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THIS IS A DRAFT!!!!! I'm distributing this on the nets in an
attempt to get comments and suggestions from people (and maybe
even solutions to the problems I can't solve). I will meld in
all the comments and suggestions and redistribute again in a
more final form soon, and frankly, I'll probably distribute it
as a TidBITS issue as well, just to make sure it's accessible
to lots of people.
Needless to say, some of this information comes from my book
and some of it will be used in future editions of the book, so
if you want more of this, check out the Internet Starter Kit
for Macintosh in a bookstore, or send email to tisk@tidbits.com
for ordering information and other picky details.
That said, please read this, see what you think, and pass on
suggestions, additions, or deletions to me via email at:
ace@tidbits.com
so I can make this document better. When I'm done, as I said,
I'll release it to the nets for everyone to use. If you do snag
this file, please be prepared to delete it when the final
version comes out - I like to get rid of drafts when I'm done
with a project.
Thanks in advance!
cheers ... Adam C. Engst, TidBITS Editor
PS: Yes, this is a setext file, so you should be able to view
it in Easy View if you so wish...
Dominating MacTCP and SLIP/PPP
==============================
Over the last few months many people have come online on the
Internet via inexpensive (or sometimes not so inexpensive) SLIP
(Serial Line Internet Protocol) or PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
connections, both of which requires Apple's MacTCP and a modem,
preferably a fast one. I must take some of the blame/credit for
this, since my Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh provides
everything you need for such a connection, short of a Mac and a
modem. Unfortunately, the process isn't always as plug and play as
I would like. I've helped a lot of people get on in the past few
months, and I hope my experiences will help you solve any
connection problems you may have as well. Do note that I am
biasing this information toward connecting with my provider,
Northwest Nexus, since they're the only provider I work with.
However, much of this information is generic and applies to
connecting to other providers as well.
All of the files (except the commercial ones) that I talk about
below are available on <ftp.tidbits.com> via anonymous FTP in the
directory /pub/tidbits/tisk/ The best way to find a specific file
is to get the file /pub/tidbits/fulldirlist.txt and browse through
it. MacTCP is available only the disk that comes with Internet
Starter Kit for Macintosh or directly from Apple or bundled with
another Internet application like VersaTerm.
Reporting Problems
------------------
Before I even begin to talk about the details of MacTCP and
SLIP/PPP, I want to say a few words about how you can best go
about isolating problems and then reporting them on the nets or to
tech support. If you ask for help on comp.sys.mac.comm by posting
a note that says something like, "I'm connecting to the nets via
SLIP and it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?" you won't get
any helpful responses, and you probably won't get any at all since
people have no clue what your problem is other than the fact that
you don't know how to ask for help. If you follow these steps when
working through any problem, not just one with MacTCP, you'll be
better off.
When you've determined that you have a problem, first start over
completely from scratch, carefully follow each step in the
instructions, and note anything that doesn't seem to mesh between
your setup and what the instructions say. If you deviate from the
instructions, note that too. In many cases, following this
procedure will either solve the problem or make clear to you where
the problem lies. Don't think of this process as an unpleasant
chore, because then you're likely to become careless and miss an
important clue. Troubleshooting can be a lot of fun since you
learn a lot more about the topic at hand and you get to solve a
real-life mystery in which no one dies.
Unfortunately, since we're all amateur sleuths, we're not always
able to find the solution to a problem and must consult others who
are more knowledgeable or who have a different way of looking at
the problem. If you are having trouble with a commercial program,
the first experts to turn to should be the technical support staff
at the company that produced your product. I've heard good things
about most of the technical support staffs of companies that make
Internet applications, although a quality tech support staff is
not a guarantee.
If you are using a freeware or shareware application, it usually
says whether or not the author is willing to help via direct
email. One way or another though, there are several places where
you can ask for help from other users, many of whom are true
experts. Also, the developers of many of the freeware and
shareware utilities tend to hang out in these places and help
their users even if they prefer not to be continually slammed by
personal email. The best place to ask for help with Internet stuff
is on the Usenet newsgroup comp.sys.mac.comm, although there are
also knowledgeable people who hang out in the Info-Mac Digest,
which you can reach via email at <info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>
(since email may be easier to send than a newsgroup message if
you're having trouble). If you are having trouble with Northwest
Nexus specifically, but can post to a newsgroup, the group
halcyon.slip is the perfect place to ask. One thing to note - if
you don't read these groups regularly, you should specifically ask
for replies via email so you don't miss any answers.
No matter what, if you want any of these people to help you, you
must help them first by sending a complete report. In that report,
you should list the following:
* List just what it is that you're trying to accomplish. This
should be rather specific, since telling someone that you want to
read Usenet with NewsWatcher isn't salient to the problem of not
being able to get InterSLIP to connect. Take each goal a step at a
time.
* Do mention the fact that you have carefully followed the
directions since this fact tells people that (a) you're not a
complete idiot and can read, and (b) that you have gone through a
certain set of procedures already. If you haven't followed the
directions carefully, don't bother posting until you do so.
* List out the salient facts of your software and hardware setup.
Include things like what Mac you have, what modem you use, what
version of the System software you're running, and any weird stuff
that you can't eliminate from the testing (such as an Outbound
user who had additional software from Outbound that was necessary
for the Outbound to boot). Unless asked, don't bother listing out
every extension and control panel on your hard disk since (a) you
should have already eliminated them in the process of testing -
always test without extensions by booting with the shift key held
down until you see "Welcome to Macintosh. Extensions off." and (b)
a too-long report will turn many people off.
* Talk a bit about what you have already tried, whether or not it
worked, and if you noticed anything strange happening at any time
within the process. If you encounter error dialogs at any time,
report exactly what they say.
