Hi, I have been trying for months to connect my 286 to the Internet. I managed to do it from Trumpet Winsock once, but Windows is not a good idea on a 286, so I try to make it all in DOS. But how the heck do I connect? I have tried a lot of software, claiming to be TCP/IP stacks, Slipp, PPP dialers, packet drivers and so on, but I they never work for me. My hardware is very simple: 286 with a serial port and modem. I have no network card. My ISP is the Swedish telia.com, I don't know exactly what the server's name is. Now e v e r y s i n g l e program I have used needs another program, not included, to either dial up or make a tcp stack. I sometimes come as far as dialling, but no programs ever asks me for username or password. Can anyone who has connected to internet from DOS with a modem tell me how they did?

You are going to need a very custom script to get it to work!! And as I have recently moved to sweden myself, I am fully aware of Telia, and there non pop3 servers and changing users passwords, when they feel like it. windows 3.1 works quite well on a 286, and trumpet winsock is the way to go! But you can always give telia help desk a call.....in fact I can hear the days of hand balling the problem now. I wish you the very best of luck, as you will need it!

I HAVE a custom script, which I got from Telia. They told me that I needed only a TCP/IP stack and a PPP dialler. They gave me no other help, but that's not really my problem. I want to know if there is any DOS software that can do this. Most TCP stuff I've tried tells me no packet driver is loaded, and a packet driver apears to be a driver for my network card - but I don't have a network card, I have only a com port and a modem! Is isn't impossible to use a modem without a network card, is it?

Yes it is possible....but as I said, Telia won't be of any help, if it isn't NT or 9x they don't cover your situation. I stand by my last suggestion by loading win 3.x you can run on 286 pc with as little as 2 meg ram

There is an excellent (free) DOS internet browser which has a TCP/IP dialer included. Its name is Arachne, it is a Czech program which is offered in several languages. The actual version is 1.50 or so. I have not the exact internet address but with a good search engine it should be found easily (browser arachne...). I would not recommend using Windows 3.1 as I have experienced frequent instable conditions even with 4 MB RAM on a 286 some years ago. It is mandatory to have some information about your internet provider (Nameserver, IP Address). Your provider has to give you all this information needed to connect. Good luck and have fun

I've ran Windows 3.11 (standard, now Win For W/G) on a 286 with 1Mb RAM (640k + 384k Ext) very well, but I haven't tried 'netting with it.

maybe webspider from www.caldera.com or so will work? dunno...