68kMLA Classic Interface
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| How do I get these on a network | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-12 21:00:21 Hey! Could anyone tell me how to get these guys on a network together?  I need to connect either the iMac G3 or the Powerbook to my Mac Classic. Here are the supplies that I have to work with: My Mac Classic:  My iMac G3  My Powerbook (Don't know what model)  A modem   And finally, this  | |
| Posted by: TheWhiteFalcon on 2016-06-12 21:15:02 Should be able to make a straight LocalTalk serial connection between your PowerBook and the Classic, you'll need a MiniDIN 8 serial cable for kt. | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-12 21:23:51 EDIT: Got that working Can I access the internet with the modem? Like, maybe use one of these computers as a router? | |
| Posted by: Bunsen on 2016-06-12 22:02:59 I'd skip the modem altogether. The iMac has Ethernet, and (depending on model) so does the Powerbook. Or, you can use the PCMCIA/Cardbus slot on the Powerbook to add an Ethernet or Wifi card. Assuming you have some kind of broadband internet at home and a modem/router for that with either Ethernet or Wifi, you should then (after some fiddling about) be golden. In fact, the Powerbook, running LocalTalk Bridge software, can act as a bridge device between the Classic and the ethernet/wireless network. | |
| Posted by: Bunsen on 2016-06-12 22:05:06 The model of your Powerbook should be written on the compliance sticker underneath. Or, you can get it via "About This Mac", under the Apple menu in the top left. | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-12 22:26:47 It's a Powerbook G3 running Mac OS 8. I can update to OS 9. Can you give detailed instructions on how to use it as a router of some kind? | |
| Posted by: PowerPup on 2016-06-13 02:34:25 It sounds like you have the PowerBook G3 (Wallstreet.) If it is, then it should also have an Ethernet port as Bunsen mentioned. The LocalTalk Bridge software will only route AppleTalk packets. You'll want to use IPNetRouter and configure it to use MacIP (TCP/IP over AppleTalk) in order to get internet access on the Classic. (Download here, promo code here.) | |
| Posted by: Nathan on 2016-06-13 10:29:02 As noted the iMac has Ethernet and shouldn't be too hard to get on a network, although I have a Bondi one (originally 233mhz I think) and I remember having some trouble getting it to connect. Might have been cabling things wrong, but straight up internet connection sharing (and maybe static addresses) is probably easiest. Not sure if it required a crossover cable for that. I think I tried a hub and maybe a switch and had some difficulty, but it might have been a DHCP issue the whole time and not the wiring. Anyone know of a way to share internet over a modem connection (PPP, SLIP maybe -- never used them myself)? I think most of the iMacs have a 56k modem built in. I'd strongly recommend Classilla for a web browser on the iMac if you want to keep running MacOS 9 and not just use the iMac as part of the connection for the others. It was a little memory heavy, but it made the internet usable the last I checked (might have been a couple years now) | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-13 21:17:40 Thanks for the info, everyone. Does anyone know anything interesting that I can do with the modem above (connect to a server, play networking games, ect)? | |
| Posted by: Nathan on 2016-06-13 22:29:00 It's a BIG pile of ifs, but if you can find someone with a Mac of the same era (probably the iMac and maybe the powerbook --- visually it looks like the G3 models) and you can both get a hold of and run Age of Empires II for mac (*cough* "abandonware" *cough*) then you might be able to play it multiplayer with each other over the modem. Never tried it myself, since I didn't have a mac of any sort then or anyone to play it with not to mention that we had DSL internet. In theory it could/should? work. Of course you'd tie up your respective phone lines for the privilege of attempting it. I'm also not sure how fast a modem you need, but the iMac has a reasonably fast one built-in. | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-13 23:30:50 Would it be possible to 'call in' to a computer in the Compact line? Have any idea on the software I would need? | |
| Posted by: Nathan on 2016-06-14 00:21:36 The issue is that modem is simply a direct line between two computers. Basically one computer calls and the other picks up the phone. You still need software to respond to anything the caller tries to transmit or to transmit stuff yourself. I'm fairly sure the simplest scenario involves two computers with modems hooked to their respective phone lines and terminal software at each end where what you type in on your end is seen on the other and vice versa. If the terminal software is compatible and understands a protocol for transferring files then you could transfer files. I wasn't around yet (born in the 90s), but something like ZTerm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZTerm) is probably what you need and for that you need to be running at least System 7. | |
| Posted by: PowerPup on 2016-06-14 00:49:20 If you already have some form of broadband internet (cable, dsl, etc) then the modem is pretty much useless unless:
Using the serial port on the Classic you'll be able to transfer up to 230.4kbps. With Ethernet on the PowerBook G3 and iMac, you'll be able to achieve up to 10/100Mbps between them. (depending on the model of the PowerBook.) I noticed you have a similar topic over here. In there you mentioned your long term goal is to get internet access on the Classic. Have you looked at any of the networking guides that Bunsen recommended yet? Out of the list, I'd highly recommend Mk. 558's Classic Mac Networking Guide 3.0. As it is one of the most comprehensive guides out there, and includes multiple methods to networking Macs. It also give ideas as what you can do with the Classic once you have it connected. (IRC client, Telnet, SSH, etc.) | |
| Posted by: aplmak on 2016-06-20 10:56:24 There are some bbs's still active... I've dialed up a few.... kinda fun... you can google it.. Just use Zterm or another terminal program... 🙂 | |
| Posted by: mactjaap on 2016-06-20 14:24:23 Get An Orange Pi and download my image and you will have TCP/IP for all your localtalk devices too. The IMac can be your software localtalk bridge. Read all about it on www.macip.net | |
| Posted by: techknight on 2016-06-20 15:09:57 Whats funny is alot of BBSes I noticed want a little more personal information than I am willing to give. BE CAREFUL. | |
| Posted by: Nathan on 2016-06-20 20:29:15 It was a different world in those days and people had semi-legitimate reasons to want to know who was connecting to their computer. Especially when it comes to illegal activity. There wasn't a DMCA or safe harbor or anything that protected them if you used their system to pirate data/music afaik. You can always fill in fake data or not provide it all. In any case the kind of person running a BBS, especially a dial-up one, is probably not out there to commit identify theft or stalk you. They are likely paying out of their own pocket to run something on their own hardware in most cases (not to mention internet/phone bills, electric, etc). Sure, you could run one on a VPS if it's internet/telnet enabled, but I doubt many do. Also it's probably just how the software is setup and it's unlikely that they deliberately added anything to the software they are running. | |
| Posted by: Jaek_3 on 2016-06-20 20:43:09 Are all telephone BBS's compatible across different computers? Which are compatible with Compact Macs? | |
Posted by: Bunsen on 2016-06-21 10:27:27anything interesting that I can do with the modemStrip it for parts and a project box. Can you give detailed instructionsAs PowerPup kindly pointed out above, they've been provided already. Have you followed up on any of them? | |
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