* Be nice. The last thing you want to do is insult an expert's
favorite product since they're less likely to help you at that
point, and when you're in trouble, it doesn't help to alienate
anyone.
Connection Details
------------------
First off, many people ask me if they can use MacTCP and the
MacTCP-based software such as Fetch and TurboGopher with their
account. It's up to you to determine that fact. You must ask your
provider if they support SLIP or PPP via dialup. If they don't,
you can't use MacTCP and the MacTCP-programs - it's as simple as
that.
If you are looking for a provider that offers SLIP or PPP, the
best source is Peter Kaminski's PDIAL List, which you can get by
sending email to <info-deli-server@netcom.com> with the line "Send
PDIAL" in the Subject line. I also include it in the appendix of
my book. If you are already on the nets, it's also worth lurking
in some of the Usenet newsgroups like alt.internet.wanted and
alt.internet.services.
I should note that Northwest Nexus requires that you call first
with a terminal emulator like ZTerm or MicroPhone to sign up for a
SLIP or PPP account, but once you've done that, you NEVER use the
terminal emulator to connect again. If you do, you'll be able to
login and send your password, but then you'll see a message like
"SL/IP session starting..." and you won't be able to do anything
else.
If you're calling Northwest Nexus long distance, 206/382- 6245 is
an MCI long distance access line, and 206/454-8445 is a US Sprint
long distance line. If you use either of those long distance
carriers, they can save you a bit of money with their discount
plans - contact the phone company for the details.
There are several programs that work with both MacTCP and via a
standard dialup connection to a Unix shell account, and there are
a few others that provide graphical interfaces but are designed to
work with a dialup connection only. These include (and I'm not
going to go into configuration details here since they depend on
your setup):
* Eudora 1.4.2 - An email program that works via both MacTCP and
the Communications Toolbox. Eudora requires a POP (Post Office
Protocol) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) server on the
host - if you don't have those, it won't work (although you can
also make Eudora work with a UUCP (Unix to Unix CoPy) transport
agent like uupc 3.x or UUCP/Connect from InterCon). Eudora also
specifically needs the Apple Modem Tool 1.1 or later.
* SFU NewsWatcher - A version of the popular NewsWatcher news
reader that has been modified by Simon Fraser University to work
over a dialup connection. People have complained that setting this
program up is difficult. SFU NewsWatcher requires an NNTP (Net
News Transport Protocol) server - check on <ftp.tidbits.com> for a
list of public NNTP servers if your host doesn't have one.
* TheNews 2.3.3 - The latest version of a shareware newsreader
that works via both MacTCP and a dialup connection. TheNews
requires an NNTP server.
* MacNews 1.1 - The first, and probably the most primitive, of the
dialup newsreaders, but it works. MacNews requires an NNTP server.
* MicroPhone Pro 2.0.1 - This is a commercial program that can
send and receive mail and news over a dialup connection. It
doesn't require POP or SMTP servers, but does depend on a specific
sort of Unix host setup. The newsreader requires an NNTP server.
MacTCP and SLIP/PPP
===================
Let's assume now that you have a connection to an Internet host
via SLIP or PPP. I first want to briefly explain what MacTCP and
SLIP/PPP do, since many people are confused on this issue.
MacTCP is a translator. It enables the Macintosh to speak the
language of the Internet, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol),
just as Macs normally speak AppleTalk to one another. You must
have the MacTCP control panel installed and configured properly
for the MacTCP-based programs like Fetch and TurboGopher to work,
although keep in mind that MacTCP is not making the connection
itself. Think of MacTCP as the Babel Fish from the Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy. Pop it in your Mac's ear, and your Mac
understands the Internet noise that's flowing in and out.
SLIP and PPP provide the connection for that Internet noise for
those of us who connect via a modem. If you have a network, either
Ethernet or LocalTalk, connected to the Internet, you don't need
SLIP or PPP. The easiest way to think of SLIP and PPP is to assume
that you don't have water service to your house. Every time you
want to take a shower, you must run a garden hose out to the water
hookup outside, take your shower, and then bring the hose back in.
That's exactly what SLIP and PPP do - they establish a temporary,
low-speed connection to the Internet. You must create that
connection before you can run programs like Fetch and TurboGopher
that assume the connection exists. Although some implementations
of SLIP and PPP allow you to launch a MacTCP-based program without
connecting first (SLIP or PPP see what's up and then establish the
connection), I've found that these auto connect features tend to
be flaky. If you can use an auto connect feature, great, but if it
doesn't work reliably, always connect manually first.
SLIP and PPP are more or less functionally identical - they do the
same thing. However, SLIP and PPP accounts are not the same, so
you cannot use a SLIP program with a PPP account and vice versa.
When I wrote my book, I felt that InterSLIP was the best of the
free implementations, but now I think that MacPPP 2.0.1 has the
edge because it supports loopback addressing, which enables Peter
Lewis's Talk to work on a Server addressed account (which isn't
true of InterSLIP). There are two other commercial SLIP programs,
VersaTerm SLIP and MacSLIP, and a commercial PPP program called
InterPPP from InterCon. I'll mostly concentrate on InterSLIP and
MacPPP but keep in mind that the commercial implementations have
solved some problems that I've been unable to fix using the free
implementations and generally are more full-featured. You get what
you pay for.
You can use either SLIP or PPP, but not both at the same time - I
merely include information on both below because InterSLIP and
MacPPP are both free and valid ways of connecting to the Internet
via modem. I know more about InterSLIP so those sections will be
more detailed.
So your SLIP or PPP program dials the modem to create a connection
to the Internet, and MacTCP translates all the Internet traffic
appropriately for programs like Fetch and TurboGopher. Got that?
