Software of the Month Club 1996 January/SOFM_Jan1996.bin/pc/os2/zoc/isdn.doc

Text File | 1995-12-05 | 5.4 KB | 110 lines

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    Subject:  Problems/Questions regarding DEVISDN.DLL              11/95
    From   :  Markus Goemmel
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  -- HOW TO USE THE ISDN-MODULE (DEVISDN.DLL) --

  If you have a correctly installed ISDN board and CAPI.DLL (V1.10) ZOC
  will show an ISDN device in the Options->Serial dialog.  If you have
  an ISDN board installed but ZOC does not show the ISDN device, there is
  probably a problem with your installation (eg. CAPI directory not
  listed in CONFIG.SYS's LIBPATH statement, incompatible CAPI.DLL etc.)
  More information can be found in ZOC->Options->Serial->ISDN->
  Device-Options->Help.

  If ISDN is available in ZOC but connections fail please check if the
  board drivers are activated (eg. STARTS0 for Teles/Creatix or ISDNLOAD
  for AVM).  Additionally, it is important to use proper settings to
  call an ISDN host (most hosts in Germany use X75/TRANSPARENT/Frame=2048,
  the ZOC support bbs uses X75/T70NL/Frame=130).


  -- REGISTRATION/ORDERS OF DEVISDN.DLL --

  To order DEVISDN, start ZOC and open the order form in the help menu.
  The price is DM 50/US$ 35 plus S+H.  If you register you will receive
  a registration code which will unlock all future versions of DEVISDN.DLL
  PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER IF YOU COULDN'T SUCCESSFULLY WORK WITH THE
  UNREGISTERED VERSION OF THE DEVISDN MODULE.  THE REGISTRATION WILL NOT
  CURE CONFIGURATION PROBLEMS, IT WILL ONLY TURN OF THE REGISTRATION REMINDER
  AFTER ISDN ZMODEM TRANSFERS.


  -- DEVISDN.DLL UND TELES CAPI V3.0 --

  There is a bug in the V3.0 of CAPI.DLL from Teles, but with this release
  DEVISDN is able to work around the problem.  In other words: DEVISDN now
  also works with the 3.0 version from Teles/Creatix.


  -- DEVISDN.DLL UND ELSA ANALOG --

  When using the B2-protocol ELSA ANALOG (available with some boards from
  Elsa GmbH) now the ZOC->Device->Accept-Calls function should work
  correctly.  The Send-Break function is not supported by Elsa's CAPI
  which means, that it is not available in this mode.


  Markus Gömmel ([e-mail])




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    Subject:  ISDN Module for ZOC (DEVISDN.DLL)                     9/95
    From   :  Markus Goemmel
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  With this version of ZOC you receive a copy of my (M.G.) ISDN driver which
  integrates itself neatly into ZOC and allows communication through many
  available ISDN boards (AVM, Bintec, Creatix, Diehl, Elsa, NCP, IBM und
  Teles are tested and work).

  The development of this module was rather demanding and was started only
  upon request of ZOC users who asked for an ISDN solution for a reasonable
  price.  I discussed the matter with Markus (Schmidt) and we decided that
  we could do it if we could charge an additional fee.  We dropped both,
  the idea of increasing the price for ZOC and the idea of moving up to a
  V3.0 version number, since this would have made may users (especially
  outside Germany) pay for a feature they would probably never need or use.

  However, a problem arises with ZOC's update strategy.  All registered
  users are entitled to use all ZOC versions up to a certain version number
  (currently either V2.99 or V9.99).  The ISDN module is an Add-On that
  takes advantage of a device interface in ZOC which was developed for the
  telnet and named pipe driver (and, at a later point, maybe others like
  ftp or NETBIOS).  This interface allows for seamless integration into
  the program, which we admit, makes it hard to percieve the ISDN driver
  as an independent product.  I could have gone another way (eg. developing
  an SYS driver, or a program like Ray Gwinn's Vmodem or just distribute
  the driver in it's own ZIP file with own order form and install program)
  but we wanted a neat solution that isn't second to any other in regard to
  user friedlyness and ease of use.

  Would we not be able to charge extra for that module, nobody at all could
  benefit from it (and it's rather low price) because it simply would not
  exist.  As it is now, those who find the extra fee acceptable will be able
  to use it (which is IMHO better than the first way).

  This module will remain an exception.  It is definitely not the first step
  on a path that leads us to a program where each and every new feature will
  cost extra.  I have supplied free add-ins to ZOC in the past (Kermit and
  CIS-B or TAP-GIF and TAP-JPG are examples) and I will continue to do so in
  the future (as there might be VT220, RIP, Hydra or FTP (just to name a few
  of our ideas)).  There might be other exceptions too (national standards
  or demanding features not commonly found in telecom programs) like FAX
  or T-Online (German videotex) support but these are clearly defined excep-
  tions and not the rule.  And it is imaginable that third parties will
  develop tools for the ZOC platform as well.

  We hope that this way of proceeding will be accepted by our users since
  we would hate if we had to distribute the ISDN module in another (less
  user friendly) way in order to make it less prone to unpleasant discussion.

    Markus Goemmel [[e-mail]]
    (and Markus Schmidt [[e-mail]])