Restoring and preserving a vintage computer is a complex task for anyone, but the real goal is to get it working again under its original conditions, with minimal external intervention. User "intric8" from the Amiga Love forum achieved exactly that with his excellent Amiga 1000 system, visiting old BBS in 40 and 80 columns. The key behind his success is the formidable WiFi232 adapter from Paul Rickards, a "dial-up modem emulator" that connects to WiFi networks.
Let's suppose you have an old computer. You've repaired it, cleaned it, expanded it, and optimized it, so all that's left is to use it. Running classic games is always a good exercise, and doing it on real hardware adds a bit of extra flavor. However, there's also the option of connecting it to the Web. Maybe not to modern portals full of JavaScript (unless you use a special proxy like in the case of the Macintosh), but certainly to the unforgettable BBS. A quick visit to the Telnet BBS Guide will tell you there are almost 400 registered BBS, waiting for you to visit. Now, old computers don't have an Ethernet port or WiFi support, unless they allow the corresponding expansion, or at least an adapter.
The Amiga 1000 Adventure
That brings us to the latest adventure of user "intric8" on the Amiga Love forum, who managed to connect his robust Amiga 1000. He used version 1.3 of the Kickstart environment, and two terminal programs: 64Door for his favorite BBS, Particles and Centronian, and A-Talk III for the rest. On the hardware side, the computer needed no advanced modification. All the magic is handled by the external WiFi232 adapter designed by Paul Rickards, and a small "gender changer" on the DB25 serial port. The adapter behaves like a conventional dial-up modem, with the difference that it doesn't use a phone line to connect, but a modern WiFi network. Rickards even implemented his own Hayes commands, available in the official manual. If you want to learn more about the adapter, I recommend this video:
What You Need to Get Started
The best part is that this doesn't work only with the Amiga 1000. All we need to get started is a WiFi232, a computer with a serial port (if it isn't DB25, it converts easily to DB9), a compatible terminal software, and a WiFi signal. The problem is... getting a WiFi232. Rickards assembles them on order ($49), or you can buy the kit ($33), but it's currently sold out due to the enormous demand.
