We're using some fairly recent features of HTML5, so let's test and ensure everything will work for you to connect to Agency BBS.
| Feature | Supported? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | Required! Canvas is how the output of the connection gets displayed. Without it, you can't see what the BBS is trying to show you! | |
| WebSocket | Required! WebSocket is the protocol used to talk to the remote server. Without it, you can't connect to any BBSes! | |
| Web Storage | Optional Web Storage is sort of like Cookies, but WAY better. Without it, your recent connections won't be saved the next time you visit this site. |
If you see any Nope! labels above, that means your browser doesn't fully support the features used by this website and you should consider upgrading your browser.
To the home of the Agency BBS - Dunedin, New Zealand.
Agency BBS is a Bulletin Board System that first ran in Hamilton, New Zealand between 1993-1995.
Out of nostalgia and curiousity it was resurrected in late 2012 and has become a source of enjoyment for its SysOp (system operator) Paul Hayton (aka Avon) and the many users from around the globe that login and use it for messaging, online games, etc.
In the ninties the BBS ran using Renegade BBS software and was a HUB system for the RGSNet message/file network. These days it uses Mystic BBS software.
This website was established in January 2014 using the domain name bbs.geek.nz and from early 2018 the site moved to its present address of bbs.nz
To connect to Agency BBS you can either use our web based login or install and run a Telnet client of your own. If you use a Telnet client (recommended) configure it to connect to agency.bbs.nz using port 23.
A telnet client that's written by the author of Mystic BBS.
"It was intended to be a console telnet client which stayed true to ANSI-BBS emulation and the old school feel of DOS terminals. Some features include batch upload/download Zmodem and Zmodem 8K, multiple phone book, mTelnet and SyncTerm phone book importers, original MSDOS and Amiga fonts with font switching, full screen mode, basic scripting language, mouse support, and more." - James Coyle (author)
The current release is based on the SDL2 graphics engine and provides a good ANSI-BBS experience.This is another popular telnet client that many users enjoy. If you want to try it just download and uncompress the .zip file then run the call-agency-bbs.bat batch file to get connected
Agency BBS is a public and open system that's free to join and use - we don't charge any fees.
You're most welcome to 'test drive' the BBS and login as a guest user! Login using the username and password of 'guest'. To register enter your preferred username at the username prompt. If it is availabale you will be asked to create an account.
Want to know more? Email - avon at bbs dot nz with your questions.
A Bulletin Board System (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchanging of messages or other files on a network. Originally users would connect to a BBS via dialup modem over a telephone line, these days the preferred means of connectivity it to use a the Telnet protocl over a TCP/IP Internet connection. Today you can still find BBS to connect to. While there are less around now than in the mid 1990's there has been a global resurgance in the interest, use and growth of BBS systems in recent years.
Bulletin Board Systems were very popular in New Zealand (and worldwide) from between the late eighties to mid nineties. As household Internet access improved and people discovered the World Wide Web (WWW), BBS popularity declined. These days BBS popularity is once again on the rise. Former users (and those who have never experienced this slice of pre-Internet communication) are jumping back in and once again are enjoying this cool form of retro computing / communication.
Fidonet Zone 3 covers Australia (Region 54), New Zealand (Region 57).
" Very simple; it is a hobby, a non-commercial network of computer hobbiests ("hackers", in the older, original meaning) who want to play with, and find uses for, packet switch networking. It is not a commercial venture in any way; FidoNet is totally supported by it's users and sysops, and in many ways is similar to ham radio, in that other than a few "stiff" rules, each sysop runs their system in any way they please, for any reason they want. "
Source: Tom Jennings (founder of FidoNet) - FidoHist.Txt 14/7/1985
Fidonet is a worldwide amateur computer network used for the communication of messages and files between Bulletin Board Systems (BBS).
It's a network that was born the 1980's and for several decades used 'plain old telephone service' (POTS) telephone lines + dial-up modems to establish connections between BBS to exchange data. Today most BBS use the Internet to connect with each other. FTN protocols developed in the 1990's such as BinkP are widely used. The result is that messages now flow faster than ever before around the planet.
