Interconnecting classic computers

-------------Original Message: Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 23:27:13 +0100 (BST) From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) Subject: Re: Interconnecting classic computers Are cordless phones truely full-duplex, or are they more like loudspeaking phones whee a local voice input disables the speaker output? That is not a problem for voice, of course, but it is for full-duplex modems. Actually I have 3 of them. One is the 16 port model (with 16 RS232 ports), the others are the fixed-configuration 6 RS232/4 Centronics models. But they do not solce the cabling problem. Nor do they have enough ports for all my classics... -tony -----------Reply: Well, that gives you 25 ports; how many more do ya need? At one point we had 4 computer ports feeding more than 200 terminals over a single connection. Alternately, it would be trivial to build a remotely controlled one-to-many port selector out of relays or solid state parts, and you could use the NetCommander just for the units that need baud rate conversion. Of course the NCs don't solve the cabling problem, that's why I mentioned the cordless phone. But unless you want to manually plug the desired system in every time or buy/make separate connecting links for every system, you'd need some way of concentrating the systems into one connecting link. Obviously not a solution you'd approve of, but two old laptops with RS-232 and wireless cards would easily solve the connection problem. Of course we usually prefer lengthy discussions here instead of simple solutions... mike