You can choose from various dial-up service providers like Q-Telefon, TalkTalk, or Vodafone.
You can choose from various dial-up service providers like Q-Telefon, TalkTalk, or Vodafone.
Hi, I'm all set with this setup. No need to skip anything. I won't be using telnet or those translator tools over a Google Voice link for obvious reasons. I need a local phone line to connect back home—specifically for running a BBS and handling faxes. I know dial-up is still around, around $15-20 a month, but I'm not sure who offers it anymore. I remember NetZERO and Juno were options back then, but that's about it. I can try those services if I want, but I'm not sure if I should. Are there other choices? Or should I stick with what we had until around 2014? Also, who owns Juno these days? TX, going to bed—work in four hours.
I'm actually planning to add my reasoning in more detail here. I'm building a BBS that can be reached via IRC, dial-up, or web interface, hosting an enormous collection of information. My goal is to ensure anyone, anywhere, can join, access schematics, manuals, and documentation for various technologies. For FTMP, I aim to make it accessible to people in underprivileged or tech-illiterate communities, enabling them to learn and build almost any device they need. I want to create a comprehensive compatibility board for computer hardware—so users can search for chipsets, CPUs, sound cards, cross-reference components, discover compatible boards, and explore what else works with them. It's not just about installing an SSD in an iMac G3; imagine fitting a Xeon PHI into a Mac Pro 2.1 and explaining how. Or figuring out how to use a resizable GPU without a compatible profile. Most importantly, I want to document as many business office machines as possible, note their BIOS details, find workarounds, and open up as many devices as I can. This is like a garage hacker for iFixit—accessible from a simple device and built with basic tools. I've received appreciation from European users who documented Asus gaming laptops, saving them significant costs by uncovering lesser-known CPUs. (But I still need to buy more before sharing my tips… hehehee). For this project, I'll require a dial-up connection for my BBS because I don't want people in Vietnam forced to rely on outdated internet access anymore. A friend recently faced difficulties browsing websites—something many others can't do. This is especially true in numerous regions. Ultimately, I'm ready to share.
A simple webpage needs to work identically while being easier for users. Even with slow dial-up connections, most people still have internet access and can view sites, albeit at reduced speed. A BBS would only support dial-up and demand users call your number directly instead of visiting a URL. Trying to reach someone on an international dial-up line is likely to cost significantly more than using a local ISP to connect to global websites.
Welcome to the current era of synchronet with XBBS addons. Yes, you're completely off the mark—connecting over a webpage is the way forward, and I'm here to help. The focus should be on broad accessibility. It's interesting how some places manage such good quality. A solid test would definitely be useful.
A dial-up ISP connection won't differ much from your regular broadband in real life—it will just be incredibly slow. You don’t have to purchase one if you only need others to connect to your services. Just install a modem, a phone line, and set up a PPP server. https://hackaday.com/2020/05/30/build-yo...odem-pool/ Most tasks can be handled with an old Cisco router, such as a 2600 series, paired with an NM-16AM-V2 network module. You’ll require a POTS line for each modem unless you configure systems like Asterisk or use SIP-to-POTS ATA services and subscribe to multiple lines through a provider.
It's interesting how by 2023 mobile networks have surpassed traditional wired connections, even in remote areas. I've traveled throughout Vietnam and noticed widespread cellular availability. In contrast, securing a landline—especially one with a modem—is still quite rare.
Back then I was in a school BBS environment that was still common. A friend ran one for a while, starting with a 7200 baud modem. From what I recall, bigger BBS systems usually had several phone lines, allowing many users to connect simultaneously and even supporting real-time chat. I believe membership fees were common to help offset the expenses. Of course, phone lines weren’t perfect, but if your internet connection was slow, dial-up wouldn’t be much better. That’s why I pushed for a simple website—just pure HTML, without CSS or JavaScript unless really needed. Keep images minimal, use small previews that download larger versions only when clicked. This approach is probably more accessible now than a BBS. Dial-up would also likely cost more than regular internet through a local ISP. For instance, making a call to the US would cost about 1.12€ per minute. After just about 36 minutes of dial-up, you’d already be spending as much as your monthly ISP bill. With the internet, you don’t have to worry about where a site is hosted; the price stays consistent.