Re: Apple II with Lantronix?

["brad" <mrbrad(remove)@ll.net>]

replied to comp.sys.apple2


"...
> I'm getting a bit closer... did some digging and read some postings from
> folks that didn't think the Lantronix UDS-10 would send modem status to
the
> BBS software.  This seems incorrect.  I got confirmation from Lantronix
that
> this would work, and I was able to hook up the UDS-10 to a serial port on
> one PC, and telnet from another, and the system with the UDS-10 hooked up
to
> it gave the status "RING", "NO CARRIER", "CONNECT", etc..
>
> That's the good part.  The bad part is that I can't get the Apple to see
> what's going on.  It's on a IIgs with the bios set to "Your Card" instead
of
> modem port, and using the same cable I used on my PC, with the exception
of
> an adapter to go from a DB9 connector that my PC uses to a 25pin for both
> the Lantronix and Apple Super Serial II card.  I didn't need a null modem
> cable for the PC to UDS-10 connection, so I'm guessing it's just getting
the
> right cable for the IIgs.  Perhaps going directly to the modem port
now...?
>
> Essentially I plug the UDS-10 into my PC via COM1 and it behaves like a
> modem... I can do AT commands, resets, ATA, etc.. and it responds just
like
> a modem should.
>

you guys probably already know this stuff..but i'll toss it out here anyway

i at one time ran the lost gonzo bbs (www.lost-gonzo.com) and had 2 apple
//gs setups avail to people on the internet or
via my www page to connect to them

the 1st pkg is tpro (it used standard serial connection with null modem)

the 2nd was fv/metal 4.0xev ciria 1991 from terry olsen (w/some gonzo mods
mostly more games etc)
but i always ran that thru the 2nd phone line we had for the bbs (2phone
lines and inet..free T1 oh the good old days)

this is of course why i would also like to get the serial to eithernet
adaptor to work with fv/metal to connect to the eithernet hub (currently
internal)
for that day if i ever bring the beast back up

ok....i ran  it with a setup called mbbs 6.21 later 6.25 then became
worldgroup 1.0 and eventually wg3.20...i kept the wg 1.0 on a side
machine because it had a dialout module you could purchase in which you
could dial to other systems...now here is the important part..it assumed
they were other IBM PC TYPE systems...so for the Tpro 4.2f RPG BBS setup i
used to run on 1 gs cira 1984 or so ..that was no problem..it
just sat there at 9600 baud via the null modem standard serial connection
and the dang thing was so DUMB it just looped  looking for a local
connection
over and over again (i think it had a null modem option when you set it up
to test) or from local mode you just hit ctrl-l and viola you were in on the
gs itself locally or using this dialout program from the worldgroup pc bbs
setup....it always worked...

ok ...there are other options to a dialout  program if you want to try the
same setup  mine cost mucho bucks with like 5 sysops or so over the years it
was
up...but msdos based or windows based pc run door programs (legend of the
red dragon, doorway, tw2002, doormud, etc) there also were some door
programs that were not made that allowed you to use fossil based doors like
used in wildcat etc (or desqview kinda stuff) to dialout just like the
worldgroup stuff

so if people wanted to put up an equiv system for free with built in www
server and doors running under the new win32 fossil setup (ie same machine
as your win bbs running game/door programs in multiple node ie 40 people on
all on a diff game/task or whatever) you could get a bbs program called
synchronet still supported and new versions out (freeware) at
www.synchro.net or gamesrv to run doors via a game server setup etc etc etc

the reason i'm bringing this up is it is well and good that hopefully we
could eventually get an apple // bbs setup like boycot up via an eithernet
connection
but again it is only 1 user at a time...so for apple file xfers/chat/dialout
door setups to add gs bbs computers like boycott to a telnet/web bbs or tpro
of fv/metal you prob would want to have something like this the front
end...if for no other reason people would be a lot more likely to kick into
spacer quest (even 1 user at a time) if they could do so off a web page with
javatelnet hooks ..then just doing the usual bring up hyperterminal figure
settings and hitting on

telnet : boycot.no-ip.com port 9999

of i'm sidetracked again ..but you get an idea of the direction i am
going...with this eithernet serial device i could setup or put up according
to the amount of gs
systems i wanted to setup to tackle this (baring elec costs maybe a diff
system a week in a vintage area or some way to power up the units remotely
so they were  not on all the time) a setup where you could have

gs #1 with fv/metal xev 4.0 (modified) a la boycot bbs w/the lantronix (in
my case) MSS1-T Micro Serial Server Device to convert serial to eithernet
hub on gs.

gs #2 Tpro 4.2f RPG (modified) a la 2nd old gonzo machine running an
integrated RPG BBS from old school w/o having to go thru worldgroup..ie put
this mod
out there so people could use this www.synchro.net as a front end or GmServ
as a front end using a dialout door and web server...prob also work
w/wildcat.

