Downloading problems with WiModem 232 and a UDS-10
#51
Also, can some of you call DarkForce, start a download and then

deliberately abort the transfer.


I want to see if what happens to me happens to you.
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#52
Okay, was up late last night (nothing unusual there) so I fired up my
STacy, with the 3rd WiModem 232 that I bought and tried to down
load from DarkForce. Same exact results, failed with either/and/or
CRC error, subpackets too long, timed out.

I tried going with my LAN's IP address (192.168.x.xxx) as well as
the usual darkforce-bbs.dyndns.org blah, blah, blah. That makes
no difference either.

Starting to think it's something in my Linksys WiFi but I have no
idea what it could be.

Think I'll break a Lantronix UDS-10 back out, put it on my Mega
STe and see if it will download then. It's a straight to LAN CAT5
cable connection and no WiFi involved.

Will report back once I've tried it...
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#53
Okay, with the Lantronx UDS-10 set to RAW (if it's telnet downloads won't even start),
and attached to my Mega STe, I connected to DarkForce and successfully downloaded
every file I tried.

No CRC errors, no subpackets too long, no timeouts. Fast and clean.

So it's got to be the Linksys WiFi doing something really strange. I don't have a clue,
nor where to start. Sad
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#54
Okay, I think we're at the point in time where I can declare that the DarkForce BBS,
equipped with the WiModem 232, is now fully operational. I've had multiple people
using multiple platforms/setups upload and download successfully without any real
problems.

Menu choices are working correctly, every game and script I've tested has worked
fine. Everything looks good at this point. The only thing I've been unable to test is
the WiModem 232's longevity, but I guess, time will tell on that issue. Smile

So I'd like to thank everyone who has participated in testing and all those who've
offered advice and suggestions.

I'd also like to give a big "shout out" to Jim Drew for not only producing such an
amazing device, but giving unparalleled support afterwards. I wish we had more
people in the retro scene like him.
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#55
Thanks! Smile

So, did you determine if the problem was your router?

Don't worry about the longevity. We have had people running BBS's with the WiModem 24hrs a day for more than 4 years. They also have a lifetime warranty - they are over-engineered, and should last virtually forever.
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#56
Hey Jim!

It has to be the router. Every comp, from my Atari Mega STe to my Linux laptop that uses the Wi-Fi from my router either fails totally or gives a lot of errors. Change any of the above to a straight LAN (cat-5) connection and the downloads work flawlessly. I just don't know (yet) what it is that's going on.

Everyone who calls in from outside my network, whether they are using Win 7/10 boxes, UDS-10's (or any of their family) or the WiModem 232, with any comms software, has reported successful uploads and downloads.

I've been told that I should probably take everything back to factory defaults on the router, then redo my settings. I will give that a shot later on.

Regardless, DarkForce itself, equipped with the WiModem 232 is performing well. Fast (for 19.2k) and stable.

Thanks again for all your help and patience. Especially the patience part. Smile

PS Good to know about the WiModem 232's durability.
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#57
You're certainly welcome! Unfortunately, there are a lot of "unknowns" when you start adding routers, ISPs, and different protocols (telnet vs. raw) into the BBS equation It's not like the good 'ole days where you could simply dial out with a modem to modem land line connection!
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#58
Hey Jim. I was experimenting (again!) with downloading with my Mega STe or STacy, equipped
with WiModem 232's.

I found an option in my LinkSys router to prioritize devices so I've got the WiModem 232 that's
on my BBS set up for this now. I'm hoping it will help some.

Anyway, as usual, attempting to download wirelessly across my LAN/network with either of my
Atari's equipped with the WiModem 232 and z-modem always epically fails.

So just for the fun of it, because I hadn't tried it before, I chose x-modem instead. It worked
fine on over half a dozen files that I tried, with no errors and no failures. STalker and TAZ
reported the downloads as being slower but they felt just as fast. I downloaded one 300K+
file in about 5-6 mins.

So do you have any idea what would cause such different results between z-modem and x-modem
with everything else being the same?

Thank, appreciate all your hard work and help.
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#59
Yes, as I have explained the latency affects all protocols. Zmodem has a VERY tight window, designed for a hard wired (land line) connection where the maximum latency is typically 25ms to 50ms. That can be changed if you have protocol adjustment settings. Most programs don't. Because there is the latency of going from the WiFi device to your router, the router to your ISP, and the ISP to the destination (and likely back to a router and maybe another WiFi device), it can take a very long time for a round-trip packet acknowledgement to occur.
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#60
(09-09-2021, 01:32 AM)admin Wrote: Yes, as I have explained the latency affects all protocols.  Zmodem has a VERY tight window, designed for a hard wired (land line) connection where the maximum latency is typically 25ms to 50ms.  That can be changed if you have protocol adjustment settings.  Most programs don't.  Because there is the latency of going from the WiFi device to your router, the router to your ISP, and the ISP to the destination (and likely back to a router and maybe another WiFi device), it can take a very long time for a round-trip packet acknowledgement to occur.


And Xmodem is more forgiving so it doesn't error out in the same time period.

Gotcha.

Which also probably explains why it works (mostly) fine for people calling in from
outside of my LAN. It only goes from my router to the WiModem 232 on DarkForce
and back, not looped around my LAN.

Thanks Jim.  Smile
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