Build your own Dial-up ISP with a Raspberry Pi
7 hours ago
- #DIY Networking
- #Retro Computing
- #Raspberry Pi Projects
- The author built a local dial-up ISP using a Raspberry Pi to emulate 1999-era Wi-Fi and dial-up internet connectivity.
- Hardware required includes a Raspberry Pi, a Viking DLE-200B phone line simulator, and a StarTech.com 56K USB modem, connected with phone cords.
- Software setup involves using mgetty to handle modem calls and PPP for network bridging, configured via an Ansible playbook from the author's pi-isp project.
- Connection speeds max out around 33.6 kbps over POTS, with Macproxy Classic used to translate modern websites for compatibility with old browsers like Internet Explorer 5.
- The project extended to wireless dial-up using an AirPort Base Station, allowing vintage laptops like the iBook G3 to browse the internet via Wi-Fi at dial-up speeds.
- Additional features include using Macproxy Classic's WayBack Machine extension to browse historical web pages and refurbishing vintage hardware for authentic experience.
- The author highlights the educational value, learning about Linux tools, modem protocols, and networking, while indulging in nostalgia for retro computing.