| Please Note: |
I accepted a job with Credit Suisse Group (Group Risk Management) and
will be moving back to Europe. Because of this relocation
(first to Switzerland, then to the U.K.) I can only offer
reduced support for DynamIP.
Please try peer support in the DynamIP
Discussion Group if you don't get a timely
response to your e-mail inquiry. |
Toolbar Explained
 |
Establish
a dial-up connection (same as menu File|Connect|Dial Default) |
 |
Disconnect
all dial-up connections (same as menu File|Disonnect) |
 |
Enter setup (same as
menu Setup|Options) |
 |
Abort current action
(same as menu File|Abort) |
 |
Go ONline (same as
menu File|ONline) |
 |
Go OFFline (same as
menu File|OFFline) |
 |
Check mail (same as
menu File|Mail) |
 |
Synchronize Time
(same as menu File|Time) |
 |
Scan for HTTP
servers based on IPDB file (same as menu File|HTTPscan) |
 |
Toggle IPchat on /
off (same as menu File|IPchat) |
 |
Rescan IP addresses
(same as menu Chat|Chatlist|Rescan IP) |
 |
Add participant to
IPDB (same as menu Chat|Chatlist|Add to IPDB) |
 |
Info (same as menu Chat|Info) |
 |
Hail (same as menu Chat|Hail) |
 |
Share Chatlist (same
as menu Chat|Share Chatlist) |
 |
Load Home Page (same
as menu Chat|Load Home Page) |
|
HTTP scan current
chatlist (same as menu Chat|HTTPscan) |
 |
Toggle Sleep / Wake
Up (same as menu Chat|Sleep) |
Commands Explained
| Menu File |
| Connect |
| Dial Default |
Establishes a dial-up
connection. |
| Dial Entry #1 [...] |
Establishes a dial-up
connection using Entry #1. |
| Dial Entry #2 [...] |
Establishes a dial-up
connection using Entry #2. |
| Dial Entry #3 [...] |
Establishes a dial-up
connection using Entry #3. |
|
| Disconnect |
Disconnects all dial-up
connections. |
| Refresh IP |
Determines your current
IP address (based on the method selected in Setup|DUN/RAS). |
| DIPS |
| DIPS Update |
Uploads IP address and other
DIPS relevant information to DIPS server. |
| DIPS Bye |
Sends "Bye" to DIPS
server (sign off). |
|
| ONline |
Updates all active
templates and uploads the local files ("Going
ONline"). |
| OFFline |
Updates all active
templates and uploads the local files ("Going
OFFline"). |
| Mail |
Checks all active POP
mail boxes. |
| Time |
Connects to the NTP
server specified in Setup|Time and gets the current time. The system clock is
adjusted if the appropriate box is checked. |
| HTTPscan |
Scans all IP address
ranges (as specified in the IPDB file) and the IP
addresses of all chat participants for web servers and
updates a user-defined web page (the sample page
DynamIPServer_.htm is provided). |
| IPchat |
Initializes and activates
the IPchat engine. |
| Abort |
Stops all current
activities. |
| Read
Configuration |
Reads the INI file from
the working directory and updates the current
configuration. |
| Save
Configuration |
Writes the curent
configuration to the INI file in the working directory. |
| Exit |
Stops all current
activities (if possible) and then quits the program. |
| Menu Chat |
| Info |
Fetches the information
record of the selected chat participant. Note that the
information is not verified, i.e. you get whatever the
other chat participant is sending...handle : cmu[205.230.75.212]
name : Christoph Mueller
e-mail/URL: cmu@bigfoot.com / http://cmu.home.ml.org/
location : Palo Alto, CA
time : Thursday, 19-May-97 18:33:20
comment : get the newest DynamIP from http://DynamIP.home.ml.org/
version : DynamIP v3.0
|
| Hail |
Pages the selected chat
participant (depending on the receiver's settings a
sound/notification event is generated). If this request
is delivered successfully you will receive a
confirmation. |
| Private Chat |
In normal chat mode
everything is always broadcast to all the members of your
chat list. Once you're in private chat mode, your
messages are only sent to the selected chat participant. |
| Send Message |
You can send a message to
a particular chat participant. Depending on the
receiver's settings a sound/notification event is
generated). If the message is delivered successfully you
will receive a confirmation. |
| Share Chatlist |
This sends the relevant
pieces of information to the selected chat participant so
that he/she can establish a connection with all your chat
list members (note that - in contrast to IRC - IPchat
does not rely on a universally visible server; IPchat is
point to point and it is quite unlikely that any member
