Recommended Modem for 1040ST

[gharmon]

We managed to activate the 130XE in BBS-ville with a XM301 modem tonight. Isn't 300 baud wonderful? What is the suggested modem for the 1040ST?

[monzamess]

Someone can correct me but I think any RS-232 (serial) Hayes-compatible modem will work. I don't know what the speed limit is on the ST's serial port--I've seen 19200 for the STE. Back in the day 2400 baud was common and 9600 gaining ground. You can still buy new external RS-232 modems; they're v.92/56K but should be able to drop down to the slower speeds. The Atari SX212 modem is, I guess, the fastest official modem for the Atari computers (it has both RS-232 and 8-bit SIO ports), but it's only 1200 baud.

Edited May 15, 2010 by monzamess

[atarian1]

Yep. Any Hayes compatible modem will do. Since modems are so cheap these days, I recommend getting a good name brand modem. I highly recommend Hayes, Supra, and Practical Peripherals.I remember using my Supra 56k modem with my MegaST and Falcon in the last days of BBSing in the late 90s.

 

The modem will drop down in speed if the computer can't handle it. Therefore, my MegaST would max out at 19200 baud, but my Falcon would take advantage of the 57600 baud or faster if it could. Yeah, those were the days.

[+DarkLord]

Someone can correct me but I think any RS-232 (serial) Hayes-compatible modem will work. I don't know what the speed limit is on the ST's serial port--I've seen 19200 for the STE. Back in the day 2400 baud was common and 9600 gaining ground. You can still buy new external RS-232 modems; they're v.92/56K but should be able to drop down to the slower speeds. The Atari SX212 modem is, I guess, the fastest official modem for the Atari computers (it has both RS-232 and 8-bit SIO ports), but it's only 1200 baud.

 

Right, 19.2 is the max, although there is a hardware mod (RSVE) if you can still

find one, that will let you about double that speed or faster - but IIRC, it works

better with an accelerated machine. HSMODEM is a software only solution, but it

will correct errors in the serial port routines and generally add a faster feel

to things. I use HSMODEM on my Mega ST that runs my BBS.

[nathanallan]

Alright! i have some brand new never used modems, ready to go. Trade me something! I'll start a thread about them tomorrow when I can take pics of them.

 

 

Nathan

[nathanallan]

Okay, took pictures and left them in the camera. It's a 14.4 US Robotics Sportster Faxmodem, I'll get pics up when I get my camera from home (or get myself home). It'll work well for an ST machine.

[AtariSociety]

Okay, took pictures and left them in the camera. It's a 14.4 US Robotics Sportster Faxmodem, I'll get pics up when I get my camera from home (or get myself home). It'll work well for an ST machine.

 

Curious in this day and age what you can connect to with a modem. I know they still offer dial-up for new computers using like netzero but can an Atari connect to netzero?

 

What else would someone use a modem for on an Atari?

 

Is there a list of places people can connect to?

 

tj

[nathanallan]

Well, the Atari by itself can't really connect to much of the "modern" internet, but it can work with text sites and things like FTP and bare-bones HTTP if there is a browser for it. I'm thinking Contiki or a mod of it.

 

It can definitely receive calls and run it's own BBS and definitely still do modem-modem calling to another computer. I have used my ST to terminal into other computers before, but that was local serial. I still don't see why it can't dial say, a bank to use it's services (yes, a lot still do exist) or other company like that where your personal info is stashed.

 

Modem-modem gaming is still another possibility, but you have to know someone that will dial you or accept a call.

 

One thing I have been trying to get done (never enough time!) is get a local network going using all external modems. I have lots of modems, ready to go, of my very own that would love to have a purpose again.

 

Anyway, here are the pictures of that new modem I have.

[monzamess]

As recently as 1998 (which I realize isn't all that recent) I would use a VT100 (compatible) terminal connected to a modem to dial into a local Unix server and surf the web using Lynx, check email, run emacs, etc. Just about any home computer has a VT100 terminal emulator and could do the same thing. However you would need to hunt down an internet-connected Unix server with a modem and arrange to have an account on it somehow.

 

With computers as cheap as they are (a $200 netbook is just fine for the web) and cheap or free Wifi internet access being very common, with few exceptions, modem usage has moved into novelty territory. But that's perfectly in line with this community.

[+Stephen]

Don't rule out the Lantronix boxes. They take a standard CAT5 ethernet cable as input, and output an RS232 signal. With these devices, you can use all original modem software on the ST, but actually be telnetting into machines. The Lantronix emulates a modem. There are plenty of telnet BBSes up and running. I access them this way with my 8-bit Ataris, and will soon have my first 1040ST up and running.