Copyright: Copyright © Quarterdeck Corp. 1995


Adapting an Existing Script

QWinsock is shipped with a number of login scripts. If a script suitable for your provider is not included, you can likely adapt one for use with your own use.

To adapt a script, first make a copy of the original file, giving it a filename suitable for your provider and using the file extension .MPS.  Make your changes to the new file so you can always revert back to the original file.

When adapting an existing script, first change the CommWaitFor commands to reflect the actual prompts your provider sends. Next, be sure the CommSend commands provide the information the provider requires in the order in which the provider expects to receive it. Your provider may require more information than just the username and password, including returns and/or other character strings not described in the sample script.

Once your script is working, change Trace on to Trace off. This makes the QWinsock console output cleaner and simpler.

Finally, notice that existing scripts include pound signs (#) followed by text other than script commands. These are comments, text included within a program solely for the programmer’s use and which is ignored by the computer.  Comments are included to help you understand the script.  Be sure to place a comment character (#) before any comment that you edit or that you include yourself.  If you remove the comment character from a comment line, Quarterdeck Winsock tries to interpret the comment as a script command and your script is halted.

Tip:  Place a comment that describes the provider for whom the script is written as the first line in the script.  For example:  # SLIP connection to "myprovider". Quarterdeck winsock will then display that comment in its list of script files, making it easy for you to identify the script.


Adding or Deleting a Location or Connection (Provider)
Adding or Deleting a Location or Connection (Service Provider)

It is a simple matter to add or delete Location or Connection profiles in Location Manager.

   To add a new Connection to Location Manager:

1.  Select Edit Locations & Connections from the Location Manager main screen, click on the Connections  tab, then on Add New.

If you have not previously configured the software for use with a provider, we recommend that you add the new service provider (Connection) through Connection Helper.  (Select the Connection Helper button from Location Manager.)

2.  Select the type of account you want to add.

3.  Follow the on-screen instructions that guide you through the process of entering the necessary Connection information.  If the new provider is accessible to you via a direct connection through a network, you may also need to enter some Network (Proxy) information.  Online help is available at any time by selecting Help.

   To add a new Location to Location Manager:

1.  Select Edit Locations & Connections from the Location Manager main screen, click on the Locations  tab, then on Add New.

2.  Enter a name for the new Location in the Location field.  The name can be anything that is meaningful to you.  It is for your reference only.

3.  Enter all of the required information on the Location Settings screens (General, Dialing, and Modem).  Select Help at any time for an explanation of the fields on these screens.

4.  When you are finished, click OK, then Done, to save your new Location profile.

   To delete an existing Location or Connection in Location Manager:

1.  Select Edit Locations & Connections from the Location Manager main screen, click on the appropriate tab (either Locations or Connections).

2.  Highlight the Location or Connection you want to delete.

3.  Select Delete, then click OK.


Advanced Dialing Settings

The Advanced Dialing Settings screen lets you choose the dialing prefix and suffix for local, long distance, and international calls.  By default, this screen is configured to dial 1 before long distance phone numbers, to dial 011 before international numbers, to add nothing before local phone numbers, and to add no suffixes to any number.  If you are calling from a location that requires you to dial a 9 to get an outside line, put a 9 at the beginning of all the prefix fields.


Advanced Modem Settings

The Advanced Modem Settings screen contains four fields that tell Quarterdeck Winsock what commands to use to reset the modem and dial your Internet service provider.  These fields are automatically set when you choose a modem from the Modem Type drop-menu on the Location/Modem screen.  You should accept these default settings unless you are knowledgeable about modems and initialization strings.

Most modern telephone connections use tones; however, if your telephone connection uses pulses instead of tones, change the Dial Prefix field to ATDP instead of its default of ATDT.

The Defaults button at the bottom of the Advanced Modem Settings screen sets all the fields on this screen back to the defaults for your modem type.  If you make changes to any of these fields which cause your modem to operate improperly or if you want to be sure that you are using the modem strings that Quarterdeck has selected for your modem, select the Defaults button.


Always Proxy Domains

If you put a domain name in the Don't Proxy field, but a portion of that domain actually lies outside of your network firewall and must be accessed through a proxy server, put the name of that smaller domain in the Always Proxy field.  For instance, you might put memory.com in the Don't Proxy field because it is the domain name of your local area network, but put www.memory.com in the Always Proxy field because this part of memory.com - a Web server available to the public - is outside your firewall.

You can list multiple domain names in the Always Proxy Domains field by separating them with spaces or commas.


Area Code

Type in the telephone area code of this location in the Area Code field.  If the location has a country and city code instead of an area code, type in only the city code.  Location Manager selects the appropriate country code based on your selection in the Country drop-menu on this screen.


Area Code (Provider)
Area Code (Connection)

The Area Code field specifies the area code associated with the service provider's telephone number.

NOTE:  When entering your provider's area code in Connection Helper, be sure to include parentheses around the area code.  In Location Manager, type only the area code, not parentheses.


Auto Disconnect on WSACleanup

Determines whether Quarterdeck Winsock drops its connection to a provider if it thinks that all applications using the connection have finished with it. By default, Quarterdeck Winsock drops the connection if all open Winsock-using applications have made a WSACleanup call, a standard Windows API call which indicates that the application has finished using Winsock.

Some applications, however, make the WSACleanup call and still intend to use the connection later.  If you have a mail or news reader that seems to cause Quarterdeck Winsock to drop the phone connection each time it finishes sending or retrieving messages and you do not want to wait for Quarterdeck Winsock to re-establish the connection each time the reader requests information, disable "Auto Disconnect on WSACleanup."


Baud Rate

The Baud Rate drop-menu lets you select the highest baud rate, the rate at which data is transferred, that your modem and provider both support.

You may be able to choose a baud rate higher than what the connection can actually support, because most modems can negotiate the highest possible baud rate between themselves.  However, if you set the baud rate too low, you may be forcing a slower connection than is necessary.

You should check your modem documentation and contact your provider if you do not know the highest baud rate at which you can connect.  In most cases, select 19200 if you have a 14400 modem or 38400 if your modem is a 28800 model.


Calling Card Details

Type in the entire number of the calling card that you want to use from this location, including the Personal Identification Number (PIN) assigned to the card.  If you prefer to type in the calling card number at connection time, select the box labeled "Ask for card number when connecting."  If you select this box you do not have to fill in the Card number.

The drop-menu at the top of the Dialing Strings section gives you a list of major telephone calling card services.  Select your service if it appears on the list.  If a service uses different phone numbers in different areas, you will see the service listed more than once, with a different phone number given alongside the name of the service each time it appears.  If you have a local calling card service that requires you to dial 0 (zero) before the number you want to call, then select "Other Calling Card (0)" from the list.

If you select a service from this list, Location Manager automatically fills in the Local, Long Distance, and International fields with the appropriate dialing strings for local calls, long distance calls, and international calls.  Location Manager uses a number of keyword variables to display these dialing strings.

At dialing time, Location Manager replaces %C with the contents of the Card number field at the top of the Card Details screen.  It replaces %N and %A with the contents of the Phone Number and Area Code fields on the Connection screen for the service provider you are calling, and %D with a country code determined by the contents of the Country field on the same screen.  It replaces %P and %S with the contents of the appropriate fields on the Advanced Dialing Settings screen for this location.  Location Manager uses keyword variables so that you can change other settings elsewhere in Location Manager and still have a valid dialing string.

In rare cases, you may have to change the strings that Location Manager places in these fields.  For instance, if you dial a 9 or some other number to get an outside line from a location, you will need to place the 9 at the beginning of the Long Distance and International fields.  Normally, you will not have to put the 9 at the beginning of the Local field, because Location Manager puts a %P (representing the Local Calls prefix field on the Advanced Dialing Settings screen) in that field, and you should put the 9 in the Local Calls prefix field rather than in the Local field.)  In general, you should change these strings if they do not match the sequence of numbers that you dial when using your card.

If your calling card service does not appear on the drop-menu list, you must create your own dialing strings.  In this case, select a service from the drop-menu that is similar to your own and use it as a model for your own dialing string.  When typing in your own strings, it is better to use the keyword variables whenever you can, so that you will not have to change the string manually every time you call a different provider. However, you can type in dialing strings consisting of actual telephone characters, instead of using keyword variables.


Changing Connection Information
Changing Connection (Service Provider) Information

Connection Helper allows you to quickly and easily add a provider to Location Manager.  At times, however, you will need to make changes to your previously-configured provider (Connection) information.  You can edit the information contained in your Connection profiles by running Location Manager and selecting Edit Locations & Connections from the main screen.  Within Location Manager, information is organized into two main categories:  Location and Connection.

Connection pertains to your Internet service provider, an organization that provides you with access to the Internet.  A Connection profile includes information specific to one provider only.

For instance, each provider assigns you (or allows you to choose) a username.  If you have multiple accounts, you might be joecool@party.com to one provider and jcool@shirtandtie.com to another.

To change existing information about a provider, select the Connection tab from the Edit Locations & Connections dialog box, highlight the profile you want to edit, then select Settings. You can move among the available categories (which are listed below) by clicking on the tabs.  Change the information as desired, select OK, then Done.  Click on Exit to close Location Manager.

General Service Provider List IP Address Hostname Login or Username Password DNS Server(s) Connection Type Mail/News Email Account Email Password Email Address SMTP Server POP3 Server NNTP Server	Proxy HTTP Proxy Server Don't Proxy Domains Always Proxy Domains Security Proxy Advanced Dynamic IP Resolution Gateway Domain Netmask Login Script File Manual Login	Connection When calling from... Country Area Code Phone Number Dial This Number Override Baud Rate Data Bits, Parity, Stop Bits


Changing Location Information

Connection Helper allows you to quickly and easily add a provider to Location Manager.  At times, however, you will need to make changes to your previously-configured service provider (Connection) information.  You can edit the information contained in your Connection profiles by running Location Manager and selecting Edit Locations & Connections from the main screen.  Within Location Manager, information is organized into two main categories:  Location and Connection.

