DUN Manager - Readme File for Release 1.2c - 15th September 1999 ================================================================ DUN Manager is a Windows 95, Windows 98, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 application designed to simplify and enhance Dial Up Networking and Remote Access Services. Features includes single click connection start-up and hang-up, monitoring of connections started by other applications, a flashing icon while online, automatic disconnection options to avoid remaining online by accident (including playing sounds), timed reconnection to drop and redial a call after a specified period (where short calls are free), a scheduler for automated connections and tasks, detailed connection activity logs for problem finding, session cost logs to determine telephone spending, logging of separate multi-link calls and non-RAS calls (such as fax), keep alive, re-establish lost connection, call waiting re-enable after connection, PC clock setting, program launching, a performance graph showing data flow speeds with optional logging, and various diagnostics including Trace Route, Ping Host, Finger and Address Look-Up. DUN Manager includes over telephone tariffs for over 40 different countries, many with multiple operators (27 in the UK) for accurate call costing. Overview -------- DUN Manager from Magenta Systems Ltd sits in the Windows 95, Windows 98, NT4 or Windows 2000 system tray as an icon, allows a dial-up networking connection to be started or stopped with a simple click, and flashing a currency symbol as a reminder while online. It also monitors connections started by other applications. Sound effects may be associated with start of dialling, successful connection, periodically while online as a reminder, as a warning of idle connections, and when disconnected. Multiple connections are supported, with redialling if the initial connection speed is poor. How connections are started is fully configurable, as is whether a connection status window appears. A performance graph shows the historic transmit and receive data speeds during and after the connection with the data optionally logged for later analysis. The PC clock can be automatically corrected from an Internet Time Server. Other applications may be launched when a connection starts or hangs-up. DUN Manager provides features to stop a connection being dropped (when there are no telecom bills), to deliberately drop an idle connection (to avoid large telecom bills) or timed reconnection to drop and redial a call after a specified period (where short calls are free). There is automatic re-establishment if a connection drops, keep alive will stop the ISP disconnecting due to idling. Data flow hang-up will drop the connection when it becomes idle, while timed hang-up drops after a specified period, in both cases with a warning sound and a short period allowing reset of hang-up checking to stay on-line. The flashing system tray icon is a reminder while on-line, particularly for those with internal modems, a sound may be played periodically as a further reminder and a status window can regularly appear. Call waiting can be disabled before a connection and re-enabled afterwards. A scheduler allows connections to be automatically started at specified times and repeated until a particular time. Once connected, the scheduler will run an application or perform various other specified tasks. Auto dial support means that when an application attempts to open a connection to a remove server (by clicking on a web link), DUN Manager will automatically dial the default connection, optionally giving a warning prompt first. If DUN Manager is not running, it is automatically launched. A connection activity log stores all progress messages for each connection, the phone number dialled, session duration and performance statistics, and is designed to be useful to ISPs for resolving connection problems. Logging shows multi-link calls separately, and also non-RAS calls (such as fax, HyperTerminal and Ameol2). If the modem keeps connection diagnostics (K56K, X2 and V90) these can be automatically logged after each call. Old logs are automatically deleted after so many days. A session/cost log keeps a monthly tally of dial-up networking sessions including telephone call cost, and is useful for checking usage or telecom bills. Each connection can be defined with a different telecom tariff, to allow for discount schemes like BT Best Friend. The time left in seconds until an incremental call cost will occur is shown. DUN Manager includes over telephone tariffs for over 40 different countries, many with multiple operators (27 in the UK) for accurate call costing. The UK tariffs are taken from the Magenta Systems Ltd UK Telecom Tariff Comparison web site: http://www.magsys.co.uk/telecom/. DUN Manager also includes various internet diagnostic utilities, including Address Lookup, Reverse Lookup, Ping Host, Trace Route, Finger and a Telnet terminal for accessing remote servers. All these utilities save up to 30 previously used host names, easing subsequent diagnostic sessions. DUN Manager is shareware, developed by Magenta Systems Ltd, in the UK. DUN Manager may be evaluated for 30 days, but must be