Ok, all I was stuck with was a SupraFAX 28.8 baud
modem, but I just got this HSI (High Speed Internet)
hookup through my cable company for myself and my
roommate.
I have an Amiga, he has a PC. I got him hooked up
first, and that was the easier of the two
So there he was with the fastest residential data
throughput known on the planet, twice as fast as
phone line DSL. It was amazing. Pages came up
so fast, I just had to get this set up on my Amiga!
But I found that I couldn't just string a phone line
in to the other room from my modem to his ethernet
and expect a connection that way, and I didn't want
to get yet another modem for my Amiga and run that
from my own cable wire to my Amiga.
So I settled on an option where I only needed one cable modem.
I got a reasonably-priced Internet Router (that makes
a Local Area Network (LAN)) off eBay, the
TRENDnet
Cable Broadband Router,
equipped with far more than I needed, for under 50 USD.
With this device, I could connect 253 computers
to the same cable modem and have them as a Network,
using up to 4 ports, but I only needed a total of two computers
in this Network. As a bonus, this device functions as
a firewall that
"protect [my] computer from hackers."This lay around the house for about a month while I
discovered that regular phone line was insufficient
to connect computer to Router.
Then I contacted Software Hut to get some information
on what I needed, which was an Ethernet card for my
A4000. I got an X-Surf that came with a CD-ROM. It
was easy to install, although the connectors in the
rear required explaining. From reading the manual,
I learned that there were only two types of wiring
that were practical for me to use, called Twisted Pair
wiring. I got some of that at a local PC store.
I don't know if it was "crossover" or "patch" (1:1),
it looks just like regular ethernet line to me, except yellow,
but I think it may work as patch, because it has the same
dimension as the wire that came with the Router that
connects to the cable modem.
This ethernet cord plugs into an outlet that looks
like a standard phone outlet, and my Internet Router/Switch
has 4 + 1 outlets for that sort of wire.
One outlet connects from cable modem to Router.
The other four can connect four computer systems
via ethernet, using TP "patch" ethernet wire, or a total
of two computers using TP "crossover" cable.
Here was where I got stuck, until I can complete
my installation (please email me at
if you can help and I can finish this chronicle once
I get this setup working):
After setting up the software and getting the green light on my router
for computer #2 (Amiga), I found that even though GENESIS said I was
connected, that none of my applications would do anything other than
play dead and pretend that there was no connection or TCP stack.
Incidentally, I had to change the name of Genesis_RA to "Genesis" so
the supplied CDROM software would recognize the name.
Miami seems to do everything better, so I dropped Genesis
and went straight for Miami. Without bothering to use
MiamiInit, I disabled my dialer numbers, erased my
username & password, and went to the Interface
window. There, I chose SANA II - ETHERNET because
I was using X-Surf Ethernet Card. I had to input
the driver info by hand, and that was the "x-surf.device".
I chose "DHCP" for the IP configurations so Miami
could find those out on its own. As for the
SANA-II parameters, I clicked on that and chose the
Query Device -> OK sequence.
Next, I had to go into the TCP/IP settings and
coordinate with the X-Surf Ethernet Software.
So this entails running the X-Surf software
configuration from the CD-ROM, or from the software
on the support site. I chose my computer to be
"computer3". So in order for Miami to find the
Gateway, I had to plug "computer3" as the "host name"
value in this TCP/IP window of Miami. I was using
Miami 3.x, unregistered, because I lost my key when I
lost my hard drive, and Miami's author apparently doesn't
want to do any more support(?) Also, I had to check the
box for "Use DHCP" and of course customize the look of
the username and the usual frills.
My biggest problem was that nothing mentioned using the
"computer3" for the "host name". There was also
a little confusion about the NetFS Configuration:
Was computer3 computer "2" (0,1,2) or "3"? So I set
both 2 and 3, since I only need to use one of them,
and that has worked out.
The X-Surf software installs easy, and I don't think that
should give anyone any problems.
So, there you have it. All you need to get up
and running with HSI:
* Amiga 4000 system or 1200 w/ CD-ROM
* HSI Cable Internet
* Amiga Ethernet Card (such as X-Surf)
- installation software
* Patch TP wiring (long enough to reach the Router)
* Internet Router/Switch Hub for LAN
-Only one cable modem for up to 4 Computers
* Miami 3.x (or Genesis)
* A hard drive with lots of space for the new
downloads
* Web browser, such as Voyager or IBrowse (I tested
these) or Aweb. I got Voyager from the Netconnect3
package from Software Hut (USA).
Please let me know if this helps anyone =)
ANIWAY
[Final Edit]
