The subreddit r/pcmasterrace contains a lot of information and conversations about current PC hardware, problems and successes with computers. But fans of retro PCs also regularly get their money’s worth here. Recently, a user has managed to create his “own” dial-up Internet provider with a laptop from the 1980s and a few tricks.
For his experiment, “Retrocet” uses a Zenith ZFL-181 from 1987. It features an Intel 8088 with a 4.7 MHz clock, 640 KB of RAM, two 3.5″ hard drives with 720 KB and a monochrome CGA LCD with a resolution of 640 x 200. The system runs MS-DOS 3.20 and Windows 1.04 The modem used is a Livermore Data Systems Model A in a hand-built wooden box.It achieves a maximum transfer rate of 300 bps.
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In his video, Retrocet uses two USR-56K modems, one connected to a Teltone TLS-4A phone line simulator. Other lines lead to other connections in his house. When the phone is picked up, there is a dial tone and any of the other lines on the teltone can be dialed as if calling a phone line, even though it is a stand alone system. This internal network allows the retro PCs to work at full speed via modem, which is not so easily possible via VoIP.
In addition, a VoIP bridge is used, which is connected to the red telephone in his video and supports high-power ringing. The impulses can be converted into DTMF and the telephone can thus be used to navigate through the menus of tone dialing devices. The server Retrocet connects to in the video runs Linux 8.5 and is configured via mgetty for dial-in access via two serial ports. As can be seen in the video, you can use this to log in directly or via AutoPPP, which starts a pppd session and allows you to log in to your own network like you would with regular internet providers.
Source: Reddit
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