Date   : Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:58:02 +0000
From   : robert@... (Rob)
Subject: Beeb Networking - Was: No wonder CompSci graduates are

On 10 November 2010 15:06, samwise <samwise@...> wrote:
>
> BeebEm econet support - Rob  (aka irrelevant).
> http://www.mkw.me.uk/beebem/
> Implements econet protocol over IP in BeebEm emulator, allowing
> emulators to talk between each other and talk to an Arc running as an
> econet/ethernet gateway.

Sort of- It's rather that it translates between the emulated BBC
Micro's  68B54 ADLC packets and Acorn's AUN networking protocol.  This
means that to all intents and purposes BeebEm is communicating exactly
the same way as the RISC based machines do over Ethernet, and as a
consequence can talk to them, and the standard Acorn L4 fileserver.  -
If you run *STATION on BeebEm it will find all the Arcs on your LAN
quite happily, and similarly they can see any BeebEm instances you
have running.  There are a few limitations with some of the original
econet apps due to the protocol differences, but for most purposes it
works just fine.


> Ethernet module for the Master - Sprow
> http://www.sprow.co.uk/bbc/masternet.htm
> Allows a Master to connect directly to an ethernet network.

Yes - although I don't know if he's exposed an API yet, or if you are
still limited to file access to SMB shares only.

> I've always thought that the ultimate goal for bringing econet to the
> modern age would be to have two (or more) local econet networks at
> separate geographical locations and be able to bridge them over the
> internet over IP, perhaps also connecting with a virtual econet LAN
> made up of distributed copies of BBC emulators. ?In theory, then, one
> could send messages between emulators and real beebs.

All quite possible - and I really ought to try setting a trial system
up again, when the order of Tuits(Round)  arrives ..

>
> How feasible is that? ?I assume it would require an econet/ethernet
> gateway at both ends - what would the availablity of those be, these
> days?

Ah, the Econet/Ethernet bridge ...

>Is finding an ethernet card for a RISC OS machine troublesome?

They aren't quite hen's teeth, but you don't tend to come across many
machines that already have them fitted.

Rob