How would i go about connecting to a dial-up BBS? reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-10-21 05:36 hello, i've been interested in BBS' for quite a while now and i heard about there still being some hosted on Dial-up and i was wondering how I would connect to those ones without a dial up connection or modem. i'd love to see some of these places and talk to whoever happens to still be on them in 2018! thanks in advance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- opt_in_out_in_out · 2018-10-21 07:42 This is part of the quaintness of a dial-up-only board. Without a modem, you won't get on. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-10-21 07:55 is there no other way i could get on? a virtual modem perhaps? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ilikewines · 2018-10-21 13:08 Buy a modem. ;) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Patient-Tech · 2018-10-21 13:08 Use a terminal program like synchroterm and connect through telnet. http://www.telnetbbsguide.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PhotoJim99 · 2018-10-21 14:32 Nope. You need a modem and a phone line. Modems are cheap. You can get even the very best modem (which, in my opinion, is the US Robotics v.Everything external) for a few tens of dollars. This modem is probably overkill for you at first until you know you are interested, though. The phone line is the modern problem. A landline is best. If you already have one, you're good to go. (Just remember that you need to dial a prefix, depending on where in the world you are, to disable call waiting if your line has that feature.) A VoIP line can work, if you have low jitter (consistent latency), but requires a bit of work to get working well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PhotoJim99 · 2018-10-21 14:33 He specifically asked about BBSes accessible by modem only. :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Patient-Tech · 2018-10-21 15:52 There’s still some on the telnet list. A USB modem will work fine in this case and I’ve had the best success through Comcast voip service. Lots of forced speeds and experimentation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-10-21 18:36 thanks! the only line in my house is a DSL line but if i plug it into my phone it says a phone number, would that work? pardon me if thats a dumb question. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PhotoJim99 · 2018-10-21 19:44 If you have active phone service on that line, then it should work. In some jurisdictions, phone lines used for DSL but that don't have active phone service will still have a dial tone, but will only work to contact the phone company or emergency services. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-10-21 19:46 i dont have active phone service but i got curious one day and plugged it into my telephone and it told me a number i was dialing from. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PhotoJim99 · 2018-10-21 19:46 Yes. I'd stick with hardware modems if possible - they work on every computer with a serial or USB port (as appropriate) and with every operating system that supports modems. Winmodems only work on appropriate versions of Windows. With modems so cheap these days, no need to buy a Winmodem. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PhotoJim99 · 2018-10-21 19:53 You likely won't be able to call a BBS, then, unless you activate service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-10-21 20:12 aw damn, i might try it out just to be sure but if all else fails i might try getting it activated. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- YserviusPalacost · 2018-10-22 22:58 It's a little different these days, now that land lines (and particularly ANALOG land lines) are not a commonality in every single house. Even a lot of the "land lines" these days are nothing but an overpriced VOIP line... A working copper circuit from the teleco to your house is becoming harder and harder to find since many phone companies are simply not maintaining the POTS infrastructure. The slow, expensive, but resilient architecture has been replaced by the fast, cheap, and volatile architecture. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dobesov · 2018-10-23 15:22 Find a local BBS number somewhere. Get a usb modem... Take your laptop and find the cheapest oldest worst motel you can find because it likely is still wired like its 1987. Grab a room for the night and jack in. Truly feel like you were are a 1337 HaXoR! While you are waiting to connect because someone else using the line, remember to constantly yell things like "Crash and Burn!" and "I want ROOM SERVICE! I want the club sandwich, I want the cold Mexican beer, I want a $10,000-a-night hooker! I want my shirts laundered... like they do... at the Imperial Hotel... in Tokyo." ;) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- falken95 · 2018-11-08 17:11 I have a dial out option on my BBS via a built in option called Termlink. Just shoot me the Boards name and number and I'll gladly add it to the list of Board options to dial out to. We're still in the process of bringing things online like Fidonet and BBSLink but we do have Doors, Messaging and conferencing. The Heights BBS is accessible via telnet @ [heightsbbs.heightspc.net:6860](https://heightsbbs.heightspc.net:6860) using a simple telnet client like [https://sourceforge.net/projects/sy ncterm/files/latest/download](https://sourceforge.net/projects/syncter m/files/latest/download) or by simply clicking on this link [https://goo.gl/C5HPbM](https://goo.gl/C5HPbM) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wispyRed · 2018-11-13 22:41 im very very late but please tell me more about Diwl Out, you've piqued my interest quite a bit!