Location refers to your computer and its surroundings.

The data entered into a Location (such as Home or Work) would remain the same regardless of the Internet service provider you call.  For instance, your modem is connected to a particular communications port on your system, and that does not change if you call a different provider.

To change existing information about a Location, select the Location tab from the Edit Locations & Connections dialog box, highlight the profile you want to edit, then select Settings. You can move among the available categories (which are listed below) by clicking on the tabs.  Change the information as desired, select OK, then Done.  Click on Exit to close Location Manager.

General Location Name Time Zone Daylight Savings Time Connecton to Use... Number to Use...	Dialing Area Code Country Use Calling Card Calling Card Details Disable Call Waiting Advanced Dialing Settings	Modem Comm Port Modem Type Phone Line Type Advanced Modem Settings Detect Modem


Comm Port

The drop-menu labeled "Modem is connected to..." tells Location Manager which communications port your modem is on.  The list of available communications ports is taken from your Windows configuration.  If you choose the wrong communications port, Quarterdeck Winsock will not be able to dial your service providers.


Communicating with a Connect and Play [image] Partner

During the process of electronic account establishment with a Connect and Play [image] Partner, you will see a number of dialog boxes.  The exact sequence of dialogs you see depends on the particular provider with which you set up a new account.

   After you select Sign-Up from the personal information dialog box (the one which asks for your name, address, credit card and modem information), a small dialog box appears asking you to specify the login name you prefer to use for this account.  In most cases, you are also asked to enter an alternate login name which will be assigned to you if some other user has already been assigned your first choice.  You may also be asked on this dialog box if you have a current email address.  If you do, enter it here.  (This gives the provider an easy way to contact you, in the event they need further information in order to establish your account.)

   Next you are likely to see a dialog which lists the provider you are attempting to contact near the top and which displays Sign-up Connection Status information in the lower portion.  In the Status area, you can follow along as your modem initializies, opens the communications port, and dials the provider.

   Once your modem connects with the provider, you should see a Hello dialog box displaying information about the provider's rates and other relevant information.  You may be asked at the bottom if you agree to the terms listed above.  To continue with your account establishment, choose Yes, I agree... (To cancel the Sign-Up, choose No, I do not...)

   After responding Yes to the Hello dialog, you may be asked to verify once again that you agree to abide by all of the terms in the provider's Subscription Agreement.  To continue, select Yes.

   In the next step, an email account and password may be established for you on the provider's mail servers.  If an email account establishment dialog appears, Select OK to continue.

   Once your account is established, your username, user password, email name, and email password are displayed.  Although this information will be stored within Location Manager, BE SURE TO WRITE IT DOWN IN A SAFE PLACE.  Passwords are stored in encrypted form, and you will not be able to view them once your account is established.  If you should accidently erase or damage your Location Manager files and cannot remember your passwords, you will need to call the provider to obtain new ones.

   The final step, in most cases, is the selection of an access telephone number.  Location Manager will use the number you select to dial your provider whenever you want to connect to the Internet.  Depending on the provider (and the types of accounts offered), you may be shown multiple phone lists, with each list including access numbers for a particular type of connection.  Some providers offer SLIP accounts, some offer PPP, some offer SLIP or PPP with VJ Compression, and some let you choose the type of connection you prefer.  The provider may show you a list of access numbers based upon the connection type you select and ask you to choose a local number.

The list from which you select a phone number may include more than one number in your area code.  Naturally, you want to choose a number that is a local call, involving no phone company charges.  If you are not certain which of the numbers are within your local calling area, select one you believe is local and then check with your phone company after the sign-up process completes.  You can configure Location Manager to use a different number later if your original choice turns out to be a toll call for you.

   If you are asked what type of account you prefer, we recommend that you select PPP with VJ Compression.  PPP is a particularly robust protocol, more reliable than the older SLIP technology and often providing simpler, more automatic login.

NOTE:  In most cases, your account will be available for use as soon as the sign-up process completes.  Some providers, however, may require up to 24 hours to activate a new account.  You will be advised on-screen of any such delay.


Completed Sample Script

Here is the script from the sample login session. Take a moment to read through it and see how it all works together.

String username

String password
String  IPAddress

Trace on

SetTimeout 60

CfgGetValue "Username" username

if result = 0 then

Abort "Can't load Username from QDECK.INI"

endif

CfgGetValue "Password" password

if result = 0 then

Abort "Can't load Password from QDECK.INI"

endif

CommWaitFor "username: "
CommSend    username
CommSend    "%r"

CommWaitFor "Password: "
CommSend 	password
CommSend 	"%r"

CommWaitFor "Access>"
CommSend 	"PPP"
CommSend 	"%r"

CommWaitFor "address: "
CommReadIPAddr IPAddress
End


Connect Time

Connect Time (in seconds)

The length of time that Quarterdeck Winsock waits to connect to your provider before hanging up.  By default, QWinsock hangs up if a provider is not detected on the line within 60 seconds of dialing, assuming that the connection has failed.


Connecting to the Provider Manually

Before you can write a script, you need to know what information the provider requires from you (such as a username and password), the wording used by the provider to ask for that information, and whether the provider supplies you with any information once you are connected (such as an IP address).  To find out what information must be sent to and received from the provider, you must manually connect to the provider and note the exact prompts you see, determine what the provider expects from you at each prompt, and note what information is sent to your by the provider.

To connect to your provider manually, you can use a communications program (such as Windows Terminal) or use Location Manager’s Manual Login option.  (If you use Location Manager's Manual Login option to log into your account, you can easily save the steps you perform as a script file.  For information, see Creating a Login Script.)

Below is a login session from a typical provider (of course, your own provider will be different) that will illustrate how to create a script. In the example below, the provider’s system uses a typewriter font, and your responses are in this font.

***** Internet Systems Dialup *****

For technical assistance call(999)555-HELP

Enter your username: JQUser

Password: OpenSesame

Welcome to Internet Systems

Last login on 08-13-95

Internet Systems Access> PPP

Your IP address: 127.0.0.1

As you look at the sample above, note that some of the lines ask you for information and require a response from your computer.  Now that you know what the provider asks you during login, you can use the manual session to create a list of prompts and the information you need to supply in response to those prompts during login:

Prompt from Provider	Response Required by You
Enter your username:	JQUser
Password:	OpenSesame
Internet Systems Access>	PPP

In our example above, the provider dynamically supplies an IP address.  This information changes each time you dial the provider, and no response is required from you.

When writing a script for Quarterdeck Winsock, you can abbreviate prompts to the final word of a prompt.  For instance, instead of putting "Enter your username:" in the your script, you could simply enter "username:".

After logging into your provider manually and noting both the prompts sent by the provider and the responses required of you, you have the information you need to write your script.


Connection Helper

Connection Helper is a simple-to-use program that guides your through the process of setting up a new account (either with Quarterdeck's Connect and Play [image] feature or with a standard Internet service provider) or configuring your Quarterdeck software for use with an existing Internet account.

The Helper appears automatically during the installation of Quarterdeck Internet products.  After you install the software you can run the Helper at any time by selecting the Connection Helper button from the main screen of Location Manager.


Connection Settings

The following information may be required by Connection Helper or Location Manager to properly configure your software for use with your Internet service provider.

Service Provider List IP Address  Hostname Login or Username Password DNS Server(s) Connection Type Email Account Email Password Email Address SMTP Server POP3 Server NNTP Server	Dynamic IP Resolution Gateway Domain Netmask Login Script File Manual Login When calling from... Country Area Code Phone Number Dial This Number Override Baud Rate Data Bits, Parity, Stop Bits


Connection Type

The Connection Type drop-menu lets you specify a protocol for connecting to your Internet service provider.  The two standard protocols for linking computers to the Internet through a dial-up telephone connection are SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol) and PPP (Point to Point Protocol).  PPP is more recent and more powerful than SLIP.  Either protocol can use VJ (Van Jacobson) data compression for better performance.  To make a successful dial-up connection, Quarterdeck Winsock needs to know what protocol your provider is using and whether to enable VJ data compression.  If you do not know which of these four options (SLIP, SLIP with VJ compression, PPP, PPP with VJ compression) to choose, ask your provider.

If you are not using Quarterdeck Winsock to connect to the Internet, you should select the fifth choice, "Local Area Network connection or other Winsock." If you connect to the Internet through a LAN (Local Area Network) instead of a dial-up telephone connection, you must use the Winsock that comes with your network software.  You may also prefer to use a Winsock other than Quarterdeck's even if you have a dial-up connection.

If you choose "Local Area Network connection or other Winsock," the Connections/Advanced and Connections/Connection options will be grayed out on the Location Manager provider screen, because the settings on these screens pertain only to Quarterdeck Winsock. You will still use Location Manager to provide information about your provider to your Winsock-using applications, however.


Connection to Use...
Connection to Use from this Location

The drop-menu labeled "Connection to use from this location" gives you a list of all the service providers that Location Manager is set up to use.  You can select a different provider to call from each location that you configure.


Contents
Connecting to the Internet with
Quarterdeck Winsock and Location Manager

Contents

What is Quarterdeck Winsock

What are Location Manager and Connection Helper

What is Connect and Play

Establishing a New Account with Connect and Play

Establishing a New Account with an Alternate Provider

Using Location Manager with an Existing Internet Account

Using a Direct Internet Connection via a Local Area Network (LAN)

Updating the Internet Service Provider Database

Using a Login Script

Adding or Deleting a Location or Connection (Service Provider)

Changing Connection (Service Provider) Information

Changing Location Information

Using Quarterdeck Products with...