of your chat list sees all the chat participants you're
communicating with). |
| Call w/
NetMeeting |
Establishes a direct
connection between you and the selected chat participant
using MS NetMeeting (this works obviously only if both
you and the selected chat participant have installed a
copy of MS NetMeeting; furthermore, the extension CNF must
be associated with NetMeeting [you might have to
reinstall NetMeeting if you lost or deleted this
association]). |
| Load Home Page |
If the selected chat
participant has a valid URL entry in his profile DynamIP
starts your default web browser and loads that URL. |
| Load Dynamic Home
Page |
If the selected chat
participant is running a web server DynamIP
starts your default web browser and loads the default
page of that particular web server (note that the letter
"W" must be visible behind the IP address of
the selected chat participant for this to work;
otherwise, DynamIP starts the
HTTPscanner and determines the presence of a web server). |
| Remove |
The selected chat
participant is removed from your chat list and is not
allowed to rejoin, at least until you flush your chat
list. Note that this exclusion is only temporary and
specific to the particular IP address. The IP address is
not written to the IPDB file. |
| Chatlist |
| Rescan IP |
Resets the chat
engine and rescans all your current chat
participants and the IP address ranges as
specified in your IPDB file. |
| Flush
Chatlist |
Resets the chat
engine and reinitializes your chat list. This
might be a useful command if your chat engine
gets tangled up (e.g. your own handle/IP has
dropped out of your chat list). |
| Distribute
Chatlist |
Shares your chat
list with all your chat participants (see also
Share Chatlist). |
| Add to
IPDB |
Adds all current
chat participants to the IPDB file. If a
participant's IP address falls in a range that is
already being scanned then this particular
participant is not added. |
|
| HTTPscan |
Scans all your current
chat participants and determines who is running a web
server. "W" is added behind those IP addresses
with web servers. |
| Load Server Page |
DynamIP starts your
default web browser and loads your Local Server page
(which contains the results of a previous HTTPscan). |
| Sleep |
Toggles SLEEP mode (all
your chat participants are informed accordingly). In
SLEEP mode, DynamIP does not
accept NetMeeting requests. |
| IPchat OFF |
Shuts down the IPchat
engine. |
| Menu Help |
| Contents F1 |
Loads the DynamIP
help file (HTML based!) in your default browser. |
| WWW
DynamIP home page |
Loads your default
browser and connects to the DynamIP
home page. |
| WWW DynamIP setup |
Loads your default
browser and connects to the DynamIP
setup page. |
| WWW DynamIP trouble shooting |
Loads your default
browser and connects to the DynamIP
trouble shooting page. |
| WWW DynamIP new versions |
Loads your default
browser and connects to the DynamIP
download page. |
| WWW DIPS home page |
Loads your default
browser and connects to the DIPS home
page. |
| About |
the obvious thing... |
Icons Explained
DynamIP
main icon:
 or  |
DynamIP
is not connected; a yellow envelope indicates that at
least one of the mailboxes contains messages. |
 or  |
DynamIP
is connected, but OFFline; a yellow envelope indicates
that at least one of the mailboxes contains messages. |
 or  |
DynamIP
is connected and uploading a web page; a yellow envelope
indicates that at least one of the mailboxes contains
messages. |
or  |
DynamIP
is connected and ONline; a yellow envelope indicates that
at least one of the mailboxes contains messages. |
 |
DynamIP
is connected and checking mail. |
 or  |
Some error occurred;
a yellow envelope indicates that at least one of the
mailboxes contains messages. |
Icons for individual connections:
 |
This
connection is in OFFline mode, i.e. the OFFline file has
been uploaded successfully. |
|
This
connection is busy, i.e. a file is currently being
uploaded. |
|
This connection is
in ONline mode, i.e. the ONline file has been uploaded
successfully. |
 |
This connection is
not active. |
|
The last operation
did not finish correctly (e.g. a file could not be found
or the Uploader timed out. |
 |
You can copy
connection information by dragging/dropping an icon over
any other connection. |
Dropping an icon over the ONline or OFFline areas activates
the "Going Online" or "Going Offline"
process.
