Is My Digpeater iGating?

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Randall Luebke

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May 1, 2026, 9:47:04 AMMay 1
to DigiPi
My DigiPi is setup as an APRS Digipeater.  According to my packet log, when I look at my radio's beacon, it appears that my Digipi does digipeat my beacon.  However, then it immediately iGates the packet as well.  Is that true and is that the behavior you intend for that mode?

WA4SKI-7 audio level = 63(20/13)    __|||||__
[0.4] WA4SKI-7>APDR17,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2:=3330.07N\11742.51W*/A=000270 UVP WinLink APMail
[0H] WA4SKI-7>APDR17,WA4SKI-2*,WIDE2-2:=3330.07N\11742.51W*/A=000270 UVP WinLink APMail
[0L] WA4SKI-2>APDW18,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1:}WA4SKI-7>APDR17,TCPIP,WA4SKI-2*:=3330.07N\11742.51W*/A=000270 UVP WinLink APMail

Craig

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May 1, 2026, 10:05:12 AMMay 1
to Randall Luebke, DigiPi
Hi Randall,

yes, the Digipeater is also an igate.  it does everything the igate does and also
repeats packets heard on rf to rf with wide1-1 in the routing.

if it helps,
-craig
KM6LYW
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Randall Luebke

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May 1, 2026, 10:21:34 AMMay 1
to DigiPi
If DigiPeater mode is also going to iGate, why bother Digipeating?  Doesn't that just send unnecessary/redundant traffic, because the packet has already made it to APRSIS?

Craig

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May 1, 2026, 10:29:06 AMMay 1
to Randall Luebke, DigiPi
Hi Randall,

Because this is about ham radio, and packets need to make it to other
radios, so we digipeat them on RF.  Ideally they're also heard by an
igate and make it to the internet for any additional, optional, processing.

If you don't want to digipeat on RF, start the APRS Igate instead and
you just gate to the Internet (and present a TNC on bluetooth/IP).

best,
-craig
KM6LYW

Randall Luebke

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May 1, 2026, 11:37:06 AMMay 1
to DigiPi
Actually, Craig, my intention was/is to digipeat only, with no iGating.  My thought is that I want my DigiPi to be a local fill-in digipeater only, forwarding traffic I pick up via RF to the local WIDE2 nodes so they would forward that traffic to APRSIS.  Knowing you, I presume you have thought this through more thoroughly than I would have done.  My guess is that the way you've configured DigiPi's digipeater mode is to digipeat to a WIDE2 node and then to also iGate the traffic to APRSIS just in case my digipeater transmission didn't make it to the WIDE2 node?  In this manner, the software acknowledges that it's used up one of the hops, but this process increases the likelihood the packet will make it to APRSIS either directly via my iGate or indirectly via the WIDE2 node.  Am I understanding this correctly?

Craig

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May 1, 2026, 11:59:28 AMMay 1
to Randall Luebke, DigiPi
It really can't hurt to igate.  Billions of dupes are sent to aprs.fi - it's expected.

adding WIDE2-1 will send your packet farther, in theory, on RF, two hops.  Each
time it's digipeated the WIDE* route is removed from the packet header so the
packet is only transmitted twice.  Hopefully it hits the internet (igate) somewhere too.

DigiPi Digipeater digipeats traffic with WIDE1-1 still in the header.

DigiPi Digipeater gates all heard RF packets (not source from internet) to internet/aprsis.

DigiPi sends internet-sourced message-type packets to WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1 to
target stations within 160km of your location.

DigiPi's default configuration is necessary and sufficient as a WIDE1-1 (fillin) Digipeater.


-craig
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