CompuServe's NetLauncher

Netcom's NetCruiser

United Kingdom Provider "demon.co.uk"

Troubleshooting

For Help using the online Help, press F1.


Country

The Country drop-menu gives you a list of countries arranged in alphabetical order.  Select the country that matches this location.


Country (Provider)
Country (Connection)

The Country field designates the country code to be used when dialing the provider whose name is listed at the top of the Connection Settings dialog.  Select the country where this service provider is located from the drop-list.


Creating a login script.
Creating a Login Script

To create a script with QWinsock's "learn script" feature, follow these simple steps:

1.  Log into your account manually as described in Determining if you Need a Login Script.

2.  Click the Save Script button on the Manual Login screen.  A Save As dialog box appears.

3.  Enter a name for your script and click OK.

The script is now saved to disk, the script name is automatically entered in the Login Script File field on the Advanced Connection Settings page, and the check is removed from the Manual Login checkbox.  You can now log into your account automatically.

NOTE:  By default, scripts end in the extension .MPS and are stored in a subdirectory called PROVIDER, one level below your QWinsock directory.  You can change the defaults when you name your script.

If you are an advanced user and you want to fine-tune your script, refer to SCRIPTS.WRI (a Windows Write file located in your QWinsock directory) or see the topic Advanced Users:  Fine-tuning an Existing Script.


Credits

Quarterdeck Winsock and Location Manager

                           Online Help File

                    Designed by Kathy Hand

                                   Text by

    Kathy Hand, Dan Sallitt, and Robert Parker


DNS Server
DNS Server(s)

A DNS server (Domain Name Server) is a computer on the Internet that maintains a list of IP addresses and corresponding host names.  When you tell one of your Winsock applications to connect to a machine using the machine's name, the application asks your Winsock driver for the corresponding IP address.  Winsock asks the DNS server to look up the name and respond with the host's IP address.  Winsock then passes along the address to your application so that the connection can be completed.

If you do not designate a DNS server you can use only IP addresses, and not host names, to communicate with other computers on the Internet.

In the DNS Server field, enter the IP address of the machine which your service provider has designated for this purpose.  The format of the address is xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, with each "xxx" being a number between 0 and 255.  You can list more than one DNS server in this field by separating the addresses with commas.

If you do not know the address of your DNS server, check with your service provider.


Data Bits, Parity, and Stop Bits

Communications programs must be configured to use the same parameters as the software running on the remote computer.  Data Bits, Parity, and Stop Bits are commonly set to 8-N-1 or 7-E-1.  The settings you use are determined by your service provider.

DataBits

Determines how much of each transmitted byte of your Internet connection is devoted to data and how much to control bits.

Parity

Specifies whether part of each transmitted byte of your Internet connection is to be used for parity error checking and, if so, what type of parity checking to use.

Stop Bits

Specifies how much dead space should be inserted between transmitted bytes on your Internet connection.


Daylight Savings Time

Place a check in the box labeled "This location's time zone uses daylight savings time" if the location switches over to Daylight Savings Time in the summer months.


Detect Modem

In order to simplify the task of configuring Location Manager to work with your hardware, you can use the Detect Modem feature.

When you click on the Detect Modem button on the Modem page of Location Settings, Location Manager searches for a modem on each of your comm ports.  If it finds a modem, it will try to determine what type of modem you have.

If a modem is found but Location Manager is not able to tell what type it is, Generic Modem will be entered into the Modem Type field.  Most modems will work with this setting.

If Location Manager selects Generic Modem but you know what kind of modem you have, you can search through the entries in the drop-list for your specific model.  If you find your modem listed, select it and then click OK.


Determining if you need a login script.
Determining if you Need a Login Script

If you have an existing account with a service provider not listed in the database:

1.	Use Connection Helper or Location Manager to configure the software to dial your provider.

2. 	Use Quarterdeck Winsock to dial your provider.

If the connection is successful, you do not need a script.

If you cannot log into your account:

1.  Configure QWinsock for Manual Login as follows:

   Select Edit Locations & Connections from Location Manager's main screen.

   Click on the Connections tab, highlight the name of the Provider, and click Settings.

   From the tabbed Connection Settings dialog that appears, click the Advanced tab.

   Click in the Manual Login checkbox to enable this feature.

   Click OK, then Done, to save your changes.

2.  Try to log into your account manually.

If this login attempt is successful:

You need to create a script if you want to log into your account automatically.

If you can connect to your Provider and see a login prompt but cannot successfully log in:

You are not providing the information that the host machine is expecting.  Check the following:

   Verify your username and password and make sure you are using upper and lower case letters as necessary.  (UNIX is case-sensitive.  TomSmith and tomsmith are not the same to a UNIX machine.)

   Your Provider may require that you add a suffix or prefix to your username to indicate whether you are initiating a SLIP or PPP connection.  For instance, if your username is tomsmith and you have a PPP account, you may need to enter Ptomsmith or tomsmith.ppp.

If you are sure you are entering your user information as instructed by your Provider and you still cannot log into your account, contact your Provider for assistance.

If you cannot connect to your Provider at all:

   Verify that your modem works with other communications software.

   Make sure that Location Manager is configured for the correct comm port and modem type. (Check the Modem page of Location Settings.)

   Check the phone number you are dialing.

   See the Troubleshooting online help file.  To display the file, double-click on the Troubleshooting Tips icon included in your Quarterdeck program group.


Dial This Number

The "Dial This Number" field on the Connections/Connection screen shows the phone number that Quarterdeck Winsock will use to dial your service provider from the location named at the top of the screen.  This field is constructed from the information in various other settings on this screen, as well as from some of the settings in the Location/Dialing screen for this location.


Disable Call Waiting

Select the box labeled "Disable call waiting by dialing..." if you want to suspend your telephone call waiting service for the duration of each call to your Internet service provider.  If you have call waiting and you do not select this box, incoming calls to your phone number are likely to sever your connection to the Internet.

When this box is selected you can type in the code that your phone company uses to turn off call waiting.  Most phone companies in North America use the code *70 to disable call waiting, and this code appears in the call waiting field by default.  You should change this field if the telephone company at this location uses a different code (such as 70#) to disable call waiting.  Check with your local telephone company for this information.


Domain

A domain is a portion of the Internet, organized by naming convention.  For instance, all computers with hostnames ending with .com are commercial organizations while hostnames ending with .edu are educational facilities such as universities.

You can put the domain of your service provider (such as qdeck.com) in the Domain field, although you usually do not need to know your provider's domain when accessing the Internet.


Don't Proxy Domains

You should put a domain name in the Don't Proxy field if that domain is inside your network firewall and can be accessed without going through the proxy.

For instance, your company is known to the Internet as memory.com.  All of the machines connected to memory.com's local area network must go through a proxy in order to access the Internet.  But because all of the local machines are on the inside of the firewall, you would place memory.com in the Don't Proxy field.  In this way, you can communicate with all memory.com machines without going through the proxy.  Some networks may not permit you to communicate with other local machines unless the domain inside the firewall is excluded from proxying.

You can list multiple domain names in the Don't Proxy Domains field by separating them with spaces or commas.


Dynamic IP Resolution

The setting you select from the Dynamic IP Resolution drop-menu tells Location Manager whether you need to know your IP address in advance to connect to your Internet service provider or whether your IP address will be determined automatically when you connect.

The PPP option on the menu indicates that you are connecting with the PPP protocol, which gives Quarterdeck Winsock the ability to learn your IP address from your provider.  You can only select this menu option if the Connection Type option on the Connections/General screen is set to "PPP" or "PPP with VJ Compression."

The Script or Manual Login option indicates that you are either using a Quarterdeck Winsock login script that performs the necessary negotiations at connect time to determine your IP address or you have checked the Manual Login box on this screen and are using the manual login to get your IP address at connect time.  You cannot select this menu option unless the Login Script File field contains the name of a Quarterdeck Winsock login script or you have checked the Manual Login box.

If None is selected, you must know your IP address before connecting.  You can only choose this menu option if the IP Address field on the Connections/General screen contains an IP address.


Email Account

Your email account is the name under which your incoming email is stored on your provider's POP3 server.  (The POP3 server is the machine which holds your mail until your mail program retrieves it.)

The name on your email account might be the same as your username, although this is not always the case.  Your service provider can tell you the correct information to enter in this field.

If you have accounts with multiple providers, you might prefer to use one account for all your email needs.  If this is the case, you can enter the name of your email account with one provider when configuring another provider.

For example, suppose you have an Internet account through your employer with the username and email account name codyc@work.com and an account with a commercial provider with the username and email account name codyc@fun.com. If you prefer to send and receive email exclusively as codyc@fun.com, you can use Location Manager to set up two Connection profiles, both of which list your Email account as codyc.  In the Email address field of each profile, you would list the address assigned to you by fun.com (codyc@fun.com).  When you log into the host work.com, you will be able to retrieve your email from the POP3 server at fun.com.

If your service provider is "Demon" (demon.co.uk) see the topic Using Quarterdeck Products with....


Email Address

Your email address is a string of characters used by others to send email to you.  An example of an email address is chloe@kids.com.  You can use the address of an E-mail account that is not located on the provider that you are calling.

If you have accounts with multiple providers, you might prefer to use one account for all your email needs.  If so, you can enter the same email address when configuring Location Manager for additional providers.

For example, suppose you have an email account through your employer with the email address chloe@work.com and an account with a commercial provider with the email address chloe@kids.com. If you prefer to send and receive email exclusively as chloe@kids.com, you can use Location Manager to set up two provider profiles, both of which list your Email address as chloe@kids.com. When you log into the host work.com, you will be able to retrieve your email from the POP3 server at kids.com.


