Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter
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Revision as of 12:12, 19 October 2007 by Scarred Sun (talk | contribs) (New page: right The '''Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter''' (commonly abbreviated to ''BBA'') was an accessory released for the Sega Dreamcast. The console originally came eq...)
The Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter (commonly abbreviated to BBA) was an accessory released for the Sega Dreamcast. The console originally came equipped with a 56 or 33.6K modem; the Broadband Adapter was released on January 10, 2001, as an upgrade to allow a faster Internet connection. When introduced only a few hundred thousand were released, retailing at $50. The device was used to enable web browsing, gaming, and so forth with the Sega Dreamcast without the need of a slow dial-up connection. Shortly after its release, the adapter became one of the items used to copy Dreamcast GD-ROMs, much faster than was previously possible. Recently, hackers have been able to use online gaming for Homebrew uses as well.
There were 2 versions released:
- HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a Realtek 8139 chip and supported 10 and 100 Mbit speeds.
- HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10 Mbit speed.
Due to their limited supply many enthusiasts have tried to create a home made version of the adapter, none of which have worked. However, there has been a way to create a server between a Dreamcast and PC in order to trick the Dreamcast into thinking it's connected to the internet; when in reality it would be using a Broadband connection. There was also the HIT-0401 (Japanese), that also works with non-Japanese machines; whereas the HIT-0300 does not (it uses a special Japanese application). The adapters were not region coded, so an American adapter could be used on a PAL system and vice-versa.