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OS/2 Shareware BBS: 14 Text
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homeaway.zip
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homeaway.txt
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1997-05-27
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Setup of the IBM Home and Away Ethernet/14.4Kbps PCMCIA modem with OS/2:
========================================================================
This file describes the setup of the IBM Home and Away
Ethernet/14.4Kbps PCMCIA modem under IBM OS/2 Warp 4. Others have it
working on OS/2 Warp Connect which in many respects is similar. I
haven't had occasion to actually test the networking part of it even
though I have it installed, but I read on Usenet that the networking
part is the more straightforward part and since the drivers installed
cleanly I assume it will be just fine.
The first step is finding the right drivers, the ones in the box are for
M$-DOG and Windoze, and even some stuff for Windoze '95 is there, but
the OS/2 part is a bit out of date. It seems that the latest --- or at
least a set of well working --- drivers for OS/2 and a few other systems
live on
ftp://ftp.raleigh.ibm.com/pub/products/lanprods/pcmcia/etccha.zip
and maybe also on other sites. http://www.filez.com finds it at least.
It is about 2551831 bytes large. Checking at hobbes:
ftp://ftp-os2.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/system/drivers/network/etccha.zip
or Walnut Creek Archive:
ftp://ftp-os2.cdrom.com/pub/hobbes/drivers/etccha.zip
is a good idea, too.
Once you unzip that you will find instructions which, when followed end
in the creation of two floppies with a bunch of drivers. For modem and
tcp/ip (real ethernet or using the Internet Access Kit via slip/ppp) the
first disk is important, and in fact, the read.me file on it together
with the AT command summary booklet which comes with the PCMCIA card
contain all the essential information to get it running. However, given
the time it took me and the numerous questions regarding this lately
rather popular (since cheap) modem I thought a write-up might be a good
idea.
First things first: It seems that a modem-only configuration is in
principle possible (see page 23 of the read.me), but I haven't tried it.
It may be interesting for systems still running OS/2 Warp 3, but for
OS/2 Warp 3 Connect or OS/2 Warp 4 the following worked just fine.
I used the first option (p. 7): install the card as an ethernet card and
get the modem functionality gratis. Either way, you will have to have
PCMCIA support installed on your machine. Mine is an IBM Thinkpad 365xd
which apart from initially preloaded Winbloats '95 has shown no
problems and I could install OS/2 Warp 4 with PCMCIA nicely.
Next: Install the card as an ethernet adapter. To do so do the
following.
* Open "OS/2 System", "System Setup", "Install-Remove"
* start "Selective Install for Networking"
* Select "Add Lan Adapter", choose "other", and select floppy drive
"A:". (Alternatively, you could unpack etccha.zip onto virtual
floppies using the driver vfdisk.sys in case you don't have a floppy
drive attached or with you.)
* Follow the instructions displayed, it will show the adapter for the
Home and Away modem/ethernet card and allow you to install them.
* For what ever reason it chose not to copy the files with the messages
and error messages, so you will want to copy those by hand:
copy a:\os2\*.msg c:\ibmcom
* Now you can either run the install.exe from the a: drive which will
install a modified com.sys and edit the config.sys or do it by hand,
which is what I did:
copy a:\os2\com.sys c:\ibmcom\macs\com.sys
and open the config.sys file in an editor which can handle long
lines (like tedit, vi, or e.exe), find the line
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\COM.SYS
and comment it out, then add the modified com.sys so that it now
reads:
rem DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\COM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\ibmcom\macs\COM.SYS
This modified com.sys seems to be needed to handle PCMCIA modems
which may not be inserted at the time of boot-up and it dynamically
assigns / creates the next unused com port to the modem once
inserted. (In my case that is com3, since com1 is the external serial
port which I use for things like Kermit-95 for OS/2 file transfer and
the like, and com2 is the infrared port.) Ray Gwinns very popular
share-ware sio.sys has a PCMCIA option as well I was told.
The com.sys that comes with the Home and Away card may well be
limited (and hence limiting also the other ports) to 57600 bauds
while the normal com.sys from the OS/2 Warp 4 shrink wrap as well as
sio.sys can go faster than that, at least 115200 bauds or even more.
If you often use another serial device this may be something to
consider: keep the original com.sys around or invest in sio.sys.
* Now edit the file c:\ibmcom\protocol.ini (after making a backup):
The last few lines should read something like
[FME_ndis_nif]
DriverName = FME_CS$
RAMADDRESS = 0x0
INTERRUPT = 10
COMPORT = 3
PCMCIA
since according to the read.me file (p.20) the com.sys driver that
comes with the etccha.zip file does not tell the system which
interrupt it uses. I chose interrupt 10 since that one was still free
on my machine. You may want to check what is available on your system
using the "Actions"/"View Card Services Information" menu of the
"Plug and Play for PCMCIA" object (in the "OS/2 System" / "System
Setup" / "Plug and Play for PCMCIA" folder) which shows the available
resources. Double check with the command
rmview -irq
in an OS/2 Window, and you should see which interrupts are used and
which ones are free. Then adjust the INTERRUPT and COMPORT settings
to what you want the Home and Away card to use.