Email Password

Your email password is the password which allows you to send and retrieve email using your email account. In most cases, your email password is the same as your login password listed on the Connections/General screen.  For your protection, Location Manager does not show your password on the screen, but instead displays a series of asterisks.

If you need further information about passwords, check with your service provider.


Entering the Name of the Script in Location Manager

1.  Start Location Manager (by selecting the Location Manager option on the Quarterdeck Winsock control menu or by double-clicking the Location Manager icon in your Quarterdeck program group).

2.  Select Edit Locations & Connections from the main screen.

3. Click the Connections tab, highlight the service provider for whom you want to specify a script file, and click Settings.

The Connections Settings dialog box displays.

4.  Click the Advanced tab.

5.  Enter the script filename in the Login Script File field.

Use the Browse button to search for the file, if desired.

6.  When the appropriate script file is listed in the Login Script field, click OK to exit the Connection Settings dialog box.

7.  Select Done to close the Edit Locations & Connections dialog box, then OK to exit Location Manager.

NOTE:  If you use Location Manager's Manual Login and "learn script" feature to create your script, the name of the newly created script is automatically entered into Location Manager.


Establishing a New Account with Connect and Play

In the upper portion of the Connection Helper display is a list of our Connect and Play [image] Partners.  Select any provider in the list to read about the services available from that provider.

When you have decided which Internet service provider you want to sign up with, highlight the provider's name and select Continue.  The signup dialog box appears.

Enter the requested personal information by typing into the fields.  Be sure to select the correct radio button for the credit card you are using and verify the account number and expiration date.

In order to successfully connect with the provider, your modem must be using the communications port listed in the Modem Port field.  (The port shown is the one you entered on an earlier Connection Helper screen.)  If your modem is using a different port than the one shown, select the appropriate port from the drop-down list.

When you have entered and verified all of the information, select Sign-up.  The program will automatically dial the telephone number listed and send the information to the provider of your choice.

Communicating with a Connect and Play [image] Partner


Establishing a New Account with an Alternate Provider

If you prefer to establish an account with an Internet service provider who is not one of our Connect and Play [image] Partners, Connection Helper will provide all the information you need to contact dozens of national, regional, and local providers.   You can access this database of information at any time by running Connection Helper from the main screen of Location Manager, the configuration component of Quarterdeck Internet products.

When the Welcome screen of Connection Helper appears, select Next.  From the Account Type screen that appears, select I would like to sign up for a NEW Dial-up account, then Next.

On the next screen, select I would like to sign up with a standard Service Provider, then Next.  On the final screen that appears, select Finish.  The Standard Provider dialog box appears.

NOTE:  Connection Helper is designed to quickly configure your Quarterdeck software with an initial provider.  For more information on Connection Helper and Location Manager, see What are Location Manager and Connection Helper.

You can now peruse our database of provider information. To read about a specific provider, select the provider's name in the list.  Up-to-date information on the provider (including available services, rates, and license agreements) appears in the Information area below the list.

If you want to contact a provider, either to sign up for an account or to obtain further information, highlight the provider's name and select Continue.  You are provided with the name, address, and phone number of the provider, in addition to a list of information you will need to obtain from the provider (such as Connection Type, IP address, username, password(s), email address, and the addresses of various servers).

Once your account is established, either over the phone or through the mail, run Connection Helper again.   This time, select I would like to use an existing account from the Account Type screen, then Next.  Enter the requested information as directed by the on-screen prompts until Connection Helper tells you that you are finished.  You should now be able to use all of your Internet applications with Quarterdeck Winsock.  If you experience any problems, double-click the Troubleshooting icon in your Quarterdeck program group for assistance.

(You can also add a new service provider directly through Location Manager.  When using Location Manager, the screen prompts are slightly different from Connection Helper's.  See Adding or Deleting a Location or Connection.)

If you select a service provider who is included in the Internet Service Provider database, you will only need to enter a few pieces of information.  If you establish an account with a provider who is not in our database, you will have to provide additional  information.  For information on adding a provider who is not in our database, see Using Location Manager with an Existing Internet Account.


Gateway

Gateway refers to the computer on your service provider's network that links you to the Internet.  Through your connection to the gateway computer, you can communicate with every other machine on the Internet.  In most cases you do not need to know the name of your gateway, so this field can often be left blank.

An example of a gateway name might be access.work.com. If you are not sure whether this information is required in your case, check with your provider.


Getting the Username and Password from the Configuration File

This section of the script gets your username and password from the configuration file used by Quarterdeck Winsock.  (This file, called QDECK.INI, is located in your \WINDOWS directory and is used by all of your Quarterdeck Internet products.)  This section does not change from one provider to another, so you can copy this section into your own script file.

CfgGetValue "Username" username

if result = 0 then

Abort "Can't load Username from QDECK.INI"

endif

CfgGetValue "Password" password

if result = 0 then

Abort "Can't load Password from QDECK.INI"

endif

The first CfgGetValue command gets the username from the configuration file and stores it in the variable username that was created in the previous section of the script. The last three lines provide error handling. That is, when something goes wrong, the program stops immediately and tells you what happened. Without error handling, a program might run into a problem not serious enough to halt its execution, but which can cause a more serious problem later.  With error handling, you can more easily track down the source of a problem.

Result is a special variable used for error handling; certain script commands can set the result variable to indicate whether the command was able to execute correctly. Abort is used to exit the script when an error occurs and to notify you what went wrong. Finally, endif ends the series of commands begun by if.

The next section (consisting of lines 5 through 8) works the same way as the previous section (lines 1 through 4) except that it gets the password from the configuration file and loads it into the variable password.

Note: This script uses CfgGetValue to retrieve the username and password from the configuration file. You can use other script commands to prompt the user for information (such as the password) if you do not want that information stored in the configuration file. See the script commands GetInput (to prompt for a username) and GetPassword (to prompt for a password).


Getting this session's IP address from your Provider

The final steps in our sample login instruct Quarterdeck Winsock to wait for the provider to send an IP address and then to read and store away that information for use during this session.

CommWaitFor "address:"
CommReadIPAddr IPAddress
CfgSetValue IPAddress

End

You already know how CommWaitFor works. The second command is CommReadIPAddr, which gets an IP address from the provider. CfgSetValue stores that IP address in the configuration file. The final command, end, simply marks the end of the script.

Be sure you explicitly end each script in an appropriate place. Also, if you need to use CommReadIPAddress to get your IP address from your provider, be sure to use CfgSetValue to store it in the configuration file.

This section of scripting code is only used if your provider uses dynamic IP addressing, wherein a new IP address is assigned to you each time you log in.  If your provider assigns you an IP address when your account is established and you use the same IP address each time, you do not need to use this section of the script (except for adding the End command at the bottom of your script.)


HTTP Proxy Server

If your Local Area Network or your Internet service provider is shielded from the rest of the Internet by a firewall, you must fill in the HTTP Proxy Server field.  A firewall is a hardware or software barrier that protects one network from possible invasion by another network.

It is common for businesses and other organizations to use a firewall to prevent unauthorized outsiders from logging on to the local network.  Users inside the firewall must then talk to proxy servers for much of their interaction with the Internet.  A proxy server is software on a firewall system that is authorized to act as a go-between for the local network and the Internet.  Sometimes there is a proxy server for each protocol used to communicate over the Internet, but in most cases your network's HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol, used on the World Wide Web) proxy server handles other Internet protocols as well.

If you are connected to the Internet from behind a firewall, Location Manager will need to know how to talk to your network's HTTP proxy server.  In most cases, you will only have to worry about firewalls if you connect to the Internet through a LAN or through a non-commercial provider.

To talk to a proxy, you need to know the hostname of the machine on which the proxy software is running and, if the proxy is using a non-standard port, the port number of the machine that the proxy uses to listen for requests.  If you need to include a port number, place a colon between the hostname and port number in the HTTP Proxy Server field (for example, pserver:7401).  Your LAN administrator or Internet provider can give you the hostname and port number of your network's HTTP proxy.


Hostname

The Hostname is the name used to identify your machine to the Internet service provider.  In most cases, an entry is not required in this field.  This information can be obtained from your provider if it is needed.


I would like to sign up for a NEW Dial-Up account.

If you select "I would like to sign up for a NEW Dial-Up account." you are asked to choose one of the following:

I would like to sign up right now using Connect & Play.

I would like to sign up by mail or phone with a Service Provider.

If you choose the first option, you will be asked for some information about you and your computer setup.  Next you will review the list of Connect & Play Partners, read about the plans they offer, and choose one to be your Internet service provider.

If you choose the second option, you can read about dozens of providers who offer Internet access and select one that meets your needs.  After establishing an account with the provider of your choice, you should re-run Connection Helper and configure the software to work with your account.


I would like to use an EXISTING Dial-Up account.

If you select "I would like to use an EXISTING Dial-Up account." you will be taken through a series of steps to configure the software to work with your current dial-up Internet account.


I'm using a different WINSOCK than Quarterdeck's.

If you are using a non-Quarterdeck, dial-up Winsock driver to connect to your provider and you do not wish to use QWinsock, select "I'm using a different WINSOCK than Quarterdeck's."


IP Address

Your IP address is your computer's identification number on the Internet.  An IP address takes the form xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, where each "xxx" is a number between 0 and 255.  If you have multiple Internet accounts, each service provider will assign you a different IP address.

If your account is set up by the provider to use PPP (Point to Point Protocol), an IP address may be assigned  to your machine automatically at connection time. (This method is sometimes referred to as dynamic resolution.)  Depending on your provider, you may also get your IP address by way of a login script or a manual login when you connect.  In all other cases, however, you must have a correct IP address in this field before connecting to the Internet.

