Subj : SEXPOTS - Pulling my hair out... :)
To   : cafarmer
From : Digital Man
Date : Sat Jun 08 2024 10:51 pm

  Re: SEXPOTS - Pulling my hair out... :)
  By: cafarmer to Digital Man on Fri Jun 07 2024 05:55 am

 > Okay, I'm going to try and explain this in order. But honestly, I have done
 > so much searching and what seems like a zillion tests. I really, really want
 > to get this working.

So this is a local sub-board, not normally use for Synchronet (or SEXPOTS) tech support. https://wiki.synchro.net/howto:support

 > So, I have several BBS systems set up and they all terminate with TELNET at
 > various ports. WildCat! supports TELNET natively, so I am all set there with
 > up to 16 simultaneous connections. I also have Image BBS set up with a user
 > port connection set to IP232 connection to TCPSER running as a windows
 > service. Now, these two BBS servers run on emulated systems (Vice and VMWare
 > Workstation) - but just remember: they are both accessible via TELNET and I
 > can connect to them from my MacBook Pro with SyncTerm - no problem.
 >
 > Here is the fun part: I have several vintage computers that I want to be
 > able to connect to them as well... so, SEXPOTS! I have a Panasonic EZ-Phone
 > system with 8 lines. Right now, my Amiga 1000 and Apple Iic are sharing the
 > same line and I have one modem connected to the Windows 7 machine hosting
 > the VMs (I wish I could provide a drawing - just have to create one first.
 > I can get all this to work - but not consistently. Sometimes when I start
 > SEXPOTS, the Modem Responses are the last set of characters in the INIT
 > string and it seems to just fall through and connect to the TELNET endpoint
 > without even waiting for a call.

Which version of SEXPOTS? What if you use a shorter modem init string (e.g. just "ATZ")?

 > It also seems that when I get it to work
 > for one scenario (say, the Amiga), the other computer dials in and it
 > doesn't detect a pickup... it also seems to change what happens when I set
 > the windows device baud rate up or down... trying to match the modems, etc.

The device rate (DTE) rate is not supposed to match the connection (DCE) rate. It should be higher than your highest supported DCE rate (e.g. 38400 or 57600 is enough for all realistic connections).

 > It also seems to affect success or failure trying different INIT strings. It
 > just does not seem to be consistent in anything I do... sometimes, I think I
 > nailed it. Then it has a problem re-initializing the modem after a
 > successful connection.

Is the modem configured to recognize DTR?

 > So I know this is a lot and requires more precise detail to troubleshoot,
 > but I was hoping to just shake the tree a bit and see if anyone else
 > struggled with this. My Windows 7 machine has a USB Serial 4 port on it and
 > connected to those four ports are 2 Hayes Smartmodem Optima 288s and two
 > Hayes Smartmodem 1200s.

I would imagine the 1200 modem needs a very different configuration (modem init strings, COM port settings) than the 288.

 > One important fact - when I pass a serial port to the VM running Wildcat!
 > and set up Wildcat! with a modem as one of the nodes... everything works
 > perfectly and consistently. Modem initializes, waits and I can connect just
 > fine with My Amiga with the Modem 1200 RS and with the Apple Modem 1200. It
 > seems like Wildcat! is doing something different right in handling the
 > modems?
 >
 > Thanks for reading and I will take any hints... any.

It's probably the serial port settings or the modem settings.
-- 
                                            digital man (rob)

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