N64DD Custom Randnet Server

I know that this has been talked about before in the past, and most likely has been done and I never looked it up. As we all know, The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive was suppose to connect n64's around the world together like how Nintendo Network and PSN are now days. Looking at the N64DD on Ebay ( I currently do not own one, but will in the future.) What I seen on Ebay is that the Randnet Disks and Modem cassettes are available and of course aren't that many out there but those disks seem to go for only $50 to $100, And since the modem only uses a phone jack wire. It could be connected to a PC, but when you try to connect to Randnet. You are greeted with a error message saying something along the line that the service is turned off or you cannot connect. I was watching people videos on what they create in the F Zero X Expansion kit, knowing that some people who own the same things as the other and wish to download them but cannot do to the fact that Randnet is shut down and was never available in the US. As I said I do not own a N64DD and wish to purchase one and the common games and accessories that come with it, I would also like to download tracks that people make in F Zero or just to see what people would do in the Mario Artist series. Like I said there would be no way for that to happen, Unless there was a custom server that would manipulate the Randnet Disks and thinking it connected to the long dead server. I know that some people who buy a N64DD will sale it later down the road for either personal reasons or just want money. What I'm trying to say/expand upon is that what if there was a server to connect the N64DD's that are out there so the people who play the games that are on the system and create stuff and would want to share the stuff that they made, I know that there are many challenges that would come to build the program and server to do it. But its not possible, look at Xlink Kai. There aren't many users on there but there's still a community of people that use the service. I know that there are less N64DD's out there compared to the original Xbox and PS2, and the service would be slim unless there was a way to connect the N64DD emulators to it also. Which still would be less than the other consoles. I would like to make the program and server, but as a high school senior who does not know any programming, It would never be made. Next fall I am entering Computer Science and Programming, so I could start there on making the project but as of now I would like too see what other people would do to create the program and try it out on two N64DD's as you'd be needing one to send the track/image to a receiving N64DD. That being said I know that this is very long, but please consider it and get back to me whenever. Again I do not own a N64DD nor any accessories, also I do not know how to program at the moment. So please do tell me what you think and get back to me.

 

I think it is an awesome idea and you should go for it when you have the knowledge and proper software/hardware. I too lack an N64DD sitting under my US N64, but one shall sit there someday. I would love to see what people come up with in F-Zero. I haven't played F-Zero on the N64, but I will be getting the Japanese version in the future so I can use the Expansion Disk. Seeing the system online again would be a great for gaming. If only an N64DD emulator actually worked...

 

MESS has 64dd support

 

correct me if im wrong but arnt projects like this near impossible unless you got some packets to look at ?

 

I think I've heard about MESS before but I've never used it. For N64, I used Project64 and the N64DD BIOS never worked with it.

 

MESS supporting 64DD is a new development. Go check it out.

 

I just downloaded it and extracted it to a folder. Now what do I do? I don't see a way to start MESS.

 

i would fund this if it was a project to get the n64dd back online here is some footage of randnet online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1GUyFCv7k

 

Yeah, a kickstarter to get a server funded might be a good idea. I took a look at the video you linked and it's in complete Japanese. I still can't read it yet so I had no idea what all the text was saying. Hopefully an English patch exists or can be made so that when the N64DD server is recreated, we can upload and download stuff in English.

 

yes but the one problem is how do we make a server to trick the n64dd modem thinking that its online

 

The same way people got the Dreamcast back online.

Hopefully some brave soul can make an Ethernet cart for the N64DD so we could connect via broadband. Someone could then patch the Randnet disk and the other online-capable N64DD titles to use broadband instead of dial-up. This would avoid dial-up all together and open up everyone to the server.

Not sure how possible it is to upgrade the N64 to broadband but might as well try it out. If they can get broadband on an NES, they can get it on the N64.

 

maybe xlink kai can help in some way to get it back online

 

Maybe they could. Definitely get a hold of them and see if they want to help out. This could help people who emulate the N64DD as well as people who use actual N64DD hardware.

Hopefully broadband could be achieved with the N64DD one day. It might be easier to make a whole new Randnet disk with both English and broadband support. Maybe I could look into it when I start college.

 

Man, all you guys got great ideas! I wish I could help make this happen, but I dont have the knowledge or resources to do it.

 

I really want to help out but I too lack the knowledge and the equipment to look into it. As of now, I'm just throwing around ideas that would make awesome contraptions.

I also can't read/speak Japanese atm so I couldn't even begin to design an English patch for the Randnet disk, let alone patch it so it works with broadband.

Speaking of which, how would one get English and broadband patches onto an actual N64DD diskette? Emulators would be easy but actual hardware? Hopefully a solution can be found for this issue.

 

messaged xlink kai they said that they couldn't help

 

Did they state a reason? If I had to guess, they didn't see the potential since it would be like 5 people playing the N64DD online.

I guess it is up to us to get this server running. Networking seems like a fun thing to me so I'm seriously considering learning about in it in college and see if I could find a way to get it working in an emulator. If anyone wants to help, go ahead and help. Let's also try to keep this open-source so everyone can enjoy it.

If anyone has experience with PCB designing, could you make a N64DD Broadband Cartridge for us? I would love to get this running on broadband instead of dial-up. A custom patch for the Randnet disk would be necessary for broadband compatibility and English text. The biggest issue with that would be getting the patch onto an actual disk.

Another option would be to design a whole new N64DDprogram that is compatible with Randnet titles, has similar features, broadband support, and English support. Getting it onto a blank N64DD disk would also be next to impossible.

Hopefully someone can make new N64DD disks or find a way to write to existing disks using a modded N64DD, similar to the disk writing mod for the Famicom Disk System.

 

xlink kai dont offer servers (from my knowledge), they do LAN tunneling so getting help from them was never going to happen

 

Oh ok. That explains their answer.

LAN multiplayer would be nice to add to an N64DD game if the broadband cart was made. It would have to be a whole new game though.

 

man, well. I didn't think xlink kai would've done anything as you need to login into randnet