VoIP Gateways, connected to the FRN Network, give a bigger range to portable/mobile radios. These gateways are situated on different locations. Everything that is received by one gateway is send to other gateways over the internet. The other gateways retransmit the received signal.

The gateways use the FRN Client software and are connected to a FRN server. A group of connected gateways is a net. Different nets can be active on one server and different servers can also be connected, my server has it's own nets and gateways. Everybody within the range of a gateway can communicate with other people in another country or city, just by selecting the correct channel and CTCSS. CTCSS 20 is the most used tone code.

QUICK ABOUT US

The wales.mywire.org^{FREE RADIO NETWORK} Gateway is located in South Wales UK and runs on the Original Free Radio Network(FRN) system in the Netherlands, our gateway is a R.o.I.P. gateway which means there are CB Radio and PMR Radio systems connected to the main server in the Netherlands via a local server here in South Wales, local user can connect to our gateway or any other local gateway in their area using cheap to buy short range radio equipment and allows extended range via the Internet using V.o.I.P. connection and use can also be made by downloading and using the FRN PC client (Details Below), on a smart phone you can also connect using the Zello app and connecting to our Zello to FRN gateway, download the app and add the channel ZELLO/FRN

FRN Client Setup Wizard

In this article I will show you how to install the Original FRN PC client, but before we get started we need to download the PC client from the FRN website, you can download the client using this LINK

The download dialog box will appear, click save to download the program file to your desktop, in the example images 1 and 2 below I am downloading into the downloads folder.

IMAGE 1 - Click Save File to start the download

IMAGE 2 - Click SAVE to save to your PC

IMAGE 3 - Open your download folder and double click the file (frnclientsetup2014003.exe) to start the FRN client installation.

IMAGE 4 (Above) - After double clicking the file (frnclientsetup2014003.exe) the setup dialog box will ask you to select the language to use during the installation of the FRN client, obviously you need to select your language, default is English. Select your language and click OK

Image 5 (Below) The FRN Client Setup Wizard will now load, read all the details and follow all the instructions in the next few windows, to continue just click Next>

IMAGE 6 (Below) - Now you are taken to "Select Destination Location" dialog box, read the instructions carefully, if you need to change the directory you can do so here by clicking "Browse" and selecting another folder to install to. When done click Next> to continue.

IMAGE 7 - Next you need to decide where to place the programs shortcuts, again, you can change this by clicking "Browse" or leave "as-is", when done click NEXT> to continue

IMAGE 8 - In the next dialog box there is the option to choose some additional tasks that the setup program can perform, accept or decline the options by click/unclick the radio buttons, when happy click Next> to continue.

IMAGE 9 - Nearly there! Now we are on the "Ready to Install" dialog box, review the installation settings if happy then click Install to complete the installation. Click Back to change anything.

Now it time to setup the client on your PC to communicate with our Internet server

INSTALL IMAGE 1 - Open up your download folder (or whichever folder you saved the installation program to)then double the FRN installation program (frnclientsetup2014003.exe) to start the install program.

Install Image 1

INSTALL IMAGE 2 - The installation program will start and ask which language you wish to use, for our example we will be using English.

Install Image 2

INSTALL IMAGE 3 - Now a welcome screen dialog box will appear read the warning and when you are ready click Next> to Continue

Install Image 3

INSTALL IMAGE 4 - Next we can select the location on you PC that you want the FRN Client to be installed to, the default folder is FRNClient, In this example I will be changing the default folder name to MYFRNClient.
DO NOT INSTALL TO THE USER PROGRAM AREA
In my example I am installing to the desktop, if you are happy with the default location click next to continue.

Install Image 4

INSTALL IMAGE 5 - AS you can see in the image below I have changed the folder name to MYFRNClient but you can use the default name of FRNClient, I have changed the folder name because FRN is already installed on my PC so for this example I will change the folder name.

Install Image 5

Install Image 6

Install Image 7

INSTALL IMAGE 8 - Okay, the setup program now has all the details it needs to install the program onto your PC, check the details and if you are happy click Install to continue. If not then keep clicking Back until you come to the dialog box with the settings you wish to change, once you are happy come back to this Dialog box by clicking Next> and then click Install

Install Image 8

INSTALL IMAGE 9 - The FRN Client is now installed click Finish to launch the program

Install Image 9

INSTALL IMAGE 10 - Launch the client by clicking Finish (as above in INSTALL IMAGE 9) or double clicking the FRN folder on your desktop (FRNClient)

Install Image 10

INSTALL IMAGE 11 - Once you have opened the folder double click the file FRNClient.exe to start the client, we now need to configure the client.

Install Image 11

INSTALL IMAGE 12 - The FRN client is now open, click the id tab (Identification) to start the configuration.

Install Image 12

INSTALL IMAGE 13 - The Identification dialog box is now open, fill in your OWN details like in the example INSTALL IMAGE 14, enter a unique Username and call sign then enter a unique VALID email address then the three boxes which describe you general location, make sure there is a dot in the PC User: No radio is connected radio box, add any additional information in the box provided then click Get Password

Install Image 13

INSTALL IMAGE 14 - Now click Get Password, an email with your password is sent to the email address you provided, if you did not provide a valid email address then you will not get your password to continue, please provide a valid working non-trash (temporary) email address, this email address will be used to provide you with any updates and to contact you if there are any problems in the future.

Install Image 14

Enter your password and then click OK

INSTALL IMAGE 15 - Okay, next we click/open the Interface Settings tab.
PTT Keying - Not a lot to set here, if you are happy to use the mouse as your PTT then nothing to set, if you want to set a button on your PC as your PTT then use the Define PTT switch tab to select your PC keyboard button of choice.

Next, in the same dialog box click/open the Media tab

INSTALL IMAGE 16 - Select your preferred Media Player and click OK.

INSTALL IMAGE 17 - Next, click/open Audio Settings

Choose your Output and Input devices, click the Automatic Input Level Control radio button, select you devices from the scrolling window and set all audio to max by sliding the slider control at the top, if you later find your audio is distorted then return to this section and lower the sliders a little at a time until the distortion stops, use the test room to set this up.

INSTALL IMAGE 18 - Next, select the Announcements tab

I recommend you disable all announcements, as this can be annoying on someone else's gateway, if you wish to run an announcement on someone's else's gateway then contact them and ask for permission to do so, but generally announcements are set by the gateway server owner as multiple announcements are very annoying and can block the gateway operation.

INSTALL IMAGE 19 - Return to the client and test your setup, in the server: box type wales.mywire.org in the Port: box type 10023 and in the Net: box type English and give a call out. Other Nets / Gateways [are] available from the drop down dialog boxes.

Any report of distortion or cutting out then you need to use the Test room and change your settings, only return once you have ironed out you problems, if you are still stuck and as a last resort then use the contact form to ask for help and we will try to help you to get online.

INSTALL IMAGE 20

You can also select the gateway you wish to use by clicking/open the Search tab.
Click the server name on the right and it will show the connected rooms, double click the room you wish to join