FidoNet (whilst no longer as large as it was in the eighties) is still active. You can obtain a feed from the Agency HUB (3:770/1) by contacting the author of this website.
fsxNet is a fun, simple and experimental network established in late 2015.
It uses Fido Technology Networking to communicate between connected Bulletin Board Systems (BBS).
Visit fsxnet.nz - the dedicated website for fsxNet to find out more about the network / join up.
Agency News is a Usenet News server run as a not-for-profit hobby and located in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The server is peered to a number of other servers around the planet ( Düsseldorf, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe & Falkenstein - Germany, Los Angeles - USA, Tavistock - United Kingdom, Toronto - Canada ) and carries only text based newsgroups.
To access the server point a newsreader of your choice (Pan etc.) at news.bbs.nz port 119. Unauthenticated connections enjoy free read-only access to selected number of hierarchies including all the nz.* newsgroups. Authenticated connections (username and password) enable both read and post access to all the newsgroups the server carries.
If you would like to get in touch to arrange a free account, email - newsmaster at news dot bbs dot nz
The latest server info and daily stats can be found at news.bbs.nz
Updates to site content, revised links to Netrunner client, changes to underlying code running the site which hopefully won't break things.
Updated some small details on the site and set up 301 redirect to the https version of the site.
Adding a link to fsxnet.nz and removed most content from fsxNet tab on this website.
Changes made to the scripting running the website fTelnet client. Thanks to Rick for his help sorting proxy issues :)
Updated links to fsxNet wiki to point to wiki.fsxnet.nz instead of wiki.bbs.nz which is now defunct.
There will be more changes pending to the fsxNet page as we look to migrate content to the dedicated fsxnet.nz domain/website
Minor updates applied to site content. These were overdue but are in place now :)
Removed some dated info on the Usenet page. Updated fsxNet info to reflect some changes to goals and the addition of values etc. fsxNet continues to grow with members numbering around 200 nodes at the time of this update.
Added new echomail and filebase details to fsxNet page. Updated footer info. Retired some dated turn-key BBS packages - they need to be updated before they go back up. Minor updates to Usenet page. Conducted a quick sitewide review. Happy New Year!
Added updates to content on fsxNet and Usenet pages.
Updates to fsxNet content and Usenet pages.
fsxNet NET 4 HUB has moved to a new domain name so details have been updated on the fsxNet page along with the addition of a new echoarea FSX_DAT
The move to the bbs.nz domain from bbs.geek.nz has gone smoothly. An outstanding area needing attention is the Usenet server running on news.bbs.geek.nz , the plan will be to migrate this to the new address of news.bbs.nz over the coming month or two.
Happy New Year!
Changes are afoot as Agency BBS shifts to the bbs.nz domain name and away from bbs.geek.nz as it's website URL.
It's intended that over the coming 2-3 months the bbs.geek.nz website will be closed and all content etc. migrated to bbs.nz
DNS records and the bbs.geek.nz domain name will be retained until at least 2019 but the email services and website hosting will shutter before October 2018. If you have bbs.geek.nz bookmarked please revise it to bbs.nz. If you have email addresses such as avon [at] bbs [dot] geek [dot] nz then please update it to avon [at] bbs [dot] nz - thanks! :)
The Wiki wiki.bbs.geek.nz and Usenet news server news.bbs.geek.nz will also migrate to the bbs.nz domain name prior to October 2018. Further details will be posted here and on fsxNet as changes are made.
Changes to fsxNet page content, updated links to files, added info NET 4
Added updates to fsxNet page covering the addition of NET 3 and other technical info.
Updates to the Fidonet page have been made. I retired the turn-key Mystic system I had set up to connect to Fidonet at 3:770/1 - the version of the software I created the turn-key package with was quite old and there had been little uptake.
As an aside the fidonet.nz domain name has been released. I figure there was little need to retain it when all the info for Region 57 Zone 3 can be found here on bbs.geek.nz along with the application form :)
Changes to fsxNet page content, fixed some typos and removed dated link.
Added new new echoarea details for FSX_BBS and Wiki at wiki.bbs.geek.nz to fsxNet page. Updates also added for new 2/100 HUB that services NET 2
Minor tweaks to site content. fsxNet continues to grow with the number of nodes connected to the message network exceeding 100 systems now.
