Comment on What’s Usenet and how can I access it with modern hardware (phones/laptops)?

• bartolomeo@suppo.fi ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  No I meant do analog modems use tones to transmit information, or how does it work?

  Like what is the process of “dial with a modem to connect to the net”.

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  • cynar@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Modem is short for modulator/demodulator. It took a data stream and encoded it onto tones, multiple (audible) frequencies were used to increase data rates. You had to dial in to either a server, another computer, or an ISP. If you picked up the phone you would hear what sounded like white noise.

    I lost many a download, or ‘online’ game to my mother picking up the phone to make a phone call.

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    • bartolomeo@suppo.fi ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      That’s very clear, thanks. I remember reading about the original phreakers, one guy had perfect pitch so he could just sing the tone to open a long distance line and then dial away. I think he got sued by one of the American phone companies for stealing.

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      • cynar@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        There are some amazing stories about the cat and mouse games regarding phone phreaking. The “captain crunch whistle” is great. All their attempts at security, beaten by a bit of audible brute force, via a cereal box toy.

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  • Fuck_u_spez_@sh.itjust.works ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Think of it like a “fast”, automated telegraph that speaks in audible binary instead of Morse code.

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    • bartolomeo@suppo.fi ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      audible binary

      Thanks yea, that’s exactly what I was wondering.

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      • Fuck_u_spez_@sh.itjust.works ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        It might actually be hexadecimal or some other encoding but you get the point.

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