Hi,

Does anyone have success using Roadshow with a serial modem on a Sam440ep system?

It doesn't work at all for me. The wizard tries to scan for a modem but never finds anything. I never see any lights blink on the modem.

If I type "copy con: ser:" I can get lights to blink on the modem when I type in the console, so that is more successful than Roadshow. However, typing "ats0=1" does not light the "AA" light on the modem, so it looks like it doesn't really understand what I'm typing.

I have noticed lights blinking on the modem at other times (reboot). So I'm guessing that something else owns the serial device and isn't letting Roadshow work. Something like RomWack perhaps?

I have copied Genesis and Miami configs from old systems but neither program will start. They both say that there is already a TCP/IP stack running.



Edit: A different modem works just fine, and was very quick and easy to get working. I don't know the reason, but I don't care, so I call this SOLVED!

Last edited by robo-ant on 29-Apr-2009 at 04:39 AM.

@robo-ant

The U-Boot ROM and several OS components all write debug information out to the serial port, so that is likely to upset the modem. It's also likely to be at different transmission speeds from the Roadshow settings.

I'd suggest getting a copy of Sashimi and using that to divert debug output to a disk file. However, that won't stop UBoot writing stuff to the serial port at startup.

Yeah, U-Boot is like the old Classic RomWack.

If you try the "copy con: ser:" trick again, look at Devs:DOSDrivers/SER with Notepad or some other editor and make sure that the speed setting is what you are expecting. It's not necessarily the same as the speed that U-Boot uses.

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@robo-ant

Try copying to AUX: instead, it's unbuffered. It's funny how many people don't know about it. Of course I found it by accident and now share the information.

@tonyw

Do we still have AUX:?

@Hypex

Quote:

Do we still have AUX:?

In DEVS:DOSDrivers I *STILL* have AUX & AUX1 entries, and in L: I still find aux-handler, so the answer to your question should be 'Yes', me thinks?

OldFart

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@tonyw
Quote:

The U-Boot ROM and several OS components all write debug information out to the serial port, so that is likely to upset the modem. It's also likely to be at different transmission speeds from the Roadshow settings.

The serial dubug output in OS 4.1 for µA1 is redirected to a memory buffer which you can access with "DumpDebugBuffer". I would assume that the same is true for SAM. You would need to intentionally direct the debug output back to the serial device for debugging. I'm still on a dialup connection and the debug output is no longer a problem like it was with the OS4 prereleases.

Last edited by Xenic on 28-Apr-2009 at 04:03 PM.

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X1000 with 2GB memory & OS4.1FE

Quote:

Does anyone have success using Roadshow with a serial modem on a Sam440ep system?

Just out of curiosity - why would anyone in 2009 use a dialup modem? There's probably a perfectly good answer to this, but it really puzzles me.

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@robo-ant
Quote:

Does anyone have success using Roadshow with a serial modem on a Sam440ep system?It doesn't work at all for me. The wizard tries to scan for a modem but never finds anything. I never see any lights blink on the modem.

I'm currently using a µA1 with a dialup connection and just talked to the salesman about getting a SAM Flex. This has me worried and I would like to see a solution before I finalize my order.

That being said, I can offer only a few suggestions:
When you start the Wizard, be sure you select "Serial" on the first page.On the second page try selecting "Manual" and be sure that you have "a1serial.device" (or the equivalent for a SAM) selected from the device list. Have your modem settings from Miami handy and proceed through the manual installation. If it still doesn't work, try starting again but select a different Unit # on the device selection page.

It shouldn't hurt to play around with the manual installation since you can always erase the connection file and start over.

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@Petah
Because in this economy, some people prefer to pay $10 a month instead of $30-50 a month to the ripoff cable company and there is no DSL available.

Because the phone lines don't get knocked out every time there is a storm but the cable always seems to fail.

Some people are "over the thrill" of surfing the Internet and only go online every other day to get emails.

Some people are grownups and don't care about being "uncool" etc..

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@Xenic Quote:

Some people are "over the thrill" of surfing the Internet and only go online every other day to get emails. Some people are grownups and don't care about being "uncool" etc..

Some people wonder how they lived without the internet (e.g. looking-up information quickly, or ordering stuff quickly & cheaply). Of course, these people do not use dial-up...

P.S. I don't think there's anything "cool" about using the internet. It's just damn useful (and also a potentially huge waste of time if you want it to be).

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And even mobile broadband (3g) is way better and cheaper than dial up.

Last edited by fryguy on 28-Apr-2009 at 10:14 PM.

@robo-ant

Quote:

I have copied Genesis and Miami configs from old systems but neither program will start. They both say that there is already a TCP/IP stack running.

I saw that under OS4.x pre-releases. It stems from mixing 68k and PPC, which you seem to be doing.

Added:reference thread (one of many) that confirms this.
Dialup Problems A1 Final

I run OS4.0, but if you have the following in OS4.1 s:startup-sequence, comment it out as indicated below. You don't need it for serial dialup.
;C:AddNetInterface QUIET DEVS:NetInterfaces/~(#?.info)

Debug is redirected to console since OS4 final. Your problem should therefore not be related to debug going through serial. The docs for serial clearly explain how to change this back to serial if you wish.

