Greetings,
I have an external U.S. robotics usr5686d modem. I was wondering if it can be used to dial-up to a BBS and other modems under MS-DOS and Windows 3.x, and if so, what would be the best program for MS-DOS, and which one for Windows 3.x? Thanks!
I just connected to a BBS with this modem on a 486 under Windows 3.11!!! Wow, it has been a LONG time! I used the terminal program and it is very slow and is giving issues. I remember every time we got a newer, faster modem wehn I was a kid (using a 486!) the modem would come with programs for contacting BBSs properly. I just can't remember these programs.
Comit was one of them (might have misspelled it), AFAICR .
Under DOS, I preferred Terminate. ZOC was nice too under OS/2, AFAICR (might have had releases for other OSes as well). Some people used Procomm .
darry wrote on 2022-10-19, 00:42:Comit was one of them (might have misspelled it), AFAICR .
Under DOS, I preferred Terminate. ZOC was nice too under OS/2, AFAICR (might have had releases for otger OSes). Some people used Procomm .
Yes, that sounds familiar. Thank you! I think that Comit or Comet or whatever it is came with one of the modems we bought, back in the day. I can't remember, but I know that one of the modems we upgraded to cam with that or another one which had both a DOS and Windows 3.X version. I'll do a search and try it out. I just showed one of my kids the sound of a modem dialing and connecting and it brings back A LOT of memories!
I downloaded COMit lite and will test it, momentarily. I now have the goal of connecting this 486 to another computer to play Doom, Blood, Warcraft, etc. I also now want to connect to another compyter via serial cable W/null modem adapter, which we used to do with a friend's computer and we would take turns playing two-player games. I think that I may want to build a BBS.
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:34:I downloaded COMit lite and will test it, momentarily. I now have the goal of connecting this 486 to another computer to play Doom, Blood, Warcraft, etc. I also now want to connect to another compyter via serial cable W/null modem adapter, which we used to do with a friend's computer and we would take turns playing two-player games. I think that I may want to build a BBS.
I used to connect to a friend's modem overnight. I had a Quicktel 2400bps internal modem with no ECC or compression and he had a 14.4Kbps of some type or other . We used HS/Link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HS/Link ) to transfer files bi-directionally at 2400bps .
It would have likely been faster to walk there and back with a box of floppies (we lived very close by).
darry wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:40:Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:34:I downloaded COMit lite and will test it, momentarily. I now have the goal of connecting this 486 to another computer to play Doom, Blood, Warcraft, etc. I also now want to connect to another compyter via serial cable W/null modem adapter, which we used to do with a friend's computer and we would take turns playing two-player games. I think that I may want to build a BBS.
I used to connect to a friend's modem overnight. I had a Quicktel 2400bps internal modem with no ECC or compression and he had a 14.4Kbps of some type or other . We used HS/Link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HS/Link ) to transfer files bi-directionally at 2400bps .
It would have likely been faster to walk there and back with a box of floppies (we lived very close by).
Wes used to rack up long distance charges since we lived in a small county which pretended that everything was long distance. We would download patches and wads for Doom. Then we would call each other to play Doom, Blood, Warcratft, and Wing Commander: Armada. It was later on that we got together with our computers more often and used the serial cable. We all drifted apart when the internet took off and people graduated and moved away. That part is sad. I am doing all of this work to recreate the 90's with hardware and furniture, and none of my old friends will ever see it.
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 02:05:darry wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:40:Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:34:I downloaded COMit lite and will test it, momentarily. I now have the goal of connecting this 486 to another computer to play Doom, Blood, Warcraft, etc. I also now want to connect to another compyter via serial cable W/null modem adapter, which we used to do with a friend's computer and we would take turns playing two-player games. I think that I may want to build a BBS.
I used to connect to a friend's modem overnight. I had a Quicktel 2400bps internal modem with no ECC or compression and he had a 14.4Kbps of some type or other . We used HS/Link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HS/Link ) to transfer files bi-directionally at 2400bps .
It would have likely been faster to walk there and back with a box of floppies (we lived very close by).
Wes used to rack up long distance charges since we lived in a small county which pretended that everything was long distance. We would download patches and wads for Doom. Then we would call each other to play Doom, Blood, Warcratft, and Wing Commander: Armada. It was later on that we got together with our computers more often and used the serial cable. We all drifted apart when the internet took off and people graduated and moved away. That part is sad. I am doing all of this work to recreate the 90's with hardware and furniture, and none of my old friends will ever see it.
Well, there's always this https://www.startech.com/en-ca/networking-io/netrs2321p or the equivalent in software . Maybe some of your old friends will want to take a trip back in time with you.
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 02:05:We all drifted apart when the internet took off and people graduated and moved away. That part is sad. I am doing all of this work to recreate the 90's with hardware and furniture, and none of my old friends will ever see it.
Oh man, I feel your pain. I've also slowly been moving back into 90s PC gaming nostalgia but pretty much everybody I shared it with has moved on. I myself have a family and a relatively "normie" gf so I can only take it so far...
I am kinda fascinated by you including furniture in your recreation. Care to tell us more?
PS first post, after lurking for years! Yay!
