Amstrad CPC WiFi

[Gryzor]

Yes, either burnt-in or assigned by the device that's hosting the adapter. That's how devices communicate, so you can't have one without the other...


Question: what was there before MAC addresses? If I'm not mistaken that's an Ethernet thing, but what did networks use in the olden days? (I happen to be reading Dealers of Lightning these days, but sadly it's not very technical!)

[VincentGR]

Finally I got this, a friend bought two of them and after many months I fired it up yesterday.
This thing is AMAZING!!!


Now trying to find telnet software 




P.S: The power switch needs replacement in both units but the overall built quality is awesome.

[Vyper68]

Am i right in thinking that i can have ParaDos on the ROMs so i can finally get 720K support on my 6128 - I want to play DDLE on it but i want to by the 3" + 3.5" Box Set

[Duke]

P.S: The power switch needs replacement in both units but the overall built quality is awesome.

Sorry to hear that, that's 2nd report on that. I will go back to putting on jumpers I guess, the switch is too fragile.

Am i right in thinking that i can have ParaDos on the ROMs so i can finally get 720K support on my 6128 - I want to play DDLE on it but i want to by the 3" + 3.5" Box Set

Yes, you can put parados on the rom board, no problem.

[VincentGR]

No problem, yes the jumper idea is fine.

[Bryce]

Yes, either burnt-in or assigned by the device that's hosting the adapter. That's how devices communicate, so you can't have one without the other...


Question: what was there before MAC addresses? If I'm not mistaken that's an Ethernet thing, but what did networks use in the olden days? (I happen to be reading Dealers of Lightning these days, but sadly it's not very technical!)

Before Ethernet we used Token Ring networks mainly. They used a method similar to MAC addresses but much simpler and they were not unique identifiers like MAC addresses are.
Who remembers when the network connection to your PC was two coax cables and a BNC T-piece?

Bryce.

[robcfg]

Heh, I remember the coax cable connections.


They looked more like pipes than cables 

[Maniac]

Who remembers when the network connection to your PC was two coax cables and a BNC T-piece?

Bryce.

Only too well! The ability to easily crash the network was the overall memory!

[Vyper68]

Before Ethernet we used Token Ring networks mainly. They used a method similar to MAC addresses but much simpler and they were not unique identifiers like MAC addresses are.
Who remembers when the network connection to your PC was two coax cables and a BNC T-piece?

Bryce.

We used to have a Token Ring Network at my old workplace with an old archaic computer system called REXX ( I worked for Electrolux ) - then they started adding CAT5e Networks and Wireless AP's  for handheld scanners and the poor IT guys had a 'mare keeping it all going. Then i made the mistake of helping out one day Ay! Caramba!!

[Shaun M. Neary]

Before Ethernet we used Token Ring networks mainly. They used a method similar to MAC addresses but much simpler and they were not unique identifiers like MAC addresses are.
Who remembers when the network connection to your PC was two coax cables and a BNC T-piece?

Bryce.

Showing your age there, Bryce!

In all fairness, the only time I've ever seen Token Ring 16/4 cards used were, surprise surprise, in IBM buildings! They'll do everything they can to peddle out their own hardware and software in their old buildings, regardless of how archaic they are.

And yes, I remember coax and BNC-T. They were a nightmare to troubleshoot if one piece got knocked out by the cleaners hoover! 

[blackdalek]

The computers at the TAFE I went to years ago had the coaxial cables and BNC T connectors. I never knew what kind of network it was or how it worked - that wasn't my job - All I knew was how to log in to it from the DOS prompt.

[Vyper68]

Hi
I got my M4 today and i was hyper excited and i have hit a bit of a brick wall. I have the board powered on my 6128 and i have set up the parameters with netset but the netstat just keeps saying connecting.
I have gone into my wireless access list and added it to the approved list as i have access control on.
The settings i am sure are right as it showed up on my Router's webpage but i cannot get it past connecting. I am stumped and frustrated i just don't know what i'm doing wrong - well i have done some more messing around. It seems to be my WPA-PSK that is causing the problem. It will connect when i open the network but back to connecting when i turn it back on.
Any help would be great.

[Duke]

I have gone into my wireless access list and added it to the approved list as i have access control on.

Have you tried to disable this, to see if something went wrong with that?

It seems to be my WPA-PSK that is causing the problem. It will connect when i open the network but back to connecting when i turn it back on.

I have not heard of any problems with using WPA-PSK. It will connect when you disable encryption? But your access control is still on?

Try showing us the setup (you can open /m4/config.txt from the microSD card and pass the contents here, minus your password/ssid).

[Gryzor]

Before Ethernet we used Token Ring networks mainly. They used a method similar to MAC addresses but much simpler and they were not unique identifiers like MAC addresses are.Who remembers when the network connection to your PC was two coax cables and a BNC T-piece?Bryce.

