNet - ** NETMAIL (21:*) **

Jan 23 18:50:26 Results: 0 echo, 1 net, 0 skipped in 0.03s
<--LOG END--

At next mailin scan I get this in the log:

--LOG-->
Jan 23 18:51:09 Process: Importing EchoMail
Jan 23 18:51:09 Waiting for BUSY nodes
Jan 23 18:51:09 Import from /home/mystic/bbs/echomail/in/
Jan 23 18:51:09 Importing 00002cdd.pkt (21:3/100 to 21:3/226)
Jan 23 18:51:09 Netmail from Clearing Houz (21:3/100) to Petar Smilajkov (21:3/226)
Jan 23 18:51:09 Import from /home/mystic/bbs/echomail/in/unsecure/
Jan 23 18:51:09 Results: 0 echo, 1 net, 0 dupes, 0 tossed in 0.01s
<--LOG END--

And I receive back netmail from Clearing House, can see it in my Netmail area with the following log

+---------------------------------------------------------[ CONTROL LINES ]-+ DATE: 2026-01-23 18:50:24
MSGID: 21:3/226 f4f87df7
INTL 21:3/100 21:3/226
TID: Mystic BBS 1.12 A48 +------------------------------------------------------------------[ PATH ]-+ No path information? This would be normal if this message came directly to
the hub
+----------------------------------------------------------------[ ORIGIN ]-+ *NO ORIGIN* (21:3/226.0) +-----------------------------------------------------------[ END MESSAGE ]-+

So this should mean, my Netmail works ...

Yet, I do not receive any direct netmail from any of you guys :(

Hmph?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

However, since it's NetMail, will it be delivered if sent to clouddancer@?

As long as clouddancer is your alias/handle on the BBS.

If a message for John Doe arrives at your node it will not be listed or read by anyone other than John Doe.

Mystic will not show a private message to anyone aside from the person it is addressed to. Even the sysop will not see/read the message unless that is their name or alias.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (21:4/106)

Al,

As long as clouddancer is your alias/handle on the BBS.

Correct, that is the case ...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

As long as clouddancer is your alias/handle on the BBS.

Correct, that is the case ...

Good stuff. I would netmail you directly but your node is not yet listed in nodelist. I'll route a netmail to you so hopefully you will get it.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (21:4/106)

Al,

Good stuff. I would netmail you directly but your node is not yet listed in nodelist. I'll route a netmail to you so hopefully you will get it.

Everything "seems" to be working as I even sent netmail to ping@21:1/100
(Risa HUB), and I got back a reply via Netmail that it works.

I even send AREAFIX message to 21:1/101 - it of course tells me I am unauthorized, but clearly netmail goes out, and comes back in ...

Stumped for the moment as to what is going on with incoming netmail ...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

Good stuff. I would netmail you directly but your node is not yet listed
in nodelist. I'll route a netmail to you so hopefully you will get it.

Everything "seems" to be working as I even sent netmail to ping@21:1/100 (Risa HUB), and I got back a reply via Netmail that it works.

OK, I did send you a netmail but my mailer bounced it back to me because your node is not yet listed.

I even send AREAFIX message to 21:1/101 - it of course tells me I am unauthorized, but clearly netmail goes out, and comes back in ...

Sounds like your netmail setup is good.

Stumped for the moment as to what is going on with incoming netmail ...

Keep an eye on your log.

I'm going to log into Agency and try to send you a netmail from there. May work may not but once your node is listed it'll work as expected.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (21:4/106)

Keep an eye on your log.

I'm going to log into Agency and try to send you a netmail from there. May work may not but once your node is listed it'll work as expected.

I have no access to netmail on Agency BBS but I will netmail you once your node is listed.

Best I can do for now.. ;)

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (21:4/106)

Al,

I have no access to netmail on Agency BBS but I will netmail you once
your node is listed.

Thanks Al.

I belive the setting under Configuration -> Message Settings called "Force NL Match" if set to Yes allows you to send netmail only to recognized systems.

If set to No, it may allow you to send to my BBS before it is listed.

Not asking you to change this, just FYI - as I was just playing with that stuff today as I was setting up the maintenance scripts for mutil, especially MergeNodeLists section ;)

Cheers! Hopefully @ deon can add me to the list though I thought that was automated to some extend from his website into the nodelist files.

Thanks!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
CloudDancer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: -= bbs.silfenpath.com | Columbus, Ohio (USA) =- (21:3/226)

I belive the setting under Configuration -> Message Settings called "Force NL Match" if set to Yes allows you to send netmail only to recognized systems.

If set to No, it may allow you to send to my BBS before it is listed.

My mailer is part of BBBS so I have no such setting. I can either turn it off or on and it's better on. That way it catches my typos!

Cheers! Hopefully @ deon can add me to the list though I thought that was automated to some extend from his website into the nodelist files.

