Sharing a Cable Connection w/ Your Dreamcast?

James Nolan asks: "I am about to buy a Sega Dreamcast. I have a cable internet connection for my computer, but so far, Dreamcasts only come equipped with a 56k modem. Any ideas on how I can connect a Dreamcast to my computer so that they can share the cable connection? Haven't found anything specifically relating to this. After a tireless search, I found a link that answers the question I submitted earlier." This comment points us to this article from IGN indicating that Sega does have plans on releasing an Ethernet adapter, but there is no mention of a release date. Does anyone have any other solutions for connecting a Dreamcast up to broadband internet? Would this method work for other internet appliances?

Comments

Cross Wiring 56K

[Keeper ofthe Keys]

Although you cannot get *MORE* than 56k out of it, you can get a pure 33.6-56k to your local lan by just "faking" an ISP connection.

If you take a phone cord, put it between the 2 modems, then make the dreamcast dial any number (as long as it doesn't do dial-tone detection).
Then on the other side, force an answer by entering "ATA", then the modems will handshake and all will be well.

Hope this works on dreamcast .... I sure worked well for transferring files between a PC and an AMIGA, although the AMIGA only had a 1200 baud modem and it was sloooooooooow.

Re:Cross Wiring 56K

[EMIce]

To do this would be be difficult, considering you must get your pppd server to pick up the phone on demand without a ring. Can windows ppp servers do this? What about Linux pppd? Can dreamcast bypass dialtone detection? It's all simple with two terminals, but we have much less control of pppd and DC software. Basically you'd have time things within a few a seconds to get this right:

1) Dreamcast dials, bypassing dialtone

2) User runs to PC and tells ppp server to accept a phone connection on demand

Whether both of these things can be done is questionable. With hacked software on both ends yes, but it'd still be a pain.

If someone can come up with a device that puts out a dialtone, listens for dialing, shuts off the dialtone, and then simulates a ring all would be solved. Here is the scenario:

1) Dreamcast gets dialtone, dials and waits for modem

2) Device detects dialing and issues a ring, or the device can kill the dialtone and issue a ring at the press of a button

3) pppd server picks up

I believe a ring is simulated by a large voltage increase on the line, but that information was from a text file from like 1988. I think it is correct though. I'm sure someone with an EE background could come up with something like this for us. Very cheaply too if ring is initiated by a button press rather than detection. The user would just have to wait till the DC finished dialing and then push a button. This would work with virtually all pppd servers.

emice

Re:Cross Wiring 56K

[semaj]

http://www.dc-united.com/utilities/D C-PPP.html tells you how to do exactly that.

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The link

[semaj]

.. doesn't work.

However, e3.sega.com/show /from_the_floor/ftf_games_peripherals.shtml has some details on the "Dreamcast Ethernet LAN Card."

Dreamcast on broadband! You wanted a faster connection, you got it. Connect it to a cable modem, DSL modem, even the Ethernet LAN in your company. It's network standard and allows for smoother video phone quality, state of the art graphics, and quick downloads of the hottest games.

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broadband consoles

[gnudutch]

This one is no sweat. Put two net cards in your linux box. One card connects to the modem (dsl or cable or isdn or whatever, doesn't matter). The other card connects to a hub. Connect your other computers to the hub, and also your game consoles. Now all you have to do is configure your linux box to be a router/proxy server. Easy! >:) --T