Questions tagged [modem]
Discussion of retrocomputing modems.
31
questions
4
votes
1
answer
116
views
What is the power adapter voltage and polarity for an Avatex 1200 modem?
My very first modem was an Avatex 1200 connected to my trusty C64. Unfortunately, the power adapter has long since been, let's say, disassociated from the hardware. I probably still have it, but the ...
19
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What exactly were those large orange chips on the Hayes Micromodem II interface card?
I've had a Hayes Micromodem II for the Apple ][ a very, very long time. I've seen a lot of interface cards over the years since then and have never seen anything quite like it: there are giant orange, ...
5
votes
4
answers
674
views
Which home computer first included a printer and modem port as standard?
As home computers rapidly gained in popularity in the early 1980s, third-party peripheral manufacturers also began selling peripherals. For those users wanting to do "serious work", the ...
5
votes
2
answers
844
views
Does the interface PBX phones plug into limit modem speed? [closed]
Many hotel etc phones plug into a digital PBX, often with a non-standard interface. Does the interface PBX phones plug into limit modem speed to below 56k?
17
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why was Wireplay "faster and more reliable" than dial-up Internet, since they both used the same hardware?
In 1997, there was this service called Wireplay in the UK.
Instead of using the Internet, you used it by directly phoning their servers with your modem from your PC, and the point of this was that it ...
9
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why Kansas City Standard (KCS/CUTS) differs from Bell 103/202/212 modem protocol?
While both were data transfer protocols serving streams at 300/1200 baud, why did they choose different frequencies, marks, modulation, and anything else?
I understand that they serve different ...
6
votes
3
answers
723
views
Is there a softmodem driver package for Linux?
I'd like to run an old-school BBS that can be dialed into over a real phone line. Unfortunately, I don't currently have the necessary hardware to do so. I had the idea of purchasing a VPS and then ...
11
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why did the Bell 103 modem specification use 1070Hz, 1270Hz, 2025Hz and 2225Hz?
The Bell 103 modem spec gives the following frequencies to use:
Transmit Side: 1070Hz (space) and 1270Hz (mark)
Receive Side: 2025Hz (space) and 2225Hz (mark)
Why were these specific frequencies ...
4
votes
4
answers
714
views
Using a GSM (2G) cellphone as a modem to send code
I am quite a newbie to retrocomputing, and I don't know if such a question should be asked here. But I hope maybe some of you could help me.
I started reflecting on ways to send data without the ...
6
votes
1
answer
362
views
What is the easiest way to get an Amiga online?
I'm working on my ultimate CDTV setup, few hiccups along the way with CDROM access on TF536, but we will cross this bridge. As of right now I'm only missing and internet access, before I can finally ...
31
votes
4
answers
5k
views
How can I construct a dial-up network in my home, purely for the kicks?
All the technology in my house is modern, but I want to build a dialup network that I can use to produce sounds from Bell 101/103 (if I can find the proper softmodem) to V.92bis. I honestly don't know ...
26
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Why were "data modems" so much more expensive compared to "fax modems" back in the day?
In 1997, my uncle visited and gave me a "fax modem" which he installed on our 486 PC and then managed to transfer over a fax document from a real fax in his home to our computer, running ...
3
votes
1
answer
234
views
Networking WfW 3.11 between modern ethernet and 56k internal modem card
Is there any way i could use either of those networking cards and use them on a modern ethernet system? We have aDSL where i live. If i couldnt connect it to my home network, is there any way i could ...
5
votes
0
answers
126
views
Did Hayes and/or other modem companies ever add TDD capability to their modems?
A Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD, aka Text Telephony (TTY)) was an early modem capability to allow deaf people to use telephones by including a keyboard and output device (such as ...
88
votes
9
answers
19k
views
Why did modems have speakers?
Everyone who used early telecommunications services, not to mention the early dial-up Internet services, is familiar with the tones and hissing sounds of a modem establishing a connection. I recall ...
