NetLink over Broadband idea

[Sisee]

Hello.

I recently got my Sega Saturn after playing one for the first and only time 13 years ago. And I am regretting waiting this long for it.
Anyway, I discovered the NetLink while researching the console before I bought it, and I was instantly intrigued.

I'm a little dissapointed that there are so few games that use it, but I also realize that this was still an early period for console network gaming.

Anyway, I don't own a NetLink, but I am interested in it, so to that I have some questions regarding it.

I understand from reading a thread by another user that "direct-linking" 2 NetLinks together isn't possible as they require the protocols involved in making a phone call to work.
But, I was wondering if it was possible to use a PC/Mac to play across broadband.
This would need a program of some kind to run, but I have an idea, if anyone wants to further it.

- The program would have to work like a VoIP program, like Skype or voicechat over Messenger, and this would carry the data sent in audio format to and from the 2 consoles.
- The program would have to force the PC/Mac modem into acting like an active phone line, emulating dial tone/ringing signals depending on which end you use.
- The program could also have a text-based communication system for active messaging.

That is the basic idea, and in theory, I think it could work.
The premiss is simple;
1: 2 people run the program.
2: They invite/join each other in a one-on-one connection.
3: The "dialing" person would initiate the "call" within the program which would cause his/her modem to act like an active phone line sending out the dial tone.
4: When the "dialing" NetLink dials, the modem sends out the "waiting for answer" ringing sound.
5: Then the "waiting" persons side modem would send the signal to the NetLink like it was ringing, to which the NetLink would automatically answer.
6: The program would recognise that the NetLink has answered the call and then cancel the ringing status of both sides, and become a direct linked call.
7: Both NetLinks would belive that they are connected via the phone line, but in fact they would be comunicating over broardband.

The theory behind it is simple, but I'm not a programmer, and since I don't have access to 2 NetLinks I can't even test this or some other theories I have.

If anyone would like to pursue this project, I'd back them 100%, and even help if I could.


My other question is a lot simpler, compared to the above one, it's about the region settings of the NetLink.
I live in the UK, and as thus am denied a UK (PAL) version of the NetLink as it wasn't released here.
But, if I were to hunt down and buy a US NetLink would it still work on UK phone lines?

Thanks.


Sisee.

[Warp2063]

You're actually describing the exact same project and methods that I conceived of almost two and a half years ago, and I'm probably not the first to have come up with the idea. I've considered the problem for a long time and put quite a bit of time and research and effort into it. Unfortunately, not all modems are capable of generating a dial tone, and you cannot use a PC's modem to generate a ring signal, as a ring signal is not a sound, but actually an 100V AC signal at 60Hz. To generate that (and ideally the dial tone sounds as well), you need a phone line simulator, just as you would if you wanted to connect two NetLinks together in the same room. (I realized a while back that it would be theoretically possible to connect the two NetLinks directly with a phone line simulator, and one of the members of the forum actually bought one and it worked.)

Another potential problem is the VOIP software. You're talking analog transmission to digital conversion to digital transmission to analog conversion to analog transmission, which while seeming nearly instantaneous to us, is actually very slow (lots of latency) to a computer or game system. The Saturn's NetLink games were never designed to tolerate much latency, as an analog-analog connection was expected to be nearly instantaneous - or at least much more so than having all these go-betweens in the way. This latency and the quality of the audio codecs used are why most digital phone services do not work with the NetLink.

I have (and have had for several years) ideas on how to make this PC-PC idea work, but latency is still likely to be a huge problem, and there's still the barrier of actually getting a phone line simulator. They're not common pieces of equipment, and as a result, they're not cheap. You can expect to pay at least $120 for one. I would need two to do the testing and programming. I came up with a design for a phone line simulator that would cost perhaps a quarter to a third of that to build, but I'm not an electrical engineer, so I don't know if it will work or not, and I haven't gotten around to actually building the device I designed to find out that way.

So... if you know any EE students who are willing to take a look at my circuit design, make any changes necessary and then design a PCB for it so that I can actually build it relatively easily... I'd be more than willing to share the design. But until I have some phone line simulators, I can't even begin to study the Saturn's communication protocols.

[alpha&omega]

This webpage talks about making your own "home-made circuit" which is supposed to functions as a line simulator for connecting 2 computer modems. Maybe it could provide some insight on making something to work with the Netlink modems.

http://www.jagshouse.com/modem.html

[Warp2063]

Unfortunately, the Saturn won't dial without a dialtone, and won't pick up without a ring signal. Otherwise this might help.

[rush6432]

Hopefully i can get around to testing this more later on. would be nice to get something to work. im sure a custom protocol could be made to use with a digital line some how to make it work.

never say never...

[SEGA RPG FAN]

I believe it's highly unlikely that the netlink could ever be made to work over broadband, but there are some things to consider:

Most phone lines are digital at some point. The connection to your house/apartment/whatever is analog, but when it gets to the central office it's digital. V.92 modems took advantage of this fact to increase upload speeds.

The key to netlink over broadband is going to be the elimination of as much overhead as possible. Whatever adapter you use to connect the netlink to the internet is going to have to connect directly to someone else's adapter without going through any sort of service (direct IP connection). The codec used is going to be important as well, it's going to have to be as lossless as possible.

I don't have any telephone adapters, but from what I have read, they can be unlocked to perform the above task. What's needed is people with the right equipment willing to test. Given the small netlink userbase this doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.