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Help! Using Serial-2-Wifi modem on Windows

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First post, by uscleo

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Hi Guys,

I bought on of these https://www.simulant.uk/shop/retro-vintage-co … ayes-compatible

and I am trying to set this up with my old compaq portable 386 running windows 95.

I've gotten pretty far in that through the AT commands I issue in Hyperterminal, I managed to get the wifi connected and the serial connection working.

However, I'm stumped at how to use this device as a modem for windows 95 to view as a connection. So I can visit old websites that are still online, and watch windows 95 try to load a modern website, you know, just for fun.

I've managed to generate a connection, but the problem is that Windows 95 (and i'm assuming all dialup networks at the time) require a login and password. My connection works in that it passes the "Dialling" phase, then goes onto "Verifying username and password" and then it gets stuck. The computer keeps sending the modem information but there is no reply. Anyone know how to get these wifi to serial "modems" to respond to this? Does anyone know what AT commands I might need to issue to let windows 95 know that the username and password are "correct" ?

Anyone else using one of these devices or their similar counterparts? Is it a hardware incompatibility? or something that can be fixed through issuing the right AT commands?

Any help appreciated!

Reply 1 of 6, by jmarsh

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Given that a serial link is meant to be one-to-one, you'll probably need to setup a PPP/SLIP server on your network and "dial" into it.

Reply 2 of 6, by Jo22

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^Windows XP can act both as a SLIP host and client..

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 3 of 6, by akula65

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It is possible your issue is due to restrictions imposed by your ISP. At a time when AT&T (a U.S. firm) was our DSL provider several years ago, AT&T provided a backup dial-up number in the event that DSL wasn't working or you wanted to access your account on the go. I attempted to use Windows 98 to make a dial-up connection, but the connection was consistently refused. After experimentation, I found out that you had to be using a version of Windows that Microsoft was actively supporting in order to make a dial-up connection, even though I could never find any AT&T documentation that indicated such a restriction. It is possible that the dial-up scheme was looking at the Dial-up Networking (DUN) version Windows clients were using and selectively connecting based on that version.

So check your ISP's documentation and see if it lists a minimum version of Windows required for dial-up access, and if you can't find such documentation, ask your ISP's customer service.

Reply 4 of 6, by .legaCy

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akula65 wrote:

It is possible your issue is due to restrictions imposed by your ISP. At a time when AT&T (a U.S. firm) was our DSL provider several years ago, AT&T provided a backup dial-up number in the event that DSL wasn't working or you wanted to access your account on the go. I attempted to use Windows 98 to make a dial-up connection, but the connection was consistently refused. After experimentation, I found out that you had to be using a version of Windows that Microsoft was actively supporting in order to make a dial-up connection, even though I could never find any AT&T documentation that indicated such a restriction. It is possible that the dial-up scheme was looking at the Dial-up Networking (DUN) version Windows clients were using and selectively connecting based on that version.

So check your ISP's documentation and see if it lists a minimum version of Windows required for dial-up access, and if you can't find such documentation, ask your ISP's customer service.

I guess what the author wanted is to create a bridge between his old pc and a internet using his local network

Reply 5 of 6, by uscleo

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.legaCy wrote:
akula65 wrote:

It is possible your issue is due to restrictions imposed by your ISP. At a time when AT&T (a U.S. firm) was our DSL provider several years ago, AT&T provided a backup dial-up number in the event that DSL wasn't working or you wanted to access your account on the go. I attempted to use Windows 98 to make a dial-up connection, but the connection was consistently refused. After experimentation, I found out that you had to be using a version of Windows that Microsoft was actively supporting in order to make a dial-up connection, even though I could never find any AT&T documentation that indicated such a restriction. It is possible that the dial-up scheme was looking at the Dial-up Networking (DUN) version Windows clients were using and selectively connecting based on that version.

So check your ISP's documentation and see if it lists a minimum version of Windows required for dial-up access, and if you can't find such documentation, ask your ISP's customer service.

I guess what the author wanted is to create a bridge between his old pc and a internet using his local network

Yes I think that's what I need - just not sure how though with this Wifi to serial adapter. Basically, I've gotten as initialising the serial modem using hyper terminal, and then getting the serial modem to successfully connect to my wifi network.

As to what the next steps are I'm completely stumped. I guess somehow I have to instruct the modem using AT commands to allow for HTTP port 80 communication? Anyone with any pointers? I'm completly stuck here. I even emailed the manufacturer http://www.simulant.uk/shop/retro-vintage-com … ayes-compatible but did not get a response. My unit came with a long list of AT commands but I'm not sure what to issue the modem to create a bridge.

It seems I'm the only one trying to use it this way, most other people are using to connect to BBS, which I assume takes place in the terminal window.

Reply 6 of 6, by ssshake

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Hey everyone, Rich from Theoldnet.com here. Just wanted to let you know that I make and sell my own version of these modems and I believe they are of better quality. I also don't think you'll get a response from simulant.

If interested you can get them at http://theoldnet.com/store

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