If you are not sure what to enter in this field, check with your service provider.


Initial Commands (Setting Variables)

Before you can get information from the provider and send your information back to the provider, some initial commands are required. This part of a script does not change much from one provider to another, so you may want to copy this section verbatim into your own script.

String username

String password
String IPAddress

Trace on

SetTimeout 60

The String script command tells QWinsock to create a variable, a programming term for a place in the computer’s memory where you can store information temporarily and to which you give a name. You can use variables to get information in one section of the program and act on it in another section. In our sample script, we create three variables: one to store the username, one to store the password, and one to store the IP address supplied by the provider.

Trace on tells Quarterdeck Winsock to display script commands as it executes them. This feature lets you to see how the script is working and determine where corrections are needed. When you are satisfied that your script is working properly, you can remove the Trace on command; the script will then execute transparently.

SetTimeout 60 specifies the number of seconds that Quarterdeck Winsock waits before it assumes  that a connection cannot be made and hangs up. Time-outs prevent your system from waiting indefinitely for the remote system to answer.  If your provider routinely takes longer than 60 seconds to answer the call and make a connection, you can increase this value.

Once you enter these lines in your script, you can write the portion of the script that does the actual exchanging of information.


Keep Winsock in Memory

Quarterdeck Winsock is a demand-dial application.  In most cases, it starts when another application attempts to communicate over the Internet and, by default, closes down when the last Winsock-using application closes down.  If you enable "Keep Winsock in Memory,"  Quarterdeck Winsock remains open until you manually close it, regardless of which program started it.

If you start Quarterdeck Winsock manually, "Keep Winsock in Memory" is automatically enabled for the session.  You can, however, disable this feature by clicking in its checkbox.  After disabling the feature and clicking OK,  QWinsock closes immediately if no Winsock applications are running.  If one or more programs are using Winsock, then QWinsock closes down when the last Winsock application is closed.


Keyword Variables

Calling Card Keyword Variables

%C	Calling Card number, including PIN.
%N	The phone number of the service provider.
%A	The area code or city code of the service provider.
%D	The country code of the service provider.
%P	The dialing prefix.
%S	The dialing suffix.
,	A one-second pause.


Linger Time

Linger Time (in seconds)

The length of time (in seconds) that Quarterdeck Winsock maintains its connection to a service provider when there is no activity over the phone line.

Quarterdeck Winsock tries to keep your connect time to a minimum by releasing the Internet connection during idle periods and reconnecting when an Internet application makes another request. By default, the connection is dropped after 300 seconds (5 minutes) of idle time.

If you are not concerned about keeping your phone line occupied for a long time and if you do not want to wait for a reconnection after an idle period, increase the linger time.  You can disable this feature altogether by putting 0 (zero) in this field.


Loading Quarterdeck Winsock

When you install Quarterdeck's Internet products, the installation program uses the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to search for an existing Winsock.  If one exists, you are asked if you want to replace your existing Winsock with Quarterdeck Winsock or if you want to be able to choose between Winsock drivers.

     If, during installation, you elect to install QWinsock as your sole Winsock, our WINSOCK.DLL will be installed into your Windows directory.  When you load a 16-bit Winsock application, QWinsock is loaded automatically.

NOTE:   All Winsock applications that run under Windows 3.1 are 16-bit.  Programs which are written specifically for Windows 95 (and which do not run under Windows 3.1) are 32-bit.  If you load a 32-bit Winsock application in Windows 95, it will find and use your 32-bit Winsock driver. If a 32-bit version of Winsock is not found, the application will refuse to run.

If your system is currently configured to use another Winsock (such as Trumpet or Chameleon Sampler) and you want to retain access to that software, you can load Quarterdeck Winsock manually whenever you want to use it.

If you are using some other (non-Quarterdeck) Winsock and you want to switch to QWinsock, close out any Winsock-using applications that may be open, then double-click on the QWinsock icon in your Quarterdeck program group.

When you are finished using QWinsock, close any open Winsock applications, make sure that QWinsock's Keep Winsock in Memory option is not checked, then close QWinsock by selecting Close from the console window's menu.  The next time you run a Winsock application, your non-Quarterdeck Winsock will be loaded.  (If the Keep Winsock in Memory option is enabled, you will have to exit and restart Windows in order to remove QWinsock from memory.)

Once Quarterdeck Winsock is loaded using one of these methods, it will automatically dial your service provider when a Winsock-using application makes a network request. (This feature is called demand dial.)

NOTE:  Quarterdeck Winsock is designed for dial-up (modem) connection to the Internet only.  If you are connected to a local area network (LAN) and you have access to the Internet via this network, you are running a LAN version of WINSOCK.DLL.  DO NOT replace your current Winsock driver with Quarterdeck Winsock.  If you do, you will not be able to access portions of your network.

If you are not sure whether you need your existing Winsock, configure Quarterdeck Winsock to be used in addition to the existing software.


Location Manager

Location Manager is the configuration component of Quarterdeck Internet products.  Location Manager contains information about your service provider (or providers, if you have multiple accounts) and the locations from which you use the software (such as Work and Home).

You can run Location Manager at any time by selecting Location Manager from the Quarterdeck Winsock control menu (if you are using Quarterdeck Winsock to connect to the Internet) or by double-clicking on the Location Manager icon in your Quarterdeck program group.


Location Name

In Location Manager, a "location" is a place from which you connect to the Internet.  If you are adding a new location or changing the name of an existing location, type the name of the location into the Location field. The name is for your reference only and can be whatever you like.


Location Settings

The following information may be required by Connection Helper or Location Manager to properly configure your software for use with your Internet service provider.

Location Name

Time Zone

Daylight Savings Time

Connection to Use...

Number to Use...

Area Code

Country

Use Calling Card

Calling Card Details

Disable Call Waiting

Advanced Dialing Settings

Comm Port

Modem Type

Phone Line Type

Advanced Modem Settings

Detect Modem


Login Script File
Using a Login Script

A login script file is a text file used by the dialing component of your Winsock software.  This file contains a series of commands which are sent to the provider's server, allowing you to log into that machine automatically.  Scripts are not required by all service providers.  A script is more likely to be needed if your account has been set up to use SLIP rather than the more robust PPP.  (With most PPP accounts, you are logged on automatically once Quarterdeck Winsock reads your username and password from Location Manager and passes them on to the remote host.)

Included with Quarterdeck Winsock is a database of configuration files and login scripts which allow you to connect to dozens of national, regional, and local Internet service providers.  You can view the list of providers in the database from Location Manager by selecting Edit Locations & Connections, clicking on the Connections tab, then selecting Add New.  When you configure Location Manager for use with a service provider listed in the database, the name of that provider's login script file is automatically entered in the Login Script File field.

You can also configure Location Manager to use a custom script during login if the database does not contain one that is appropriate for your needs.  If you do need a login script, QWinsock can create one for you automatically with the click of a button with its "learn script" feature.

You should not need to create a customized script if:

You sign up for a new Internet account electronically with one of our Connect and Play [image] Partners.

You establish a new account with one of the providers in Quarterdeck's Internet Service Provider database.

You configure Location Manager for use with an existing account with a service provider who is listed in our Internet Service Provider database.

Your provider requires a login script for automatic login, but you prefer to use Manual Login, entering your username and password each time you call your provider.

Determining if you need a login script.

Creating a login script.

For advanced users:  Fine-tuning a working script.


Login or Username

Your username is the name you use to identify yourself to your Internet service provider.  It is the name you give at your provider's login prompt.

A username is sometimes assigned by the provider.  In many cases, however, you are allowed to select a username.


Manual Login

When the Manual Login box is checked, Quarterdeck Winsock allows you to type in the necessary login information at connect time instead of supplying that information automatically. The Manual Login option is useful when you are connecting to a service provider with an unusual login procedure, and you do not have a login script file that will send the required commands to log you on.

When you use this option, Quarterdeck Winsock pops up a Manual Login window as you connect to your provider.  The provider's login prompt appears within this window.  At the bottom are fields for your IP address, DNS server, SMTP server, POP3 server, and NNTP server.

If your provider displays any of these addresses or names during the login process, enter them in the proper fields.  When you finish logging in, select Connect on the Manual Login window.  When the login process completes, you can use any of your Internet applications.

After logging into your provider manually, you can use QWinsock's "learn script" feature to create a script as follows:

1.  Click the Save Script button on the Manual Login screen.

A Save As dialog box appears.

2.  Enter a name for your script and click OK.

The script is now saved to disk, the script name is automatically entered in the Login Script File field on the Advanced Connection Settings page, and the check is removed from the Manual Login checkbox.  You can now log into your account automatically.


Manual Login (Testing a Script)

Manual Login

To use the Manual Login feature, select the Location Manager option from Quarterdeck Winsock's control menu or Toolbar.  Select Edit Locations & Connections, then click on the Connections tab and select Settings, then Advanced.  Click in the Manual Login check box, then select OK, then Done.

When you use this option, Quarterdeck Winsock pops up a Manual Login window as you connect to your provider.  The provider's login prompt appears within this window.  At the bottom are fields for your IP address, DNS server, SMTP server, POP3 server, and NNTP server.

If your provider displays any of these addresses or names during the login process, enter them in the proper fields.  When you finish logging in, select Connect on the Manual Login window.


Modem Type

The drop-menu labeled "Type of modem is..." lets you choose the make and model of the modem that you are using.  Your choice dictates the commands used to reset the modem before dialing.

If you do not see your modem on the drop-menu list, choose one of the AT Compatible selections on the list.  Make sure that you select the AT Compatible setting that matches the highest speed at which your modem can communicate.


