Sega, always pushing the technological envelope, officially supported modem to modem multiplayer gameplay on the Sega Saturn long before online play became common on consoles. Both Japan and North America saw the release of a modem peripheral for the Saturn. In its original form, players connected directly to each other over a phone line. Today, folks have managed to get this service working again by tunneling over the internet and are going head-to-head in 2 (and even 4) player match-ups!

Here is the story of how Joe (SEGA RPG Fan) got this working…

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Here’s are some performance examples for this tunneling method:

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List of compatible Saturn games:

• Daytona USA: Circuit Edition (NTSC-J)
• Daytona USA C.C.E NetLink Edition (NTSC-U)
• Decathlete For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Duke Nukem 3D (NTSC-U)
• Puyo Puyo Sun For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Puzzle Bobble For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Saturn Bomberman For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Saturn Bomberman (NTSC-U)
• Sega Rally Championship Plus (NTSC-J)
• Sega Rally Championship Plus NetLink Edition (NTSC-U)
• Sega Worldwide Soccer ’98 (NTSC-J)
• Shadows of the Tusk (NTSC-J)
• Virtua Fighter Remix For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Virtual On: Cyber Troopers For SegaNet (NTSC-J)
• Virtual On: Cyber Troopers NetLink Edition (NTSC-U)

Join the SHIRO! Discord server to find other players and learn more: Invitation link

Here’s the Basic Setup:

It’s actually pretty simple to play your Saturn online, as long as you have a few necessary things. Here’s a pictorial diagram to give you a good idea of what the entire setup looks like:

Before getting everything set up, make sure you have the following things:

• 1) A Saturn Console
• 2) A Way to Boot Backups
• 3) A Modem Cart
• 4) A USB Modem (with Line Voltage)
• 5) A Computer (with internet connection)
• 6) Netlink Software Package

1. SEGA Saturn Console

The Netlink Tunnel is currently designed for use with REAL HARDWARE and assumes you have a working SEGA Saturn (emulators / MiSTer FPGA core are not supported at present).

2. A Method for Booting CD-R Backups or Game Images (ISOs)

This method requires specially modified versions of the compatible games (original retail game discs are NOT supported). You can download the necessary game patch files and patching program here .

You’ll need a way to boot the patched games on your SEGA Saturn. ( NOTE: Since your Saturn’s cart slot will be occupied with the Modem Cart , Action Replay / Pseudo Saturn carts and Saroo are out… Sorry.)

• Option 1. Modchip + CD-R – Also known as a ‘hard-mod’, the Phantom Universal Modchip sits in-between the Saturn’s CD-ROM drive and the motherboard (internally) , hijacking the boot process and satisfying the Saturn’s security check. This allows you to boot a patched game image burned to a standard CD-R. This is the cheapest option, if you are able to install it yourself. Installation Guide .
  
• Option 2. ODE (Optical Drive Emulator) – These devices emulate the functions of the Saturn CD-ROM drive allowing you to load game images from a storage device like an SD card as if they were actual Saturn CDs. An excellent comparison of all currently available devices can be found here: https://www.segasaturnshiro.com/saturn-community-projects/saturn-ode-comparison-chart/
  

3. Saturn Modem Cart

The Saturn XBand Modem Cartridge came in two ‘flavors’… US & JP. Both work just fine, but you’ll need to have one or the other for online play, so grab a US NetLink Modem (Model #MK-80118 / Part #G2883) or the JP Sega Saturn Modem (Model #HSS-0127 / HSS-0148) . Listings: eBay , Yahoo Auctions , Mercari , etc…

4. USB Voice Capable Modem (with Line Voltage)

Next, you’ll need a relatively cheap USB Voice Capable Modem . Compatible models have been rebadged and sold under various brands. eBay , Amazon , etc. The following modem models are known to work:

• Dell RD02-D400

• Lenovo RD02-D400

• Zoom 3095

• TRENDnet TFM-561U

• StarTech.com USB56KEMH

Since you won’t be using a live phone line, you’ll also need phone line voltage to carry the audio data between the Saturn Modem and the USB Modem. Luckily, you may be able to purchase (subject to availability) a ready-made “Dreamcast Live USB Modem” with line voltage built-in…

However, if you’re unable to acquire one of these, here’s a guide on how to create your own line voltage .

