[aprssig] IP Based Modems (TNCs)

[Ralph Milnes]

AGWPE (free version) might be able to do what you want *without* a big
hardware investment.  http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/inst.htm 

AGWPE is TCP/IP based. You load it and it takes over control of any (?)
KISS-enabled modem. Because it is TCP/IP based, you can control AGWPE from a
remote site using your web browser.

So if your packet application can be told to find AWGPE at a TCIP/IP
address, then you can run it on computer A and  use the AGWPE-TNC
combination on Computer B   *The key is that your app must be written to
link to AGWPE at a TCP/IP address.*   Most of the popular APRS programs can
do this.

The AGWPE Pro version (PE Pro; $50)  (also at
http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/inst.htm )   has a further enhancement  --  radio
port sharing. With this you could get less versatile apps to talk to remote
PCs. For example, WinPack has no TCP/IP abilities, but it can link to AGWPE
and PE Pro running on the same machine. With radio port sharing, different
instances of PE Pro talk to each other and can share any TNCs attached to
them. So where WinPack running on machine A could not normally link to TNCs
on machine B,  PE Pro provides the "port sharing" link to let WinPack do
that. * But again * your packet app must be written to allow a link to AGWPE
(if it will link to AGWPE, it will link to Packet Engine Pro). 


Another of AGWPE's feature is to use your PC sound card as a modem. Might be
a better/easier solution than: 
http://www.baycom.org/~tom/ham/soundmodem/

I have lots more info about sound card modems at:
http://www.patmedia.net/ralphmilnes/soundcardpacket/

The site also as info on configuring some popular apps to use AGWPE, with
the sound card modem or with TNCs/other modems.

Ralph KC2RLM