Good.
Installing MacTCP and SLIP/PPP
------------------------------
To install MacTCP, drag it into the Control Panels folder under
System 7. There's nothing else to install for MacTCP, although
after you reboot, you will notice that it creates a MacTCP DNR
file in the System Folder and a MacTCP Prep file in the
Preferences folder.
To install InterSLIP, copy the InterSLIP extension to the
Extensions folder. InterSLIP Setup can live anywhere on your hard
disk, and you only need InterSLIP Control if you use System 6. We
chose not to include InterSLIP Control on the disk that comes with
my book due to space limitations, so you must retrieve it
separately in the InterSLIP 1.0.1 package that lives on
<ftp.tidbits.com>. Keep in mind that much of the software,
including Eudora 1.4.1 and NewsWatcher 2.0dx, require System 7. If
you use Northwest Nexus, make sure to install the Northwest Nexus
gateway script in the Gateway Scripts folder inside the InterSLIP
Folder, which lives in the Preferences folder. Also, if you have a
dialing script, put it in the Dialing Scripts folder in the
InterSLIP Folder.
To install MacPPP, drag the PPP extension to the Extensions folder
and put Config PPP in the Control Panels folder. You may wish to
create an alias to Config PPP in a more convenient spot.
After installing anything, these utilities included, in your
Control Panels or Extensions folder, you must reboot before you
can use them.
Configuring MacTCP
------------------
First off, ask your provider if you should use Manually (static)
or Server (dynamic) addressing. Open the MacTCP control panel,
select the InterSLIP or PPP icon in the top of the window (if
there is none, install InterSLIP or PPP first) and then click on
the More button to get to the MacTCP configuration dialog. Click
on the appropriate radio button for Manually or Server; do NOT
click on the Dynamically button - it is evil. If you selected
Server addressing, skip down to the domain name server section.
If you selected Manually, you must fill in two more pieces of
information, your IP (Internet Protocol) number in the main window
of MacTCP and the Gateway address in the configuration dialog.
Your provider must give you both of those numbers.
Next, fill in the domain name server information in the lower
right of the second MacTCP dialog. Put your cursor in the left
hand box and type your domain name, then tab over to the right
hand box and type the IP number of your name server, which you get
from your provider. Click on the default button next to this
entry. Move down to the second left hand box and type a period,
and in the right hand box, type the same name server IP number
again. In the third set of boxes, type another period and the IP
number of your backup name server, which you also get from your
provider. If you use Northwest Nexus, the setup should look like
this.
halcyon.com 192.135.191.1 (o)
. 192.135.191.1
. 192.135.191.3
Close MacTCP now, and reboot your Mac. Sometimes MacTCP will tell
you to reboot, other times it won't, so I recommend rebooting
whenever you change anything.
Configuring InterSLIP
---------------------
Open InterSLIP Setup, and choose New from the File menu to create
a new configuration. Name it, and then double-click on it in
InterSLIP Setup to open the configuration dialog box. The
information on the left hand side of the box relates to the modem,
and the information on the right hand side relates to the host
machine. I can't predict your modem settings completely, but I
use:
Serial Port: Modem Port
Baud Rate: 19,200
Data Bits: 8
Stop Bits: 1
Parity: None
Hardware Handshaking: ON
Speaker on while dialing: OFF
Dial Script: Hayes-Compatible Modem
Dial: Tone
Phone No.: 455-8455
Modem Init: AT&F9
Let's talk about some of those settings. The Baud Rate setting is
the rate at which your modem and your Mac communicate, which is
why there is no setting for 14,400, since that's a speed at which
the two modems communicate. The speeds can be different. The
Hardware Handshaking checkbox requires a hardware handshaking
cable, but if you have a v.32bis modem, you should have one of
those. If you don't have a hardware handshaking cable, but attempt
to use that checkbox, I hear that it may cause InterSLIP to hang.
The Dial Script is a pop-up menu that lets you pick from one of
several options, including the standard, built-in Hayes-Compatible
Modem script that I use. You can add dialing scripts to the
Dialing folder inside the InterSLIP Folder inside the Preferences
folder. Dialing scripts are TEXT files that are very similar to
ARA (Apple Remote Access) scripts. The only difference is that ARA
turns OFF file compression and error correction, whereas those two
settings should be on for an InterSLIP dialing script. You can get
some dialing scripts and many ARA scripts from <ftp.tidbits.com>,
and most good modem vendors can send you an ARA script
specifically for your modem. To edit the script, you may have to
use Shift-Open in Word, or Nisus's All Files option in its Catalog
to be able to open the ARA script, since although they are text-
only, they tend to come with a type and creator that prevents text
editors from reading them. Make sure to save as TEXT when you're
done though, and if you create a new dialing script for your
modem, please send it to me so others can use it as well. Dialing
scripts can be very important, and even essential for some modems.
We've found that many dialing scripts have huge amounts of useless
sections, and Fred Morris has written a minimal dialing script
that works well with many modems, assuming the modem
initialization string is correct. I added redial capabilities to
the script, and here it is, sans comments. Fully commented
versions are available on <ftp.tidbits.com>.
