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Newer Computer acting as ISP for Vintage Computer?

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Great Hierophant

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In the old days, a person would dial up through their modem to an ISP, which would allow that user and his computer to gain access to the internet. They would connect to an Internet Service Provider, which would handle their access to the internet. Today, most users connect to the Internet through their broadband modem and ethernet. However, it is difficult for some vintage computers to connect to anything via ethernet, but easy via null-modem serial port or a modem.

Is there software you can use to make your modern computer, attached via broadband to the Internet, act as an ISP for your vintage machine connected to the modern computer via a null modem cable? I am not 100% sure what I am trying to express here, but I hope someone can understand what I am trying to accomplish.
 
You can run a serial or parallel port network to your vintage machine from your ethernet-connected machine and try to connect from there.
 
I once had the same question, and although my memory on how to do it is vague, I recall that you can use a Linux server to act as a bridge between the ethernet and dialup. You attach the vintage computer via modem to the dial-up card in Linux (the Linux box will be used as a dial-in server), and the Ethernet card attaches to your modem or router or whatever you use to get to the Internet.

Being able to bridge the two protocols requires manually manipulating iptables, from memory. Additionally, you need a hardware modem- although the situation may have changed since I tried this back in summer 2010, Linux support for software modems (so-called 'Winmodems') sucks. I have never sucessfully gotten this to work, but just because I haven't doesn't mean it is impossible... back then I wasn't nearly as competent using Linux and fending for myself as I am now :p.

TL;DR- I'm CERTAIN what you're trying to do IS possible, but I forget the details.
 
I don't think anyone has tried it (probably with good reason) but how about a NT Server box running the Terminal Edition? You would use your vintage PC as a terminal to run a web browser on the (slightly less vintage) NT box.
 
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Great Hierophant said:
In the old days, a person would dial up through their modem to an ISP, which would allow that user and his computer to gain access to the internet. They would connect to an Internet Service Provider, which would handle their access to the internet. Today, most users connect to the Internet through their broadband modem and ethernet. However, it is difficult for some vintage computers to connect to anything via ethernet, but easy via null-modem serial port or a modem.

Is there software you can use to make your modern computer, attached via broadband to the Internet, act as an ISP for your vintage machine connected to the modern computer via a null modem cable? I am not 100% sure what I am trying to express here, but I hope someone can understand what I am trying to accomplish.
Click to expand...


In the mTCP files there is a writeup on how to enable a SLIP or PPP connection from DOS to a Linux machine, and how to configure the Linux machine to serve as a gateway for the connected machines.

The only thing you'd be missing with the null modem cable is a dial tone ...
 
There are different ways to connect your old computer to the Internet, but the first question I would ask is what you are attempting to accomplish. Are you looking for full Internet access, or do you want to connect to telnet BBS or IRC? Telnet BBS and IRC are easy on many old computers. :)

Heather
 
If you google for some SLIP hacks you can see lots of folks do that. Other hacks I know of (also require a SLIP supported client though on the vintage gear) used a Palm Pilot ethernet cradle. Apparently the little adapter on the bottom of the Palm is just a serial jack so you could wire your serial cable or port to the ethernet cradle and it would translate the dialup to ethernet for you.
 
Hi,

Instead of using a more or less modern PC as the bridge between internet and your vintage machine, you can also use a dedicated Embedded Ethernet device. I picked up a secondhand Lantronix MSS-100 for about $20. Connected to a serial port, it provides pretty much all you can think of - like telnet functionality to access internet BBSes from your vintage machine, and the possibility to remotely acces your vintage machine from anywhere using a virtual RS-232 bridge. Much simpler than setting up a dedicated PC!

Here is a link to a Lantronix manual, describing its features. As these boxes are becoming somewhat obsolete themselves, they're not expensive on eBay.


Cheers,

Oscar.
 
Oscar said:
Hi,

Instead of using a more or less modern PC as the bridge between internet and your vintage machine, you can also use a dedicated Embedded Ethernet device. I picked up a secondhand Lantronix MSS-100 for about $20. Connected to a serial port, it provides pretty much all you can think of - like telnet functionality to access internet BBSes from your vintage machine, and the possibility to remotely acces your vintage machine from anywhere using a virtual RS-232 bridge. Much simpler than setting up a dedicated PC!

Here is a link to a Lantronix manual, describing its features. As these boxes are becoming somewhat obsolete themselves, they're not expensive on eBay.


Cheers,

Oscar.
Click to expand...

I like the idea about a serial to ethernet adapter, since virtually any vintage PC can have an RS-232 interface added to it without too much difficulty, but for it to be a fully featured device, it needs a packet driver for DOS. Additionally, it will not be very fast.

Regarding Telnet BBS, I understand that it is quite possible to access them if they allow for a dial-up connection. In other words, they list a telephone number. But can you dial into IRC? I do not think you can directly. I do not want to use an ISP like Earthlink or NetZero.
 
mbbrutman said:
In the mTCP files there is a writeup on how to enable a SLIP or PPP connection from DOS to a Linux machine, and how to configure the Linux machine to serve as a gateway for the connected machines.

The only thing you'd be missing with the null modem cable is a dial tone ...
Click to expand...
I have read the manual. I have a linux machine and null modem cable. But I still do not know where to begin. I can not find SLIPPR and CSLIPPER packet drivers. What do I have to run on linux side ? Sorry for the questions..
 
I used to run a Freesco floppy-based, linux router, and it can be set up to provide a dial-in service and bridge it to LAN/internet. It will run headless on any old laptop or PC back to 486. Essentially, it's an ISP on a floppy-sized linux distro (these days USB and other media installs also available). Guys used to run actual commercial ISP operations with it, in the days of backyard ISPs. It can serve dial-in clients direct to the Internet or you can bridge it to your existing LAN, if you have one. It can install to HDD of course for better boot performance, but the whole thing is in RAM once loaded. It's still FREE at freesco.org and has a very expert and friendly support community. Strongly recommend!

Rick
 
archeocomp said:
I have read the manual. I have a linux machine and null modem cable. But I still do not know where to begin. I can not find SLIPPR and CSLIPPER packet drivers. What do I have to run on linux side ? Sorry for the questions..
Click to expand...

My "howto" files use EtherSlip for SLIP connections and DOSPPP for PPP connections. SLIPPER and CSLIPPER are easily found doing a Google search and should be similar to how EtherSlip works.

The files include a detailed discussion on the theory of the networking setup and the actual commands to use from within Linux. What exactly are you having problems figuring out?
 
Thanks. I found SLIPPER and CSLIPPER meanwhile. As you mentioned "files" I realized I missed something :( I did not notice slip.txt, I only read the SLIP section in setup.txt
 
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