Got my first exposure to networking trlog machines with a serial port
network in FD. Although it came up easily, there was a glitch I would
like to understand better: It was a simple, two-machine network of an
IBM T20 laptop and an IBM 600 laptop. Both were running Win 98 (possibly
different versions) and using the built-in COM1 ports. I jury-rigged a
serial cable at the 11th hour using an unholy alliance of 9/25 adapters,
gender benders and exactly one null modem to achieve the Pin 2/3
reversal. On first attempt, Computer 1 sent its QSOs to Computer 2 but
received nothing. Both machines complained appropriately, albeit
obscurely, about the serial connection. I then reversed the cable -
plugged the C1 end into C2 and vice versa. Instead of following one end
of the cable, the problem just went away and everything worked fine in
both directions! Can anyone enlighten me on how this might have
happened? In any case, my next step will be to build a nice, neat cable
without all the adapters, but I'd still like to know what could have
gone wrong.
Second, unrelated question: The machines got out of synch. I think one
of the machines was unattended too long, possibly went catatonic and
missed some QSOs. I think I need to defeat all screen savers, power-save
standby functoins, etc. Right?
Thanks,
Rick N6XI
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