Gates - all in contact?

[PTeppic]

Just thinking aloud about some of the other theories (e.g. as summarised by me in a thread of that title!).

When a gate dials anther, it sends out the destination address. Unless there is some sort of "switchboard" (which is unlikely), the initial dialling protocol message must go out to ALL the gates in the network. The correct destination can then respond with a confirmation - or response saying "sorry, already busy" or "event horizon obstructed" etc.

Thinking about the practicality of this, that destination address must know where to "send" these "replies"... so any gate knows where the incoming wormhole has come from.

I wonder if that could be realised by Sam (or another race) in the show, since it has significant benefits, mostly defensive.

 

[System Lord Gypsy]

Your post got me thinking and I'm sure I remember somewhere that thre gate being dialed also "dials" if you will and shows the address of the incoming wormhole. Could be thinking of something else but I'm sure I saw it in an episode or 2.

Gypsy

 

[PTeppic]

Certainly in some scenes the gate dials for incoming wormholes, but I don;t know if it going long enough to sensibly show a full address?

 

[Jedispara]

um, the way i see it is that when you dial a place it dails the other gate automatically, or atleast from what i have seen... but that doesn't make sence so there has to be some proticol built in to the gate system, so that there all in contact with each other... sorta like a giant brain, only the nerves are spread out over lightyears.

 

[System Lord Gypsy]

Could be. I think it does dial the address but only shows it for a certain amount of time Which from what I have seen as you say is not long.

Gypsy

 

[PTeppic]

Originally posted by Jedispara
um, the way i see it is ...

Isn't that what I said at the top of the thread?

 

[Jedispara]

sorry....

 

[shazstar]

My theory until now has been that the gates use an electromagnetic wave connection to establish a stable wormhole. Magnetisation that is incredibly enhanced, possible through Naquada properties.

In simplified forms I guess I think of the gate dial up as a system of coordinate finding. The first glyph (or first three, first 6, whatever, see my explanations in the ninth chevron thread for a take down on that)

So the first 6 glyphs find a certain point in space, and the point of origin determines a vector connection. If you consider that each glyph forms a line of a vector diagram, and the point of origin is the resultant line...this could be a plausible theory, except for the obvious problem of dimensional reality...3D 4D space time.

That has been my basic simplified explanation since I began watching the show, but it is somehing I would love to clarify and understand a little more.

 

[PTeppic]

Originally posted by shazstar
My theory until now has been that the gates use an electromagnetic wave connection to establish a stable wormhole.

Unfortunately since electromagnetic waves take about 10 minutes just from our own sun, they are not suitable for this purpose... unless they are transmitted through "sub-space", some extra-dimension that the wormholes use.

 

[Jedispara]

well that is wat Sam says that the gate access a dimension of space.

 

[System Lord Gypsy]

Is it just me or is this and the red sky thread now on the same subject. Just a thought here but if we keep to the one thread now it'll be easier for some of use to keep track of.

Gypsy

 

[PTeppic]

Good point - I will transfer over...

[okay, I already did!]

 

[System Lord Gypsy]

LOL. Your right, it was to contact the Tok'ra which reminded me of the episode, although just seeing a post from you should have done that. It was in show and tell when they wanted the Tok'ras help with the Reetou.

Gypsy

 

[Tiberius]

"When a gate dials anther, it sends out the destination address. Unless there is some sort of "switchboard" (which is unlikely), the initial dialling protocol message must go out to ALL the gates in the network. The correct destination can then respond with a confirmation - or response saying "sorry, already busy" or "event horizon obstructed" etc."

No, it mustnot go to all of the gates. THink about it. If I dialed 555-555-5555, would I also get 555-556-5555? No. So, the address makes it dial only what is entered.

 

[PTeppic]

YES, it must!

The difference with phones is that there is a switchboard. When you dial, the switchboard routes the call to the right number.
Therefore your analogy becomes non-applicable.

Without it, as I am suggesting, you work on a broadcast mechanism, using source and destination addresses. Like internet packets...

 

[Tiberius]

But my point is the wormhole knows EXACTLY where to go already. You gave it the exact cooridinates when you dialed. There would be no need for it to contact ALL of the gates.

 

[PTeppic]

That would only work if the gate could actually "point" its message at the right gate. Like you would do with semaphore between various towers.

It is perhaps an exagerration to say transmitted at all gates. Perhaps clearer to say "transmitted so that all gates COULD hear it if they chose to read past the header of the message".

Unless you are saying that the message itself is somehow self-guiding?

I still think the IP-packet is probably the best analogy.

An alternative: think about your cell-phone. Would you say that IT sends messages just from your phone to the destination? Of course not - it sends signals "to all phones" and only those who follow protocol actually read the messages/signals to whom they are addressed. Anyone with a scanner, who is therefore breaching the protocol, could (and does) llisten in to your call. Same with cordless domestic phones. And baby-alarms, kids wakly-talkies, motorcycle radio intercoms etc....

 

[Tiberius]

You are assuming that the Ancients used some sort of radio-like system to send the communication. Seeing as they have never gone to do more than they actually had to, I am assuming that the Ancients would send out a signal only as spread out as it need be. Maybe a tight-beam of some sort? After all, if they did more than they needed to for a small task like the prewormhole communication, they would break their pattern of "laziness", lol.

 

[PTeppic]

Unless the communication was self-guiding, i.e. matter and not energy, it could not know where to go.

Hmmm... but what are IP packets? Energy - and guided too. But, going down specific routes...

Discuss - I'm losing it I think.

 

[Tiberius]

I think they would just use a slef-contained beam to communcite...