Yup. It's bitter sweet. We all suffer the same pain. I miss the 90s, too.
When people were more sane/balanced than they're now.
Most of my old friends have changed beyond recognition.
It's frustrating when you find out you're the last one who has stayed true to himself/herself.
Sometimes you wonder if anything inside of your old friends has survived, at all.
Physical, on the cellular level, they're "reborn" multiple times since the 90s.
Or eaten up by their new body (did you remember "Body Snatchers" movie?)
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-18, 23:03:what would be the best program for MS-DOS, and which one for Windows 3.x? Thanks!
Don't recall the best, but these are the ones I remember..
DOS.. Bananacom, Terminal of the Desktop application in PC-Tools 7.x (Central Point Software, has ANSI support),
Telix, Telemate
Win16.. Balloon Telecom Manager (shipped with Creatix modems), Windows 3.x Terminal, Windows 2.x Terminal..
Obsolete online services:
- CompuServe Information Manager (WinCIM)
- Amaris BTX, T-online Software 1.02
- AOL for Windows
The Windows 2.x Terminal is a favorite of mine. So simple, so stable.
Doesn't assume a Hayes modem to be the only device to connect to.
Has Computer-Computer connection in mind, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6_PNpWEhNc
Alternatively, there's also the terminal application in PC/GEOS.
Aka GeoWorks Ensemble, NewDeal Office, Breadbox Ensemble, etc.
Looks solid, haven't used it that much, though.
"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//
The
U.S. Robotics Modems were the most desired in 1990’s because they were easy to setup and they worked great.
I like the external modems that you hookup to the serial port.
No drivers to install and they work great.
ISP’s
NetZero
https://store.netzero.net/account/showService … iceId=nz-dialup
Intel486dx33 wrote on 2022-10-19, 13:23:The U.S. Robotics Modems were the most desired in 1990’s because they were easy to setup and they worked great. I like the exte […]
The
U.S. Robotics Modems were the most desired in 1990’s because they were easy to setup and they worked great.
I like the external modems that you hookup to the serial port.
No drivers to install and they work great.ISP’s
NetZero
https://store.netzero.net/account/showService … iceId=nz-dialup
I liked them too, because of the power switch -> no accidental dialing.
However, they have a huge disadvantage also.
They don't come with an up-to-date FiFo.
Internal modems had their own serial port with a FiFo 16550A or better installed,
which was important for high speed data transfer and compression.
Another mistake, which we all did at some point before USB modems were a thing:
Setting the Baud rate according to the modem connection.
If a BBS had a port with, say, 9600 Baud, some users did enter that same (!) Baud rate into the terminal program.
Which worked, but was totally unnecessary and slowing down the connection.
Because, SmartModems (Hayes etc) did make out the maximum speeds among themselves.
The serial port speed should always be good/high, to allow for compression.
Then, Baud and Bit/s no longer are the same.
Baud is the symbol rate, also accidentally equals the raw bits per second in case of RS-232.
Bit/s can be using compression, however.
Edit: Edited.
"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//
Qmodem or Telix. Both were pretty great from what I remember.
darry wrote on 2022-10-19, 02:24:Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 02:05:darry wrote on 2022-10-19, 01:40:I used to connect to a friend's modem overnight. I had a Quicktel 2400bps internal modem with no ECC or compression and he had a 14.4Kbps of some type or other . We used HS/Link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HS/Link ) to transfer files bi-directionally at 2400bps .
It would have likely been faster to walk there and back with a box of floppies (we lived very close by).
Wes used to rack up long distance charges since we lived in a small county which pretended that everything was long distance. We would download patches and wads for Doom. Then we would call each other to play Doom, Blood, Warcratft, and Wing Commander: Armada. It was later on that we got together with our computers more often and used the serial cable. We all drifted apart when the internet took off and people graduated and moved away. That part is sad. I am doing all of this work to recreate the 90's with hardware and furniture, and none of my old friends will ever see it.
Well, there's always this https://www.startech.com/en-ca/networking-io/netrs2321p or the equivalent in software . Maybe some of your old friends will want to take a trip back in time with you.
Neat!
mrzmaster wrote on 2022-10-19, 19:08:Qmodem or Telix. Both were pretty great from what I remember.
Telix was king.
dunzdeck wrote on 2022-10-19, 09:18:Oh man, I feel your pain. I've also slowly been moving back into 90s PC gaming nostalgia but pretty much everybody I shared it w […]
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-19, 02:05:We all drifted apart when the internet took off and people graduated and moved away. That part is sad. I am doing all of this work to recreate the 90's with hardware and furniture, and none of my old friends will ever see it.
Oh man, I feel your pain. I've also slowly been moving back into 90s PC gaming nostalgia but pretty much everybody I shared it with has moved on. I myself have a family and a relatively "normie" gf so I can only take it so far...
I am kinda fascinated by you including furniture in your recreation. Care to tell us more?PS first post, after lurking for years! Yay!