@originate
note "Initializing modem"
write "^4\13"
pause 20
note "Dialing ^1"
write "atdt^1\13"
matchstr 1 10 "BUSY"
matchstr 2 20 "CONNECT"
matchread 500
@label 10
note "Line busy, redialing ^1"
write "+++"
pause 60
write "ath\13"
write "^4\13"
jump originate
@label 20
note "Dialed successfully"
exit 0
@answer
@hangup
note "Hanging up modem"
write "+++"
pause 60
write "ath\13"
write "^4\13"
exit 0
The Modem Init field depends on your modem's standard
initialization string. I find that AT&F works well for many
modems, although most Supras and Global Village modems use AT&F1,
and as you see, my Telebit WorldBlazer uses AT&F9. You must figure
this one out for yourself, but I recommend looking at the modem
initialization strings used in other communications programs, such
as the client for First Class, which is available on
<ftp.tidbits.com>. On to the next section of InterSLIP, which
looks like this for my Northwest Nexus connection:
Gateway: Northwest Nexus
User name: myaccount
Prompt for password at connect time: OFF
Password: mypassword
IP Address: blank
Nameserver: 192.135.191.1
RFC 1144 TCP Header Compression: ON
MTU Size: 1006
Again, let me explain some of these. The Gateway pop-up menu has a
default of Direct Connection (which is uncommon) and also includes
Simple Unix/Telebit, which works fine if you simply provide your
login name and password, and then you're immediately dumped into
SLIP mode (that will only happen if you use Manually addressing).
Many people need a Gateway script to properly login to their
server and start the SLIP session. I provide a script for
Northwest Nexus with my book that I modified from the sample that
comes with InterSLIP. All it does is login, send the password, and
then figure out the IP number that it receives from the server. If
you use Northwest Nexus, you must have this script selected. The
script is also on <ftp.tidbits.com> if you want to glance at it
for an example.
Your user name is always lowercase on Northwest Nexus (and on most
other systems) and must be entered that way everywhere you use it.
Your password should not be solely lowercase and should include
numbers and special characters if possible. Needless to say, make
sure you type these correctly.
The IP address field is blank for Northwest Nexus, since with a
Server addressed account, you don't know what your IP number is
until you connect. If you use a Manually addressed account, enter
your IP number here. Fill in your name server appropriately either
way, as I've done here for Northwest Nexus.
For Northwest Nexus, make sure you have RFC 1144 TCP Header
Compression on (your provider may refer to it as Compressed SLIP
or CSLIP) and the MTU Size set to 1006. Those are the standard
settings for many other providers too, but do check with your
administrator, since it is very important that they match how your
account is set up. Things work strangely if those settings aren't
the same as your account's settings on the host.
Configuring MacPPP
------------------
Open the Config PPP control panel, click on the New button, and
name your configuration. Then click on the Config button to bring
up the modem configuration screen. Here's what my configuration
looks like for Northwest Nexus (they also offer PPP accounts):
Port Speed: 19200
Flow Control: CTS & RTS (DTR)
Tone Dial: ON
Phone num: 455-8455
Modem init: AT&F9
The same comments apply to the variables for Modem init and Flow
Control (same as Hardware Handshaking - the CTS & RTS (DTR) option
is the same as ON in InterSLIP). You have to set this stuff for
your modem, which is likely to be something other than a Telebit
WorldBlazer.
Next click on the Connect Script button. Here you tell MacPPP
exactly what you expect to see from your host and what it should
send back. Here's what my script looks like:
Wait: ogin:
Out: myaccount [CR]
Wait: ssword:
Out: mypassword [CR]
To clarify, I actually click on the Out or Wait radio buttons for
each of those lines (don't type Out or Wait on the lines). Also,
there's a reason for not spelling out login or password. Since you
don't know if the first letter will be capitalized or not on
various systems, it's easiest to avoid the subject and just wait
for the rest of the word. The [CR] at the end means that I click
the checkbox for that line to send a return after typing out my
login name and password.
Now, depending on your setup, the send/receive strings may not
match what your host uses. In that case, the procedure is to use a
standard terminal emulation program like ZTerm to login to the
host manually, noting very carefully, including capitalization and
punctuation, what it sends to you and what you must send back.
It's often a good idea to capture this session to a log file that
you can read off-line in a text editor. Once you get through the
login name and password bits, you will probably see garbage on the
screen as PPP starts up. Just disconnect with your terminal
emulator and go back into PPP to get the script to match what you
discovered during your manual terminal session.
Back in the main Config PPP window, I generally check Hangup on
Close and Quiet Mode. If your first connection doesn't work for
some reason, check the Terminal Window box and enter your login
name and password manually when you connect to see what's
happening on the host.
Configuring for Netcom
----------------------
Larry Acosta Wong wrote to tell me that he didn't have to go
through any of the above scripting for MacPPP when he set it up
for use with Netcom, a popular commercial provider that charges $2
per hour for SLIP or PPP access. Larry said that all he had to do
was enter his userid and password into the appropriate spots in
the Authentication dialog, and to enter his IP address (Netcom
uses Manually addressed accounts) into the IPCP Options dialog.
Connecting with InterSLIP and MacPPP
------------------------------------
Once you have configured MacTCP and either InterSLIP or MacPPP,
it's time to connect to your host. It's easy with either one of
them. In InterSLIP, click on the Connect button. In MacPPP, click
on the Open button. As I said above, you can also launch a program
like Fetch, which will then cause InterSLIP or MacPPP to connect
automatically, but I find that process to be unreliable at best.
MacTCP Questions
================
Ah, now we come to the meat of the matter. I wish I could have
provided this information in my book, but since so few people had
tried that kind of connection at that time, I simply didn't know
all that I know now. Let's start from the top with MacTCP
questions.
Before anything else, let me emphasize that you may need to
reinstall a virgin copy of MacTCP at various times to solve
problems. Thus, you must keep a virgin copy that you have never
opened on a locked floppy.
Next, let me recommend that (if you have FTP access) you get a
copy of Peter Lewis's free MacTCP Watcher, which includes another
document on troubleshooting MacTCP connections that was written by
Eric Behr.
Where?
------
Q: Where do I get MacTCP?
