Apple Remote Access dial-up server guide for Mac OS 9

[vad12]

This 21st century guide will show how you can edit an Apple Modem Script, to answer incoming calls and share your Internet connection without a landline phone service (no dialtone).

Requirements

• Mac OS computer with a dial-up modem (Though this does work on Mac OS 9, this can also potentially work with many of the older versions)
• Apple Remote Access
• 2nd machine with a dial-up modem
• Telephone (CAT3) cable
• Modem script to edit
• Text editor (SublimeText, BBEdit, SimpleText, etc.)

Optional but useful

• Apple Modem Scripting Guide

For the purposes of this guide, the stock Apple Internal 56K Modem in a PowerMac Sawtooth and Mac OS 9.2 are used, with BBEdit as the example editor.

Computer Preparation

Verify that your Mac can go online the present-day way, first. Apple System Profiler and Control Panels -> TCP/IP show if you have an IP address from your network. You can next try loading http://macos9lives.com or another unsecured website from your web browser. Verify that your modem itself is installed and recognized by Mac OS 9. You can either check your Extensions folder or you can check Apple System Profiler.





If the script for your modem is missing in the Extensions folder, you can check the CD Extras folder of your Mac OS installation media, for the Additional Modem Scripts installer. You can also try using Apple's Modem Script Generator, as another option.
If you do not see any modem listed at all within Apple System Profiler or the TCP/IP Control Panel, then you will have more figuring out to do before continuing.
If you do not see the Apple Remote Access control panel, you can install it from the Mac OS 9 installer.

Script Preparation

• Go to Macintosh HD:System Folder:Extensions:Modem Scripts and duplicate the script you want to edit into another folder.
• Open the duplicate file in your text editor. Since Mac OS sees the file as a modem script, you might need to do this through File -> Open and set Show to Any file.
  
• In the file, look for the message "ATA\13" (the modem command to pick up the phone is ATA\r).
• Take note of the @LABEL value just above it. For me it was 88.
• Look for @ANSWER. This is usually at the top, where the modem first gets initialized. Skip down to the first ifANSWER after this area of the script. Switch the ifANSWER value to the value you noted.
  --->
• Save the file and close your text editor.
• Add your new modem script to Macintosh HD:System Folder:Extensions:Modem Scripts.

Remote Access Preparation

• Launch Control Panels -> Modem
  
  • Choose the new modem script you just made.
  • (optional) Sound can be set to Off if you do not want to hear that familiar 90's sound during connections.
  • Dialing can stay set to Tone.
  • (optional) Check or uncheck Ignore Dial Tone.
    
• Launch Control Panels -> File Sharing
  
  • Go to Users & Groups tab
    
  • Click Open for owner (or click New User).
    
    • For Identity, set a name and password.
    • (optional) For Sharing, check the boxes for "Allow user to connect to this computer", "Allow user to see all disks" and/or "Allow user to link to programs".
    • For Remote Access, check the box for "Allow user to dial in to this computer".
• Launch Control Panels ->Remote Access
  
  • The main Remote Access window can be ignored.
  • Open RemoteAccess -> Answering...
  • Select Answer calls, Allow access to entire network, and Allow TCP/IP clients to connect using PPP.
  • (optional) Set the Maximum Connection Time, the default IP address, and/or allow the calling machine's software to set their own IP address. Whether the latter two will work are totally dependent on your network's routing rules and the calling machine's TCP/IP options.
    
    Important: Do not click OK yet.

Caller Preparation

Finally, get your calling machine set up.

• Connect the telephone cable between your Mac and the calling device.
  
• Open the calling machine's connection settings.
  
  • The phone number can be anything, as long or as short as you would like.
  • Include the username and password you made from File Sharing's Users & Groups tab.
  • Blind dial/Ignore dial tone must be enabled
  • All other settings should be optional or machine-specific.

Answer the call

Timing counts here

• Have the calling machine dial to connect.
• On your Mac, click OK in Answering.
• Listen to the modem sounds and/or watch the status between your Mac and the calling device.
  
• If the connection was successful, you will see Connected at 33600bps or lower (this value can be different based on the calling modem's speed and any noise getting into the telephone line).
  
  (optional) RemoteAccess -> Avtivity log (⌘+L) can show logs of what's happening during the call session.

Hang up

Important Once the calling device has disconnected, go back to RemoteAccess -> Answering..., uncheck Answer calls, then click OK. If you do not do this, the modem script will loop, your modem pick up again for nobody and make a very noticeable, unexplainable, steady sound again and again, until answering is disabled.

Connect again

There's much less to do now:

• Launch Control Panels -> Remote Access.
• Open RemoteAccess -> Answering....
• Select Answer calls.
• Do not click OK and do the 4 steps of Answer the call above.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If the calling machine does not find a connection, uncheck "Answer calls" in Answering first, then try the following:
  
  • Do steps 1 and 2 in reverse.
  • Add a battery and capacitor to the phone line, to simulate POTS current.
• If your new modem script loses its file descriptions along the way, use your favorite creator/type utility and set the script with creator code to slnk and the type to mlts.

Resources

Apple Remote Access 3.0 Users Guide
Apple Remote Access Modem Scripting Guide: Version 2.1
Jagshouse's modem page

[vad12]

The images of this guide can be viewed in regular http, too.

A more complete guide that includes editing with Sublime Text (and a syntax plugin) can be found here.

I've tested this with 3 calling devices. My "newest" device is a Dreamcast, and this is one works fine without the solution from Jagshouse, so I think how long ago the modem was manufactured has to do with whether or not you need to make the add-on for your telephone cable.

On Mac OS X, receiving calls via modem was minimized to just answering faxes. The same modem scripts are still stored in /System/ though, but the only known ways for doing similar to  Mac OS 9 is through the Terminal.

The AppleScript dictionary for Apple Remote Access does not include any commands to automate this procedure. I have also been unable to determine whether something can be changed within Remote Access's resource fork, to minimize the steps. The most I got was to add a keyboard shortcut for RemoteAccess -> Answering.

If you do have KeyQuencer, however, you can set up this simple macro below (adjust as needed):

Code: [Select]

Open "Macintosh HD:System Folder:Control Panels:Remote Access"
Menu "RemoteAccess" "Answering..."
Button 3
Button 1
I'm curious to hear if anyone gets this to work on Mac OS 7 and 8. Remote Access Server is available on these earlier versions as a separate software from the OS.

I hope to hear one day of a new version of Jamport that does not replace the modem. 

[Greystash]

Very cool! I might give it a go this weeked