I suspect deon has already done this. The master nodelist is compiled by Avon automagically I think, so your node will be listed in the next update.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (21:4/106)

Re: Re: Netmail
By: CloudDancer to Accession on Fri Jan 23 2026 06:32 pm

Howdy,

So, clearly netmail of sorts is coming to me, at least from Clearing Houz. I know that works as I can send AreaFix and FileFix messages, and get replies back ...

But, no private messages whatsoever. :(

So odd...

I see Accession has been helping you out, so I've not jumped in yet.

Anyway thought I'd share a couple of things.

* On agency, you might not have sufficent security level to use Netmail (if you cannot see that message area). But it definately supports netmail.

* Mail to/from you is logged on the hub - look at the "Packets and Files Sent" tab of your BBS entry. When you click on a packet, you'll see what messages where in that packet was sent to you.

You can use this hub's information, together with your tosser and mailer logs to see what is going out and coming in, and whether stuff coming in is being processed.

If you dont see anything on clrghouz, it means you arent sending it out - or if you are expecting something, it hasnt come to the hub yet.


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Re: Re: Netmail
By: CloudDancer to Al on Fri Jan 23 2026 08:58 pm

Howdy,

Cheers! Hopefully @ deon can add me to the list though I thought that was automated to some extend from his website into the nodelist files.

It is completely automated.

Nodelists only come out weekly :)


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)

Hey deon!

On Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:24:54 +1100, you wrote:

Both? So when this text started, the request was to send a netmail to 21:3/262, (when the node is listed as 21:3/226).

Had you not picked that up, the converstation would have gone:

You must have missed this part of the conversation:

* sender: I sent you a netmail
* receipient: I didnt get your netmail

* sender: Oh, I realized I used the wrong node number, here is a new reply using the correct one.
* recipient: Received!

* conclusion: The network is broken somewhere

I don't think this conversation ever got to this "conclusion." Right before realizing the wrong node number was used I said there was a possibility something was broken somewhere. That didn't mean anything /is/ "broken". We (very) soon realized that was not the case, which is about the time you jumped into the conversation to try to tell me I was wrong about nodelists not being needed to route netmail, and then went on about RNTrack, which wasn't even part of the conversation to begin with.

Instead, had you sent the netmail to 21:3/262 - which clrghouz is authoritive over, it would have bounced the netmail (or rather discarded
it) - and sent you a netmail back saying there is no host to collect it. [Well it should do that, and if it isnt anymore, I will fix that.]

Let's go with: (1) The first two netmails I sent were addressed wrong, and they didn't work. I don't know where they ended up after they left here and went to Avon. If they never made it to you, re-read (1). I never got anything from clrghouz, if that matters any (it really doesn't, to me).

We know that sending addresses to Paul's /999 addresses works without an issue, nodes have been doing that for years.

We figured that out, already. Thanks for the clarification, though!

Assuming that all gets routed, and since ...

Welp, it did indeed work (both ways), which we mentioned in the next few messages in the same conversation/thread.

For the record, you jumped into the discussion to tell me "This is mostly true, but..." and then started talking about RNTrack (which was never brought up in the first place), when I simply stated a nodelist is /not/ needed for routing netmail. My statement still stands, with no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I haven't used a nodelist in.. ever.

Honestly, I was just helping someone out. I've been doing this stuff for quite some time, and don't need a rundown on how things work (or how you think it should work). EOT.

Regards,
Nick

... Sarcasm: because beating people up is illegal.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20250409
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/200)

Re: Netmail
By: Accession to deon on Sun Jan 25 2026 05:34 pm

Howdy,

Both? So when this text started, the request was to send a netmail to 21:3/262, (when the node is listed as 21:3/226).

Had you not picked that up, the converstation would have gone:

You must have missed this part of the conversation:

* sender: I sent you a netmail
* receipient: I didnt get your netmail

* sender: Oh, I realized I used the wrong node number, here is a new reply using the correct one.
* recipient: Received!

I didnt, you quoted it above. I was talking "ifs" - by using the statement: "Had you not picked that up...". I know the (fsx) netmails were sent and received, I read that too. I also read that the fidonet ones finally worked as well when something was done to the message bases...

jumped into the conversation to try to tell me I was wrong about nodelists not being needed to route netmail, and then went on about RNTrack, which wasn't even part of the conversation to begin with.

I didnt say you were wrong, I used the phrase "This is mostly true, but...". I added more context to your statement "FYI, nodelists are not /needed/ for netmail.", and then you finished with "Otherwise, as long as proper routing is in place, netmail goes where it should.".

Based on my experience, I certainly have had netmails not meet their destatination because a new node hasnt made it to the nodelist yet, as well as a node no longer listed in the nodelist. In those examples it was a tool like RTNtrack (if that is what is called) used by a system in the path, send me a netmail telling me so.

Honestly, I was just helping someone out. I've been doing this stuff for quite some time, and don't need a rundown on how things work (or how you think it should work).

Me too...


...ëîåï
--- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
* Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)