Getting Online

STinG

Back in the '80s, the idea of connecting an Atari ST to the outside world sounded like science fiction. Computers ran solo, and anything close to a multiplayer meant friends coming over - the good old days. A little later, like many of you, I started dabbling with BBSes using a 2400-baud modem, but it wasn't until many years later, when I had a Falcon and a 56K Modem, that I managed to get on the "web". Wow, that seems like a lifetime ago, and it was, but surely the old Atari ST is incapable of making that same connection?

Well, no, it's possible, as I've connected my Atari ST to the internet (WWW, FTP, Telnet, etc) using NetUSBee and STinG. The setup is probably straightforward if you're knowledgeable about networking, but my humble guide might be useful for others who wish to get their ST online. Please note: I'm by no means a networking expert - just someone who eventually muddled through to a working internet connection!

You'll need at least 1 MB of RAM, and it's best to use a 'hard drive' like the Ultrasatan. Also, you will obviously need an Ethernet cable to connect your Atari ST to your Mac or PC. I'll include screenshots of my Mac's network settings, along with some rather poor phone captures of the ST's configuration screens. It's worth mentioning that although my experience is with a Mac, the process should be the same on any PC.

To begin, plug the NetUSBee into the Atari ST's cartridge port and connect it to your Mac or PC with an Ethernet cable. Download the NetUSBee and STinG drivers, then copy them across to your Atari ST using your usual method. Be sure to read the documentation supplied with both packages, as the NetUSBee programs must be placed in the AUTO folder in the correct order (DirSort). You'll also need XControl and a text editor such as Everest. Once everything is installed, we're ready to start configuring both machines.

I think it's best to use screenshots as we go along, starting with the Mac...

( This stage is for those whose router isn't in the same room as their ST )
Firstly, find your Mac/PC's local IP address from the WiFi router.

Because of my IP, the Atari ST needs to be on the same 192.168 subnet.

(Your IP may be different, so change accordingly)

Now we need to manually configure the Ethernet port (NOT WiFi!!).

Choose the IP "192.168.2.1"

Netmask needs to be "255.255.255.0"

The final task on my Mac was to turn on Internet Sharing.

Choose Ethernet and then activate sharing. That's the Mac configuration done.

 

Now we can move on to the Atari ST for some finicky configuration and dodgy screenshots. Hopefully, you have installed the NetUSBee files (USB.PRG and NETUSBEE.PRG). Also, STinG should be installed onto Drive C along with its AUTO and CPX files. Come on, you read the documentation, right? Additionally, you may also need to move the file ENEC.STX into C:\STING\

Reboot the ST.

XControl - click the CPX called "STingG Port Setup". The IP settings will follow the example we provided for the Mac's Ethernet connection. IP "192.168.2.2". Netmask "255.255.255.0".

Now click on the Addressing button at the top and choose General.

Make sure the hardware is selected, and you should see a MAC address given.

Reboot the ST.

Now there are two config files in the folder C:\STING that need editing.

1) Within DEFAULT.CFG, you will see the line for NAMESERVER.

No screenshot is needed, as all we need to do is change it to this:

NAMESERVER = 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1

2) Now edit the file ROUTE.TAB, which is a little more complicated, as shown in the screenshot. A hash at the start of any line means it's commented out, so not active. Make sure all lines start that way. Once done, add a new line at the end and enter the details shown in the screenshot.

Note: DON'T use the SpaceBar for a space - press the TAB key.

Reboot the ST. You're online! 

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CryptO'pinion

I possibly made that sound a lot harder than it is? But now you're online, so let's test that: open the TOOLS folder within the STING folder, and you’ll find a programme called PING. Use it to check an "outside" IP address, such as 8.8.8.8. Now load up a web browser and enjoy surfing the Internet at blazing speeds.

Well, no, as the old 8MHz processor is very slow when it comes to browsing websites, and the NetUSBee's connection isn't exactly modern. But it works, and it works very well considering. Before browsing the web, you might want to configure CAB to disable image options to speed things up. However, many websites still won't work using such an old browser - YMMV. Thankfully, FTP hasn't changed over the years, and there are many servers - I used Litchi. Don't forget, there's also Telnet and IRC (Not tested by me - yet!).

We do things like this simply because we can and not because they’re useful or practical. So, enjoy being a geek with an Atari ST on the internet!! Any problems, just leave a comment and I'll try to help.

My ST is online and browsing the web :)

uIP-tool

Easy-peasy transfers

As you may have read in my previous article, I've bought the NetUSBee. This is a gorgeous slab of hardware available from Lotharek. It has an Ethernet socket for easy connection to the outside world.

It's possible to connect your ST to a Mac/PC thanks to Mariusz Buras, who has developed a program called uIP Tool. This will transform your Atari ST into a file server with no configuration required. Just load it up, and it will automatically assign itself an IP, which you will use in Google Chrome on your Mac/PC. It's no different from accessing any website. Now you can access the Atari ST and begin transferring files.

NetUSBee with uIP-tool makes transferring files to/from your Atari ST a cinch...

In fact, you don't need to use a web browser at all. Load up uIP-Tool, then copy a file to your Atari ST using the command line. It's geeky, but it works very well, so it's lots of fun! Here is the example command to copy 'myfile.zip' over to the D-Drive on my Atari ST...

curl -0T myfile.zip 192.168.2.2/d/myfile.zip

uIP-Tool makes it very easy to get files onto your Atari ST. It's simple to use, with a great interface, and it gets the job done. Yep, NetUSBee is a fantastic piece of kit, and uIP-Tool marries up well.

This is excellent software!

Help for those using WiFi
If your router is in a different room to your Atari ST then you might think uIP-tool isn't compatible with your setup unless you have a mega-long ethernet cable? Not so. My router is located downstairs so I bought myself a very short ethernet cable to physically connect the Mac to my Atari STe.

To provide uIP-Tool with a working IP address - just enable the Mac's Internet Sharing. Sorry, I don't own Windows or Linux, but I expect a similar function exists? Just follow this:

 1) load up System Preference (via the Apple menu)
 2) click on Internet Sharing (view me)
 3) choose WiFi in the dropdown menu & tick the ethernet box (view me)
 4) lastly, tick the box left of "Internet Sharing" to activate this service.
 5) now quit System Preferences.
 6) load up uIP-Tool on the Atari ST and note the IP it displays for you.
 7) enter that IP into Google Chrome so you can now access your Atari ST. Job done!

Who needs Chrome?

Netscape

Do you require a fully-featured web browser for your Atari computer? NetSurf is an excellent choice and something I've enjoyed using for well over a year. You will need a decent spec running MiNT OS (see my virtual Falcon). To download NetSurf (click here) and for the bleeding-edge builds (click here).