A: You must buy it. MacTCP is now, and always has been, a
commercial application. It is sometimes bundled with commercial
applications, it's bundled with my book for about $30, and you can
buy it from Apple (check MacWarehouse and the like) for about $52.
No InterSLIP Icon?
------------------
Q: I don't see an icon for InterSLIP or PPP in my MacTCP control
panel?
A: Install InterSLIP or PPP in your Extensions folder and try
again.
Weird -23004 Error?
-------------------
Q: I get a weird -23004 error from MacTCP and it complains about
its drivers not being installed?
A: Make sure that you select InterSLIP and NOT LocalTalk in the
MacTCP control panel.
Weird Slider Bar in MacTCP?
---------------------------
Q: What about that weird slider bar in the upper right of the
MacTCP configuration dialog?
A: Ignore it unless you're on a subnet, which means you'll have a
network administrator who can tell you what to do there.
IP Number Field Contents?
-------------------------
Q: Should I type anything in the IP number box in the MacTCP
control panel if I'm using Server addressing?
A: No. Only enter a number there if you use Manually addressing.
Gateway Field Locked?
---------------------
Q: Why can't I type anything in the Gateway box in the MacTCP
configuration dialog when I'm using Server addressing?
A: As I understand it, you don't need a Gateway address with
Server addressing, which is why you can't type in there. InterSLIP
fills it in for MacTCP, but it makes no real difference.
However, one reader found that in using VersaTerm SLIP, the first
time you log in, you must enter a Gateway address and your IP
address into VersaTerm SLIP via either the fields in the upper
right of the configuration window or via a small pop-up menu in
VersaTerm AdminSLIP's terminal window. With Northwest Nexus, the
Gateway address in this case is the first of the two IP numbers
that the machine provides after you enter your login name and
password, something like 198.137.231.150. Your IP address for that
session is the second of the two numbers.
Domain Name Server Setup Changed?
---------------------------------
Q: You have a different setup for the domain name server
information in your book. Which is right?
A: Either should work, but use what I say above since it's more
correct. The basic idea is that you enter your domain in the first
left box, and the IP number of your default name server in the
first right box. That handles name server requests within your
domain. The second set of boxes, a period and the same IP number,
handle name server requests outside of your domain. The third set
of boxes, the period and a different IP number, is your backup
name server and is only used if the default name server is down.
MacTCP DNR and MacTCP Prep Files?
---------------------------------
Q: What are the MacTCP DNR and MacTCP Prep files?
A: MacTCP creates them when you reboot to store various settings
and preferences. You can throw them out at any time with impunity,
since MacTCP will recreate them when you reboot with the same
settings. Note that you must reboot after throwing them out since
MacTCP applications require MacTCP DNR to work properly.
If you reinstall MacTCP without throwing them out, MacTCP retains
the settings it had before you reinstalled. This can be useful for
moving copies of MacTCP around, but also tends to retain
corruption.
Crashes During Installation Cause Corruption?
---------------------------------------------
Q: My Mac crashed the first time I rebooted after reinstalling
MacTCP. Should I be worried, even though I don't crash now?
A: I would completely reinstall MacTCP (throwing out MacTCP DNR
and MacTCP Prep as well) and reconfigure to be safe, but I don't
think you should worry too much. Virus software sometimes gets
persnickety about MacTCP creating the MacTCP DNR file, and I could
see that causing the problem perhaps.
In fact, I hear that if the MacTCP DNR files becomes corrupted,
some virus software like Gatekeeper could possibly prevent MacTCP
from updating it, which is a bad thing. If you use sensitive anti-
virus software that tries to prevent unknown actions (Disinfectant
is fine), to be very sure it isn't causing problems, turn it off,
delete MacTCP, MacTCP DNR, and MacTCP Prep, reinstall a clean copy
of MacTCP, reboot, turn the virus software back on, and reboot
again.
Crashes During Usage Cause Corruption?
--------------------------------------
Q: I crashed while using Fetch or some other MacTCP-based program.
Should I reinstall MacTCP?
A: Possibly. First, connect again to see if Fetch works. If it
does, you're OK. If it doesn't work, throw out the MacTCP DNR file
and reboot. Try Fetch again. If it still doesn't work, completely
reinstall MacTCP from scratch. This isn't usually necessary,
luckily.
After a truly nasty crash, you may find it necessary to reinstall
InterSLIP or MacPPP as well. If you use InterSLIP, remove your
configuration file from the InterSLIP Folder before reinstalling
InterSLIP since it's worth trying with your old configuration file
before you toast it as well.
Common to Reinstall MacTCP?
---------------------------
Q: I'm getting the impression that reinstalling MacTCP is a common
occurrence. Is that true?
A: Yes and no. I seldom do it any more, but frankly, if anything
goes wrong, reinstalling MacTCP is worth trying in every instance.
Do make sure to throw out MacTCP DNR and MacTCP Prep too, since
they can store the corruption that caused MacTCP to have problems
in the first place. Always keep a copy of MacTCP on a locked
floppy disk to facilitate reinstalling.
Update to MacTCP 2.0.4?
-----------------------
Q: I'm running MacTCP 2.0.2. Should I update it to 2.0.4?
A: Sure, why not. I personally haven't seen any problems in 2.0.2
that were fixed in 2.0.4, but others have, and it's a free update
that's stored on <ftp.tidbits.com>.
Updating MacTCP Failed?
-----------------------
Q: When I went to update MacTCP 2.0.2 to 2.0.4, I got some sort of
error about a DRVR 22 or something like that?
A: You must update ONLY a virgin copy of MacTCP that has never
been opened before. Get a new copy from your master disk and
update that and the updater will work fine. Then keep a clean copy
of 2.0.4 on a locked floppy somewhere for use when reinstalling.
