it seems that for each read i do of the matrix chapter, something new shows up and smacks me in the face.

the latest bit is the part about nodes. seems they can be equal to a single device, and equal to a whole network of devices.

this explains why someone claimed, right after SR4 came out, that each device is a seperate node and therefor requires a subscription to comunicate with the comlink.

i tought about this, is that yes they are a seperate node. but thats only when you first buy them. when they become part of the PAN they become part of a single, large node.

why is this? because PAN is short for Personal Area Network (two others are LAN, Local Area Network, and WAN, Wide Area Network. in real life the internet is the mother of all WAN's, or a collection of WAN's depending on how you look at it). and a node can represent both a single device and a whole network.

it seems that the new matrix rules use a lot more concepts from real life computer networking.

there seems to be two layers to the matrix, a phyical layer (where comlinks and other physical devices live) and a logical layer (where you have stuff like nodes).

any number of physical devices can hide behind a single node, basicly.

this means that yes you can have your smartlink and you AR glasses (or cybereyes) act as a seperate node to the comlink. it allso means that you can run a IC or a edit program on your cyberlimb (alltho it would be a very weak one as the limb would not have much computing power, if any at all).

another interesting thing is that if you have your comlink run IC or similar, your effectivly protecting your whole PAN node. and that can be all your cyberware, your smartlink, your AR glasses and more.

one thing im not entirely sure about is encryption. if you encrypt your node (if that can at all be done. i dont see anything about it, but i see that you can encrypt individual devices) then all communications inside said node's network would be encrypted.

and even if you cant encrypt a entire node, you can encrypt individual parts of it.

this means that a attacking hacker may well find that he have to break the encryption you have put on your smartlink and AR glasses to be able to mess with them.

i dont know, this may have been obvious to others but there seems to be a bit of confusion about what a node realy is and things related to that.

i guess one can boil it down to:

a node is one or more devices, that have a (shared) matrix presence.

and any device thats part of a node can communicate with any other device without the need of a subscription (im guessing that a limit to that is that the devices have to be within direct range of each other, or some other device under the same node).

if you know a bit about real life ip networking, i think you can say that a node is equivalent to a subnet mask.

I think it's just a generalization meaning you can make a network as complex or simple as you'd like.

One "Node" could be a whole system that you can hack once and be inside running-amok or as complex (multiple nodes of smaller sub-systems). This is really where the GM can make things quick and dirty (for less critical things) or complex and messy (for more critical parts).

You could treat your PAN as one "Node" so that hacking the one node gives you access to all the items inside.

Hey, that makes more sense now. I think that's probably what they were trying to achieve with the rules.

Thanks for your observation!

sr4 pg226. Encrypt: encrypt programs utilize various cryptograpic schemes and ciphers to secure files, access nodes, and communication between nodes........

Multiple files may be archived and encrypted together.

Meaning yea you can encrypt your comm, and you can encrypt the communication between all your cyberwear to your comm. So even if a hacker breaks into your comm he would have to decrypt again to get at your stuff.
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How does puting all your crap into one node keep it from being hacked individually??

I view a master node vs individual nodes as a question of range. If you are out of range of an individual node then you will most likely only run into master nodes that control multiple things. If you are within commrange thought it counts as an individual node.

Theres two examples to consider.

#1. A 3 story building with maglocks on each floor.

#2. A person with a comm that is subcribed to their cybereyes and cyberarm.


In #1 if you are hacking from offsite then you will most likely have to break through a gateway node, then find a master node for maglock which could either be split up by floor or all individual locks.

If your onsite though you will have access to each maglock you come within range of(if they are not hidden or hardwired). Meaning you dont have to mess with no gateway node or any master node.


In #2 if you are hacking a persons com from far away all the crap they have hooked up to their comm might look like a single node.

If they are within range of your comm though their individual wi-fi enabled devices would be vulnerable and let you bypass the nasty heavily Ic'ed comm.

thanks for the page refrence abbandon, alltho it do not talk about encrypting devices (something the text of "encryption and decryption" under electronic warfare, P225, does).

I have a question...
You all have mentioned hacking a commlink...How does one hack a commlink?
I'm assuming the attacker rolls their hacking skill+exploit program rating, correct?
Now, what does the defender do if:
1.) they have no commlink defense/ic to speak of
2.) they have commlink "defense" (whatever that may be)

How will they know they're being hacked? Or will they even know? Thanks

well there are two things you can try to do to another device trhough the matrix. Hack it and spoof it. Hacking means you blow through its defenses and have your way with it. Spoofing means you try to immitate whatever is sending that device signals.

To hack i think you just make an extended test to detect the node/comm. Electronic Warfare+scan(variable, 1 combat turn).

And then you hack on the fly or probe it. Hack+exploit(depending on type of hack) extended test.


Spoofing requires you to decrypt all the matrix chit chat around you. Decrypt+response(encryption x2, 1 combat turn) extended test.

Then you try to intercept the transmission. Electronic Warfare+sniffer (3) test.

Then you do a matrix perception test to find that person Access ID. Computer+analyze(variable) seccuss test. Or if thetarget is trying to hide from you computer+analyze vs Hack+stealth(or firewall+stealth for programs/nodes)

And then you send fake instructions to the device that person controls. Hack+ spoof vs Pilot+ firewall opposed test.



Commlinks only defense are firewall programs and IC/agents/sprites. You wont know a hacker is in your com until he gets spotted by ic/agents/programs or he does something to a device he now has access to, or if he attempts to crash a program's/device's OS which automatically triggers an alarm.

emrak, page 221 of SR4.

I have my own solution for this problem. Its called spoofing relay. Musst be somewhere in a thread in there or in my SGM. As for encryption: I would rule that you are only allowed to encrypt connections and files, not nodes. (insert fluff reason here)