gs #3 Original AppleNet Dos 3.3 BBS on Focus Card w/dos 3.3 from 1983 i ran
on orig ii plus with another guy don guse (qazz) in mankato back in the day
also make it internet compatible

gs #4 the original Blastervision BBS pkg etc that the developer sent me
everything rather then toss it

gs #5  Proline BBS pkg with usenet etc and the millenum 2000 patch to work

gs #6 Gbbs pkg i am now an owner of...

you get the drift...

so my point is .... when i was experimenting with trying to get dialout as a
program to work with connecting to an apple // bbs setup...and i put the
nice little lighted
breakout box in between i seem to remember more signals and diff signals
from the pc to this box...i was never able to figure out the scripting in
the dialout stuff (a program of worldgroup i assume similar to the bbs door
programs called dialout that also did it the same way) to get around this
and or make a cable to work..

because the truth is ...a serial connection works just as well (although not
as directly) from one of these freeware bbs pkgs or worldgroup as this
eithernet device would work (at least on the tpro 4.2 f and i suspect the
applenet dos 3.3) ..they also have a big advantage in which the web/bbs end
could reset itself if metal had some kinda crash and the connection would
re-assert itself ..at least at cleanup 2x a day which a gs just running by
itself was not prone to do before when i just ran them on a modem....

so to make a long msg short maybe someone should figure out how the tpro
works 1st in that it is dumb and stupid on a serial connection...then with
that working..take it and try to get it to work with the serial/eithernet
bridge ( i assume terry olsen still has a copy of my setup for tpro) ...then
if that works and metal is adding signals or some other silly'ness or some
of the newer pkgs like proline do the same..then you have elimanated some of
the confusion...and if worse comes to
worse you could just modify metal/fv lang to make metal/fv or say gbbs just
connect in the same dumb manner as the tpro 4.2f version...and then from
there get the eithernet/serial connection to work

again i don't program ...these solutions of a 2nd phone line i happened to
have anyway when i ran the big bbs and the tpro via dialout on a dumb serial
connection is as far as a hardware based only non-programming guy could get
(heck i was pleased you could go javatelnet from a web page to spacer guest
via the bbs)

other then that i guess i can just send the MSS1-T Micro Serial Server
Device from ebay i got (see prev posts) to terry olsen and he can make a
cable for me *unless you think the one i got the last attempt with bbs
gateway program would work* ..ie one zip disk with my metal/fv bbs on
it....the lantronix mss1-t device and terry olsen gets it to work and makes
cable for said item..viola...then i could simply connect it to the eithernet
hub and have the wg bbs or sychronet bbs connect via a menu using a common
internal ip string..viola...(but the last time i got a copy of boycot from
terry it took guite a while ..so looking for options rather then burden
him)...

anyway the link to the MSS1-T Micro Serial Server Device i got for
converting serial devices (bbs's/modem) to eithernet stuff is at

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5789791408&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores

$37.95 and $8.50 shipping handle on a buy it now...with 2 left...mine
arrived new..no manual but the above www page has manuals .pdf to download
for this
item...so feel free to look at said .pdf manuals call me an idiot..and walk
me thru the easy cable and connection path to do the same...

for my part if we ever got this working...i'd upload said instructions on
how to do so and try to get the tpro (freeware), fv/metal (freeware)
..applenet, stuff out there so those who have www sites etc can get a like
minded device and put a few of these up (heck better then door stops and it
is really funny to watch some guy get hooked on spacerquest or planetbashers
and want the door version of it! and you get to tell him he needs to get a
apple // ....sigh...tweaking gamers those were the days..)

anyway....all bets are off if terry olsen gets back to me and says he thinks
it will be a snap because he already has his working on his device (i forget
the model) i'll send it to him and write up instructions that way ....and
repost here w/upload site on how it was done......

anyway...that is my reason/viewpoint on all this ....and remember most 4th
graders can read the lantronix instructions better then myself...as for the
side options of the synchronet www.synchro.net etc... maybe that will become
the next step after this gettting a uthernet card to work with metal/fv
directly via some scheme and telnet that this could be done directly...(prob
still need somekinda converter thou)

anyway sorry for the rambling...but i currently can't get my setup up
(costs...lack of time ..need other sysops...etc) and i'd like to see more up
then just terry olsens...

and by the way where is the antsinthepants setup that also was up his link
don't hit

ok i'm gone ..just needed to vent and prepare myself for yelling loudly at
the MSS1-T Lantronix Serial Device Manual and spending a month prob
confused...and frustrated (much like my love life) ..show me the light
and/or a better way....

brad
former sysop lost-gonzo.com
(prob way out of his depth)
mrbrad AT ll.net