The website has shifted to a new webhost. Everything *should* work OK but if you post anything amiss please let me know :)
Added a downloadable turn-key Mystic BBS (1.12 A31) that is fsxNet ready and can be installed quickly and run on a Raspberry Pi.
Updated file area tags for fsxNet file bases. Added new echoarea tag (FSX_CRY) also.
Additions to the fsxNet page and some prep to the site to migrate Fidonet content from fidonet.nz across to it soon.
Updates to fsxNet page, added further info and link to Raspberry Pi fsxNet turnkey version (coming soon).
I have added a new page containing content about, and links to, fsxNet - The [F]un, [S]imple, e[X]perimental Network.
Minor updates to site content also.
I have removed access to the FidoBBS page on the website in favour of a new fsxNet page that I will publish soon. This is a new NET that I have set up with approximately 20 nodes connected from around the globe at the time of writing this. The focus is on keeping things [F]un, [S]imple and e{X]perimental.
For more on fsxNet download the information pack or grab a copy of Mystic BBS for Windows that I have configured as a turn-key option for folks wanting to test things out quickly.
Other minor updates to the website have also occured.
Happy New Year!
I have updated links to Telnet Clients on the About page. NetRunner is now our Telnet client of choice. If you have not tried it, give it a go - it offers a great ANSI-BBS experience
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for visiting Agency BBS and Agency News over 2015 I hope you have enjoyed using these services. It's been a fun year getting the Usenet server up and running and adding IPv6 functionality to both the BBS and news server.
Over the upcoming holiday period I hope to move the BBS across to newer hardware with higher specs. I also need to work on updating the FidoBBS project as Mystic BBS is now sitting at ver 1.11.
You will also see the Usenet server has just gained an additional two new peers - my thanks to the newsmasters involved as extra peering helps build redundancy for the NNTP server as is greatly appreciated.Additional peers have been added to Agency News they are Albasani.net and Blueworldhosting.com
Agency BBS and Agency News are now reachable via their own IPv6 addresses. This has been possible with the help of SixXS and their New Zealand based PoP - Advanced Computer Solutions (ACSData) - thanks guys :-)
DNS records have been updated with new AAAA records added for both agency.bbs.geek.nz (2001:4428:200:816c::50) and news.bbs.geek.nz (2001:4428:200:816c::100)
Authenticated logins for the Agency News Usenet server (news.bbs.geek.nz) are now possible. With an authenticated login you have read and post access to all the newsgroups the server carries. If you would like authenticated access content newsmaster [at] news.bbs.geek.nz to arrange something.
I have been working on a Usenet New Server as of late so further development work on the BBS has taken a bit of a back seat. If you are curious to see what Usenet Newsgroups are like point your newsreader software (PAN, Mozilla Thunderbird etc.) to news.bbs.geek.nz the default NNTP port of 119 will give you non-validated read access to the nz.* newsgroups and some local Agency newsgroups for starters. I'm currently working on setting up valiadated logins to the server as well as adding peering hosts to build news feed redundancy. If you want to check out the server stats just point your web browser to news.bbs.geek.nz
Access to Agency BBS has been upgraded. The BBS has moved to a newer, faster computer. Internet access to the system has also been upgraded with a fibre connection now serving inbound connections. The net result is a faster user experience than before.
I have updated the FidoBBS files to use the final full release of Mystic BBS 1.10 and have also made a few minor tweaks to the initial config settings of the package.
I have been posting to a number of New Zealand online sites in the hope a few past Kiwi sysops may like to try their hand at running a BBS in 2015. With that in mind I have updated the FidoBBS package to Mystic BBS Alpha 63 and added a few extra tweaks to make setup and running of the software even easier than before.
I should have done is a long time ago. I've enabled guest access to the BBS. Simply login using the username and password of 'guest'. This allows 'read only' access to the system to try it out before signing up for a free account. You can read messages and browse files. Posting messages, downloading files and playing online games requires registration. The main login screen now alerts users that guest access is available.
