Networking Solutions

Networking Product Family

We help you in getting your Amiga / Commodore Online!! Below are some of the products.

XSurf 2 Ethernet card

Technical specifications:

Fully compliant RJ-45 connector

Realtek chipset, for all Amigas with Zorro-Slots, compatible with A1200 Zorro boards: Z4, Mikronik, RBM

multiple expansion possibilities: two clockports for A1200 expansions such as Silversurfer and Hypercom, 26-pin expansion port just like Buddha/Catweasel Z-II controllers

3,5" IDE port for harddisks and CD-Roms can be activated by the IDE-fix Software package

Auto-negotiation acc. to IEEE 802.3, 10Base2 and 10Base-T supported

automatic Choice of the used connector

20MBit transfer rate (fullduplex, twisted-pair only)

16KByte buffermem for maximum performance

Autoprefetch for another increase of performance

automatic polarity correction for 10Base-T

Noise Filter Bus Interface ensures proper function in heavy-loaded Zorro-systems

compatible with Miami, Genesis, AmiTCP and all TCP/IP Stacks that can access a Sana-2 driver

Sana-2 driver included, NetBSD driver available in the latest distribution

Nordic Global has announced an MNI driver for X-Surf 3 in Miami

all programming docs open (for Linux-drivers)

You can even add silversurfer or Delfina!

About X-surf:
X-Surf ("Cross-surf") is the world's most successful networking card you can find for Zorro-Amiga computers. Initially it was shipped with a minimum of software drivers, and we've added tools, drivers and installation utilities over the years. Until today the X-Surf is easiest to install among all Amiga networking cards. Looking at DSL-support, it's unique: It comes with it's own PPPoE driver that is necessary for most DSL providers, so high-speed internet access is possible with any TCP/IP stack. Operation is possible starting with OS2.0. Since a TCP/IP stack is not included with the board, we recommend using OS3.9, because that comes with the TCP/IP stack Genesis.

Once you installed the TCP/IP stack, you can use all programs that need a network on your Amiga: An IRC-client, a web browser or a network filesystem that lets you access files of a computer that's in the same network. The Samba-package (available freely on the Aminet) for example lets you exchange files between Amigas and even between a Windows-PC and an Amiga!
Since installing Samba is a hard job (even pros sometimes fail to accomplish this), an automatic installation CD is included with the X-Surf 2. The installation script does all the necessary modifications in the forest of Samba's configuration files for you. With this tool, it's even possible for a rookie to install a network that really deserves the name "network": You can even access a printer that is connected to the Windows-computer! (only Win 95, Win98 and Win ME)

The large variety of expansion possibilities is an unparalleled added value for most Amiga users. Most users are short of Zorro-slots, so the possibility to connect a serial interface like the Silversurfer or the VarIO can solve most space-problems in your Amiga. Since there's two clock-ports on the X-Surf, you can connect two Silversurfer boards at a time. Both can be accessed with the same silversurfer.device, just use the next unit number. The clock-ports are two fully-featured ports that are hardware-compatible with the pin header in A1200 computers. The driver software for A1200 expansions only has to be modified in some details in order to make the add-ons work with the X-Surf. There are no conflicts between the ports already present in the system (A1200, the four clock-ports of the Z4 board or the Buddha Flash port) and the new clock-ports of the X-Surf - they all can be used at the same time.

The two IDE-ports should be considered as a free add-on. The necessary drivers are included on the driver CD. The ports should not be considered as full IDE ports, because you can't boot from them, and the timing is not configurable. If you want these functions, we recommend a Buddha Flash controller. The IDE ports are to be considered as temporary solutions if you want to connect a 2,5" harddrive to an A2000, A3000 or A4000 without buying further equipment such as a 3,5inch -> 2,5inch adapter. Owners of an A3000 for example can boot off a SCSI harddisk, and activate a cheap IDE harddrive and an Atapi CD-Rom. You shouldn't use a CD-writer on these ports, because only one IO-request at a time can be started by the X-Surf controller. That means a preemptive use of IDE devices - necessary for CD-writers - is impossible on the X-Surf. For this purpose we recommend a Buddha Flash controller.

Finally there is to emphasize that all expansion ports can be used at the same time. For going to extremes, you can use a VarIO, a Silversurfer on one, a Catweasel on the other clock-port, and four IDE/Atapi devices at the same time while the network functions are not affected. All this occupies only one of your precious zorro-slots!

XSurf 3 Ethernet card

Technical specifications:

Fully compliant RJ-45 connector

Similar to X-Surf 2 but has Coax connector!

Realtek chipset, for all Amigas with Zorro-Slots, compatible with A1200 Zorro boards: Z4, Mikronik, RBM

Silversurfer

Limited and Serial Silversurfers

Technical specifications:

for A1200 and Buddha Flash

compatible with the four clock-ports on the Z4 A1200 Zorro board

optional adapter for A600 and old Buddha/Catweasel Models

Baudrate up to 460800 Baud, MIDI compatible

supports low Baudrates and long Cables

low CPU-Load because of large Fifos

serial port 25-pin (IBM-standard, so 9-pin Sub-D is possible as well)

superflat design, fits with all known A1200 expansions (even with BVision!)

easy installation of the Hardware: colour photo print included!

easy installation of the Software: just boot from the disk!

compatible with digital cameras, Miami, terminal programs, faxprograms, and all programs using the serial.device

compatible with Melody 1200 Sound expansion on the same clock-port

Up to ten Silversurfer boards in a Computer supported (if you've got so many clock-ports :-)).

