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  • Virtual Modem for a DOS BBS

    From stizzed@21:4/156 to All on Sunday, June 21, 2020 09:39:14
    Im working to get my old DOS/Modem BBS platform (Spitfire) back online for posterity. Ive tried NetSerial with no success. Im able to get a connect
    but then NetSerial locks up and the service shuts down. I searched and found two virtual modem apps, one is Virtual Modem 2.2.2 produced by fabulatech. This program works wonderfully but is only sold in a pairs at $139 each ($280 to get the board back up). The other, Virtual Modem Pro, like NetSerial does not work.

    Id like to get NetSerial working as its the only free option and looks like a much better app than the others. Any thoughts or suggestions for a fix for Netserial or another free (or at least cheaper) app would be greatly appreciated. Please note that Spitfire is not fossil aware so I dont think I will be able to get it running under Mystic or Netfoss and net3bbs.

    Thanks in advance!

    .\\ichael Batts
    a.k.a. stizzed (because, why not?)
    SysOp, The ROCK BBS III

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The ROCK III - therockbbs.net - TELNET:10023 (21:4/156)
  • From Bucko@21:4/131 to stizzed on Sunday, June 21, 2020 15:03:29
    On 21 Jun 2020, stizzed said the following...

    Im working to get my old DOS/Modem BBS platform (Spitfire) back online
    for posterity. Ive tried NetSerial with no success. Im able to get a connect but then NetSerial locks up and the service shuts down. I searched and found two virtual modem apps, one is Virtual Modem 2.2.2 produced by fabulatech. This program works wonderfully but is only sold
    in a pairs at $139 each ($280 to get the board back up). The other, Virtual Modem Pro, like NetSerial does not work.

    I am not sure if it will help but take a look at BBS Server v1.4, It will answer any Telnet calls and transfer them to a Com Port via a Null Modem
    cable. I use it on 2 Commodore BBS' I run, it doesn't allow for more then 1 node though.. The only outlay of money is buying a null modem cable or the supplies to build one. Either way if you are only looking for 1 node the
    outlay is less then $10...

    Hope that helps a little...

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)
  • From alterego@21:2/116 to stizzed on Monday, June 22, 2020 10:15:15
    Re: Virtual Modem for a DOS BBS
    By: stizzed to All on Sun Jun 21 2020 09:39 am

    Id like to get NetSerial working as its the only free option and looks like a much better app than the others. Any thoughts or suggestions for a fix for Netserial or another free (or at least cheaper) app would be greatly appreciated. Please note that Spitfire is not fossil aware so I dont think I will be able to get it running under Mystic or Netfoss and net3bbs.

    Is NetSerial free now?

    I've used it in the past, but with limited success.

    Depending on what is your windows server (physical/virtual), you could plug into the serial port and use tcpser from another device. IIRC there may also be a compile of tcpser for windows, but you probably need to use it with a (software) null modem like comm0comm. Otherwise you can do all that on linux, even using a Pi.

    One of the problems with the "telnet to serial port" is while it generally works for interactive sessions, if you are wanting to enable downloads (via zmodem for example), or mailer (that does zmodem transfers) then you will likly have issues - either because the telnet stream is not 8 bit, or because of timeouts due to the large TCP window and the slow emulated serial port speed.

    Good luck though, curious to know how it works out...

    ...δεσ∩

    ... Freedom is for everyone. Or no one.
    --- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
    * Origin: I'm playing with ANSI+videotex - wanna play too? (21:2/116)
  • From stizzed@21:4/156 to alterego on Sunday, June 21, 2020 21:05:44
    On |1522 Jun 2020|08, |15alterego |08said the following...

    Re: Virtual Modem for a DOS BBS
    By: stizzed to All on Sun Jun 21 2020 09:39 am

    Id like to get NetSerial working as its the only free option and look like a much better app than the others. Any thoughts or suggestions f fix for Netserial or another free (or at least cheaper) app would be greatly appreciated. Please note that Spitfire is not fossil aware s dont think I will be able to get it running under Mystic or Netfoss a net3bbs.

    Is NetSerial free now?

    No, sorry. Still $25 for SysOps. Just NOT $280!

    I've used it in the past, but with limited success.

    Depending on what is your windows server (physical/virtual), you could plug into the serial port and use tcpser from another device. IIRC there may also be a compile of tcpser for windows, but you probably need to
    use it with a (software) null modem like comm0comm. Otherwise you can do all that on linux, even using a Pi.

    Windows Server 2003 32-bit, single physical COM2

    One of the problems with the "telnet to serial port" is while it
    generally works for interactive sessions, if you are wanting to enable downloads (via zmodem for example), or mailer (that does zmodem
    transfers) then you will likly have issues - either because the telnet stream is not 8 bit, or because of timeouts due to the large TCP window and the slow emulated serial port speed.