I have updated the About page with further details covering how to login , BBS history etc. Links to downloadable Telnet clients have been revised and updated. The copy of SynchTERM available from this website now includes an updated batch file (call-agency-bbs.bat) to make getting connected to the BBS even easier. Just download and unzip synchterm.zip then run the batch file to get started.
I've been working on setting up software over the Christmas / New Year break that allows for the gating of Fidonet style echoareas in and out of Usenet newsgroups. The gateway is now working so there's approximately 200 newsgroups spanning ALT.* COMP.* REC.* SCI.* NZ.* AUS.* UK.* NEWS.* areas. Agency BBS offers full read/write access to these newsgroups. More are planned to be added over the coming months.
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2015. I've been doing some work updating the FidoNet BBS Project to the latest version of Mystic BBS over the holiday break. Soon I hope to find some time to work on fidonet.nz and add a bit of content there. I'll also place a copy of the BBS Project files on that website.
Over the last week or two I have opened up the feed of the NZ_FIDONET, NZ_TEST, NZ_STATS echoareas to a global audience. The volume of traffic is low in these echos but I've had requests from Sysops in Germany and also interest from my uplink system in Australia to provide a feed. So once again there's an international New Zealand Fidonet echo available - just need a few more Kiwi systems to connect up to it and contribute to the converstaion :-)
Ver 1.2 has been released! Visit the FidoNet BBS Project page for more details.
Ver 1.0 of the customised BBS has been released! Visit the FidoNet BBS Project page for more details.
Work has begun to develop fidonet.nz - we're using the same look and feel as bbs.geek.nz to give things consistency. It's early days.
Agency BBS has shifted to a new FidoNet address of 3:770/100. The original addresses used by the BBS (3:770/0, 3:770/1, 3:772/0, 3:772/1) have been migrated across to a newly created Agency HUB. The HUB is a standalone system offering a full, free, FidoNet Netmail/Echomail feed to any one in New Zealand that would like it.
I've configured the Agency HUB so that users can send Areafix and Allfix/Filefix commands to it via Netmail (3:770/1). This allows anyone the flexiblity to remotely manage whatever Echomail areas / file areas they wish to connect/disconnect to.
If you are a returning sysop, or just interested in setting up a BBS to obtain a FidoNet feed - keep an eye on the FidoNet BBS Project mentioned below.
I am currently working on creating a customised version of Mystic BBS for easy read/write access to FidoNet Echomail and Netmail. Visit the FidoNet BBS Project page for more details.
Keep an eye on this domain name in the coming months. It's intended to become a useful resource to promote FidoNet and BBS people considering rejoining/joining. For now the domain name has just been secured and there's work to be done!
Updated the BBS splash screen - it now looks a bit more like the Agency BBS. Added show/hide option for virtual keyboard - this is off by default for PC users as you can simply use your physical keyboard. If connecting using a tablet then you may want to turn this on.
I have updated the look and feels of the website. There is a new terminal interface built using HtmlTerm that I hope you like.
Golly time flys... I have added two further 'door' games to the BBS - Usurper and Falcon's Eye. The latter is also part of an inter-BBS league (League 46 Agoranet). It's nice to see a few users logging in to try their hand at games they used to play in the 1990's. We need a few more playing to push up our inter-BBS league rankings.
I discovered today this was seemingly not working at all as the proxy host I use was not running. I'm investigating the issue but for now using a telnet client is the better way to go. Will keep you posted on progress.
We have added Legend of the Red Dragon (LORD) to the BBS. There is the option to play an inter-BBS league (League 46 Agoranet) with this game. If you're keen to try some old school retro gaming - this one's for you. At the moment we're working on adding Barren Realms Elite (BRE) - another popular game from the 1990's.
It seems the latest version of IE (Windows 8) does not like the .js scripts on the 'Login' tab. Please use Firefox or Chrome browsers if you have problems. Allow 15 seconds for a connection to be established.
Agency now offers the following groups with full read/post access:
Contact us if there are others you would like added.
You can now access Agency BBS via this website using the 'Login' tab added to the menu. This calls a nice bit of software called HtmlTerm written by Rick Parrish. Please be aware that at present the connection is much slower than if you opt to download a Telnet client like SynchTerm and connect to the BBS that way. We are working on improving the connection speeds for folks who prefer to use the web interface.
