Best way to get back online again?

[RTID75]

Although I've used my Amiga on and off since, I've not kept up with the world of Online and Amiga since the mid 2000s, when I moved onto PC and broadband as my daily driver.

My towered A1200 was online via dialup back then and I still have the bought and paid for software from back then (Miami deluxe & IBrowse in the main).

To stop me having to keep burning CDs on my PC if I want to transfer stuff off the Internet, what's the best/easiest way of connecting my Amiga to my WiFi (I can't do wired)? I'd love to get her back online again.

As mentioned, it is towered (Power Tower / original Elbox tower) but I do have a right angled PCMCIA adapter in the case and nothing using the port, but obviously the insides are enclosed in metal once the case cover is on.

Thanks to anyone who can advise!

[Gryfon]

Hi and welcome back!

There are several solutions you could use - I personally have a wired solution:

http://amigakit.amiga.store/product_info.php?products_id=116

This comes with the Genesis TCP/IP stack.

Whilst there was a wireless version of this card available from Amigakit it no longer appears in searches on that site (I suspect discontinued, but they can confirm that) but if you Google it the "old" webage on Amigakit can be found if you want to take a look.

I personally use the Roadshow TCP/IP stack, it has command line control (which suits me fine - Genesis has a Workbench config program which most find simpler) but is easy enough to setup and people here can help you with that.  Works brilliantly for what I need (surfing the web occasionally and accessing my PC for data transfer).

If you still have Miami you can continue to use that, I used it too for dial-up back in the day but have lost the hard disk / serials for it.

Other wired solutions include Plipbox (wired solution, uses the parallel port) - I read good things about it.  I personally still use the parallel port for several other connections so have not tried this myself.

A friend put me on to this wireless solution via PCMCIA but I don't personally know anyone who has one or tested it:

https://retroready.one/products/wifi-cards-netgear-wpa2-aes-amiga-a600-a1200-pcmcia-wifi-wlan

So there some things to get you started.  Happy to help you get setup, if you need anything just post.

[First Ninja]

Adding to Gryfon's reply, other choices should include getting a fully fledged USB host board in your system. That way, you should have a vast selection of USB based Ethernet dongles for your Amiga. Rapid Road is generally regarded as a good choice. That being said, since you do have a PCMCIA port I would personally first explore that option.

Like Gryfon said, you can either stick to Miami or, preferably, buy a copy of Roadshow. Unlike Miami, it is being maintained by AmigaOS developer Olaf "Olsen" Barthel. As you probably guess, Roadshow blends exceptionally well with the rest of the OS. It's not that expensive, and I by getting a copy you support the Amiga community at large.

[RTID75]

Thanks for the replies.

I've just bought a Netgear wireless card off eBay. The description said has been tested and works with various Amiga software.

I'm sure I'll need more help when it arrives.

[goldfish]

hi

I would go wired use a homeplug system something like this.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9156900?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=ixilqwtat&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:804-627-9544%7ccid:9596172893%7cagid:97868755894%7ctid:pla-891844138511%7ccrid:424831971505%7cnw:g%7crnd:16644709413650608724%7cdvc:c%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:1007131&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9596172893&utm_term=9156900&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=97868755894&utm_custom2=804-627-9544&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoub3BRC6ARIsABGhnybCIERSUIp-FbBDc903GRTnXL1YFa8fgfkz1pmzisd5uue2RyO4I88aAqxvEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I use the Amigakit PCMCIA wired card works ok but im not a fan of the slide out port. There are better cards on ebay just do a search for amiga network PCmcia.

[RTID75]

OK, so I've got Prism2, I've got the Netgear PCMCIA wifi adapter (upgraded with the WPA2/AES capable firmware) plugged in and the light is lit on the card, my router says it's running WPA2, but I'm not getting much further.

I'm not even sure that I'm filling in the options correctly when installing Prism2...

I'm not hugely clued up on the technical details of internet and wifi settings.  From my understanding SSID is your wireless network name, but then I'm unsure what password I'm supposed to put in next.