registered if usage is to continue. Until registered, DUN Manager may display a nag screen for a short period after each connection. Registration costs £25 (UKP) which is about $41 or €38 (euro), and is done from the Registration option within DUN Manager via email with an encrypted credit card number or by printing a page to be faxed or snail mailed. Tariffs ------- Tariffs are included for the following 43 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and the UK. Further countries are being added each month. Installation ------------ If DUN Manager has been previously installed, it must be stopped before installing a new version, otherwise there will an error while copying the new files. DUN Manager comprises a single program file DUNMAN.EXE (about 848 Kbyte in size, and three small DLLs. Installation will therefore not effect any other Windows applications. No software will be installed in the Windows directory. The only prerequisite is Windows 95, (any version), Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, with TCP/IP networking and Dial-Up Networking (Remote Access Services) installed. DUN Manager will work on 486/66 PCs with 16 Mbytes of memory, but anything slower is not recommended. For Windows 95, it is strongly recommended that Dial-Up Networking 1.2 or 1.3 is installed, these are available as upgrades from the Microsoft web site. Performance statistics may not be available with earlier versions. Windows 98 already has DUN 1.2. DUN Manager is usually distributed as a ZIP file which should first be unzipped into a temporary folder. If you do not already have it, the Winzip application from http://www.winzip.com/ (or from most magazine cover CD-ROMs, Tucows archives, etc) is strongly recommended. The program SETUP.EXE should then be run to install DUN Manager. About 1.3 Mbytes of disk space is required for the software and documentation. If you have received an executable with a version number like DUNMAN12.EXE, this should be run just like SETUP.EXE to install the software. The DUN Manager icon is placed on the desktop, allowing easy start-up. An 'Auto Run DUN Manager When Windows Starts-Up' option in Preferences, Defaults may be specified to make DUN Manager start automatically each time that windows starts. A number of WAV sound files suitable for the events in DUN Manager may be downloaded from the DUN Manager web site in file DUNSOUND.ZIP, which should be unzipped into the C:\WINDOWS\MEDIA directory for convenience. Once started, the DUN Manager icon should appear in the System Tray (next to the time display) to indicate that DUN Manager is running. Moving the mouse pointer over the icon will display the current status for Dial-Up Networking and Right Clicking the icon displays a pop-up menu with all the DUN Manager options. The behaviour for Single and Double Left Clicking is configurable, but is defaulted to displaying the Status Window and Starting the Default Connection respectively. While on-line, moving the mouse pointer over the icon shows the current connection name, the duration on-line and the call cost (if costing is enabled). Restrictions and Notes ---------------------- When DUN Manager starts it now validates the Dial-Up Connections so a warning dialog may immediately appear listing any problems found. It is best to immediately edit connection properties to resolve these problems and prevent the dialog subsequently appearing. DUN Manager has been tested on Windows 2000 RC1 2072 (aka NT5) and mostly works as expected, except for Auto Dial. Distribution ------------ DUN Manager may be freely distributed via web pages, FTP sites, BBS and conferencing systems or on CD-ROM in unaltered zip format, but no charge may be made other than reasonable media or bandwidth cost. Any notifications must state that DUN Manager is shareware with nags until registered with Magenta Systems Ltd. Please email Magenta Systems Ltd if you distribute DUN Manager in some way, so you can be notified of upgrades or other important changes. DUN Manager may also be distributed or sold by partners. For instance dealers could pre-install DUN Manager on new PCs, and can then be assured of receiving a commission from Magenta Systems Ltd if the software is subsequently registered. Please contact dunman@magsys.co.uk if you are interesting in reselling DUN Manager with PCs or internet services. Copyright Information --------------------- DUN Manager is copyright Magenta Systems Ltd, England, 1999. Magenta Systems Ltd 9 Vincent Road Croydon CR0 6ED United Kingdom Phone 020 8656 3636, International Phone +44 20 8656 3636 Fax 020 8656 8127, International Fax +44 20 8656 8127 If the above telephone numbers do not work outside the UK, use the old London dialling code instead: Phone +44 181 656 3636, Fax +44 181 656 8127 Email: dunman@magsys.co.uk Web: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/ Download: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/dunman12.zip Alt Download: http://www.dunman.freeserve.co.uk/dunman12.exe Sound files: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/dunsound.zip There is also a support conference on the CIX conferencing system, cix:magsoft. Information on joining CIX may be found at http://www.cix.co.uk/.