• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

BBS / DOS / Telnet server ...making them play together, anyone?

My father still uses a modem.. and the screetch is when you connect, when you're getting connected it goes silent. So to have something similar for telnet I guess you would make something that sounds like it goes through the speed negotiation phase as soon as you hit 'telnet <somewhere>', then goes into a stable mode where the screech ends its stepping sequence, before it finally goes almost quiet and then goes completely quiet just when you get the remote prompt.
Then add blinkenlights somewhere..

-Tor
 
Tor said:
My father still uses a modem.. and the screetch is when you connect, when you're getting connected it goes silent.
Click to expand...

The speaker is controlled by the user. ATM1 is speaker on until connected. ATM2 is speaker always on. M0 and M3 are used as well. If you are using tone "dialing" you will hear the tones at the top. The speed of the "dialing" can also be set in the S registers (11 IIRC).
 
all this being said...

do you think it's possible to invent a small box that plugs into the standard RJ11 jack on a modem and converts it to RJ45 for ethernet...and could "telnet" modem to modem using the modem strings? couldn't it theoretically fool the modem into doing the handshake, connection, etc, make the sounds, but use telnet, where the box would sort of decipher and negotiate everything for the modem to handle.

Sort of like VoIP, but specifically user to user. We've talked about how VoIP services dumb down their connection speeds because it's monophonic voice, but the actual internet connections people have can support some big bandwidth. So that should alleviate the fact of errors from modem to modem.

I understand a lot of tech, but I'm more steve jobs like, a thinker. I'm not a good engineer. :)

Maybe this is possible using an arduino or something of the like? I'm sure the tech is available. Obviously it would be a hobby kit thing as there's no mass market available for something as geek as it, but still interesting to say the least.
 
At what speed? 1200 and 2400 bps single-chip modems probably are still available, but anything much higher is going to take some fancy circuitry--9600 and up is particularly DSP-intensive.
 
Tor said:
My father still uses a modem.. and the screetch is when you connect, when you're getting connected it goes silent. So to have something similar for telnet I guess you would make something that sounds like it goes through the speed negotiation phase as soon as you hit 'telnet <somewhere>', then goes into a stable mode where the screech ends its stepping sequence, before it finally goes almost quiet and then goes completely quiet just when you get the remote prompt.
Then add blinkenlights somewhere..

-Tor
Click to expand...
Why not just use dial-up in the first place?
 
33black said:
all this being said...

do you think it's possible to invent a small box that plugs into the standard RJ11 jack on a modem and converts it to RJ45 for ethernet...and could "telnet" modem to modem using the modem strings? couldn't it theoretically fool the modem into doing the handshake, connection, etc, make the sounds, but use telnet, where the box would sort of decipher and negotiate everything for the modem to handle.
Click to expand...
No need to invent it, there are all sorts of RS-232<>Ethernet bridges out there (Lantronix units often go for around $10-$20 on eBay) and also several software solutions for using your main internet-connected computer as a bridge; here's a Windows version:
http://www.jammingsignal.com/files/
It has optional optimization for the CBM systems but works just as well with most other formats (and also includes a client BTW).

Google tcpser for a Linux version.

In general they all more or less transparently replace the modem and connect between the BBS's serial port(s) and the Internet; a lot of Telnet BBS's connect to the oldskool BBS hard/software this way.
 
Last edited:
Good point, Mike!--but I thought the OP would have run across discussions about the Lantronix units with a simple search--heaven knows, they've been discussed on this forum before, as has telnet-access BBS.

I thought the OP really, really wanted to use his modem.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Good point, Mike!--but I thought the OP would have run across discussions about the Lantronix units with a simple search--heaven knows, they've been discussed on this forum before, as has telnet-access BBS.

I thought the OP really, really wanted to use his modem.
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but maybe he isn't aware of these emulations which are effectively ordinary more-or-less Hayes-compatible modems as far as the BBS (or client) software is concerned. They generally use AT commands just like a 'real' modem, but instead of a phone number you dial an Internet address, etc.