Icons for individual mail boxes:
 |
This
mail box is not active. |
 |
This
mail box is active. The number just below the mail box
indicates the number of messages in the mail box.
"X" indicates that an error occurred during the
last mail box check. |
 |
You can copy mail
box information by dragging/dropping an icon over any
other mail box. |
Dropping an icon over the area "POP in .. min"
checks that particular mail box. Clicking on the area checks all
mail boxes. Clicking on a mail box starts the associated e-mail
client (if defined in Setup|Mail),
a right-click opens the mail box setup dialog.
Tray Tricks
If the box "AutoTray" in Setup|Options is checked, DynamIP
automatically puts itself into the Tray whenever
you minimize DynamIP. Even in the Tray,
DynamIP keeps updating the icon
according to its current state. In addition, you have access to
the following functionality:
| Tooltip |
If you move your mouse over the DynamIP
icon and keep it there for a few seconds, a
ToolTip with some useful information pops up:
 |
| Right-Click |
Move your mouse over the DynamIP
icon and right-click the bring up the DynamIP
file menu. |
Left button down
and Right-Click |
Move your mouse over the DynamIP
icon, press the left mouse button down, and
keep it pressed down while you right-click to toggle
connect/disconnect (this means that if you're currently
connected DynamIP will
disconnect, and if you are not connected DynamIP
will dial to connect).
This is basically a shortcut for "mouse
artists" (you might as well just righ-click to bring
up the file menu and then choose connect or
disconnect...). |
Some Tips
Q: Can I post my dynamic IP
address to my home page? Should I?
A: YES you can - but NO, you shouldn't.
DynamIP can update almost any web page
with the current information and then upload it. Simply add the
desired place holders to your web page (e.g. NOT.ON.LINE.NOW for
your IP address, etc.) and change the entries for LocalFile and
RemoteFile accordingly.
Now, here's why I think that this is not a terribly good idea.
Your home page is probably the one page that visitors hit first
when they "knock on your door". For that reason you
should make sure that your home page is never screwed up. If you
use DynamIP to update your IP address
on your home page, however, that is exactly what could happen. If
anything goes wrong with your upload you'll end up with a
scrambled or inaccessible home page (at least until you manage to
do a clean upload). Just imagine that your machine crashes at the
crucial moment and you can't reboot your thingy for a while, or
you have a power outage, <your favorite horror story...>.
It is much safer to use a different page to inform visitors about
your dynamic IP address. Link your home page to this separate
page and you're all set. If something goes wrong with your upload
your home page is still nice and clean and the fact that the page
with your dynamic IP address is non functional probably doesn't
matter much if your computer isn't working either.
| Please Note: |
I accepted a job with Credit Suisse Group (Group Risk Management) and
will be moving back to Europe. Because of this relocation
(first to Switzerland, then to the U.K.) I can only offer
reduced support for DynamIP.
Please try peer support in the DynamIP
Discussion Group if you don't get a timely
response to your e-mail inquiry. |
hits since February 01, 1997
Last modified: June 07, 1997