NNTP Server

By connecting to an NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) server, you can read and reply to messages posted to newsgroups on the Internet.

Newsgroups are public bulletin boards on a wide variety of subjects.  Currently, over 10,000 newsgroups exist on the Internet and many providers provide access to several thousand of them. In order to access these messages, a newsreader such as Quarterdeck Message Center must know the name of the server that provides this function for your provider. An example of an NNTP server name might be news.read.com.

Unlike SMTP and POP3 mail servers, which can be accessed indirectly (i.e. by calling into an alternative provider and asking that host to connect to the mail server), few providers allow you to log into their NNTP servers unless you call them directly.


Netmask

A netmask (sometimes called a subnet mask or address mask) is a number used by Winsock to determine whether your machine can talk directly to another computer or whether it must send packets of information to a "routing computer," which would then pass the information on to its destination.

Your netmask will most likely be either 255.255.255.0 or 255.255.0.0; however, this information is not usually required and the field can often be left blank.


Network (Proxy) Settings

The following information may be required by Connection Helper or Location Manager to properly configure your software for use with your Internet service provider.

HTTP Proxy Server

Don't Proxy Domains

Always Proxy Domains

Security Proxy


Number of Redials

The number of times that Quarterdeck Winsock tries to connect to a provider if a connection attempt fails.  The default is three times.


Number to Use...
Number to Use from this Location

The drop-menu labeled "Number to use from this location" provides a list of all the phone numbers for the service provider that you have chosen to use from this location.  Quarterdeck's provider information files sometimes contain more than one phone number for a provider.  If this is the case, you can choose the number that is most convenient to this location. Make sure you choose a number that can support the speed at which your modem can connect.  (Some providers use different numbers for different connect speeds.)


Override

If you want to change the number in "Dial This Number" field, select the Override button and type your changes into the field on the Override Phone Number screen.

If you want to put your calling card number into the field, substitute the keyword variable %C for your calling card number.  (If you have already told Location Manager to use your calling card on the Location/Dialing screen, you do not have to add your calling card number again here.)

If you make changes to the field on the Override Phone Number screen, the Country, Area Code, and Phone Number fields on the Connections/Connection screen will be blanked out.  If you make further changes to any of these three fields, the information you typed on the Override Phone Number screen will be lost.


POP3 Server

A POP3 server stores your email messages until you retrieve them with a mail reader program such as Quarterdeck Message Center.  (POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol, third revision.)  In order to get your email, the mail reader must be told the name of the computer that performs this function.  An example of a POP3 server name might be mailserver.work.com. You can also access a POP3 server by its IP address.  If you are not sure what to enter in this field, check with your service provider.

If you have accounts with multiple providers, you might prefer to use one account for all your email needs.  If this is the case, you can enter the name of the POP3 server used by one provider when configuring another provider.

For example, suppose you have an email account through your employer that uses the POP3 server mail.hitech.com and an account with a commercial provider that uses mail.fun.com. If you prefer to send and receive email exclusively through your commercial account, you can use Location Manager to set up two Connection profiles, both of which list your POP3 server as mail.fun.com. When you log into the host hitech.com, you will be able to retrieve your email from the POP3 server at fun.com.


Password

A password is a series of alphanumeric characters, selected by you or your service provider, which is required during the login process in order to prevent unauthorized use of your account.

It is best to choose a password made up of random characters or one that is not likely to be guessed by someone else.  (Personal data, such as your social security number, birthdate, or child's name, do not make secure passwords, as such identifying information is often known to many people.)  Most providers allow you to change your password periodically, and it is recommended that you do so.  For your protection, Location Manager does not show your password on the screen, but instead displays a series of asterisks.

If you need further information about selecting or changing a password, check with your Internet service provider.

IMPORTANT:  After establishing an Internet account, write down your password and store it in a safe place!  Once it is entered in Location Manager, your password cannot be read by you or anyone else!  If you damage the files on your hard drive and then forget or lose your password, you will have to call your provider to change your password.


Phone Line Type

Select the type of phone line you are using with your modem:

Tone

These days, most phone lines are equipped with Tone equipment.

Pulse

If your local phone company is using older equipment, your phone may be connected to Pulse lines.

Neither

When using an ISDN line for online communication, the correct choice would be Neither.

If you are not sure what type of phone line you have, checked with your local telephone company.


Phone Number

Type your service provider's phone number in the Phone Number field.  Do not include the area code, country code, city code, or other phone prefixes.

If the provider is on Quarterdeck's list of known providers, the drop-menu icon by the side of the field may list alternate phone numbers for the provider from which you can choose. Select a number that is within your local calling range and that can support your modem speed.  (Some providers set up different phone numbers for each connect speed.)


Prompt on Application Hangup

If this feature is enabled, a dialog box appears when you exit the last program using your active connection asking if you want to terminate the connection (hang up the modem) and close QWinsock.  When enabled, this feature temporarily overrides the Auto Disconnect on WSACleanup and Keep Winsock in Memory options.

This feature can be useful if you open and close several different Winsock applications and do not want to restart QWinsock and redial your provider after using each program.


Quarterdeck Winsock Menu Options

When Quarterdeck Winsock loads, a small window appears in the lower right corner of your display.  This console window allows you to monitor the status of Winsock and its connections.

The upper status bar lists the current Location and Connection (provider profile), while the lower status bar shows the connection status.  When you click in the upper left corner of the Quarterdeck Winsock console window, the program's control menu is displayed.  In addition to the standard Microsoft Windows menu options, the following configuration options are available on Quarterdeck Winsock's menu:

Connect

Use the Connect option to manually dial your service provider.

Disconnect

Select Disconnect when you want to terminate your connection to your service provider.

Location Manager

Select this option to display Location Manager, the configuration component of Quarterdeck Winsock, Mosaic, and InternetSuite.  Location Manager is used to define Locations (places you call from) and Connections (places you call to).

Ping

Quarterdeck Winsock Ping lets you quickly determine whether you can reach a particular computer on the Internet.  You can also use Quarterdeck Winsock Ping to get a computer's hostname if you have only its IP address, or vice versa.

Using Quarterdeck Winsock Ping

Settings

The following configuration options can be changed by selecting Settings.

Number of Redials

Redial Delay (in seconds)

Linger Time (in seconds)

Connect Time (in seconds)

Auto Disconnect on WSACleanup

Keep Winsock in Memory

Prompt on Application Hangup

After you change an option, select Save if you want the change to remain in effect the next time you dial this Connection with Quarterdeck Winsock.  Otherwise, the change is effective for the current session only.  (Although the other settings are saved only for the current Connection, a change to Keep Winsock in Memory affects all Connections.)

About QWinsock

This dialog box displays version and copyright information as well as the name of the person to whom the software is registered and the serial number of the package.  When you select Details you are shown a list of all of the components included with Quarterdeck Winsock and the version number of each.

Help

Displays the Quarterdeck Winsock and Location Manager online help file.


Quarterdeck Winsock's Console Window

When Quarterdeck's WINSOCK.DLL driver loads into memory, the Quarterdeck Winsock console window appears in the corner of your screen.  Click in the upper-left corner of the window to display the control menu and perform the following tasks:

  Connect to or disconnect from your Provider.

  View or change QWinsock Settings.

  Run Quarterdeck Winsock Ping, a network diagnostic tool.

  Make changes to your Location and Connection profiles through Location Manager, the configuration component of QWinsock.

  View this online help file.

All menu items can be accessed with the mouse or via the keyboard.  QWinsock also includes a toolbar from which you can perform the same tasks with a single mouse click.  If a toolbar button is greyed out, that option is not currently available.  (For instance, the Disconnect button is only available when you are online; the Connect button is available when you are offline.)


Redial Delay

Redial Delay (in seconds)

The length of time (in seconds) that Quarterdeck Winsock waits after one failed connect attempt before trying again.  The default is ten seconds.


SMTP Server

An SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server transfers email messages between computers on the Internet. A mail reader program such as Quarterdeck Message Center needs to know the name of the computer that performs this function for your provider in order to send off your outgoing email.  An example of an SMTP server name might be mailhost.sedona.com.  You can also list your SMTP by IP address.

If you have accounts with multiple providers, you might prefer to use one account for all your email needs.  If this is the case, you can enter the name of the SMTP server used by one provider when configuring another provider.

For example, suppose you have an email account through your employer that uses the SMTP server mailhost.hitech.com and an account with a commercial provider that uses mailhost.fun.com. If you prefer to send and receive email exclusively through your commercial account, you can use Location Manager to set up two provider (Connection) profiles, both of which list your SMTP server as mailhost.fun.com. When you log into the host hitech.com, you will be able to send email through the SMTP server at fun.com.


Security Proxy

Some networks use a Security Proxy Server instead of or in addition to an HTTP Proxy Server.  If your System Administrator tells you that your network uses a Security Proxy, he or she should also be able to provide the information you need to configure Location Manager to work with the Security Proxy Server.

To configure Location Manager for use with a Security Proxy Server:

1.  Click the Security button to display the Security Access dialog.

2.  Select one of the following access methods:

Direct Connection

SOCKS Server

HTTP Connect Server

3.  Enter the appropriate Host Name, Port #, and ID.

4.  Click OK to save the information.


Sending the Provider your Password

This is similar to what we did in steps 3 and 4, except that these lines wait for a prompt asking for a password and then respond with your password, rather than waiting for and sending your username, as in the earlier steps.

CommWaitFor "Password:"
CommSend password
CommSend "%r"

NOTE:  When troubleshooting a script, be sure that CommWaitFor is instructed to wait for the exact prompts that are sent by the provider and that CommSend sends back the exact information that your provider requires - and in the correct order.  Also, make sure that you send a %r code each time the provider expects a return (the equivalent of pressing the Enter key).