But his proposed 'invention' is effectively just a second modem that takes his modem's audio and converts it back to digital and then converts it to TCP/IP anyway; instead of serial<>audio<>serial<>TCP/IP why not just serial<>TCP/IP?

But if he does really want to use his modem, all he has to do is connect it to another modem back-to-back and then to the 'net with one of the suggested solutions.
 
Last edited:
Guys, I understand most of these options. Initially I didn't want to install Windows, but then the obvious dawned on me that DOS wasn't multitasking, hence why there was no telnet server for DOS.

Then it spiraled into a completely different conversation.

I know you can hook up null modem terminals, etc. But I'm just saying, for the purist, it would be cool if I could just throw a little gizmo on the back of my Packard Bell 2400 external modem, hooked up to my PB486, and "dial up" another number, modem sounds and all.

I get there are other ways of doing it, but that's not the point.
 
33black said:
But I'm just saying, for the purist, it would be cool if I could just throw a little gizmo on the back of my Packard Bell 2400 external modem, hooked up to my PB486, and "dial up" another number, modem sounds and all.
Click to expand...

I think you could use mTCP Telnet and do that. I'd just "dial" the number with a batch file that sent a string to the modem or other noise maker such as a sound card or your PC speaker before it connected to the Telnet BBS of your choice. No multitasking needed. You could do a little pseudo comprog menu for different boards. Bats rulz!

PS: The purist of course would just dial a BBS with the modem.
 
Ole Juul said:
I think you could use mTCP Telnet and do that. I'd just "dial" the number with a batch file that sent a string to the modem or other noise maker such as a sound card or your PC speaker before it connected to the Telnet BBS of your choice. No multitasking needed. You could do a little pseudo comprog menu for different boards. Bats rulz!

PS: The purist of course would just dial a BBS with the modem.
Click to expand...

I don't have modem noises. Or a simulated modem initialization sequence. But for a while I did have a -1200 and a -2400 option that would slow the rate of characters painting down to those respective speeds. ;-0

This reminds me of a terminal emulator I heard about for a GUI system that simulated the DEC fonts perfectly, and even simulated the curvature of the glass CRT. Now that's emulation!


Mike
 
Tor said:
My father still uses a modem.. and the screetch is when you connect, when you're getting connected it goes silent.
Click to expand...
When the OS/2 dialer makes a connection there's a couple nice "DONG!!"s to varify that the connection has been made successfully.
 
A purist WOULD just dial a bbs with a modem. However, I'm pretty sure I can't even get a copper line anymore here in the Hollywood area. VoIP doesn't work with data transfers from what I'm understanding, and very few other people have copper lines and modems at this point so who would call in? :)

That's why I fabricated the idea of emulating the whole experience behind the scenes, because really, it's all about the facade anyway.
 
33black said:
However, I'm pretty sure I can't even get a copper line anymore here in the Hollywood area. VoIP doesn't work with data transfers from what I'm understanding, and very few other people have copper lines and modems at this point so who would call in? :)
Click to expand...

That's good to know. I'm interested in how wide spread the lack of copper line is getting these days. I keep forgetting because here in this little ghost town in the middle of nowhere we are dependent on a rotten copper line that was installed in the 60's! I think the individual lines are 12ga so they should probably dig it up and sell it for more than it would cost to put in fibre. Actually, (getting more OT here) the cost of the trench (especially here in the mountains) is the part that's expensive. Fibre or copper are a negligible cost.
 
I still think there should be more hacks to get modems to work via cell phones, voip, and whatever magicjack technology is. I did like that dialing string trick on vonage to indicate a fax, wonder how many other tricks there are out there to improve quality.
 
I did a google search on my modem for virtual modems and came up with a lot of hits. So really don't no what all the fuss is about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top