Build Your Own Dial-Up ISP Server for Retrocomputing

So you’re a retrocomputing enthusiast who has got your hands on a vintage computer with an old school dial-up modem — how do you get it online? Nobody actually wants to use dial-up internet, but any computer built before the ’90s is unlikely to have other networking options. The answer is to build your own dial-up server, and this guide from Doge Microsystems will walk you through how to do that.

This setup is perfect for any retro computer with a dial-up modem, and will let you get connected to your home network through an intermediary. That computer — the client device — connects to an external host hardware modem, which, in turn, communicates through serial to a separate Linux computer. You can use something like a Raspberry Pi for that.

It isn’t exactly plug-and-play, and setting up your telephony software is going to take some know-how. But, the guide is pretty thorough. As far as your vintage computer is concerned, it will be talking to a dial-up ISP. But, that ISP is actually your Raspberry Pi communicating through the hardware modem. For that reason, it’s important to use a real hardware modem, and not a software modem. But, it’ll be worth the effort when you’re able to get an old computer connected for the first time in ages.