WiFi modem for all Amigas?

[JimDrew]

I recently released the WiModem for the Commodore 8 bit computer (see: http://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=58889)

I have had a couple of people ask if I would make a version for the Amiga. I took a look and it would be fairly easy to make a version for the Amiga that plugged into the serial port (via DB25). It could be powered by the Amiga.

This would give you a WiFi modem that you could use to "dial" up BBS's. We are doing that now with the C64. I am not sure how many Amiga BBS's are out there right now. There are dozens for the C64.

Is there any interest in this?

[KarlM]

Sounds good.

[Sir_Lucas]

Definitely yes!!! Your C64 WiModem is great!! It's always good to have some new hardware available.

[HelloBeautiful]

Yes!

[idrougge]

It would mainly be interesting if it spoke SLIP or PPP.

[matthey]

Originally Posted by idrougge

It would mainly be interesting if it spoke SLIP or PPP.

Better yet would be a SANA-II device for TCP/IP through a serial port which could bring cheap and convenient internet to classic Amigas. It may not be the fastest on a builtin classic Amiga serial port due to lack of buffering but it may sell well (I would guess thousands) and get many Amigas online if it were ~$50 like the C64 version.

[JimDrew]

The price would be the same as the C64 version. The baud rate of the device can be up to 1 Mbps, but the Amiga can't handle that speed.

It would be a serial only type of device, but it could support UDP and other types of connections if I learned how those worked.

[HelloBeautiful]

Originally Posted by JimDrew

The price would be the same as the C64 version. The baud rate of the device can be up to 1 Mbps, but the Amiga can't handle that speed.

It would be a serial only type of device, but it could support UDP and other types of connections if I learned how those worked.

Would this be of any help to you?
http://lallafa.de/blog/amiga-projects/plipbox/
https://github.com/cnvogelg/plip2slip

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by matthey

Better yet would be a SANA-II device for TCP/IP through a serial port which could bring cheap and convenient internet to classic Amigas.

This is a modem for connecting to good old BBSes, not a wifi internet card. you already can get wifi cards for the Amiga.

Jim Drew: don't overcomplicate (and risk never finishing) the card by listening to weird requests. If it does what the C64 one does it'd be really cool.

[Jope]

My opinions:

1) the c-64 wifi modem should have had a 6551 for reasonable transfer rates and plugged to the cartridge port
2) the amiga wifi modem should look like a plipbox and connect to the parallel port

It seems I'm not in the target group for either device due to my incorrect opinions. Nevertheless, they would be good if they were like that. Now they're just ok.

[Zippy Zapp]

I would love this for Amiga! I am enjoying the WiModem for C64 and BBSs on the Amiga would be fantastic, given the faster speed, 80 columns, etc.

My opinions:

1) the c-64 wifi modem should have had a 6551 for reasonable transfer rates and plugged to the cartridge port
2) the amiga wifi modem should look like a plipbox and connect to the parallel port

I know they are just your opinions, so that's cool. But there are a few cons to doing it the way you suggest. 1. There are not that many terminal packages on the C64 that work with the cartridge port serial adapters. I think like 2 or so. Just about any terminal works with User Port versions. Personally I would rather have choice of terminals vs speed. At 2400 baud it is fine for BBSs on the C64, IMHO. In addition it does support the UP9600 hack.

2. I seem to recall, but I could be wrong, that the same is true of the Amiga. Most of the terminals that I used worked with the serial device modems.

This is a great device for it's intended purpose and makes it dead simple to connect to BBSs and telnet servers. And for the price it is an excellent deal.

[Jope]

Originally Posted by Zippy Zapp

1. There are not that many terminal packages on the C64 that work with the cartridge port serial adapters. I think like 2 or so. Just about any terminal works with User Port versions. Personally I would rather have choice of terminals vs speed. At 2400 baud it is fine for BBSs on the C64, IMHO. In addition it does support the UP9600 hack.