How about starting with listing your modem and what model Amiga it worked reliably with in the past?

@Petah

Oddly I hear this question mostly from users in Sweden who are fortunate to have a level of service far better than 3rd world countries, like the United States. Frankly we can not get anything BUT dialup service in many parts of our country.

#6

Last edited by number6 on 28-Apr-2009 at 11:13 PM.

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@Hypex

SER:, AUX: and U-Boot all use the same physical serial port (unless you have two ports and change one of the mountlists). Each stream has its own settings, so, for instance, you could have U-Boot (and debug output) writing to serial at 115200 baud, SER: writing to it at 57600 and AUX: at 9600 if you wished.

Even on the Sam, U-Boot still outputs the happy greeting message about CPU speed, RAM size, etc.

Last edited by tonyw on 28-Apr-2009 at 11:33 PM.

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@Xenic

I've tried all of your suggestions. The thing that bothers me most is that I haven't seen any LEDs blinking on the modem while trying different things. Only the copy con: ser: trick got any kind of response from the modem.

My modem is admittedly quite cantankerous, though. It took a few hours to get it working on my A3K, instead of a few minutes like the modem I had before that. I don't see why it would make a difference at the early stages of the configuration, though. It's only the init string that took a long time to work out.

I will try with some other modems, just in case. I still must have four or five older ones boxed away.

@number6

Quote:

I saw that under OS4.x pre-releases. It stems from mixing 68k and PPC, which you seem to be doing.

I'm trying to run TCP/IP stacks from my A3000 and Amithlon boxes because I can't get the one on AmigaOS4.1 to work. I thought I'd just be able to run the software and change the serial device in the config and at least attempt to make a connection. If I can use Roadshow I won't keep Miami or Genesis on my Sam.

Quote:

Debug is redirected to console since OS4 final. Your problem should therefore not be related to debug going through serial.

Good to know.

Quote:

How about starting with listing your modem and what model Amiga it worked reliably with in the past?

The modem is a USRobotics Sportster 56k Faxmodem. However, it is antiquated and is an "x2" modem, so it won't talk at higher speeds with any more modern modem. Since x2 went the way of the dodo, it has only been used as a 33.6Kbps modem. The init string for getting it to work like this is quite tricky.

It has been used successfully on an A3000 with MultiFaceCard III and Miami in AmigaOS3.1 and 3.5, with Amithlon and Genesis on PC hardware (IBM NetVista somethingerother) with AmigaOS3.9, and on Linux (Zenwalk) on the same hardware as Amithlon.


I will try again, this time with my old Practical Peripherals 28.8, and my older Sportster 14,400.

Well well well! I don't know what to say now, except a slightly embarassed "Yippee!". I am currently typing this on my Sam, using IBrowse and Roadshow and my old Practical Peripherals 28.8Kbps modem!

It took only SECONDS to get this thing to connect successfully. I just used the wizard's automatic setup.

So now I have an internet connection with my Sam!



So what the heck is wrong with my Sportster 56k??

Well, who cares!? Now I want to try that stupid GVC 56k modem that a friend gave me, that I couldn't get to work with Genesis and only sometimes with Linux. Maybe it'll work with the Sam just fine!

@Petah

Quote:

Just out of curiosity - why would anyone in 2009 use a dialup modem? There's probably a perfectly good answer to this, but it really puzzles me.

Because PCI Winmodems don't work very well with AmigaOS4!

@robo-ant

Maybe your Sportster needs reset;if you have used it with Windows in the past some modem strings may have been Windozed.Also SOME modems rely on Windows' own software to handle part of the processing.
This is almost never a problem with external modems,though.
You might check online for firmware upgrade for your 28.8 modem.
Also look for a USB external modem-I had one from a fleamarket for only $5 (new in box) that worked great at 50k until hit by lightning surge.(Another hazard faced by rural dwellers!)
Using a USB modem also lets you do other things with the standard serial port.

The posters here ridiculing dial-up need to grow up.If dial-up is what someone has available or can afford it is no different than ridiculing someone for living in a small home versus a mansion.Or still using the A1200 instead of a Peg or Sam.

There are places where dial-up is the only reasonable connection,unless those posters want to pay the $60 a month for satellite internet and the $399 equipment package up front.Likewise $60 a month for wireless (with 5gb monthly limit)which requires a 2 year contract!

I am back on DSL myself because my phone co-op wants to dump dial-up and gave me dsl at dial-up rates.$19.95 vs. $49.95 monthly!

@robo-ant
No broadband access in your area? I find it so odd that people still use dialup and i dont even see how it can be useable even for surfing these days. Dont you have adsl, cable or at least mobile broadband over there?

@fryguy

Quote:

fryguy wrote: And even mobile broadband (3g) is way better and cheaper than dial up.

Indeed. I have it myself and get speeds of around 2000-2500kbit. Surely beats the heck out of something running at less than 56kbit.

@BigC

Quote:

There are places where dial-up is the only reasonable connection,unless those posters want to pay the $60 a month for satellite internet and the $399 equipment package up front.Likewise $60 a month for wireless (with 5gb monthly limit)which requires a 2 year contract!

Are you sure that is the price for 3g/hspda?? Even here in Norway it is much cheaper and internet is in general more expensive here than in the states.