MiamiDX networking PC - Amiga

[Iznougoud]

I've been at this before, but thought I'd have another go at it since I've acquired a reasonably small 800Mhz PC with a wireless NIC:

I'd like to network my Amiga to the PC via the serial port, thus making use of the PCs internet-connection:

AmigaOS3.9 > null modem cable > WinXP > router > Internet.

Now, I know this is possible. I just don't know how.

In short:

1.How do I configure MiamiDX to achieve this?
2.How do I configure WinXP to allow this?

Anyone?

[Dandy]

Iznougoud wrote:

I've been at this before, but thought I'd have another go at it since I've acquired a reasonably small 800Mhz PC with a wireless NIC:

I'd like to network my Amiga to the PC via the serial port, thus making use of the PCs internet-connection:

AmigaOS3.9 > null modem cable > WinXP > router > Internet.

Now, I know this is possible. I just don't know how.

In short:

1.How do I configure MiamiDX to achieve this?
2.How do I configure WinXP to allow this?

Anyone?

For a null-modem-connection you don't have to use Miami or the like - you just use an terminal program like "MultiTerm 5" and your null-modem-cable.

And an terminal program on the WIntel side as well, of course.

But you should be aware that the tranfer rates are quite low.

Depending on what type of Amiga you have, I suggest to fit a NIC to the Miggy and to connect it to your router as well.

I have such a setup at home:

A Pentium IV @ 1.8 gHz WIntel-box and an towered Amiga 4000 with Cyberstorm PPC, Mediator PCI-busboard, Voodoo4, 10/100 mBit NIC, Spider2 USB 2.0 highspeed with reg. Poseidon and Terratec 512i digital - both connected to the router.

On the Amiga I installed the registered version of "RDesktop" that allowas me to remote control the WIntel box.

So if I e.g. come to a site on the www, that no Amiga browsetr can display, I switch on the PC under my desk (no PC-mouse or keybord on my desk) and start "RDesktop" on the Amiga.

Once RDesktop has established the connection (MiamiDX required), my monitor (attached to the Amiga) shows the PC's desktop (WinXP pro required) and I can operate the PC using the Amiga keyboard and mouse.

IIRC, the "RDesktop" documentation says that sound USB and clipboard can be shared between the different systems, but up to now I didn't try that.

For exchanging files between the two I use smbfs.library on the Amiga. This way I have much, much better transfer rates as via serial ports and null modem cable.

I expect even better tranfer rates as soon as I exchange the Spider2 PCI USB card with the new Deneb Zorro III USB 2.0 highspeed card, which is said to deserve the suffix "highspeed" - in contrary to the Spider2.

[Iznougoud]

I do believe I need MiamiDX (or some TCP/IP-stack) after all. What I am trying to do here, is getting Internet-access (however slow) for the Amiga, through a serial connection to WinXP.

The Amiga I'm using is an A2000. So a Zorro-NIC would be possible. I just can't seem to find one at a reasonable price, so I thought I'd try this to begin with. And if it turns out it's that enjoyable, I can always try getting a NIC later on. (You should find the specs on the Amiga in my profile, it's not by far beefed up as much as your A4000 though). The use I'm picturing for this connection is mainly IRC, and transfer of smaller files (AmiNET should work fine, given the size of Amiga software - when getting files on AmiNET with my present 100Mbit/s-connection it almost feels ridicilous. I'd say 33Kbp/s is more in line with a fully fledged AmiNET-experience )

But if you could be so kind as to guide me on how to set up WinXP (pro), in order to achieve this. I would be forever grateful. Some help at the MiamiDX-end would be welcome as well, but I need to get at least one end right, before I can start a trial and error procedure in a remotely efficient manner..

[Piru]

IIRC MiamiDX manual has instructions for this.

[Iznougoud]

Instructions for the WinXP-end as well?

[sandpiper]

@Iznougoud

Yes, you do need a TCP stack to network both machines together. You can then get on to the internet with the Amiga through the PC. Checkout NullTCP.lha on Aminet. I used this method long ago before I got a NIC for my Amiga.

If you want to connect the machines via serial, you have two choices: SLIP and PPP. PPP works better, I haven't seen anyone use slip in over a decade. You will need PPP stacks on both machines, and you will also need software on the PC that can act as a gateway between the PPP interface and the wireless interface. Use linux or bsd on the PC side and your life will be _much_ easier. On the Amiga side things will be simple; the PPP stack will just think it's connected to an ISP, and will never know the difference. Try this for the Amiga side - I've not used it myself, so ymmv.

You can also use the parallel ports if you build a cable or come by a laplink cable from the old days.... _much_ faster than serial....

[ManRaven]

I hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread,
but I'm trying to do something similar.

I have an Amiga 1200/030 with an EtherLink III hooked
up to a router thats attached to an Intel machine that
shares 3 operating systems; Amiga, Mandrake10.1 and Win 2k.
Both machines have access to the internet (I use Miami
on both; the Intel running Amiga and the A1200).
I cannot get them to talk to each other. I have Samba
installed on both but I doubt I have them setup properly.
I have had very limited success running Samba on the
Mandrake and the A1200. I have no luck at all with Win2K
and the A1200. Any Ideas???

BTW to continue on the original thread, I remember using
ParNet between different Amigas many years ago. It was slow
as well but it worked very well.

[Piru]

Terminal program or parnet is not what this guy is looking for, but sharing the windoze box network connection thru serial.

MiamiDX manual has some documentation about the amiga side at least, but I think the windoze side docs predate XP.

@ManRaven: check your workgroup names... that's the usual problem when windows won't share files.

[Iznougoud]

Yes. I remember doing this via SuSE many years ago (I might add that I was talked through the configuration of SuSE at that time). Problem is, in this case, that I really need to use a wireless NIC on the PC in order for this to be meaningfull - and I know for a fact, that if install Linux I will end up spending time trying to get the distro to find the wireless NIC rather than networking the Amiga. I don't know what it is with Linux and WiFi.. So I guess I'm stuck with WinXP - for now at least. I will have a look at that archive you so kindly provided.

In reference to Piru, yes. I did find the instructions. They apply to Win95, Win98 and WinNT. Might work with WinXP as well, but I didn't even manage to get it up and running with Win98 - which I actually did test. Not sure what the problem was, all I got from MiamiDX was an error message regarding "link level protocol". Win98 isn't much of an option when it comes to WiFi either, so it wasn't that great a loss.

pkillo wrote:
If you want to connect the machines via serial, you have two choices: SLIP and PPP. PPP works better, I haven't seen anyone use slip in over a decade. You will need PPP stacks on both machines, and you will also need software on the PC that can act as a gateway between the PPP interface and the wireless interface. Use linux or bsd on the PC side and your life will be _much_ easier. On the Amiga side things will be simple; the PPP stack will just think it's connected to an ISP, and will never know the difference. Try this for the Amiga side - I've not used it myself, so ymmv.

You can also use the parallel ports if you build a cable or come by a laplink cable from the old days.... _much_ faster than serial....

[HenryCase]

Would a Deneb support this method?
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/248/1