Domain Name Server Errors?
--------------------------
We've noticed many people running into a problem with SLIP or PPP
(any version) connecting properly but when you attempt to run
TurboGopher or any of the other MacTCP programs, they report
problems with the domain name server. Sometimes they crash or hang
instead, but the behavior is usually completely reproducible,
although we have seen the occasional exception, where it will work
fine once after reinstalling MacTCP but fail on subsequent
connections. This problem occurs primarily in Server-addressed
situations, but I've heard sporadic reports from people using
Manually-address accounts.
We haven't absolutely solved this problem yet, I'm sorry to say,
but here are some things to try. I find that the easiest way to
test this situation is with Peter Lewis's free MacTCP Watcher,
which shows an IP number, but no Mac name in this instance. It
also complains about a (No answer error) or a (Cache fault error)
when it is unable to find the domain name server. TurboGopher is
the second best test for this, but may crash or hang instead of
reporting "Unable to resolve hostname." If you use Fetch, you can
tell quickly if you are seeing the problem if when you connect,
the dog cursor is frozen. If the dog cursor runs, you're generally
better off. If the cursor is frozen, immediately hit command-
period to try and cancel the connection before Fetch hangs.
Note that the problem is generally not with your account. Each
time someone has had this problem and asked me to check their
account, it has worked fine if they did indeed have a SLIP
account. That said, here are some things to try in order.
* Check your domain name server configuration in MacTCP and
InterSLIP carefully to make sure you typed the right numbers. I've
made this mistake before.
* If you are using a Manually-addressed account, make sure you
have typed the right number into the Gateway address box in
MacTCP's configuration dialog. Only your provider can tell you
what your Gateway address is.
* Make sure you're using the Northwest Nexus gateway script if you
connect to Northwest Nexus. Without this, your Mac won't get an IP
number properly. A number of people have spaced this out and used
the Simple Unix/Telebit script that's built into InterSLIP, and it
just won't work with a Server addressed account like those that
Northwest Nexus provides. This is because that Northwest Nexus
gateway script is designed to find your IP number from the login
message each time you login. If you use the Simple Unix/Telebit
script instead, it will finish successfully after sending your
userid and password, and will ignore the IP address that appears
next.
* Login with a terminal emulator just to make sure your account is
set up for SLIP or PPP - if after providing your user name and
password, you don't see something like "SL/IP session
beginning..." and you get to a Unix prompt, then your account has
not been set up for SLIP. Ask Northwest Nexus to do that.
* If you are using InterSLIP 1.0fc3, get version 1.0.1 from
<ftp.tidbits.com> since that solved some various problems like
this.
* Reinstall MacTCP from scratch. Hey, it's easy but you'd be
surprised how much it helps.
* Make sure your domain name server setup in the MacTCP
configuration dialog looks like this (it's different for your
domain if you don't use Northwest Nexus).
halcyon.com 192.135.191.1 (o)
. 192.135.191.1
. 192.135.191.3
* OK, here's the major realization we've made (thanks to Michael
Tardiff of Northwest Nexus for tremendous help in figuring this
out). If nothing so far has worked, check to make sure you are
using hardware handshaking with your modem, or perhaps more
importantly, make sure XON/XOFF is turned off. It seems that if
hardware handshaking is turned off or unavailable, the SLIP or PPP
program may appear to log in properly, but will fail to find the
Gateway address properly. Server-addressed accounts aren't
supposed to need the Gateway address, which is why you cannot type
it into MacTCP. Nonetheless, if, in InterSLIP (and MacPPP, we
think) you don't properly use hardware handshaking, some sort of
negotiation that determines the Gateway address fails, and when it
fails, a necessary line of communication with the host is broken.
The upshot of this is that MacTCP Watcher will find no Mac name
for your Mac. That Mac name should be supplied by reverse name
mapping, but it seems that if that initial negotiation after the
login process fails, the Mac receives no Mac name from the host
via the gateway. Using exactly the same settings otherwise, we
showed that merely toggling a modem setting that turned hardware
handshaking on and off could make the difference between a
successful connection and a failed one.
* First, make sure that your modem cable is indeed a hardware
handshaking cable. Most high-speed modems purchased in "Macintosh
kits" within the last year include proper hardware handshaking
cables, but if you bought a modem sans cable, or you bought a new
cable separately from a computer store, your cable may not be a
proper hardware handshaking cable. You may need to call your modem
vendor to confirm this. Modern hardware handshaking cables should
have the following pinouts - you can test this if you have the
proper electronic testing equipment (or are capable of
constructing an electric testing device that turns on a light or
makes a noise when a circuit is closed by touching leads to the
proper pins - I once used an empty battery-powered squirt gun to
indicate when a circuit was completed).
Mac function RS-232 function Mac pin DB-25 pin
------------ --------------- ------- ---------
RxD (receive) Receive Data 5 3
TxD (transmit) Transmit Data 3 2
Ground Ground 4 & 8 7
HSKi CTS 1 5
HSKo RTS & DTR 2 4 & 20
GPi CD 7 8
If you do not have a hardware handshaking cable, you can purchase
them from numerous sources, but absolutely insist that you need a
hardware handshaking cable and not just a modem cable. Jump up and
down, yell and scream if necessary, but the two terms are not
necessarily interchangeable. I've ordered high-quality, properly
wired cables for about $15 from: Celestin Company -- 800/835-5514
-- 206/385-3767 -- 206/385-3586 (fax) -- celestin@pt.olympus.net
* Once you determine that your modem cable is indeed a hardware
handshaking cable, next ensure that hardware handshaking is turned
on in your SLIP or PPP program. You may see a checkbox labeled
Hardware Handshaking, as in InterSLIP, or a pop-up menu listing
choices such as XON/XOFF, CTS, RTS, and CTS/RTS. Choose CTS/RTS
for hardware handshaking. There are other terms for the RS-232
functions that some programs use - if you're confused, ask the
program's tech support folks. Hardware handshaking is usually
relatively easy to check and set.
