Connecting old computers to a network or the Internet can be quite a challenge, due to the lack of any form of Ethernet connection. And when we say old, we don't mean that Pentium66 in the garage - we mean Apple ][-era hardware. However thanks to Payton Byrd you can now connect any computer with a serial device to the Internet via an Ethernet-enabled Arduino board and some clever code.
The "Hayesduino" is a sketch that emulates the operation of the classic series of modems, and with simple AT commands your old computer can connect with the outside world. The development environment is requires Visual Studio and the Arduino IDE, however the project is open-source and can be modified if necessary.
So if you have a vintage PC and want to get some communication happening, check out the Hayesduino project site. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you need an Ethernet-enabled Arduino, save time, space and money by using the Freetronics EtherTen. Apart from being fully Arduino Uno-compatible, it has onboard Ethernet, microSD socket, full USB interface (so you don't need a costly FTDI cable just to upload a sketch!) and supports optional Power-over-Ethernet.
