I've had a TheOldNet Serial WiFi Adapter for a few years now and have never been able to get my //e online. I've tried my best to getting the original paperwork for the SSC//, done a bunch of other research, tried Contiki and ProTERM, and still nothing. For reference, I have a //e with 128k, a SSC//, I've been trying to use ProTERM 3.1 and I have a DB 25 cable with a DB 9 adapter and ending with a null modem adapter to the modem. I really want to see this computer online. Please help!
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Well, there are other ways. The ESP32 Softcard gives WiFi access to the Internet, and includes a telnet program and a host of other features. There's also the Uthernet II card, which is an Ethernet adapter for the Apple II series that is fairly well supported.
If you want to get "online" then you'll most likely be cruising BBS systems via telnet. There are a number of quite good Apple II BBS systems running on real hardware:
The Brewery BBS: thebrewery.servebeer.com:6400
Dura-Europos: dura-bbs.net:6359
Land of Confusion: tloc.antsinthepants.com:6502
Aerodrome: theaerodromebbs.com:6502
WAC: wacbbs.com:6502
Sanctum: sanctumbbs.com:6502
Captains Quarters II: cqbbs.ddns.net:6800 (you really need a colour ANSI terminal to use this one...more suited for IIGS or modern computer terminal programs like Sync-Term or ZOC-8)
So get yourself a Wimodem-232 from cbmstuff.com. https://www.cbmstuff.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=113
It's a very good Hayes compatible wifi modem that lets you "call" bulletin baord systems via telnet using ProTerm 3.1 or another terminal program, just like as if you were calling BBS systems using a real telephony modem in the 80s.
The other practical way to "get on the internet" is with a FujiNet. It allows you to access disk images on remote file servers (TNFS servers and maybe FTP servers) including ones you set up on your own home LAN - so presumably you could have a file server with disk images in a basement file serving computer and access them via WiFi using hte FujiNet. It's a pretty cool device. It has a rudimentary ternimal program for BBSing but it's nowhere near as good as the Wimodem-232/ProTerm combination. It's also a capable disk image handler so you can load and run disk iimages from it, both 5.25" and 3.5" and hard drive images.
The FujiNet requires a SmartPort, so either a Liron disk controller card, a Yellowstone disk controller card or a "SoftSP" card coupled with a regular Disk II controller.
I have a Uthernet II card but the only useful thing I have found to do with it on a IIe is to have ultra-reliable ADTPro transfers from a modern PC. It's way faster and more reliable than goign through the Super Serial Card and a USB-Serial converter cable. There is precious little you can do with the Uthernet II "online" with a IIe.
However, the Uthernet II card is incredibly useful on a IIGS but that's a whole 'nother kettle-o-fish when you're running GSOS.
I am loving all of these, though currently there is very little discussion. Somtimes it feels like just the sysops visiting each other's boards. :) I would LOVE to see more real activity. When I can't use my vintage machines, I have accessed all (except Aerodrome which doesn't seem to work) via the online emulator at https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/.
What's kinda cool on some of these boards is that the posts from 1996 are still intact. If you didn't see the date, it's amazing how 30 years later some of the dialog seems like it could have taken place yesterday.
For my "vintage machines," I use Fujinet with my Apple IIc+ and access using VT100. Would like a better program to use with that, but alas, that's what I have. Does a great job for all the BBS's listed above. On my Apple IIgs, I use WiRSa Wifi adapter. It's got issues. Probably more me than the hardware. Anyway I use Spectrum with the IIgs because it's the only one that can see ANSI text.
There are more than 1000 active BBSs out there, but the ones listed above are really the only ones that are suitable for the non-IIgs Apple IIs. Because ANSI has so much more capability in visual candy and online editing ability, the other 999 BBSs seem to be a bit more active than these. But there is a charm that I truly appreciate.
FWIW, Captain's Quarters is also very capable of ASCII in its basic Forums capacity. You just need to get through the log in screen, go to (S)ettings, change the (E) graphics mode to (0) ASCII and it works great. Can't really game with ASCII, though. And for more WIW, even with ANSI using Spectrum on the IIgs, some of the text is hard to read in ANSI mode.