Sending the Provider your Username

Once CommWaitFor receives the prompt it is waiting for from the provider, you are ready to send your username.

CommSend        username
CommSend        "%r"

CommSend is the script command to send the provider a piece of information. You must send two CommSend lines when passing on information to the provider: The first sends the username (stored in the username variable) and the second is a code (%r) that sends a return, the same character produced by pressing the [Enter] key. These two lines, then, are the equivalent of typing in your username and pressing [Enter].


Sending the access type "PPP"

These lines send the CommWaitFor command, instructing Quarterdeck Winsock to wait for a prompt involving the type of connection you are requesting.  In our sample script, we are attempting a PPP connection, and so we insert a CommSend command that sends along the response PPP followed by a return.

CommWaitFor "Access>"
CommSend "PPP"
CommSend "%r"

NOTE:  When troubleshooting a script, be sure that CommWaitFor is instructed to wait for the exact prompts that are sent by the provider and that CommSend sends back the exact information that your provider requires - and in the correct order.  Also, make sure that you send a %r code each time the provider expects a return (the equivalent of pressing the Enter key).


Service Provider List

In Location Manager, the term provider refers to an organization with Internet access which allows you to connect to the Internet through its network.  A provider can be a university, a government agency, the company which employs you, or a commercial Internet service provider.

Whether you are adding a new Internet service provider or changing the name of an existing one, type the name of the provider into the service provider field. The name you enter in this field is for your reference only and can be whatever you like.


Test the Script and Make Any Necessary Corrections
Testing the Script and Making Any Necessary Corrections

To test the script, try to connect to your provider and watch the progress of your attempt in the Quarterdeck Winsock console window.  If you are able to login successfully using the script, you are done!

If a problem occurs, review the text that appears in the console window to determine the point at which the script failed and check the following:

Are your username and password entered correctly in Location Manager?

Did you include a String command for every string variable (such as username, password, and IPAddress) that you used in CommWaitFor or CommSend commands?

Are the prompts that you specified in CommWaitFor commands exactly the same as the prompts sent by the provider?

Does the provider want a return after the username and password, and do you send one (using CommSend "%r")?

Most scripting problems result from "user error" (such as incorrectly typing information into the script file).  Remember that the remote computer does not know what you meant, only what you actually wrote, in your script file!


Time Zone

The time zone drop-menu lets you specify the time zone of this location.  The drop-menu gives you a list of geographical sites around the world, along with the sites' time zones.

The menu gives the time zone as the number of hours that have to be added to or subtracted from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to get the time at that site.

By default, these sites are listed in alphabetical order.  By placing a check in the box labeled "Sort list by time zone," you can list the drop-menu's geographical sites by time zone instead of in alphabetical order.  This may be convenient if you do not recognize any geographical site as being in the same time zone as this location, and you prefer to list the selections in east-to-west order to help you find the correct time zone.

Select the geographical site of this location, or a site that you know is in the same time zone as the location.


Toolbar-Connect

Use the Connect button to manually dial your service provider.


Toolbar-Disconnect

Select Disconnect when you want to terminate your connection to your service provider.


Toolbar-Location Manager

This button brings up Location Manager, the configuration component of QWinsock.


Toolbar-Online Help

The Help button displays this online help file.


Toolbar-QPing

Quarterdeck Winsock Ping is a network utility that lets you quickly determine whether you can reach a particular computer on the Internet.  It is useful for troubleshooting connect problems.  You can also use Quarterdeck Winsock Ping to get a computer's hostname if you have only its IP address, or vice versa.


Toolbar-QWinsock Setup

The Setup button displays the Quarterdeck Winsock Settings dialog.  You can use this option to change QWinsock's default settings.


Troubleshooting

During installation, a Troubleshooting help file was installed in your Quarterdeck program group. This file includes problem solving suggestions for all of the programs included with your software.

To view the file, double-click on the Troubleshooting icon in your Quarterdeck program group.


Updating the Internet Service Provider Database

The Internet is constantly growing and changing, and information concerning Internet service providers quickly becomes outdated as new companies appear and existing ones expand their service with new modems and additional access phone numbers.  For this reason we update our Internet Service Provider database on a regular basis.

If your provider is not listed in the database included with your software (or if you want to be sure you have the most current connection information about your provider), you can download the latest version of the database from Quarterdeck's electronic Bulletin Board System or Web site.

Use your modem and a communications program (such as Windows Terminal) to call the Quarterdeck BBS at 310-314-3227.

The Quarterdeck BBS can accommodate modem speeds up to 14,400.  Set your communications software to 8-N-1 (8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit). The opening bulletin will tell you how to download the latest database as a zipped file (PROVIDER.ZIP) or self-extracting zipped file (PROVIDER.EXE).

or

Use Quarterdeck Mosaic to contact the Quarterdeck World Wide Web site at:

http://www.quarterdeck.com/providers/

Once you are connected, follow the online instructions to download PROVIDER.ZIP or PROVIDER.EXE.


Use Calling Card

Select the box labeled "Use calling card to dial phone number" if you want to use your telephone calling card when making an Internet connection from this location when calling the provider named in the "Connection to use from this location" field on the General page of Location Settings.  When you select this box, the Card Details menu automatically pops up.


Using Quarterdeck Products with ...

CompuServe's NetLauncher

CompuServe Information Service (CIS) provides access to the Internet through its NetLauncher software.  Once NetLauncher and its version of a Winsock driver are properly installed on your computer, you can use Quarterdeck's Internet products with your CIS account.   Just start up any of the Quarterdeck Internet applications and execute a command.  NetLauncher automatically connects you to the Internet, allowing you to use all of your Internet applications.

Netcom's NetCruiser

Netcom offers its customers a type of Internet account called NetCruiser.  The NetCruiser software includes a Netcom-specific Winsock driver called NETCOMWS.DLL and a Web browser.  You can use the more full-featured Quarterdeck Mosaic Web browser or Quarterdeck's other Internet products with your NetCruiser account, but you must have the version of Netcom NETCOMWS.DLL that ships with NetCruiser version 2.0.  (Version 2.0 is expected to be available from Netcom after June 15, 1995.)  Use the "File/Download new version..." option of NetCruiser to update your software.

United Kingdom Provider "Demon" (demon.co.uk)

This United Kingdom Internet service provider is unique in offering its users the ability to log in to multiple email accounts during a single login.  When Demon customers select Edit Locations & Connections/Connection/Settings in Location Manager, two additional buttons appear on the Mail/News page.  The Add button can be used to configure Location Manager for additional email accounts with this provider.  Select Delete to remove previously configured email accounts from this Connection profile. As additional providers offer this feature, the software will be changed to accommodate multiple email accounts for other users.


Using Quarterdeck Winsock Ping

To use Quarterdeck Winsock Ping, type the computer's IP address or hostname into the "IP Address or Host Name" field and select the OK button.  Quarterdeck Winsock Ping searches for the computer on the Internet (using Quarterdeck Winsock to connect to your provider if necessary) and returns the message "X is alive" (meaning that the computer X is sending and receiving messages on the Internet) or "X did not respond."  If the computer is alive, Quarterdeck Winsock Ping posts both its hostname and its IP address on the screen.  The status line at the bottom of the Quarterdeck Winsock Ping screen tells you the current stage of the ping process.

The ping service does not guarantee that the remote computer is fully functional, only that it is able to communicate over the Internet.  If you try to ping a number of known Internet computers and none respond, your connection to the Internet is probably not working, and you should refer to the Quarterdeck Winsock Troubleshooting information (by double-clicking the Troubleshooting icon in your Quarterdeck program group).


Using a Direct Internet Connection via a Local Area Network (LAN)

If your computer is connected to a local area network (LAN) with a a direct connection to the Internet, you can use Quarterdeck's Internet products over the LAN.  If you have a direct connection, you will not need to install Quarterdeck Winsock; however, you must still provide Location Manager with some information about your Internet access.

You can configure Location Manager by running Connection Helper and selecting I'm CONNECTED DIRECTLY via a network from the Account Type screen, then clicking on Next.  Follow the on-screen instructions to provide the information below, as needed.  (If you are not sure what to enter in some of the fields, ask your Network Administrator for assistance.)  When you have entered all the necessary data, select Finish.  You can now use your Quarterdeck software to access the Internet!

NOTE:  Connection Helper is designed to quickly configure your Quarterdeck software with an initial provider.  For more information on Connection Helper and Location Manager, see What are Location Manager and Connection Helper.

Location Information Location Name Time Zone Daylight Savings Time	Connection Information Email Account Email Password Email Address SMTP Server POP3 Server NNTP Server	Proxy Information HTTP Proxy Server Don't Proxy Domains Always Proxy Domains Security Proxy


Using an Existing Internet Account
Using Location Manager with an Existing Internet Account

You can easily configure your Quarterdeck software for use with your existing Internet account.  Included with Quarterdeck Winsock is a database of configuration files and login scripts which allow you to connect to dozens of national, regional, and local Internet Service providers.  If you have an account with one of these providers, you need only enter a few pieces of information into Connection Helper (such as your username and password), then select a phone number for access.

If your provider is not included in the latest version of our Internet Service Provider database, you will need to provide Connection Helper with additional information about your provider, including some or all of the items listed below.  For information on obtaining the latest Internet Service Provider database, see Updating the Internet Service Provider Database.

If your provider is not in our database, you may also need to create a login script file that will send the commands necessary to log you onto your provider's server.  A script is more likely to be needed if your account has been set up to use SLIP rather than PPP.  Your provider can tell you what kind of account you have.  If you require a login script, see Using a Login Script.