Back in the early 90's, we bought a Commodore 64 complete with drives, modem, printer, tons of software, and a computer desk. When we got our 486SX/33 in 1993, we used the same desk. When the 486 was upgraded to a tower-based 486DX2/66, I removed the middle shelf on the right side to accommodate the tower. Last year, someone posted a free desk, and it was the SAME make and model of that old desk. It was a little damaged, but not too bad, and I used a bunch of L-brackets to screw all of the parts together and make it solid.
I am buying old white/beige media boxes. I have one for 3.5 floppies (of which 20 just arrived in the mail today, all working and with unused labels,) one for 5.25 floppies (of which I bought 50 a year ago and they were all good, though one or two have gone bad since then,) and I am awaiting a 20 CD box which looks similar to the 5.25 floppy box. I have Creative Labs Cambridge Soundworks 4.1 speakers, and I have the front speakers on their little stands and the rear speakers sit on top with non-slip material, withn the rear speaker jack plugged into the Line-out on my AWE32, and the little speaker stacks are an approximate size of those old Labtec and other brand PC speakers, from back in the day. The media boxes are on top of one shelf, and my MT-32, SC-55, an external LS-120 drives, and my U.S. Robotics External Modem are all stacked on the bottom shelf, just above my beige/off-white horizontal desktop case. That case is bigger than the old 486SX-33 was, because it has three 5.25 bays (top drive is a quad speed, middle drive is a white DVD DL burner for reading burned discs and for transferring files, and bottom drive it the grey-green 5.25 floppy drive which doesn't match anything, color-wise.) The two 3.5 drives are a 1.44mb floppy drive, and a CF-to-IDE adapter drive in white. I am using a Gateway P3-era keyboard until I can replace it with a smaller AT keyboard, and I am using a USB intellimouse using a PS2 adapter, because as much as I love retro computing, I will never miss cleaning out a stuttering roller-ball mouse.
I have Gravis Gamepad Pro/Grip controllers (x4,) an early Sidewinder joystick which works in DOS, and a throttle/rudders which I think are CH. I am lacking a 90s networking switch and a white/beige printer of some sort which needs to be compatible with MS-DOS and Windows 3.x and I need to be able to buy ink for it. I have past threads about those items which I need to reread since things came up in life around then and caused me to put the project on hold.
The Gateway P3 tower I have is to reminisce about the Pentium days. I don't have room for a bunch of computers, or else I would recreate my Pentium 90, which was an upgrade from the DX2, back in the day. I had put a Voodoo1 in that box and played Dark Forces II on it. The Gateway P3 was the very last prebuilt computer I ever had, and it was a big part of my life. It had a Voodoo3 and a Live! card. So when I got my hands on two Gateway P3s, I put a Voodoo5 in one along with a Voodoo1 for DOS and V1-specific games, a Live! card, an AWE32 PnP for DOS and WFW if I decide to put that on there, and bought extra ls-120 disks because these towers came with superdisk drives and my old P3 also came with one. I have a spare external ls-120 and read somewhere that an own was able to use a usb/ide adapter to use their superdisk on Windows 10, including reading and writing. So I will be able to transfer files 120mb or less between all of the systems (though I want to also create a networking/ftp solution as well.) I also bought moslo deluxe which claims to be able to accurately emulate past systems such as a 286, 386, 486, and a Pentium 166 at default. So I will use a KVM and place the P3 tower on the floor under the desk and use it to cover the entire Pentium era of my past PC-using days.
Jo22 wrote on 2022-10-19, 11:01:Yup. It's bitter sweet. We all suffer the same pain. I miss the 90s, too. When people were more sane/balanced than they're now. […]
Yup. It's bitter sweet. We all suffer the same pain. I miss the 90s, too.
When people were more sane/balanced than they're now.
Most of my old friends have changed beyond recognition.It's frustrating when you find out you're the last one who has stayed true to himself/herself.
Sometimes you wonder if anything inside of your old friends has survived, at all.
Physical, on the cellular level, they're "reborn" multiple times since the 90s.
Or eaten up by their new body (did you remember "Body Snatchers" movie?)
Scythifuge wrote on 2022-10-18, 23:03:what would be the best program for MS-DOS, and which one for Windows 3.x? Thanks!
Don't recall the best, but these are the ones I remember..
DOS.. Bananacom, Terminal of the Desktop application in PC-Tools 7.x (Central Point Software, has ANSI support),
Telix, TelemateWin16.. Balloon Telecom Manager (shipped with Creatix modems), Windows 3.x Terminal, Windows 2.x Terminal..
Obsolete online services:
- CompuServe Information Manager (WinCIM)
- Amaris BTX, T-online Software 1.02
- AOL for WindowsThe Windows 2.x Terminal is a favorite of mine. So simple, so stable.
Doesn't assume a Hayes modem to be the only device to connect to.
Has Computer-Computer connection in mind, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6_PNpWEhNcAlternatively, there's also the terminal application in PC/GEOS.
Aka GeoWorks Ensemble, NewDeal Office, Breadbox Ensemble, etc.
Looks solid, haven't used it that much, though.
I am trying to find information on the Balloon program.
mrzmaster wrote on 2022-10-19, 19:08:Qmodem or Telix. Both were pretty great from what I remember.
Qmodem sounds familiar...
@Scythifuge PM sent.
"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//