* This should finish the setup. Reboot, and watch the messages, the
new com port should show up, and the PCMCIA object should recognize
the card once inserted and show it as 'ready'.
* Once you are there you can get fancy and configure the "Plug and Play
for PCMCIA" such that it launches your favourite COMM programme (like
Kermit-95 for OS/2, HyperAccess, or, in my case, the IBM IAK Advantis
dialer) as soon as you insert the modem card and it is ready by doing
the following:
Remove the Home and Away card from the PCMCIA socket. In the "Plug
and Play for PCMCIA" object choose "Actions" / "View PC Card List"
click on the I/O entry for the card and choose "Setting ...". Click
on the "Launch" tab of the notebook that opens, and simply drag the
programme object to be launched on the upper frame titled "Launch
object". That's it.
Of course then you can modify the "Actions" / "Status notice" to beep
and / or pop up when a card is removed / inserted / ready and finally
"Actions" / "Change View" to get a neat little icon view that fits
better on the screen. While that is cosmetics it is very nicely done.
Next: Setting up communications and fax software:
* Dial-up: Kermit-95 for OS/2
I use exclusively Kermit-95 for OS/2 which is well worth its 49 US$
(including the 500+ pages thick manual), for more information see:
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/k95.html
The Home and Away card has a built-in modem saver feature which has
the side effect that it often reports 'No dialtone' where there is a
dial tone (like here in Knoxville, TN). So you have to tell the
modem to dial blind after going off the hook. The relevant AT modem
command is
at x3
and the time the modem waits before it starts dialing is set with
the
at s6=n
command, where n is the number of seconds to wait.
My Kermit-95 for OS/2 modem initialization string hence reads:
set modem command init-string atz&f0x3\13
set dial display on
which you place best in your k2custom.ini file. The \13 is not
needed for the IAK dialer. Sometimes it needs three or four dial
attempts before the modem recognizes the line. What works most of
the time is manual dialing (using
set carrier-watch off
connect
and entering modem commands directly from there) but that is not
or every one.
* Dial-up: Hyperaccess/Lite (BonusPak of the OS/2 Warp 4 shrink wrap):
Works well using the 'Hayes compatible high speed modem' with its
default initialization string:
at&fe1v1q0l0&c1&d2&k3s11=55s38=0s95=2
and the following "extra modem setup command" ("Properties" /
"Communications" / "Modem setup")
x3s6=6
I still prefer Kermit-95 for OS/2, but at least HA/Lite works now.
* Dial-up: Other terminal programmes
It is very likely that this also works with other terminal
programmes, the default setting (x3) can be stored permanently in
non-volatile RAM using the at&w0 command, but for such details see
the AT command manual that came with the modem and the manual of the
terminal programme in question.
* IBM Internet Access Kit (Advantis dialer)
Using the dialer version 1.66 from the OS/2 Warp 4 shrink wrap (which allows to download the as of now
most current version 1.67) and a custom modem with the following init
strings: ("Settings" / "Modem")
Modem name: IBM Home and Away (14.4 FaxModem + Ethernet)
First command: ATZ&F0X3S6=6
Second command: ATX3&D2&C1V1Q0S6=6S7=70S11=55
Speed: 57600
Serial port: com3
works. Sometimes it needs a few redial attempts until the modem shows
a working line (green "OK" LED is on), but it works and is stable.
* IBM Internet Access Kit (Dial other internet provider)
Works with the 'Hayes compatible' modem type, changing its modem
initialization string to
ATE0Q0S0=0V1X3&C1&D2S6=6S11=55
* Faxworks (Pro, version 3.00.01), don't have FW/Lite anymore:
Works when you put the Home and Away card in Fax modem mode of
operation:
"Utilities" / "Settings" / "Modem"
BPS: 14400 (works for send but fails for receive, at least here)
BPS: 9600 (works for both send / receive)
Alt-COM (check that box!, otherwise FW complains about not finding
the com port)
"Utilities" / "Settings" / "Modem Type"
Choose "Class 2" (not class 2.0!)
Check the box "Use HW FIFO (16550A)"
Check the box "Special command" and enter: +fclass=2x3
"Utilities" / "Settings" / "Ports"
I have set it to "com3 -- send/receive"
When you see irq addresses and such here you forgot to tick the
"Alt-COM" box mentioned above.
Now both sending and receiving faxes works just fine.
This is it. I hope it helps someone. This will be uploaded in zipped
form to
hobbes:
http://ftp-os2.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/apps/comm/homeaway.zip
Walnut Creek Archive:
http://ftp-os2.cdrom.com/pub/hobbes/comm/homeaway.zip
OS/2 Warp Pharmacy:
http://godzilla.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/pharmacy/WarpPharmacy.html
in the section Hardware / LAN adapter
Of course, as always, no warranties, guarantees, explicit or implicit,
if your fridge stops working while you follow these suggestions (which
worked for me) you shall not blame me. Have fun!
Stefan A. Deutscher (sad@utk.edu / stefand@ibm.net) 27-May-1997