Twelve 56K Dial-up Modems Achieve Impressive 1990s Internet Speeds in YouTube Experiment

A Nostalgic Sprint: 12 Dial-up Modems Conjure 1990s Internet Speeds

In a remarkable feat of technological archaeology, the YouTube channel 'The Serial Port' has resurrected the spirit of the 1990s internet, demonstrating that even watching YouTube is possible over dial-up. This ambitious experiment, however, comes with a healthy dose of nostalgic caveats.

Assembling the Digital Relics

The setup for this modern-day throwback was nothing short of impressive: a collection of Windows XP PCs, a Cisco VoIP device, multiple PCI serial port cards, and crucially, a staggering twelve 56K dial-up modems. The secret sauce? The forgotten technology of Multilink PPP (MPPP), a protocol designed to bond the bandwidth of multiple connections into a single, more potent data stream. This was the internet's answer to the need for speed before the widespread adoption of ISDN and ADSL.

The Quest for 668.8 kbps

The combined might of these dozen modems, harnessed by MPPP, managed to achieve a blistering (by 1990s standards) 668.8 kilobits per second. This may sound laughably slow by today's fiber-optic speeds, but it was a significant leap for its era. MPPP, while promising, never truly took off, primarily due to the logistical challenge of requiring multiple phone lines and the often restrictive policies of internet service providers. 'The Serial Port' team, however, found a modern ISP willing to play ball and a Cisco VoIP gateway to facilitate the experiment.

Calculating the Threshold of 'Watchable'

The experimenters calculated that a mere four 56K modems, yielding around 200 kbps, would suffice for a minimally watchable 240p video stream. To put this in perspective, even basic YouTube videos today often demand significantly more bandwidth. Their initial attempts involved a 2001 IBM PC running Windows ME, capable of handling two modems simultaneously – a respectable starting point. However, expanding further proved problematic due to driver conflicts with an eight-port serial card.

Windows XP: The Unsung Hero of Connectivity

The team then upgraded to a more accommodating 2004 IBM Think Center running Windows XP, hoping for better hardware compatibility. Initial attempts with two identical serial expansion cards were thwarted by overlapping COM port addresses. A clever workaround involved swapping one card for a different brand, finally unlocking a total of thirteen usable ports (including one on the motherboard). Unlike Windows ME, which sequentially dialed each modem, Windows XP was able to establish simultaneous connections, famously heralded by a symphony of dial-up tones.

Pushing the Limits and a Potential World Record

Through meticulous tinkering with modem DIP switches, phone line configurations, and Windows XP's serial port management, the team successfully scaled their setup from two to an astounding twelve modems. The 668.8 kbps speed achieved was sufficient to stream YouTube content. While the low-powered PC experienced initial buffering, the stream eventually stabilized, proving the viability of the concept. The creators could find no evidence of anyone successfully using more than four modems with MPPP, suggesting that their twelve-modem configuration might very well be a world record. The video concludes with an intriguing hint that the full potential of MPPP connections may still be undiscovered.