Have a go. Login and create your user account on the BBS, then check back in approximately 12-24 hours. By then your account will have been validated and full access granted. With full access you are able to post to echomail areas etc.
Over the last few weeks we have added over fifty new echomail areas (message bases) to the BBS. These echos span such diverse topics as Amateur Radio, Trains, Vintage Computing, Astronomy and more! There's a range of interesting posts from users who are contributing to the discussion from all over the globe. What are you waiting for? Login and join in the conversation.
We have been working with Nick at The Trashcan BBS based in Christchurch to provide a FidoNet feed to him. Netmails and Echomails are again flowing. Currently working with Ian at 1st Choice Core BBS in Ashburton to establish a FidoNet feed to his system and shortly hope to ensure Dennis at Midi-Maze BBS in Christchurch also receives netmail etc.
Thanks to Tobias Burchhardt for his kind donation of a registration key for his FastEcho echomail/areafix tossing software. We're currently using this to handle the HUB lifting duties until such time as the Mystic BBS software is capable. FastEcho is a tidy bit of software that still plays very nicely a number of years since Tobias last updated it.
The Agency BBS has rejoined Fidonet and is acting as the New Zealand HUB for Fidonet traffic. If you would like to join Fidonet in New Zealand please get in touch with us to obtain a number and a feed. Work continues to build the message areas of the BBS and at the same time keep on top of the updates to the BBS software as development continues :-)
We have installed BinkD and FastEcho software to handle front end mailer and tossing duties for inbound/outbound netmail and echoarea traffic until such time as this functionality is built in to the Mystic BBS system.
There's enough up and running to open the BBS to the public, so if you would like to connect to it and register you're more than welcome to. As we set up other areas of the BBS (files, internode chat etc.) We will add these additional features on to the BBS menus. For now there is a message area up and running with a local area to post to as well as other echo areas from Agoranet available to read / post to.
We suggest the best Telnet terminal to use is SyncTERM which seems to work nicely on Windows etc. Just configure a new entry in the address book to point to agency.bbs.geek.nz and use Telnet protocol on port 23
Over the Easter holidays We plan to kick off the steps required to connect the BBS on to FidoNet but am unsure how long it will take to find an upstream node and get FidoNet address sorted.
Making slow but steady progress using the TheDraw and have created screens for new user login and main menu. The latter is somewhat sparse but we will add extra options (Messages, Files etc.) as they come online. The first goal was to set up the new user login process that (by and large) seems to be working the way we want it to.
Our main efforts have been focused on understanding the message base system again and getting a connection to an established network. Joined Agoranet on Apirl 3rd 2014. The BBS node number is 46:1/103 and it's great to be part of a network again! On Friday we managed to tx/rx message packets between my host and the BBS using the inbuilt Mystic mail tosser. Still having some problems with dealing with compressed (.zip) files so it's a work in progress.
The BBS is still closed to public registration but once we get the message area properly configured we will open it up for new user logins.
Big thanks to Tekhammer (Spiro) at The Shadow Dominion BBS for his help and support. Also to Nick at Pharcyde BBS - equally a really helpful guy and very knowlegable.
We've spent the last 10 days working on getting this website hosted and established. Initially we had not intended to set anything up but then realised it would be a good way to promote Agency BBS and offer links to other BBS content we discover. There are other BBS's still operating in New Zealand and we intend to create a page on this site (as time permits) that will promote all of them.
We're looking at using Mystic BBS software for the BBS and have spent some time getting to know it. There is a lot to 'get to know' as it's a fully featured bit of kit that has enjoyed on-going development since it's inception back 1997.
We found some old ANSI art from the original Agency BBS that had been branded as ANSi ACid and created by Sonic. Sonic, where are you when we need you now? :-)
At the moment we're attempting to use old MS-DOS software - TheDraw - to update the menus. This could take us some time. If you know of anyone that can help update existing ANSI or create some new 'kick arse' menus - please flick us an email.
Copyright © 2013-22, Paul Hayton | Site uses fTelnet by Rick Parrish of R&M Software.