I'm the trustee for a small club repeater and we're looking to add internet linking capability. AllStarLink seems popular as a dedicated computer node with support for EchoLink and other VoIP clients. IRLP has restrictions - it can only connect to one node at a time but seems more stable.

What are your experiences with these systems? Looking for reliability and ease of use for club members. We know about the linking delays requiring two-second pauses, but wondering about maintenance and user-friendliness.

Any recommendations for a mid-size club (about 50 active members)?

Over 3,700 nodes have upgraded to ASL 3 with improved stability and uptime, running on everything from Raspberry Pi's to PCs and commercial boxes. We've been running AllStarLink for three years - much more flexible than IRLP for multiple connections and easier for members to use.

Started with IRLP in 2004 and it's rock solid, but EchoIRLP lets you run both IRLP and EchoLink from one interface box. IRLP supports only one connection but has reflectors for roundtables, uses custom interface boards with Linux, and nodes connect using DTMF codes. Less complexity means fewer failure points.

We're running all three systems bridged together on our club repeater - the VoIP Nodes project allows cross-connecting one IRLP node to multiple AllStarLink and EchoLink nodes. Takes more setup but gives maximum connectivity options. Members love being able to access any network they want.