O2star
Offline
Planet Zaxxon

So, I've been messing around with FreeDOS now, and attempting to browse the web with Arachne. I was unsuccessful through my computers good ol modem, ( I have no idea what number it is dialing) and unsuccessful through an ethernet card. But I dont think it even detects my ethernet card.

I would like to gain some serious knowledge about what all this stuff means. I can usually mess around with things and begin to understand it, but with networks I just never seem to grasp it. Such things like "packet drivers" "ISDN cards" or just general information about basic networks, or even how it relates with ms-dos (or freeDOS) would be helpful. I guess stuff in the most simplest terminology would be good to start with.

One can only search the internet so long to figure stuff out, and its just too much for me on this subject. I just love how you can search the internet to learn about the internet. So I was looking for some books, or really good sources for this stuff. I am going to take the A+ certification test soon, so any info is very helpful to me. I already have the books pertaining to what is on the test. Anyone care to help me out?  smile

Last edited by O2star (Mar 18, 2010 5:18 am)

ant1
Offline
uhajdafdfdfa

I'm also unable to surf the internet with FreeDOS - it's not surprising that there aren't packet drivers for my 2008 laptop, really. Unless your computer (and its network card) is fairly old I guess you'll struggle to find them.

Does your ISP still give you dial-up internet? I doubt it, if you've moved to broadband.

µB
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A gray world of dread

I have no experience to set up relay internet in DOS (ie DOS machine->Ethernet->Gateway), but I guess a first step would be confirming you got the LAN working. In DOS6.1 I had to install a dirver called Netbios.exe to do that. You may have to play with ipconfig as well (to set up gateway stuff).

For the dial-up, google a call-by-call provider's number if you want to quickly test if it works. No idea if there are still such services around.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Haha, why use DOS? If you're not afraid of a CLI, you should use Linux and browse with Lynx. Another possibility, and one that I use to surf teh interwebs with my Apple IIgs, is to get a serial to ethernet device server, like the Lantronix MSS-VIA (or any Lantronix UDS) and use that to connect to ethernet home network via null-modem serial cable. The device pretends to be a dial up modem, only instead of sendin ti a phone number you just open up a connection and type in a TELNET command. If you have a shell account with someplace like the SDF then you can get email, SSH, Lynx, IRC, and more.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Oh wait, you're learning this for a test... OK. Didn't see that one. smile

Well, if we can't help you, get yer bum over here:
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/

They will be able to sort you out in very short order.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Yeah, and what uB says is true- get the LAN working first. To get on the niternets, you're going to need the following things: An ethernet card, drivers for said card, and a TCP/IP stack driver, at the very least. You could do it IPX style, but you're going to need a TCP stack if you plan on using the web as we know it today. So those should be some leads. So, in DOS you have to set up not only the drivers, but what protocol you're going to use to communicate on the network, and you want it to be TCP/IP. You probably won't have automatic IP address assignment working on DOS, you'll need to assign one manually. Also, if you have any gateway/proxy whatever set up you'll need to route through there, which isn't automatic on DOS like it is in Wondoze.

µB
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A gray world of dread

This might also be of help:
http://www.computerhope.com/ipconfig.htm

Edit: Actually, I'm not sure if FreeDOS even has that- you may have to rely on third party tools.

Last edited by µB (Mar 18, 2010 12:39 pm)

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Also try:

http://users.telenet.be/mydotcom/librar … stcpip.htm

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Services/PDA/dos.shtml

µB
Offline
A gray world of dread
arfink wrote:

Also try:
http://users.telenet.be/mydotcom/librar … stcpip.htm

Great link, very interesting read. Quite a few hoops to jump through to get everything to work. Man, remembering a time when there wasn't a www makes me feel old. tongue

nitro2k01
Offline
Sweeeeeeden

Try to get an old network card to one your OPL computers. You should be able to get eg a 3c589 PCMCIA card for cheap from eBay. They are from that time so they're well supported in DOS.

akira^8GB
Offline
New York City

I have a Netgear PCMCIA wireless card you can have if you want. I'm not using it. I got it for my Amiga and never managed to get it running. They run using a Prism chipset that is well docmented and drivers ported to almost anything, like the chipset nitro mentions.

Last edited by akira^8GB (Mar 18, 2010 4:16 pm)

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

If you have the model number, akira, I might be interested in having it for my Apple IIgs. Yes. I'm THAT crazy. And I know how to make it work. smile

O2star
Offline
Planet Zaxxon

Thanks for all responses peeps !!!! Im actually gone be running this setup on my desktop dos machine...  so Im gonna get an ISA ethernet card this week to try out.

But im gonna go through everyones comments and links !!!!  smile