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
TCP over RS-232 with Windows 3.1 and Internet Explorer 5 dialer
I am restoring a Windows 3.1 computer that has Internet Explorer 5 installed. I would like to connect it to the internet using a Linux-based laptop as an intermediary.
The physical connection is ...
1
vote
1
answer
340
views
How was the modem MNP protocol implemented in software?
When first modems for PCs started to appear in the USSR in late 1980s, they usually were in the form of an ISA card, and supported a bare minimum of the Hayes AT commands. Given the quality of Soviet ...
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Windows 98 SE PC refusing to network using NIC/modems
The problem is basically as the title stated. I have a Compaq Presario PC from the late 90s running Windows 98 Second Edition. It was handed down so I'm not exactly sure what it went through in its ...
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
When did 1200bps become the modal speed of installed modems?
Telephone line modems were important in home and business computing for decades. Like a lot of people, I started with a Hayes Smartmodem 300. The modem came out in 1981 but I got mine about 1990. By ...
6
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Cartridge modems - was the Vic-20 a special case?
'The Home Computer Wars' has this to say about the development of the cartridge modem for the Vic-20:
The size of the case was another problem. Most modems came in bulky rectangular boxes about 10 ...
20
votes
1
answer
606
views
What was the service offered by US Sprint for long distance data connections in the late 1980's?
Back in the 1980's long distance telephone calls were ridiculously expensive. This led more than one young aspiring geek to misuse the phone network when making those oh so important calls to BBS's ...
4
votes
2
answers
643
views
Setting up and using UUCP (with analog modems)
These days, of course, we have the Internet, but back in the day, there was Unix to Unix Copy - UUCP. In its heyday it was a terrific way to get email and other simple data moving across the world, ...
5
votes
2
answers
245
views
Which AT commands are understood by a Telebit QBlazer modem?
Inspired by another post here, I recently purchased a Telebit QBlazer modem and am having some fun with it.
It did not, however, come with a user manual, nor can I find one online.
In the absence of ...
31
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What was the technical reason behind the octal digits used for CompuServe User IDs?
On CompuServe in the 1990's, my ID was "73313, 3443". I still remember it today because it was (seemed) way more important to me than any phone numbers I ever memorized.
According to Wikipedia:
...
3
votes
1
answer
447
views
What modem was a little black cube about 1.25" on each side?
I used to have a modem that was a little black cube about 1.25" on each side. Maybe a little bigger. 19.2Kbaud I think. I can't remember the name of the company or the model or anything and searches ...
75
votes
7
answers
9k
views
What technological factors drove the rise of "high-speed" modems in the early 1990s?
The first inexpensive modem I ever purchased was a 300 baud direct-connect unit for the C64 User Port in late 1983. I recall that a couple of years later (1986), 1200 baud modems were affordable and I ...
10
votes
1
answer
821
views
Whatever happened to the janus protocol
Back in the day, when I was running a bbs, blinkyterm was just coming out with the new janus bidirectional file transfer protocol which was hoped to displace zmodem et al for bbs to bbs file transfer (...
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Creating Null Modem Connection between two C64s?
Trying to establish a null modem connection between 2 C64s using 1 Commodore 1660 300 Baud modem and 1 Commodore 1670 1200 Baud modem.
Does anybody have detailed instructions on how to configure the ...
13
votes
6
answers
1k
views
How was parity used with modems?
On the back of this question which talks about 5- and 6-bit communications, I remember back in the BBS days that it was common to set your terminal to 8N1, (a.k.a. 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit) to ...
35
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Why did the Bell 103 modem use a data rate of 300 bps?
Virtually every telephone modem in existence runs at a data rate that's a multiple of the Bell 103A's 300 bps. Why was the base 300 bps chosen in the first place?
19
votes
1
answer
877
views
How did XBAND modems transmit game state?
The XBAND Video Game Modem and Network allowed owners of Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo game systems to play head-to-head over a phone line in 1994, before "twitch" gaming over the Internet was ...