* Unfortunately, just turning on hardware handshaking in your SLIP
or PPP program may not be sufficient. It seems that some modems
set XON/XOFF, or software handshaking, in their default settings.
Thus, when you initialize the modem with the factory default
initialization string, you actually turn software handshaking back
on. This is bad. We ran into this with a Telebit QBlazer, which
defaults to software handshaking with the setting S58=3. By
changing that to S58=2 in the initialization string, our domain
name server errors disappeared immediately since InterSLIP could
then complete the negotiation for the Gateway address and the
reverse name mapping that goes on right after the login process.
VersaTerm AdminSLIP may not always suffer from the same problem as
InterSLIP, since merely setting hardware handshaking in the
configuration window enabled the QBlazer to work, whereas checking
the hardware handshaking box in InterSLIP had made no difference.
Nonetheless, consult the fine print in your modem's manual for the
settings to ensure that hardware handshaking is enabled. Look for
settings called DTE Flow Control or DCE Flow Control or anything
whose options include CTS/RTS (in full duplex, if it's an option).
In Telebit modems, those settings are controlled by the S58
register, although other modems undoubtedly differ.
* Try using another domain name server IP number, in place of the
first one, such as 140.142.35.1. If this works, go back to the
other one and see if it works now. One person reported this
working but didn't enter the second two sets of name servers.
That's worth a try too then.
* Try using another modem - this worked for one user who switched
from a Zoom 2400 bps modem to a QuickTel v.32bis modem. This may
well have been related to the hardware handshaking issue.
* Try booting from another hard disk if you have one.
* Try installing MacTCP, etc. on another Macintosh if you have
one.
* Try rebuilding your desktop from scratch. I have no idea why
this would make a difference, but it's worth a try. You can do a
basic desktop rebuild by holding down command-option during
startup until the Macintosh asks you if you want to rebuild the
desktop. To be completely sure though, get the free Desktop Reset
from the nets (it was programmed by Salient and comes with
AutoDoubler and DiskDoubler) and use it in the same way - it
merely deletes the desktop files before asking the Finder to
rebuild them. You can also make them visible manually, move them
to the desktop or another folder, and reboot to have the Finder
rebuild the desktop files.
* Try zapping your PRAM. I have no idea if this makes any
difference, but anything is worth a try at this point. To zap your
PRAM in System 7, hold down command-option-P-R while rebooting he
Mac. You will lose certain settings like the time and the mouse
speed, but you can reset those later.
* Try reinstalling your System. First, make sure you have a full
set of System disks, since we must disable the System on the hard
drive before installing to ensure a completely clean install.
Then, drag your System file to your desktop, and reboot with the
Install disk. Install a System for any Macintosh (you never know
what Mac you might want to use with your hard disk) and then
reboot with your hard disk again. Throw out the System file
sitting on your desktop, completely reinstall MacTCP (throwing out
MacTCP DNR and MacTCP Prep) and InterSLIP (throw out the entire
InterSLIP Folder, the InterSLIP extension, and InterSLIP Setup),
and try again. At least one MacPPP user solved the problem this
way.
* I really hate to recommend this, but I managed to solve this
problem for one user by switching to the commercial VersaTerm
SLIP. Neither InterSLIP nor MacPPP would work - the domain name
sever errors kept occurring, but they went away instantly with
VersaTerm SLIP. The same might be true of MacSLIP, which is also
commercial. VersaTerm SLIP comes with the VersaTilities and
VersaTerm, which cost about $85 and $110 mail order. I see that
MacWarehouse has a 30-day money back guarantee on the more-
expensive VersaTerm, but not on the VersaTilities. MacSLIP is even
cheaper at about $50. For more information on VersaTerm SLIP send
email to maxwell@sales.synergy.com, and for more information on
how to purchase MacSLIP (which is also bundled with the commercial
MicroPhone Pro 5.0), send email to info@hydepark.com. This may in
fact work due to differences in the ways the programs handle
Gateway addresses for Server-addressed accounts and the way they
specify hardware handshaking for different modems.
* Try a completely different provider.
* If none of these suggestions help, I don't know what to say,
except that some problems are never solved. Otherwise we'd have
world peace.
InterSLIP Questions
===================
Since its introduction last year, InterSLIP has become popular for
its combination of flexibility, utility, and price - it's free.
However, InterSLIP isn't always completely trivial to use. Here
are some of the more common questions and answers.
Current Version of InterSLIP?
-----------------------------
Q: I'm using InterSLIP 1.0fc3. Is there a newer version?
A: Yes, InterSLIP 1.0.1 fixes a number of bugs in 1.0fc3, and I
strongly recommend you upgrade. The upgrade is at
<ftp.tidbits.com>.
Where's InterSLIP Control?
--------------------------
Q: I can't find InterSLIP Control on my disk?
A: You don't need InterSLIP Control if you use System 7. It is
necessary with System 6. See below for more details.
Scripts Not Showing Up?
-----------------------
Q: I copied the gateway and dialing scripts into the proper
folders - why don't they show up in the pop-up menus in InterSLIP?
A: Two things to check here. Those files should be TEXT files, so
if they are any other type, they very well may not show up, since
InterSLIP won't recognize them. If you just save from Microsoft
Word, for instance, those files will be of type WDBN and not of
type TEXT. Use Save As and select the Text Only option that should
exist in most word processors. Second, if you copy those scripts
in while InterSLIP is running, it won't recognize them until you
quit and launch InterSLIP Setup again. You don't have to restart;
just quit and relaunch.
