Cost of Playing on the Netlink

All NetLink related discussion goes in here.
User avatar
NWA
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:18 am
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by NWA »

that would be a damn miracle!!!
Better run home to momma now!
User avatar
Rockman1974
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:11 pm

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by Rockman1974 »

We'll also have to try to see if your area code is considered local or not. If not, then I'll try the 10-10-103 and if that works, then we're in serious business here. It would also assist others on the boards who live in Canada and don't have long distance plans.
User avatar
NWA
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:18 am
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by NWA »

sounds good! :D
Better run home to momma now!
User avatar
killjoi
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: NW Indiana, USA

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by killjoi »

does it cost anything much to play with people within the same area code ?
Work shed !

NetLink Games owned

-Duke Nukem 3D
User avatar
killjoi
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: NW Indiana, USA

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by killjoi »

And is there any way to emulate a phone jack with todays technology like and Ethernet to phone jack adapter ?
Work shed !

NetLink Games owned

-Duke Nukem 3D
User avatar
Warp2063
League Veteran
League Veteran
Posts: 1594
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:28 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by Warp2063 »

killjoi wrote:And is there any way to emulate a phone jack with todays technology like and Ethernet to phone jack adapter ?
In theory, it should work fine. But because the internet is not as reliable of a transmission medium as a dedicated analog phone line, it doesn't work in practice. As soon as you route the connection over the internet, the connection becomes unstable. Many people have tried this, and the last case I heard of it working in was more than five years ago.

If you were routing it between two points on a single local area network, however, or you had access to a digital PABX that allowed for analog devices to connect... assuming there wasn't heavy network traffic causing interruptions in your connection, it could work, as long as the internet never became involved at any point along the connection.
I have my Saturns, I have some of my games, I have a RasPi. Gotta put all this stuff together!
User avatar
Lakster37
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:07 am
Contact:

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by Lakster37 »

I've been wondering, do you know if anyone's ever tried using ATAs to do a direct IP to IP "call" without having to go through a VSP? I remember someone mentioning it when I was reading some old threads about it, but I don't know if the idea was ever tried. It seems like if there was EVER a way for it to work over broadband (barring waiting 10-20 years for general internet speeds to increase) that would be the way to go.

I know direct IP to IP is definitely possible to do, and I believe you can even set the codec used by some of the ATAs, I just don't know if cutting out the VSP would cut out enough lag for the Netlink to function at least to some capacity. I don't know too much on the subject from personal experience, but I have read that most if not all analog lines nowadays are converted to digital at some point, so it may be possible. If it does work, the only problem I could see is that you couldn't call any "regular" analog telephone users since you're not using a VSP, you could only call directly to a person's IP who would also have to have an ATA set-up to utilize the direct IP.

Here's a nice guide I found about what ATAs can do it and how to set it up in general: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/669782
Image
User avatar
Warp2063
League Veteran
League Veteran
Posts: 1594
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:28 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by Warp2063 »

Phone lines are converted to a digital signal, yes. However, that's not enough of a slowdown to really matter, and I suspect that even the possibility of codecs garbling the signal aren't *that* big of a problem, if they are a problem at all. It's the internet and the fact that it's not a real-time system. Any latency much over that which can be expected in a normal phone call is killer for the NetLink's connection.

I don't know for sure how digital phone services serve their customers. I assume that the call is connected via their service, then a more-or-less direct connection between callers takes over past that point. At least that's how I would do it. It doesn't make sense to me to risk adding additional latency to a call by routing it through a central server. There would also be huge added server and bandwidth costs involved if a company had to maintain every call's connection simultaneously. In the end, there's little point to doing it - I believe that the digital phone companies are just an intermediary that informs the two IP addresses of each other's presence and lets the the internet handle the rest. Whatever software or hardware places the call could easily inform the company about the length and destination of the call periodically without having to maintain constant communication with the server.

I had the same idea myself several years ago. However, if my assumption is correct, I don't believe that there would be any benefit to doing a direct connection. Even if I'm wrong, there are still significant technical challenges to overcome, and I lack the hardware and software to do it. Beyond that, I now lack the time to write the programs and the money to purchase the parts I would need.
I have my Saturns, I have some of my games, I have a RasPi. Gotta put all this stuff together!
User avatar
xDerekRx
Posts: 613
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:26 am
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by xDerekRx »

Havent posted in a while. Good to see alot of activity over the past few months regardless.

NWA I got your message a couple months back sorry I didnt reply.

During 2008-2009 when I had a long distance phone service I would play with Manjii alot and some other guys. It was a great time. Unfortunately at the moment I dont have the analog phone service anymore. Im going on a 2 month trip but when I get back , if there are still people joining and the interest is there Ill re-do it and start playing again.
Netlink Games Owned:
-Duke Nukem 3D
-Sega Rally
-Bomberman
-Virtua On
-Daytona CCE Netlink Edition

If you wanna play just give me a holla!
User avatar
xDerekRx
Posts: 613
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:26 am
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by xDerekRx »

Havent posted in a while. Good to see alot of activity over the past few months regardless.

NWA I got your message a couple months back sorry I didnt reply.

During 2008-2009 when I had a long distance phone service I would play with Manjii alot and some other guys. It was a great time. Unfortunately at the moment I dont have the analog phone service anymore. Im going on a 2 month trip but when I get back , if there are still people joining and the interest is there Ill re-do it and start playing again.
Netlink Games Owned:
-Duke Nukem 3D
-Sega Rally
-Bomberman
-Virtua On
-Daytona CCE Netlink Edition

If you wanna play just give me a holla!
User avatar
lazyhoboguy
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:23 pm
Location: california
Contact:

Re: Cost of Playing on the Netlink

Post by lazyhoboguy »

I dont yet own a saturn or a netlink, but once I do I could play netlink games semi-often. My parents have unlimited analog phone service to the usa and canada. So I could keep or bring my saturn there when I visit and play netlink. It might be awhile before I get a saturn though. I just got a genesis though, so I am slowly working my way there heh.
ps2onlinegaming.com (Site for scheduling PS2 online and PS2 LAN tunneling (Xlink Kai) matches)

www.youtube.com/user/Lazyhoboguy
Post Reply