Serial Port Streams YouTube Using 12 Dial-Up Modems
The Serial Port YouTube channel has made headlines with a nostalgic project. They successfully streamed YouTube using 12 dial-up modems, a technology long considered obsolete. The experiment harks back to the early days of internet connectivity.
The channel reached a combined connection speed of 668.8 Kbps using Multilink Point to Point Protocol (PPP), a 1994 technology that merges multiple internet connections. This allowed them to watch a 240p YouTube video without buffering, meeting their target speed of 182,286 bits per second.
The project required period-appropriate hardware, including an IBM NetVista A21i from 2001 and an IBM ThinkCenter A50 from 2004. A Cisco IAD was used to generate the necessary phone lines. This retro approach is a stark contrast to today's high-speed internet.
It's worth noting that AOL discontinued its dial-up service in 2023, highlighting the shift away from this once-ubiquitous technology. Meanwhile, researchers are exploring fiber optic speeds up to 3.5 million times faster than the average US home's broadband connection.
The Serial Port's project serves as a reminder of how far internet connectivity has come. From dial-up speeds of 668.8 Kbps to potential future speeds millions of times faster, the evolution of technology is evident. Despite this progress, the experiment shows that even old tech can still surprise us.