Does anyone have the patience to walk me through what I need to do?

[Gryfon]

First - your Wi-Fi router.  You need to access the settings in this from a computer or mobile phone which is connected to it.

The SSID is the name which your Wi-Fi transmits so Wi-Fi capable devices can recognise and connect to it.  In the router settings there is usually a place for you to set the Wi-Fi password so you know it, for connecting to it later. Most routers have a password preset which is made available in the manual or even on a sticker on the outside of the device - it varies.

On the Amiga you will need network connectivity software - a TCP/IP stack. Miami is one, Genesis and Roadshow are others.  These connect you to a network via your router and that connects you to the internet.

Any drivers for the PCMCIA slot card need to be installed on the Amiga so the Amiga knows how to talk to the card.

With these things in place the Amiga should see the network card and using the Wi-Fi password set in the TCP/IP software connect to the network.

[RTID75]

Tried reinstalling Prism2.

SSID is from my router. I've split the 2.4 & 5ghz channels and given that the PCMCIA card is not new I chose the 2.4 SSID. Typed exactly as my router displays it - upper case, lower case and numbers.

Then the driver asks for 'WPA/WPA2 passphrase'. I assume this is the password to access the WiFi signal. Again, typed exactly. It's 11 digits and has upper case, lower case and numbers.

Prism 2 generates a key code. All seems good to this point.


Now I know that the Amiga is talking to the card, as the light comes on when it is accessed by the Prism2 driver from the user-startup.

Is the WPA2 router security too much? I can drop it to WPA (Automatic) from my router options.

Am I missing anything else before I try MiamiInit from MiamiDX?

If I try to set up with MiamiInit, choosing Ethernet, Cable/ADSL modem then entering Prism2.device, Unit 0 that's about as far as I get. Init does a 'Contacting RArp server' and moves on to ADHC (or something similar) scanny thing, then fails and asks me for my local IP address.

At that point, I'm to all intents and purposes lost...

[kolla]

I love my 10 dollar AliExpress Orange Pi Zero "wifi bridges"

[RTID75]

Sussed it!!

The fault was with my three installations of Prism2. Each installation added another layer of lines and keys to the configuration file and it was obviously reading the first entry from the first installation which had an incorrect password.

Deleted out the first and second entries, quick run through with MiamiInit, import config into Miami and Bingo! Back online for the first time in probably 16 years!

Now I need some new software. Is Ibrowse the only browser still going? I have full versions of Ibrowse, Aweb and Voyager from back in the day,  but obviously none of them will play with modern websites.

[giZmo350]

Congrats!

One option is the all new IBrowse V2.5.3 & the all new AmiSSL V4.6. I've been using for months now and am really happy with it.

https://www.ibrowse-dev.net/

And purchase options here....

https://www.ibrowse-dev.net/store/

Depending on where you bought your original and what version it is you can a good discount.   

[RTID75]

I've submitted my Ibrowse 2.3 key and should be getting my hands on 2.5 for £10 in the very near future. 

[Gryfon]

Well spotted, glad you managed to get online.

I also like IBrowse.  One tip - when I received my licence file, I did so in Windows and the licence file had a Windows extension on it.
To activate Ibrowse away from demo-only mode you simply drag the licence file into one of several appropriate locations on your Amiga Workbench (the instructions are clear, I just don't recall the exact folders at the moment).

I don't recall the precise name of the file or letters of the extension, but for now let's say it was IBrowseLicence and .lic like this:

IBrowseLicence.lic

It would not work on an Amiga.  After some back and forth with the IBrowse guys I removed the .lic element so it was simply:

IBrowseLicence

and it worked perfectly on the Amiga.

Have fun surfing the web!

[RTID75]

Great service from the IBrowse devs. Got the new 2.5 key quickly (and as an old user cheaply!). I've just burnt the files to CD and I'll be back on the Amiga later.

It'll be great to be able to get onto Aminet / others directly again. It's been a bit of pain to keep having to burn CD's with files for my Amiga on my PC for many years!