Information

Tips & Tricks on how to find a phone line, how to use your modem, and information about how everything works

2600.network is a public service for dial-up users. It's purpose is to allow users of old, vintage, and outdated hardware to dial in with real modems to real systems.

CONNECT

Dial in with any modem connected to any kind of analog line you can find. VoIP is 100% OK!

Once you dial in, use a username/password combo from the logins page, and it will redirect you to a telnet BBS of your choice.


#################################################
############---https://2600.network---###########
#################################################
lOgiN:
uSerNaME: 20forbeers
PaSsWorD: **********

There are 48 ports of dial-up access available.

Modems can connect with these protocols:
Protocol	Speed
v.21	300
v.22(bis)	1200 - 2400(bis)
v.23	1200
v.32(bis)	4800 - 9600 14400(bis)
v.34	9600 - 33600
v.90	29333 - 56000 49333 reliably
k56flex	32000 - 56000
v.92	disabled

CONNECT / TELEPHONE

You should be able to dial into 2600.network from any PSTN connected line in the US/Canada.This includes POTS landlines and VoIP. For VoIP connections, Use the G.711/ulaw codec along the entire path.

(International support is not disabled, but your milegae may vary. Regional servers are being considered, please contact us or donate to help.)

Don't want to pay for a landline? No worries! You don't have to! Using an Analog Telephone Adapter, you can dial in to 2600.network. The ATA will give you analog service from a SIP VoIP provider.

There are many options for ATAs:
Grandstream	HT801/802 HT812	One-Port, Two-Port Two-Port with Router User PDF Admin PDF
Cisco	SPA112 SPA122	Two-Port Two-Port with Router Quick PDF Admin PDF
Cisco	IAD2400	8, 16, 24 ports Info HW PDF SW PDF
Patton	SmartNode	Many options

CONNECT / MODEMS

USB-to-Serial adapters work just fine, but you may (or may not) need to disable FIFO buffers inside of the COM port properties in Device Manager.

Make sure your serial port speed is set to the maximum speed allowed by your modem! Otherwise, your modem speed might be affected, or become unable to negotiate. This includes inside of device manager, and inside of the application you use.

Use AT initilization strings to manually set your modem speed. Connections have been made up to 49.3k in testing, your results may vary. Slower modem speeds will work better.

http://www.modemhelp.org/ has a database you can try, or you can use some of our own AT strings, manuals, and AT command sets gathered by 2600.network:

CONNECT / EXAMPLES

Examples of users successfully connecting will be put here. Or, go check out the stats page.

ADMIN

How is this possible?

The entire system can be understood by learning how the G.711/ulaw codec works. It's the backbone behind T1/DS1/ISDN PRI voice lines that have been powering the Public Switched Telephone Network for years.

This system is possible because the amount of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion is limited; allowing the G.711/ulaw codec to be passed along the route unaltered.


╔══════╗    ╔══════════╗     ╔══════════╗
║ PSTN ║────║   VoIP   ║─────║  Cloud   ║
╚══════╝    ║ Proivder ║ SIP ║ Asterisk ║
            ╚══════════╝     ╚══════════╝
      ┌───────────IAX2─────────────┘
╔══════════╗     ╔═══════╗
║  Local   ║ SIP ║ Cisco ║ T1  ╔════════╗
║ Asterisk ║─────║  IAD  ║─────║        ║
╠══════════╣  T1 ╚═══════╝     ║ Patton ║
║  TE420   ║─────────┘     T1  ║  2960  ║
║   DAHDI  ║───────────────────║        ║
╚══════════╝                   ╚════════╝
    ┌─────── TELNET,RLOGIN ──────┘  │ S│N
╔═════╗      ┌─── RADIUS, Syslog ───┘ M│P
║ BBS ║  ╔═══════════╗          ╔═══════╗
╚═════╝  ║ Auth/Logs ║          ║  WWW  ║
         ╚═══════════╝          ╚═══════╝

The system is created by using a combination of technologies and hardware.

First, your call comes in from the PSTN. Then, it travels through a VoIP Proivder (SIP) to a machine in the cloud running Asterisk, a software driven Phone Branch Exchange.

The call then travels (IAX2) to a local server running Asterisk. This server fowards your call one of two ways.

One way (SIP) is to the Cisco IAD-2432 24FXS, which converts (T1) the call sent to the Patton.

Another route is provided directly (T1) from the local Asterisk PBX to the Patton. A PCIe card, the Digium TE420, and it's drivers/software DAHDI give this capability.

You have now reached the Patton 2960 Remote Access Server at the core of the system, providing 24 DSPs, each with 2 modems. The Patton connects these modems via telnet or rlogin to an IP/port combo within it's ocal database or remote RADIUS database.