The good terminal emulators worth using support ACIA cartridges, that's good enough. :-)

2. I seem to recall, but I could be wrong, that the same is true of the Amiga. Most of the terminals that I used worked with the serial device modems.

That is true, it won't actually be a modem if it's a plipbox, it is a network interface instead.

A basic Amiga can do around 19200bps over the serial port, ok for text use, rather tedious for downloading files. Definitely better than the 2400/9600 you get with the C-64's user port.

But hey, no-one's forcing me to buy either product, power to you if they are useful to you. I want max speed.

[JimDrew]

Originally Posted by HelloBeautiful

Would this be of any help to you?
http://lallafa.de/blog/amiga-projects/plipbox/
https://github.com/cnvogelg/plip2slip

Looks like my WiModem would work directly with the slip driver.

[JimDrew]

Originally Posted by Jope

My opinions:

1) the c-64 wifi modem should have had a 6551 for reasonable transfer rates and plugged to the cartridge port

That's not what I (or those that were surveyed) wanted. It's difficult to plug in the 1541U2 and another cartridge into the same port.

Originally Posted by Jope

2) the amiga wifi modem should look like a plipbox and connect to the parallel port.

I thought about that, but I have a SD hard drive that I designed that plugs into the parallel port.

[JimDrew]

I seem to recall there was a faster serial.device driver that allowed 38400 baud on a stock A500?

[Jope]

Originally Posted by JimDrew

That's not what I (or those that were surveyed) wanted. It's difficult to plug in the 1541U2 and another cartridge into the same port.

It seems the majority of C64 people these days didn't have one in the mid 90s, when those ACIA cartridges were more sought after. That will naturally affect the opinion a bit, but hey - that's democracy. The people have spoken and get what they want.

The wifi modem could have a cart port pass through and DIP SW selectable IO range.

[mistermsk]

JimDrew: As a buyer of the WiModem for the 64. Oh, yes. Getting money ready.

I'll be able to use my RIP term again. hahaha! If I could find it that is.

[matthey]

Originally Posted by Akira

This is a modem for connecting to good old BBSes, not a wifi internet card. you already can get wifi cards for the Amiga.

Jim Drew: don't overcomplicate (and risk never finishing) the card by listening to weird requests. If it does what the C64 one does it'd be really cool.

The Amiga 1200/600 have PCMCIA which supports WiFi and is reasonably priced but other classic Amigas are expensive to add ethernet and/or do not support WiFi. The C64 does not have web browsers, aminet, e-mail programs, online games, etc. Only allowing telnet and modem capabilities is lame on the Amiga. I wouldn't buy hardware for such limited use and I expect Amiga retro gamers (unfortunately about all that is left of the Amiga) are unlikely to buy.

Originally Posted by JimDrew

I seem to recall there was a faster serial.device driver that allowed 38400 baud on a stock A500?

There were several serial.device replacements back in the day.

http://aminet.net/package/comm/misc/8n1
http://aminet.net/package/comm/misc/New8n1
http://aminet.net/package/comm/misc/bband14a
http://aminet.net/package/comm/misc/ArtSer37_6

The bugs and performance likely improved in later versions of the AmigaOS so I don't know how relevant they would be today.

Would it be possible to allow a WiFi "null modem" connection between 2 Amigas for games like Stunt Car Racer, Lotus II/III, Falcon, Skidmarks, Alien Breed 3D, etc.?

[nogginthenog]

Originally Posted by JimDrew

I seem to recall there was a faster serial.device driver that allowed 38400 baud on a stock A500?

Yep. I think I used 57600 or more back in the day.
Alternatives I know of are 8n1.device & baudbandit.device.

I wrote about using a Raspberry PI 1/2 to add serial internet access to my A4000/030: http://c0dedbad.co.uk/raspberrypi-amiga-ppp/

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by JimDrew

That's not what I (or those that were surveyed) wanted. It's difficult to plug in the 1541U2 and another cartridge into the same port.

Not hard at all.
Real users get one of these
http://store.go4retro.com/x-pander-3...port-expander/