NOTE:  Connection Helper is designed to quickly configure your Quarterdeck software with an initial provider.  For more information on Connection Helper and Location Manager, see What are Location Manager and Connection Helper.

Location Location Name Time Zone Daylight Savings Time Connection to Use... Number to Use... Area Code Country Use Calling Card Calling Card Details Disable Call Waiting Advanced Dialing Settings Comm Port Modem Type  Phone Line Type Advanced Modem Settings Detect Modem	Connection Service Provider List IP Address  Hostname Login or Username Password DNS Server(s) Connection Type Email Account Email Password Email Address SMTP Server POP3 Server NNTP Server	Dynamic IP Resolution Gateway Domain Netmask Login Script File Manual Login When calling from... Country Area Code Phone Number Dial This Number Override Baud Rate Data Bits, Parity, Stop Bits


Waiting for the "Access" Prompt

These lines send the CommWaitFor command, instructing Quarterdeck Winsock to wait for a prompt involving the type of connection you are requesting.  In our sample script, we are attempting a PPP connection, and so we insert a CommSend command that sends along the response PPP followed by a return.

CommWaitFor "Access>"
CommSend "PPP"
CommSend "%r"

NOTE:  When troubleshooting a script, be sure that CommWaitFor is instructed to wait for the exact prompts that are sent by the provider and that CommSend sends back the exact information that your provider requires - and in the correct order.  Also, make sure that you send a %r code each time the provider expects a return (the equivalent of pressing the Enter key).


Waiting for the "address" from your provider

The final steps in our sample login instruct Quarterdeck Winsock to wait for the provider to send an IP address and then to read and store away that information for use during this session.

CommWaitFor "address:"
CommReadIPAddr IPAddress
CfgSetValue IPAddress

End

You already know how CommWaitFor works. The second command is CommReadIPAddr, which gets an IP address from the provider. CfgSetValue stores that IP address in the configuration file. The final command, end, simply marks the end of the script.

Be sure you explicitly end each script in an appropriate place. Also, if you need to use CommReadIPAddress to get your IP address from your provider, be sure to use CfgSetValue to store it in the configuration file.

This section of scripting code is only used if your provider uses dynamic IP addressing, wherein a new IP address is assigned to you each time you log in.  If your provider assigns you an IP address when your account is established and you use the same IP address each time, you do not need to use this section of the script (except for adding the End command at the bottom of your script.)


Waiting for the Prompt "username:"

The next step is to wait for the provider to prompt you for your username.

CommWaitFor "username:"

The command CommWaitFor instructs Quarterdeck Winsock to read information sent by the provider and wait for the prompt you have told it to expect.  In this case, the program is waiting for the prompt  username:  No other script commands are executed until CommWaitFor see this prompt from the provider.

Be sure to enter the exact string that is sent by your provider, including the proper mixture of uppercase  and lowercase.  If, for example, you tell CommWaitFor to expect the string login: but the provider sends Login:, the rest of the script will not execute.


Waiting for the prompt "password:"

This is similar to what we did in steps 3 and 4, except that these lines wait for a prompt asking for a password and then respond with your password, rather than waiting for and sending your username, as in the earlier steps.

CommWaitFor "Password:"
CommSend password
CommSend "%r"

NOTE:  When troubleshooting a script, be sure that CommWaitFor is instructed to wait for the exact prompts that are sent by the provider and that CommSend sends back the exact information that your provider requires - and in the correct order.  Also, make sure that you send a %r code each time the provider expects a return (the equivalent of pressing the Enter key).


What are Location Manager and Connection Helper

Location Manager is the configuration component of Quarterdeck Internet products.  Location Manager contains information about your Internet service providers (referred to as Connections) and the Locations from which you use the software (such as Work and Home).

You can run Location Manager at any time by selecting Location Manager from the Quarterdeck Winsock control menu (if you are using Quarterdeck Winsock to connect to the Internet), by clicking the Location Manager button on QWinsock's toolbar, or by double-clicking on the Location Manager icon in your Quarterdeck  program group.

If Location Manager is configured for multiple Locations or Connections, you can easily switch among them.  Just click on the down-arrow to the right of the Location or Connection field to display a list of available choices, then select the one you want and click OK.  You will find this feature useful if you move your computer from one place to another or if you have access to the Internet through more than one organization.

Connection Helper is a simple-to-use program which guides you through the process of establishing an Internet account or configuring Quarterdeck Winsock to work with an existing account. The Helper appears automatically during the initial installation of Quarterdeck Internet products.  Once you have installed the software on your computer, you can run Connection Helper at any time by clicking on the Connection Helper button on the main screen of Location Manager.  When the Helper appears on your screen, simply follow the on-screen instructions.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CONNECTION HELPER

Connection Helper was designed as a quick tool to help you configure your Quarterdeck Internet software for an initial Location and Connection (service provider).  As you respond to the questions posed by Connection Helper, a new Connection profile is created.   The Helper also presents information about your current Location such as Location name, area code, etc.  You can change any of these settings, but such changes will affect your currently configured Location.

The first time you run Connection Helper, you may want to change some of these settings.  If you later run Connection Helper to add another provider, you will probably not find it necessary to make additional changes.

If you want to continue using a previously defined Location, you may find it easier to add a new provider directly through Location Manager.  In addition, changes to existing Location or Connection profiles should always be made through Location Manager.  When adding or changing Location or Connection information, extensive online help is available for every screen by selecting Help.

For details on adding or changing Locations and Connections (service providers), see the following topics:

Adding or Deleting a Provider (Connection) or Location

Changing Connection Information

Changing Location Information


What is Connect and Play

To use Quarterdeck's Internet products to access the Internet you need either:

A direct connection to the Internet, typically available in a corporate environment via a Local Area Network (LAN).  See your Network Administrator for information on accessing the Internet in this manner.

or

A Dial-up account with an Internet service provider.  If you do not currently have an Internet account, you can use Quarterdeck's Connect and Play™ feature to easily establish one in minutes.

Quarterdeck's Connect and Play [image] feature allows you to set up an account electronically with one of the leading national Internet service providers. In most cases, your account will be available for use within minutes of completing the sign-up process,  which is as simple as typing in your name, address, and credit card information!

You use Connection Helper to set up a new account with Connect and Play [image].  The Helper appears automatically during the installation of Quarterdeck Internet products.  After you install the software you can run the Helper at any time by selecting the Connection Helper button from the main screen of Location Manager.   See Establishing a New Account with Connect and Play [image].

You can also establish a new account with a provider who is not one of our Connect and Play Partners and then configure Location Manager for use with your account.  See Establishing a New Account with an Alternate Provider.

After viewing Connection Helper's Welcome screen and clicking Next, you are asked whether you want to connect to the Internet via a modem or directly using a network (LAN).  If you select modem, you are presented with the additional options:

I would like to sign up for a NEW Dial-Up account.

I would like to use an EXISTING Dial-Up account.

I'm using a different WINSOCK than Quarterdeck's.

The options you select on these screens determines the sequence of screens you are now shown and the information that you must provide to configure the software.


What is Quarterdeck Winsock

Winsock is a Windows driver (usually called WINSOCK.DLL) that allows network applications to communicate over the Internet using an established protocol called TCP/IP. Quarterdeck Winsock, which ships with Quarterdeck's Internet products, is a WINSOCK.DLL that allows you to communicate with computers on the Internet over a modem.

The QWinsock console window appears when you load WINSOCK.DLL.  Click on any toolbar button for a description of its function.

Loading Quarterdeck Winsock

Quarterdeck Winsock's Console Window

Quarterdeck Winsock Menu Options


When calling from...

The information specified on the Connection page of Connections Settings will be used when connecting from the Location you select from the drop-list.


Writing a Script for an Existing Internet Account
For Advanced Users:  Fine-tuning a Working Script

Some users need to use a script in order to log into their Internet account automatically.  QWinsock includes a "learn script" feature which creates a script by saving the steps you follow during manual login to a text file.  If you are advanced user, however, you may want to fine-tune your newly created script.  The information below will help you to do so.

NOTE:  The steps below can be used to write a script from scratch.  If you are making changes to an existing script, much of what is described below will already be done for you.  By reading this information, however, you will understand what the entries in your script file mean and be able to adapt or fine-tune the existing script more easily.

Throughout this discussion we give brief descriptions of the scripting commands used with the QWinsock scripting language.  For a complete explanation of all script language commands, refer to SCRIPTS.WRI, which was placed in your Quarterdeck Winsock directory during installation.

Writing a script involves these four basic steps:

Step A:  Connecting to the Provider Manually.

Step B:  Creating the Script Using a Text Editor.

You can write or edit a login script using Windows Notepad or any other text editor.  When writing the script, you will use Quarterdeck Winsock's script language commands.  If you are familiar with programming concepts, writing a login script will be a simple task.  Even if you have never programmed, however, you should have no difficulty if you follow these steps systematically.

The examples used in the following steps correspond to the sample login in Step A:  Connecting to the Provider Manually.

Step 1:    Initial Commands (Setting Variables.)

Step 2:    Getting the Username and Password from the Configuration File (QDECK.INI).

Step 3:    Waiting for the Prompt "username:"

Step 4:    Sending the provider your Username.

Step 5:    Waiting for the prompt "password:"

Step 6:    Sending the provider your Password.

Step 7:    Waiting for the "Access" Prompt.

Step 8:    Sending the access type "PPP".

Step 9:    Waiting for the "address" from your provider.

Step 10:  Getting this session's IP address from your provider.

Completed Sample Script

Adapting an Existing Script

Step C:  Entering the Name of the Script in Location Manager.

Step D:  Testing the Script and Making Any Necessary Corrections.