Page Location: Home > Support > PC-DC Server > Topic

Forum: PC-DC Server

Topic: Usb modems and PC-DC server

Page 1 of 1
gokaiblue
rank 2
Posted:
Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:02 pm
quote : #1
profile : pm
Posts: 7
Type: NTSC-U
So, I've been reading up on the various ways to connect to the internet on the Dreamcast, and it looks like I may be inclined to use the PC-DC server. However, I don't think I have the funds nor the space for a large (at least what I think is large) dial up modem, so I was thinking I could use a USB modem. One guide I read even recommended it, but it had one other item that would be out of my skill range: a voltage line inducer. So, I was wondering what USB modem would work without a line-inducer?
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:34 pm
quote : #2
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
This automates the whole thing. The hardest part is making the voltage inducer. Which looks harder than it is. You just connect a capacitor, resistor, and 9v battery clip in a specific order to one wire of the phone line. After that you just turn on the raspberry pi and you're ready to go
http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreampi.html
http://blog.kazade.co.uk/2015/12/dreampi-098-released.html
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:53 pm
quote : #3
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
I haven't made an LVI, but I essentially did making this image. If it's wrong, someone correct me. It's a lot easier than it seems

 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Tue Dec 08, 2015 4:05 pm
quote : #4
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
 
gokaiblue
rank 2
Posted:
Wed Dec 09, 2015 7:29 pm
quote : #5
profile : pm
Posts: 7
Type: NTSC-U
I heard of the Raspberry Pi method and was leaning towards that.....until I realized how much it would cost and the fact that I need another monitor for a computer (at least I think I need to in order to load the program on it). However, I may due the voltage inducer, usb modem, and the Linux server, though I'm just wondering if there is a USB modem with enough voltage output or input that I wouldn't need to do so.
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:02 pm
quote : #6
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
No second monitor needed, you just load the image onto the SD card and boot up the pi as far as I understand. The benefits of the pi are not needing to boot up the virtual machine, no configuring, and added DNS redirection for faster connecting on games like 4x4, and some websites on the browsers. You just turn on the pi and you're ready to go. Cost of setup is $55~ (1/4 price of a broadband adapter) with support for all games/apps. Opposed to BBA which supports 3 games and 2 browsers

Some hardware modems (drivers built into the modem, opposed to installing the software on PC) run voltage down the line. But i'm not sure which one's exactly. Generally the hardware modems are more expensive
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:21 pm
quote : #7
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
Alternatively to the 9v battery you can use a 9v A/C adapter. You just need to figure out the positive an negative ends. Otherwise its the same
 
gokaiblue
rank 2
Posted:
Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:30 pm
quote : #8
profile : pm
Posts: 7
Type: NTSC-U
Alright, that's definitely something to consider. I may just try to do the Linux version of the PC-DC server with the voltage line inducter as opposed to the Pi version, as it's less costly than getting the Pi+USB modem+Materials for the VLI (from my perspective as a poor college student at least), though if I can find a way to get a Pi for cheap and/or I have additional funds, then I may go that route.
 
gokaiblue
rank 2
Posted:
Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:41 am
quote : #9
profile : pm
Posts: 7
Type: NTSC-U
I found a hardware based modem that is less than $40.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013BV6B98/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1449748128&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 &keywords=Usb+hardware+modem

While, searchimg, I also found plug and play modems for the same price are less. Are those the same as hardware based modems?
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:19 pm
quote : #10
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
From what i've heard/read, the modems that run voltage down the line have external power supplies. It's not likely a USB powered modem will do so. Standard phone jacks run up to 150v of electricity down the line. Standard usb ports only supply 2.5v-5v I think but i'm not certain

The people working on the dreampi software are looking into compatibility with the new raspberry pi zero, which is supposed to be $5 I think. Compatibility with the current code hasn't been proven yet. But if it does work, then it will greatly reduce the cost of setting up the pi adapter. But the zero lacks full sized USB ports and an ethernet port I think

Again it would be kind of senseless to pay the extra money for the hardware modem with plausible voltage supply, than setting up a pi adapter with minimal configuration and setup time when you want to use it

Some dev quotes
Quote:
The Pi Zero would certainly get costs down, but it would need a dongle/hub for the modem and a USB-ethernet adapter -- and until the software is 100% perfect, they're a little harder to troubleshoot.
That said, its really the soldering of the voltage inducer that takes the most time. As @TerdFerguson pointed out, setting up the Pi itself is pretty simple.


Quote:
What would be REALLY awesome is if we could solder a wireless NIC onto a Pi Zero embedded in the DC modem, then digest the dial up credentials passed by the DC as a SSID and WPA key. Even if it still needed external power hanging off the modem, that would be a million times more convenient than the current three wire + battery solution...

Yup, I'm gonna have to try this.


So you can either, setup a dreampi adapter with the current model pi, or buy a cheap conexant modem, make a voltage inducer for pc-dc and keep an eye on kazade's site for when any announcements are made regarding the pi zero


Hope to see you online

Last edited by Dan12343 on Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:34 pm
quote : #11
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
One thing to note though is usually the cheap phone cables included with conexant modems typically only have two wires in them. Look for phone cables with 4 wires inside of them. The cheaper cables cause issues with dial tone emulation and negotiating the call from the console. Since there's only one wire for electricity, and one for audio and data simultaneously

I tried to find citations for that, if I do i'll edit this reply


Another note is with standard pc-dc method, there's no dial tone emulation. There's a few games that don't support blind dialing ( wait's for a dial tone before dialing ). So you'd have to swap a phone cable plugged into a phone jack then back to modem after it begins dialing, or by playing an mp3/wav file over the phone line which I have no idea how to do
 
gokaiblue
rank 2
Posted:
Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:24 pm
quote : #12
profile : pm
Posts: 7
Type: NTSC-U
Alright, that's something to keep an eye on. For now, I may use my old laptop that has a dial up input in it and load Linux on it and do the PC-DC server that way. Just one more question: I know for REVB modems I have to use a line voltage inducer with any method, but for REVA through an on board PCI modem, would I need one? I know it may seem like I'm trying to avoid building one simply because I'm trying to take the easy way out, but it's really because I'm worried that if I do it wrong, I'll damage the modem, my Dreamcast, and/or my computer. Knowing my luck (and my messed up finger muscles) I'd probably screw up.
 
Dan12343
rank 6
Posted:
Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:56 pm
quote : #13
profile : pm
Posts: 47
Type: NTSC-U
I've tried making a pc-dc server before with revision-a modem and still needed voltage. It varies really, maybe you'll need voltage maybe not. The problem is with PCI modems is most of them don't virtualize well. I'm not sure if the PCI modem won't virtualize well or the actual PCI bus is hard to virtualize. I haven't heard of a faulty voltage inducer damaging the hardware, probably because again a phone cable is design to handle up to 150v of electricity so I'd imagine the interfaces are designed to handle that much as well

Maybe someone else can comment on the possibility of damaging hardware from messing it up, but that's why there's capacitors and resistors being added. If you wire it incorrectly you'll get no-carrier error ( the error you get when needing voltage. There's no electricity to pass the data packets back and forth ). But again by looking at the diagram I made it's really hard to mess it up

So pretty much, go for it. If you get no-carrier that's your answer
This is the best guide http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/guides/pc-dc-server-guide-win7/
 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Display:   
 
View previous topic - View next topic
Page Location: Home > Support > PC-DC Server > Topic