Sharing an internet connection over serial cable

[Cammy]

I would be interested in a solution to this problem also, as there is no other way to go online from a CD32 and I would love to have my CD32 on the network as well.

[Cammy]

I run Linux (and not Windows) on the laptop here so Multilink might just be the thing for me too. Now I just need one of those USB-Serial adapters.

[Cammy]

Hi Ferix, thanks for the quick guide and offer to help! At the moment I don't have a USB-Serial adapter yet, but I'm going to order some from DealExtreme. When they arrive I'd very much like to work out how to do this, mainly so I can get the CD32 online. Hopefully the connection to the net won't be too slow for me to play Dynamite, but I have a feeling it may be. I have Ubuntu on the laptop.

Your site is cute, just like the A600. It was nice to see it loading up from there.

[Cammy]

On a only semi-related note.  If you're going to order something from DealExtreme, you should pick up one of those $2 USB bluetooth adapters.

Thanks for the tip, but I wouldn't have a use for it. I don't own any Bluetooth devices, including a phone, which is something I have never used before, and will never own. I will however get a few bits and pieces in the same order, like a USB Ethernet device to use with any Aros PC that doesn't have a supported Ethernet chipset or card in it. I just have to save up a little first before I order this stuff, I'm quite poor.

[Cammy]

I received my Serial-to-USB adapters this week, so I'm going to test my A1200 and A600 going online over the null-modem cable using this USB adapter plugged into my Linux laptop. If I'm successful, hopefully the connection will be fast enough for me to run Dynamite online. Does anyone know if a game like this would work on a dialup-speed connection? I made a (crappy) video of Dynamite and AmiNetRadio running on the A1200 030, but it's using a PCMCIA Ethernet card, and YouTube cut the audio out, but you can see the game running here, for those who have no idea what Dynamite is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j72NjheWP-A

[Cammy]

Hi Ferix, could you talk me through it next time you catch me on MSN? I'm kind of excited to try this.

[Cammy]

I'm sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but can anyone manage to compile the Unix version of Multilink for Linux? I have tried but it fails, and all I need is that executable file and I should be able to go online with my other Amigas without even needing to run AmiTCP or Miami.

The Unix source code is included in this package, with instructions in the MLink.guide file: http://aminet.net/package/comm/net/mlink132

[Cammy]

Thank you for compiling this for me, Mongo! I haven't been able to get any of this thing working yet, I don't have any experience with terminal networking so it could be a while before I even know if the executable file works. I should have mentioned I'm using a 32bit PC for Linux in this case.

I wonder if anyone has ever had Multilink working through a null-modem cable before, or were they all using dialup modems, which is what the documentation assumes you're using.

[Cammy]

After much stuffing around, I discovered that the A1200's serial port I was using didn't work, so after switching to another Amiga and with lots of patient help from ferix, I have managed to get it working! That's right, I am browsing the web, chatting on IRC, and even directly controlling the PC and seeing its display on my Amiga, connected to the PC via a serial null-modem cable using Multilink. That means I don't even need a TCP/IP stack running, so it's got to be the best solution for low-end Amigas, and the speed is fine! I suppose it's comparable to a fast dialup modem on a good line, which was absolutely fine for the internet until broadband came along.

In fact, since you are using a PC as the host it's possible to browse the web using Opera or Chrome or Firefox through TwinVNC on a separate Intuition screen or in a window on Workbench, so the PC handles the huge websites with its connection and spits out the results to your Amiga quickly.