Although perhaps an idea ahead of its time, Sega bundled a web browser disc with many versions of the Sega Dreamcast. These programs supported SegaNet, the official Sega ISP, as well as an ISP of your choice, meaning the service still works even today. Additionally, several Dreamcast games allow online play or interactivity of various kinds, whether by downloading add-ons, checking out web pages from within the game, or actually playing against other human beings in real time.

However, the Dreamcast has only a built-in 56-KB modem. (European versions have a 33.6-KB modem, presumably some subtle commentary on the static-filled nature of Continental phone lines.) So, in unexpanded form, the Dreamcast has no way to attach a normal DSL or cable modem to it. Broadband is a major issue.

There is an expensive savior in the form of the official Dreamcast Broadband Adapter. Sega produced this device in very limited quantities during the Dreamcast’s lifetime because broadband was much less popular back in 2000 or 2001. Now that the Dreamcast is no more, the connector is a collectible. You’re likely to find the Broadband Adapter only on eBay or similar auction sites for $100 to $150. This is not a cost-effective means to hack, by any means, but it is extremely cool if you’re willing to shell out the money for it.

Suppose you’re stuck with dial-up to maneuver your Dreamcast around the wilds of the Net. This is no problem as long as you have a dial-up ISP. However, for many hack-centric readers, you’re likely to have DSL or a cable modem, and not actually own dial-up anymore. If you’re lucky, your DSL provider may provide free dial-up. Supposedly, Earthlink DSL offers this, as do some other providers. Otherwise, the late-’90s free dial-up ISP boom is over, and there don’t seem to be any completely free dial-up ISPs anymore. Ad-supported ISPs such as Juno.com may give you up to 10 hours a month for free, but it’s pretty impractical and may not work properly with your DC. This is a palpable problem. Your best bet is to find a broadband ISP with free dial-up, or curse like a sailor and fork out 10 bucks per month for dial-up.

Although it seems slightly crazy, there are at least three different web browsers available for the Dreamcast. Including different versions, there are at least 10 overall. Which ones will you find in the wild? Which versions are worth using?

The PlanetWeb browser, which a third-party company made for Sega, is the most prevalent Dreamcast browser. Most U.S. versions of the console bundled it, and it appeared on several cover discs of the Official Dreamcast Magazine . Version 1.0 is very basic indeed, but the more common v2.0 and especially v2.6 are the easiest browsers to find. Versions 2.0 and later are fairly versatile, and they have MP3 support. Version 2.6 even runs Java 2.0. Finally, the rare v3.0 (available for a $20 upgrade fee direct from PlanetWeb during 2001 and 2002) adds the latest version of Flash that was available at the time (v4.0) and pJava, which enables Java chat not possible in other versions.

If you’re in the United States and want to use your Dreamcast with the broadband adapter, you will need a browser that understands the concept of broadband, such as PlanetWeb 3.0 or XDP.

The DreamPassport browser is available almost exclusively in the Japanese language. It’s a good, fully featured browser that includes many of the best features of PlanetWeb. It also allows broadband adapter use. However, you’re relatively unlikely to see an English-language version anywhere outside of unofficial homebrew-hacked versions.

The DreamKey browser, more readily available in Europe, is a dumbed-down browser that often supported only the SegaNet ISP. It isn’t versatile in the slightest, so avoid it if possible. Some Dreamcast games, such as Skies Of Arcadia or Sonic Adventure 2, actually have this browser built-in, even in the U.S. versions. You may have to live with this if it’s the only browser you can find.

However, there is a fourth way. An important, but slightly suspect homebrew-adapted innovation trumps all of these browsers. Download the XDP browser from the Psilocybin Dreams page (http://www.psilocybindreams.com) and burn it onto a self-booting CD. The disc includes a translated version of DreamPassport as well as a heavily modified version of PlanetWeb 2.6. The site explains the complex changes that have been made to the various browsers, even going so far as to create multiple user agents:

However, although the developers have given away these browsers in the past, the team behind XDP do not seem to have permission to enhance them in such a way. Even if viewed as abandonware, this excellent compilation may have suspect permissions.

To think way outside the box with regard to uses for your Dreamcast online, the hackers of DC Phone Home (http://dcphonehome.com/) have turned the console into a network infiltration tool. Drop the Dreamcast in a quiet part of an office building and plug it into a network socket using an included LAN adapter. At that point, as their FAQ explains (spelling and punctuation reflect the original document):

Provided you have physical access to a facility, your Dreamcast can be a cheap, effective infiltration tool that works from the inside out—much easier than from the outside in! It’s ingenious, though DC Phone Home has never released the software for download, and the scarcity of the broadband adapter raises the expense of a throwaway tool. Still, this is clearly a proof of concept for security researchers rather than an actual black-hat piece of evilness. It’s an interesting concept showing off what you can do if you start thinking creatively about cheap and hackable hardware.