[Arm-allstar-irlp] Important Info for all Hamvoip IRLP users

[Doug Crompton]

 It has come to our attention that some of the Hamvoip IRLP module users
can no longer connect to IRLP nodes or reflectors. This is because the
IRLP public keys for these nodes have been pulled by the IRLP management.
We have learned that some Hamvoip users may have fraudulently acquired
keys and otherwise frustrated the IRLP management. We warned people in our
howto that the IRLP system is a closely controlled system and keys are
sold with the IRLP hardware. Only users who actually buy hardware or keys
from IRLP are authorized into the system. The Hamvoip IRLP gateway was
intended to allow real and authorized IRLP users who had hardware to
integrate it into one Pi system with Hamvoip code. We also warned users of
Hamvoip IRLP that they were to come to us first (this list) NOT the IRLP
forums for help and apparently that has not always been the case.

We are currently working with the IRLP management, trying to resolve their
concerns. If your Hamvoip IRLP node has stopped working, it is most likely
because your key or the key of the node you are trying to connect to has
been removed.  Many IRLP users and reflectors also have connectivity to
AllStar. If you're trying to connect to a system that already provides a
bridge to AllStar, don't connect via IRLP, use AllStar!

If you have an IRLP system that you bought and you own the keys for and
you converted it to Hamvoip and retired the original IRLP hardware, then
you should in our opinion be entitled to retain your key and use IRLP.
But that hardware is not to be sold to someone else to again obtain
another key fraudulently.. These are not our rules. Hamvoip code and
operation is totally free and based on donations, IRLP is not. They make
money to support their operational expenses based on the sale of hardware.
If they want to sell keys minus hardware it is up to them, but understand
we have no control over that. If you have a fully legal IRLP node that you
purchased and own the key for and it is not working then you should
contact Dave Cameron directly with a plea to reinstate your key. Before
contacting Dave Cameron, it would be best to locate proof, if possible,
that you are the legitimate IRLP node owner.

We apologize for this inconvenience but IRLP users have to understand the
substantial difference in nature both operationally and politically between
Hamvoip and IRLP. You do have a choice! We have in the past expressed the
considerable advantages in using Hamvoip Allstar vs. IRLP which are too
numerous to list here.