5. Computer Connected to Internet

Next you’ll need an internet-connected computer to run the Netlink Tunnel software. The Netlink Tunnel has been designed for use with DreamPi , a plug-n-play solution that many folks already use to get their Dreamcast online or a standard Windows PC .

• A. DreamPi – DreamPi is based on a Raspberry Pi (a tiny Linux computer) and runs dedicated software for getting your Dreamcast (and now Saturn) online with ease. These can be purchased or you can build your own .
  
• B. Windows Computer – A Windows (7 or newer) Laptop or Desktop PC with available USB port and capable of running the Netlink Tunnel software.

6. Netlink Tunnel Software Package

The Netlink Tunnel has been written in Python. SEGA RPG FAN (aka eaudunord) has made it super simple for folks to stay up-to-date, by making it capable of receiving automatic push updates!

If you’re using a DreamPi to connect, you’ll need to flash the SD card with the latest DreamPi Image

If you’re using a Windows PC to connect, you will need to download the latest Netlink Tunnel Release

Notes:

• Automatic updates are disabled by default on DreamPi. To enable them, delete the file “noautoupdates.txt” from the boot partition. If you connect the SD card to a PC this will be the only visible part of the card.
• Use of the web browsers, and IRC chat is only possible on DreamPi. This is not possible on Windows due to an OS limitation. However, neither are required to play games online.

Putting it all together

Now that you have everything you need to get your Saturn back online, your setup should look something like this…

Follow These Steps…

Step 1. Connect your DreamPi or PC to your router via WIRED ETHERNET
(wi-fi will work, but performance may be degraded)

Step 2. Connect the USB Modem (with Line Voltage) to an available USB port on DreamPi or PC and insert the Modem cartridge into the Sega Saturn’s cartridge slot.

Step 3. Connect a standard RJ11 telephone cable from the USB Modem to the Saturn Modem Cart’s LINE port .
(if you need to create your own line voltage, see our Line Voltage Guide for connection configuration)

Step 4. Power on all hardware (Saturn, DreamPi/PC & LVI Solution if applicable) and boot a patched game.

Step 5. If using DreamPi, skip to step 6. DreamPi will automatically detect if you’re trying to use the Netlink Tunnel. If using PC, launch the Netlink Tunnel Script by double-clicking Run_Tunnel.bat
(once launched, you may need to hit enter a few times to perform any necessary auto-updates)

Step 6. At this point you will need to dial an opponent or wait to be dialed…

Dialing Instructions for Japanese Games (NTSC-J)

For all Japanese games (NTSC-J) , you will need 2 Separate Player IDs :
sp & mp#xxx#

sp = slave player (this side waits for call)
Make sure you do not enter any spaces before the initial s, otherwise you’ll receive an error message when you select challenge .

mp# xxx # = master player + game ID (this side dials out)
You’ll need to set this ID to match the game ID that you are currently playing. The code name entry screen will list the current game’s ID to use.

You will need to coordinate your matches. One player will need to select the sp ID and select challenge . Once the game is waiting for a call, the other player needs to select the mp ID and select challenge . A matchmaking service will connect you to your opponent once two players are waiting/dialing for the same game. Be aware that the games will only wait a maximum of 2 minutes for a match.

Dialing Instructions for US Games (NTSC-U)

For all US games (NTSC-U) , you’ll need to select QuickLink to enter the XBAND menu.

Select Wait to wait for a call, or Dial to dial your opponent.

You will need to coordinate your matches. One player will need to select Wait . Once the game is waiting for a call, the other player needs to Dial the current game’s ID. The dial screen will show the ID to enter in the format #xxx#. A matchmaking service will connect you to your opponent once two players are waiting/dialing for the same game.

For most users, no port forwards will be necessary. If you experience difficulty connecting to other players, you can try forwarding the following port ranges in your router setup to the device running the Netlink tunnel:

• 65432 TCP
• 20001-20002 UDP

Now sit back and revel in the fact that you’re now playing a console released in 1994/95 over the internet through this amazing Netlink Tunnel! Out of this world!!!

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