If the PARC book is to be believed (I reached that page last night ) addresses (called 'Destination Addresses) were soft-coded in their Nova* machines (using the first ETHER network with TV coax cables) and were 8 bits long.


*also read: Soul of a New Machine, excellent book on the Novas.

[Vyper68]

Have you tried to disable this, to see if something went wrong with that?I have not heard of any problems with using WPA-PSK. It will connect when you disable encryption? But your access control is still on?

Try showing us the setup (you can open /m4/config.txt from the microSD card and pass the contents here, minus your password/ssid).

I had turned Access Control Off and made it an Open Network and i could connect.
Turning Access Control On/Off made no difference when the WPA-PSK was on - The only other thing i have done is assign the MAC address a static IP and i even put it as the DMZ to open all the Ports but it will not connect with the WPA-PSK on.
TBH i can live with it - I have uploaded ParaDos 1.2 which was my main target today. If i am organised i can open the network get everything transferred i want to then close it again. I live in a small rural village so i'm very isolated from anyone else.

ssid=XXXXXXXXXXXX
pw=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
name=CPCM4
dhcp=1
ip=192.168.0.50
nm=255.255.255.0
gw=192.168.0.1
dns1=209.244.0.3
dns2=209.244.0.4
tz=0
ntp=ntp.inet.tele.dk

[Duke]

The only other thing i have done is assign the MAC address a static IP and i even put it as the DMZ to open all the Ports but it

dhcp=1

Then you should set dhcp = 0, so that you use the static IP.

[SRS]

@Duke, also I did not use my device for months, I really appreciate how much effort you spend to support and enhance it. 

[Vyper68]

Well for some reason i had problems with my old Netgear that i could not get resolved i tried every permutation under the sun and nothing would work apart from an open network so there is something about my old netgear that is causing problems it was not the M4.
Then i had a bit of a brainwave which is rare for me these days.
I had a TP-Link Nano which can act as a AP,Router, Bridge & Repeater. So i set this up as an AP on my LAN network and it connected to the AP first time no issues. So now i am cooking on gas!  .

If anyone else has a problem connecting with an old wi-fi router/modem network and they have some LAN in the set-up this may be worth trying - the model i have is a UK version of TL-WR702N

[adolfo.pa]

Hi,

I just got my M4 (thanks Duke!) but I've been unable to make it work. I have a 6128+ and an MX4 M4 board + centronics cable (both from Duke).

With no M4 attached, my CPC+ works perfectly fine, but when I turn on the machine with the M4, nothing happens (black screen, no video signal). I pushed f2 (and waited a little bit) to see if Burning Rubber's music kicked in, but I got no sound either.

At first, I thought it could be caused by lack of power (I'm not using the plus monitor/power supply), so I tried with both the CPC power and the USB, with the same result (nothing happens). The M4 leds seem to behave as expected with both power inputs (blue one always on, green one flashes on boot) and the CPC one seems fine also (bright green).

I also tried with two different SD cards -- FAT32, known to work -- with no luck.

Any ideas on what may be happening here?

Thanks!

[Duke]

but when I turn on the machine with the M4, nothing happens (black screen, no video signal).

Please try to set the jumper/switch to USB (and don't connect any USB power supply).
Does it still black screen? or does the CPC power on with the normal screen?

If still black screen, the M4 board has been damaged somehow and you will need to send it back.

[Bryce]

Before he sends it back, he should try giving the contacts a clean and also check that the press fit connectors on the centonics lead are fully pressed down.

Bryce.

[adolfo.pa]

@Duke, I'll try that as soon as I get home this evening.

@Bryce, sorry if this is a silly question, but what is the proper way to clean a centronics connector?

Thanks!

[Bryce]

With a cotton bud and some isopropanol or a contact cleaner fluid. On the Centronics sockets, the bottom row of contacts are most at risk to dirt build-up because they face upwards.

Bryce.

[adolfo.pa]

Please try to set the jumper/switch to USB (and don't connect any USB power supply).
Does it still black screen? or does the CPC power on with the normal screen?

If still black screen, the M4 board has been damaged somehow and you will need to send it back.

@Duke, setting the switch to USB with no power supply makes everything go back to normal: the CPC+ powers on and seems to work fine; no led activity in the M4.

Tomorrow, when I receive the contact cleaner, I'll clean up the centronics port as Bryce suggested. In the meantime, is there anything else I can try?

Thanks!

[Duke]

@Duke, setting the switch to USB with no power supply makes everything go back to normal: the CPC+ powers on and seems to work fine; no led activity in the M4.

Tomorrow, when I receive the contact cleaner, I'll clean up the centronics port as Bryce suggested. In the meantime, is there anything else I can try?

Good, atleast means there's not a short directly on the board that causes the black screen

You can try this firmware:
www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4diag5.zip

Unpack it to root of the microSD, put the switch back to EXP and start the CPC.

It should generate report.txt in the microSD, paste the contents here.