Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net

Preamble

Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net (hereby shortened to CGHMN for easier reference) originally started as me making good on a promise to use a Cisco AS5300 I acquired years ago to make a Dial-Up internet provider. Over time while working on the project and watching other YouTubers work on their own ISP projects it became clear that many of them are happy to set up the hardware, there was very little interest (or ability) to make it usable to other folks, or to have anything fun or useful to "do" with it (beyond the novelty of browsing a few vintage websites such as FrogFinder)

CGHMN (its name borrowing from a Simpsons joke, naturally) is another one of my "biting off far more than I can possibly chew" projects. Intended to be an intersection point between art, shitpost, rejection of "internet modernity", refuge for the nostalgic and a communal home for projects of a specifically retro computing bent.

CGHMN is currently in its embryonic stages as I step through the trial-by-fire of the reality of setting up 1990's era telecommunications infrastructure in a way that is both functional and not inconvenient for myself or others in the space it is physically housed in.

An eventual goal is to provide "open" access to an era of the web that has been not so much "lost" as obliterated by capitalism. A space that can mimic "the vibe" of the late 1990's internet through faithful reconstruction or mimicry of the hardware and software stacks that powered it.

Mechanisms will be implemented to discourage (but not outright prevent) "modern systems" from accessing the network where possible, both for the security of users on the network and to try and further the "vibe" of using period-accurate hardware and software. Using IRC and playing StarCraft on Windows 11 simply isn't as "fun" for us!

A longer term goal includes providing democratized access for users to begin submitting their own projects and content ala Geocities and setting up federated networking with other retro computing users, similar to GlobalTalk but with a larger scope of features and functionality

So what's this all about?

CGHMN is a collaborative project aimed to create a late 1990's/early 2000's compatible "internet" for retro computing enthusiasts and their machines

Okay so how do I connect to it

You can sign up right now! to "alpha test" the network

How fast is it?

Total internal network capacity is 1Gbps (symmetric) due to limitations of the switches in operation. This speed may be raised or lowered depending on future federation with other members.

Your speed will depend on factors such as how fast your device can run Wireguard and your internet connection

Is this safe to use? I thought connecting old PC's to the internet was a bad idea!

Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net is not accessible by the wider internet and is specifically designed to be a hermetically sealed network. Users can only connect via the above methods and can only communicate with other devices on the network. Users that violate the Terms of Service or attempt to abuse the network (or other members) will have their access permanently removed. With that said the usual rules about not downloading suspicious files and other "internet hygiene" rules still apply. While we don't expect bad actors to be a problem, please ensure that any files contributed to the network are scanned for malware first! VirusTotal provides free scanning services for this.

How can I help?

A lot of folks have offered to donate server hosting which is wonderful. Though not (yet!) required. The two biggest things we need are

Donations to buy infrastructure (Particularly hard disks!) there's an Amazon Wishlist here that will get updated over time. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1W3S0E9IN7ZB7?ref_=wl_share

Volunteers who want to set up services. Want to come build a website? Run an old game server? Have some weird retro hardware you want to attach to the network? Please, reach out!