WTF: Phone Line Simulator (for Sega Dremacast/Sega Saturn Netlink)

Hi,

as the topic says, I need a phone line simulator to use with my Netopia R2020 router to connect with my Dreamcast.


Examples are Viking 200B or Teltone TLS2 or 3. Either way it only has to be 2-way.


Regards

 

Depends on what this phone line simulator does. There was an simple old method that required a 15V PSU, 3 caps, a resistor and a voltage regulator which allowed two modems to be plugged into each other, as all it does is introduce a working voltage to the modem that would be on your phone line. If you are handy with a soldering iron then it would be a cheap method.

You could even test it with a cap, a resistor and a PP3 9V battery.

The Dreamcast can dial blind so it does not need a ring tone. This does assume you live in the US, although it can be modified for UK quite easily.

If you get a modem cable the two centre wires should be Green / Red. Green should be Pin 4 and Red should be Pin 3. Ignore dots, there to stop it stripping spaces.

DC END..............................PC/Router End
...............|(380 Ohm 1/4W)
Pin 4 ----+----||----/\/\-----+----- Pin 3
..........|....|.9V...........|
..........|------------||-----|
....................(.47uF ceramic)
Pin 3 ------------------------------ Pin 4

 

That would be a line voltage inducer.

All that does is to send voltage through the line as you said, but a line simulator gives more opportunities, as it supplies a dial tone aswell as acts as a mini-pbx, so that 2 modems can call each other via a number (specified on each of the ports on the simulator).

Also not all games support blind dial, so this is primarily why the line simulator would be better in this case.

I work as a certified electrician so soldering is not an issue, neither is getting the correct parts, but line simulators are kind of rare here in Norway and Im not even sure what they are called in Norwegian lol.

But thanks for the reply, but I still need a line simulator.

 

A simple way around that is to build a switch which would switch between a normal phone line and the line voltage inducer.

You could build a working line simulator which would give you a dial tone, ring ability and even busy tone for about 15 pounds or so.

http://veryuseful.info/linesim/

 

Am i the only one that thought "What the fuck!" when i saw the title of this thread?

 

No...

 

I use the TLS2 to "dial out" with my 56k modem, the Netopia connects the 56k into the router and the TLS dials to the IP chosen on the box. My TLS2 has numbers 29 and 40 it can dial out from. This is a must if you want to connect to some the servers around for the DC but not all. Some just have to hear that dial tone in order to "pick up" and connect to the server.

To those curious is is a hardware way to dial your 56k modem into your high speed boradband and go online and play games. Now why the hell would anyone want to do this when they could just buy a BBA you ask? Because the BBA supports only PSO and Quake III while networking your 56k modem into your router you are able to play 6 games and the possibility of more as time rolls on as even Sega only supported a select few BBA able games. There were many more modem only games at the time and this will allow you to use those games as well if ever hacked where as the typical BBA user will not. Best of all no lag at all and very low ping rates around 20-40 at most. I have yet to have a dropped game to this date when switching over to this method.

One could setup a Linux VM and run cords from a PC and do some heavy networking to obtain what two simple but massive pieces of hardware can easily do. Also you can use ANY TLS you jsut have to define what number it is dialing, even the TLS1 will work though it only supports number 29 but that is defined by your browser disc and stored on the VMU not the flash like the BBA. Each TLS the only real features that got added were more numbers to test lines with and the higher up the more compact. Here is a picture of my two beast I use to go online.



And best of all like stated can be used for the Saturn Netlink as well to play those games so it is a double investment. I play Saturn across the States all the time and works like a charm and no home phone is needed so it kills two birds with one stone allowing for some great retro nostalgia. And adds another 6 sweet games to the list of TLS/Netopia setup so great for any retro junkie like myself that really loved how innovative Sega really was and we can still use it till this day. Amazing is all I can say and worth every red cent!!

 

Indeed, I also read What the "Fun"

Very intresting schematic, for I am trying to use mulitple old devices on my phoneline, some dont work anymore thanks to the new phone standards and lack of the higher voltages. (Also a modem for my MSX is awesome and I cant figure out how to use the rs232 part)

 

This is old tech from early nineties so it is compatible with all the tech from that time. Every device that you can manually adjust the IP settings could be used. I didnt pay much over $100 for both the Netopia and TLS2 shipped and IMO worth twice that. Really when compared to BBA prices. I have two BBA's and LAN adapter and never use the BBA's since I got this working as there is no need as it hasnt faulted or even dropped once for me. Most even connect to me as the host most of the time.

 

this thread

 

Oops, typo!

Anyway, thanks for the great replies guys.

Atreyu - I just bought a Viking DLE-200B (havent gotten it yet) and the netopia router (r2020). According to the manual, there doesn't seem to be any number to dial on this simulator. I guess it just auto-dials the other port since its only 2-way anyway. My question is this: What do I insert as dial number in the modem settings of my browser disc?

I read somewhere on DC-Talk that the Viking simulator was on the list of confirmed working simulators, so I assume it's not going to be any problem?

 

Not sure as it depends on what the number is the Viking dials out to test with. Once you get it PM me and I will happily help you get it setup so you can play. I will research it a little more as I have been in talks with the person that started this hack as I have been making custom builds with the PC DLC inserted into 4x4 EVO so I can talk with him directly if needed.