Silversurfer is the alternative for the cost-conscious user if you want to expand your Amiga with a serial interface. We did our best to reduce the price without having to make any compromises in value and performance: The top baudrate is higher than most serial accessories can handle, the software is simply one-hundred percent, and there are numerous ways to connect the board to an Amiga.

Note a mechanical conflict with Mikronik and RBM Zorro-expansions that cannot be resolved, but this is totally compensated by the Silversurfer supporting the four clock-ports of the new Z4-board for the Amiga 1200. In fact, the Silversurfer is the first card on the market to support these ports!
If you don't want to change your Zorro-board, you can operate the Silversurfer on the clock-port of the Buddha Flash controller, and that fits into any Amiga with Zorro-Slots.

Another advantage over competing products is the excellent drivers: Low CPU load for uninterrupted multitasking and compatibility with all the software we know, together with an unparalleled ease of installation make the Silversurfer first-choice for anyone. No matter if you're using an A600 without accelerator or a fully equipped A4000 - Silversurfer will move your data securely.

Retro Replay with Silver Surfer or RRNet

Technical specifications:

for Commodore 64/128

Silver Surfer is the serial interface and RRNet is the RJ45 interface.

RRNet comes with Contiki OS.

The Retro Replay is a clone of the legendary "Action Replay" cartridge has been developed together with members of the active C64 scene. We're proud to present new hardware for the Commodore 64 in the 21st century!

Technical data in detail:

# the read $de00 bug has been removed
# the freeze-logik has been re-developed "from scratch" and it's much more secure than any other freezer before
# The buttons are of much higher quality than those of the original-AR
# the Freeze-key is digitally softened (no lockup on freeze)
# Software-switchable IO-area, so a REU can be used at the same time. (direct support for REU is planned for Beta 4 of the driver software)
# FlashROM is programmable from C64 without additional equipment
# Two different ROMs can be used and selected with a hot-pluggable jumper. (Think of one being PAL and the other one NTSC, or having other different ROM versions on the same cart.)
# 32K RAM and 128K for ROM allow adding lots of features to the software
# The new board fits into many existing covers (shipped without cover!)
# Expansionport on the cartridge allows conneting the RS232-Interface "Silversurfer" (theoretically up to 460800 Baud, 16 Byte Fifo)
# Turbo Assembler Makro in the flash (huge updates coming soon)!
# Sprite & Char editor in freeze-mode (planned for beta4)
# Graphics-ripper for Koala, Bitmap, (I)FLI and more
# Gold plated contacts, mainboard in cool black!

The software is frequently updated by freeware programmers. Patches for the most popular terminal programs Novaterm and Desterm are already available, so a Silversurfer that is connected to the Retro Replay can be used.

ISDN Surfer

Technical specifications:

With the ISDN-Surfer, you enter the information highway the digial way, because an ISDN board allows the direct connection to your phone company's NTBA. There is no key telephone system, no modem and no terminal-adapter in the way to reduce performance. The connection is purely digital, your Amiga is directly connected to the telephone switch in your phone company's premises!

The one requirement is an ISDN phone line, that is offered by many phone companies all over Europe. All these products have one thing in common: The NTBA, the interface for digital communication devices. You can connect a digital phone, a key phone system, or a computer to it. You don't have to worry about compatibility at all: Due to the drivers being totally CE96 (Q931) compliant, we can guarantee the function in practically every European country. Even the ISDN lines of American phone companies that use an S0-NTBA are supported.

Although ISDN technology is totally different from analog modems, you won't have any problems getting familiar with it's use, because the drivers emulate a Hayes-compatible modem with an AT-command set. This enables virtually any software that can handle a modem also to go online with the ISDN Surfer (exception: Fax-software). Special commands in the set let you use the ISDN-specific services that your phone company provides. As the most popular example, the caller identification is to mention.

This means for you: With some quick changes in the settings of the software, you can adjust your TCP/IP stack to make use of the ISDN Surfer, no matter if you are using Miami, MiamiDX, AmiTCP or Genesis. After these small changes, you can go online with 64KBit! We're even working on a way to make use of both ISDN channels at a time, so you can use the maximum speed of 128KBit to surf the net (so-called channel bundling or multilink-connection, only with OS3.9 or higher).
What's already possible ist making two independant connections at a time, just like having two separate modems or terminal adapters. Your Amiga can be connected to the internet while taking another call on the other line with an answering-machine-software for example. Naturally, the ISDN Surfer only occupies as many channels as it really needs, leaving the bus free for other ISDN devices at the same time. This enables you to surf the net and make a call at the same time - the most popular reason for buying an ISDN line. It does not make any difference what type of telephone you use: A digital phone, an analog phone connected to a key phone system, or the telephone module for the ISDN Surfer:

With the telephone module (sold separately), your ISDN Surfer becomes a convenient ISDN telephone with many added features. The phone module will start shipping in February 2001.

In addition to the connector for the phone module, there is two more connectors on the ISDN Surfer: One clock-port as known from the Buddha Flash and X-Surf Ethernet boards, and one 26-pin expansion port. The Clock-port can be used to connect a Silversurfer serial port, or the Catweasel MK2 floppy controller. connecting the Goldsurfer (Hypercom 3 module) to the 26-pin expansion port is electrically possible, but the HyperIO drivers do not support this yet.

The structure of the drivers is an added value for programmers: The driver understands Capi 2.0 commands as known from other platforms, so porting existing ISDN software will be an easy game, and writing new programs that make use of the ISDN Surfer is supported by some example sources written in C.