CommodoreServer.com, V-1541, Comet64 Internet Modem

[RobertBe]

CommodoreServer.com
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CommodoreServer is the service that your Commodore computer has been missing for the last three decades! With many online resources and activities available, CommodoreServer provides a friendly, social community for Commodore enthusiasts. It serves as a centralized location for managing your D64 files, blogging about Commodore-related topics, posting new software releases and provides a place for Internet-based software and games.

CommodoreServer provides information and other programming resources for developing Internet-based software for Commodore computers. With several Internet adapters on the market, it is easy to see the need to develop new applications and games that utilize this technology. Since there are very few software titles available today, CommodoreServer strives to be a one-stop-shopping resource for finding and developing Internet software for all Commodore computers (like an app store).

Some of the many features and benefits of CommodoreServer.com:
- Upload/download D64 files
- Download games or other files directly from a Commodore computer
- Release and publish new software in the Public Directory (members can view/download directly from their Commodore computers)
- Share disks with friends
- Manage and access D64 files from a Web browser (or Commodore computer)
- Maintain history of disks with snapshots, preserving older versions
- Open disk contents in a Web browser to view BASIC programs or ML disassembly
- Download individual PRG or other files from a D64 without having to download the whole D64
- Download a "BASIC LOADER" for machine language programs
- View files as a HEX dump
- View disk sector data in a HEX dump
- Create newly-formatted disks with a click
- Community blogging for Commodore-related topics
- A complete resource for programming Internet software
- Sell software or hardware

For more information, visit http://www.commodoreserver.com


Comet64 Internet Modem
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The Comet64 Internet Modem is an RS-232 device that hooks up to the user port on a Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Vic-20 or SX-64 computer. It is a serial-to-ethernet (S2E) board that translates RS-232 data to high-level Internet protocols. Using the Comet64, you can write or use software to access just about any modern Internet protocol, such as SMTP, FTP, HTTP, Gopher and more.

The Comet64 comes with a disk containing the V-1541 software, which allows users to connect seamlessly to CommodoreServer.com and access and view disks in the Public Directory or in the user's private account. Using V-1541, users can view disks, list directory contents, SAVE programs and download games or other files using standard LOAD and SAVE operations.

By default, the Comet64 is configured to interact and connect to CommodoreServer.com so that users can easily access any of the activities available there. Although it is pre-configured, programmers can send commands via software to change the configuration of the device and connect to other Internet servers and ports, allowing greater flexibility for new Internet-based software.

The Comet64 Internet modem allows programmers to develop new software with ease, focusing more on high-level data rather than the underlying complexities of TCP/IP. It has built-in support for DHCP, PPPoE, DNS, baud rate, parity/data bits/stop bits, flow control, and a few additional configuration parameters that allow it to be used as a client or server (configuration is limited to a single connection, so it is not practical to run as an Internet server). Baud rates supported are 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19.2K, 38.4K, 57.6K, 115.2K, and 230.4K, although speeds are limited to the physical conditions of the Commodore computer that it is connected to.

The Comet64 has two configuration options: 1) Internet Modem only and 2) Internet Modem + RS-232 port. The RS-232 port can be used to connect to any other RS-232C-capable device, such as a PC, printer or telephone modem, using a standard DB9 RS-232 cable. Users have the ability to switch between Internet modem and the RS-232 port.

For purchasing information, visit http://www.commodoreserver.com/products

With preliminary VIC-20 support as seen at CommVEx,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org

[Kananga]

Although it is pre-configured, programmers can send commands via software to change the configuration of the device and connect to other Internet servers and ports, allowing greater flexibility for new Internet-based software.

Great device, but where do interested programmers get the information about the commands to send for configuration? Is the documentation shipped with the device?

[RobertBe]

Great device, but where do interested programmers get the information about the commands to send for configuration? Is the documentation shipped with the device?

Ah, send your questions to admin@commodoreserver.com

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org

[goog]

Great device, but where do interested programmers get the information about the commands to send for configuration? Is the documentation shipped with the device?

Thanks! I am starting a blog post that will cover how to configure the board using a BASIC program. I'll post a link to it here when I'm finished.

-Goog
CommodoreServer Admin

[Kananga]

I checked the home page of CommodoreServer again and this time there is a description of how to configure the Comet64!
I could not find any Vic-20 specific software in the Public Disks section, like the V-1541, but it seems worth giving the Comet64 a try.
Does anybody use it already with a VIC-20?

[Disc Master I]

I love the concept of CommodoreServer, but do NOT like the idea of storing my data on their servers. I'd even pay for the software if I could host my own server (think personal cloud storage) to store my d64 images and such, and then use the V-1541 software to connect to my personal Commodore File Server. This would be great because I could upload my games and play them on my Internet connected real C64, then while on the road, fire up Vice on my Android device and load the same games and save files thus not losing my last save point. The other great thing is that I wouldn't have to keep multiple copies of my favorite games on each emulator device (PC, Laptop, Mac, etc...) and on my real C64, SX-64, Educator 64, C128 or C128D, VIC-20, etc...

I'm hoping they release a stand alone server/client program. I would definitely pay for such a great idea.

[Kananga]

BTW, there is another Internet-modem out now, also implementing a cloud-storage protocol: Flyer
It is a custom-made IEC device with user-controllable tcp-connections and http-requests and not just a plain serial-to-tcp device like the V-1541.
(Wasn't it mentioned in another thread?)