    Good luck though, curious to know how it works out...

    ...δεσ∩

    Thank you, sir! I will let you know. To my knowledge, no-one is running Spitfire. At least no-one in the Telnet BBS List. Perhaps there is a very good reason for that ;-)

    .\\ichael Batts
    a.k.a. stizzed (because, why not?)
    SysOp, The ROCK BBS III

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The ROCK III - therockbbs.net - TELNET:10023 (21:4/156)
  • From Warpslide@21:3/110.1 to stizzed on Sunday, June 21, 2020 22:07:39

    *** Quoting stizzed from a message to All ***

    Im working to get my old DOS/Modem BBS platform (Spitfire) back
    online for posterity. Ive tried NetSerial with no success.

    I'm not familier with Spitfire. Does it have the ability to start a node
    from a command line? (Like FrontDoor was passing to the BBS).

    I'm using NetFossil & Net2BBS with Telegard, both of which are free. Net2BBS is included with NetFossil:

    http://pcmicro.com/netfoss/download.html

    Net2BBS listens for telnet connections and then passes that connectoin to the BBS. Here's my command line in NET2BBS.INI:

    Command=c:\tg\nf\nf.bat /n*N /h*H c:\tg\telegard.exe -B115200 -N*N -Q


    Jay

    ... Tech Support: Not just a job, an adventure!

    --- Telegard v3.09.g2-sp4/mL
    * Origin: Northern Realms/TG (21:3/110.1)
  • From Warpslide@21:3/110 to stizzed on Sunday, June 21, 2020 22:13:29
    On 21 Jun 2020, stizzed said the following...

    Please note that Spitfire is not fossil aware so I dont think I will be able to get it running under Mystic or Netfoss and net3bbs.

    I just saw this part as I hit send, so Net2BBS doesn't seem to be the answer. Apologies.

    Jay

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Northern Realms BBS | bbs.nrbbs.net | Binbrook, ON (21:3/110)
  • From Grim Reaper@21:3/111 to stizzed on Sunday, June 21, 2020 13:21:38
    Replying to a msg dated 21 Jun 20 09:39, from you to all.

    I found NETFOSS (net2bbs) to work better there with DOS based systems.
    I did install netserial also, but found i have to use NET2BBS for the BBS front end that loaded the bbs etc when someone telnet in.

    Never could get netserial & dos bbs to load myself, always failed trying to
    access COM ports etc. Sure it works somehow that way, just found net2bbs
    worked.

    --- GoldED+/W32-MSVC 1.1.5-b20180707
    * Origin: TuRealm [9o5]turealm.no-ip.org:3023 (21:3/111)
  • From stizzed@21:4/156 to Grim Reaper on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 07:50:02
    On |1521 Jun 2020|08, |15Grim Reaper |08said the following...

    119
    Replying to a msg dated 21 Jun 20 09:39, from you to all.

    I found NETFOSS (net2bbs) to work better there with DOS based systems.
    I did install netserial also, but found i have to use NET2BBS for the
    BBS front end that loaded the bbs etc when someone telnet in.

    Never could get netserial & dos bbs to load myself, always failed trying to access COM ports etc. Sure it works somehow that way, just found net2bbs worked.

    We were able to get netserial to work after an update!

    .\\ichael Batts
    a.k.a. stizzed (because, why not?)
    SysOp, The ROCK BBS III

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The ROCK III - therockbbs.net - TELNET:10023 (21:4/156)
  • From robert@21:2/111 to Grim Reaper on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 09:12:18
    Never could get netserial & dos bbs to load myself, always failed trying to access COM ports etc. Sure it works somehow that way, just found net2bbs worked.

    Good News. They just put out a new version of NetSerial that fixed the
    issues I was having getting it to work. I now have Spitfire running with NetSerial and on Windows XP. I have both Spitfire and Mystic running on the same system with good results. The key was the update of NetSerial.

    Robert

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/06/11 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Leisure Time BBS (21:2/111)
  • From Grim Reaper@21:3/111 to robert on Sunday, June 28, 2020 10:52:37
    issues I was having getting it to work. I now have Spitfire running with NetSerial and on Windows XP. I have both Spitfire and Mystic running on the same system with good results. The key was the update of NetSerial.

    Thats cool things got fixed and working now :)
    Its nice to run dual systems, not being limited. I have netserial installed
    on mine, but PCBoard seems to work fine with net2bbs,took a while, and
    perhaps netserial is why its working.

    The Unknown Realm [9o5]
    turealm.no-ip.org:3023 Mystic
    turealm.no-ip.org:2323 PCBoard

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: The Unknown Realm [9o5] (21:3/111)