You know you're in the future when you can see the text “+++” on a web page and your Internet doesn't drop out before the page finishes loading.

#retrocomputing #dialup #modem

I just wrote a little blog post about the time that I created a 1990s dialup ISP in my home using hardware from the late 90s.

https://peteftw.com/~pete/2026/04/recreating-a-1990s-isp.html

#dialup #homelab #cisco #isp #routing

Well, I got back to the Dreamcast dial-up project. I verified I had everything set up and did another test call from a handset to the number I configured and yep, I'm hearing modem noises.

I tried connecting from the Dreamcast and I got "NO CARRIER" multiple times, then after a few tries the text output box started speaking in tongues. I don't know enough about the USB modem I ordered to see what it's seeing, either. I'm stumped.

#homelab #dialup #networking #SegaDreamcast

All of that is not a knock on Alpine Linux! I'm currently running a VM with Debian and Webmin to run my Samba share. After reading some Alpine Linux documentation, I really think I could just move that Samba share to a tiny Alpine Linux VM instead and use even less resources.

It's just that Alpine Linux is apparently the wrong tool for the job for my dial-up project.

#Homelab #dialup #AlpineLinux #Debian

Also hey, note for those playing at home:
Enabling IP masquerading may or may not be necessary, based on my loose understanding of dial-up. If it is needed, Debian 13 uses nftables. Changing stuff in nftables involves using the "nft" command that does nothing if you aren't root or add "sudo" beforehand. I was tripped up by this until I stumbled upon a post online saying "hey use sudo first" and it suddenly worked.

#homelab #dialup #nftables #ipMasquerading #Debian #linux

Dial-up server is set up! Unfortunately, contractors are working on my kitchen floor, and the phone cable I had placed for testing runs just outside of the kitchen. I removed the cable from the conduit to be safe; even if it was a cheap cable, I'd rather have it out of their way.

Tomorrow they should be done, and at that point I'll be moving this and a few other cables back to the living room. At that point, I should be able to take my Dreamcast online!

#SEGA #Dreamcast #homelab #dialup

On the homelab front: New HDDs for my NAS shipped crazy-quickly, but I was in bed when they showed up so I need to stop by a UPS store to pick them up tomorrow or the day after.

I've been eying disk shelves, but I can't justify the costs yet.

I have a USB modem coming for my server so I can bring my old Dreamcast back online, it's supposed to be here within the next week.

#homelab #computers #Dreamcast #dialup