Crashing During Auto-Connect?
-----------------------------
Q: If I launch an application without manually connecting with
InterSLIP, InterSLIP tries to dial the phone twice, then the Mac
hangs. What's going on?
A: In my experience, InterSLIP's auto connect feature doesn't work
very well. This may not be InterSLIP's fault, and it does work for
some people, so if it works for you, great. If not, just make a
habit of connecting manually before you launch a MacTCP program
like Fetch. Since Eudora doesn't open MacTCP until you check for
mail, you can use it without connecting InterSLIP first. One
person said that he had solved his auto connect problems by adding
a "pause 30" statement in his Gateway script just before it exits.
This may help, although my Mac never even dials the phone before
freezing on auto connect.
Connect Button Ignores You?
---------------------------
Q: When I click on the Connect button, nothing happens?
A: This points directly at an extension conflict with either
InterSLIP or MacTCP. I would recommend pulling all of your
extensions and control panels out (or better yet, use an extension
manager like Apple's free Extension Manager or the powerful (but
commercial) Conflict Catcher from Casady & Greene, which can
actually help in your testing process). Leave only MacTCP and
InterSLIP, and try again. Then slowly replace the extensions and
control panels that you use until the problem reappears,
identifying the culprit in the process. We've seen problems
possible related to MacTOPS, DOS Mounter, SuperLaserSpool,
GlobalFax, and a two-way conflict with AutoRemounter and PSI
FaxMonitor. In general, be wary of any extensions that modify a
network or a modem, including fax software.
Q: I removed all of my extensions and control panels and I still
get nothing when I click on the Connect button?
A: Try reinstalling MacTCP from scratch (throwing out MacTCP DNR
and MacTCP Prep) and InterSLIP (throw out the entire InterSLIP
Folder, the InterSLIP extension, and InterSLIP Setup), and try
again.
Q: It still doesn't work.
A: Shoot. The next thing to try is reinstalling your System.
First, make sure you have a full set of System disks, since we
must disable the System on the hard drive before installing to
ensure a completely clean install. Then, drag your System file to
your desktop, and reboot with the Install disk. Install a System
for any Macintosh (you never know what Mac you might want to use
with your hard disk) and then reboot with your hard disk again.
Throw out the System file sitting on your desktop, completely
reinstall MacTCP (throwing out MacTCP DNR and MacTCP Prep) and
InterSLIP (throw out the entire InterSLIP Folder, the InterSLIP
extension, and InterSLIP Setup), and try again.
Q: Sorry to be a pain, but it still doesn't do anything when I
click on the Connect button.
A: OK, I don't really know what's happening here. Try getting a
PPP account and using MacPPP, or purchase VersaTerm SLIP or
MacSLIP and see if they work any better. I wish I could give a
better answer, but I can't.
Hayes Dialing Script Doesn't Work?
----------------------------------
Q: My modem doesn't seem to work with the Hayes-Compatible Modem
script?
A: You need a dialing script, which is similar to an ARA script.
They're on <ftp.tidbits.com> and should be available from your
modem vendor. I recommend the Minimal Dialing Script I provided
above.
Other Dialing Script Doesn't Work?
----------------------------------
Q: I'm using a dialing script, and when I click Connect, it says
Dialing, but I don't hear the modem dial or see it do anything
else?
A: We've seen this happen a few times. I suspect the script is in
some way incorrect - perhaps the error correction and file
compression have been turned on improperly. Try the Hayes-
Compatible Modem script, and if that doesn't work, try the Supra
v.32bis dialing script on <ftp.tidbits.com>. We've seen that
script work for some other modems that probably use the same
chipset. If that doesn't work, you might ask the modem company for
a good ARA script that you can modify (in theory an ARA script
should work without modification, but is best when modified), and
if that fails, beg for help from others with the same modem on the
nets, preferably in comp.sys.mac.comm or the Info-Mac Digest at
<info- mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>.
Random Connection Problems?
---------------------------
Q: I can connect on occasion, but not all the time. What could be
wrong?
A: Some modems, the US Robotics Sportster and the Global Village
TelePort/Gold in particular, don't seem to like to connect at
19,200 bps. If you set the speed down to 9,600 in InterSLIP,
they'll connect better using the Hayes-Compatible Modem script. I
have yet to find a dialing script for the Sportster, but there is
a good one for the TelePort/Gold on <ftp.tidbits.com> that solves
this problem.
The speed in question here is the speed at which your Mac and your
modem talk, not the speed at which the two modems talk. However,
the two modems will negotiate the fastest common speed up to the
speed that you set for the Mac to modem conversation. Thus, if you
set the InterSLIP modem baud rate to 19,200 bps, the two modems
can talk at 14,400 bps since that's their highest rate. If you set
InterSLIP down to 9,600 bps, then the modems cannot talk any
faster than 9,600 bps, since they are now limited by the speed of
the conversation to the Mac.
Also, I've noticed that sometimes I'll see failed connections on
my Northwest Nexus account. They range from receiving tons of data
when InterSLIP says "Waiting for prompt" to nothing happening when
InterSLIP says "Waiting for prompt," "Sending username," or
"Sending password." I've even had InterSLIP report "Login
incorrect" when I know full well it was fine. Just try again a few
times, and if you can, wait a bit before trying again. I suspect
these problems are related to a bad modem, line noise, or some
other situation out of your control, and in my experience they
always go away after several tries.
Nothing Works After Connecting?
-------------------------------
Q: InterSLIP connects fine, but none of the programs seem to quite
work, although they try to connect.
A: Try toggling your TCP Header Compression checkbox (also
sometimes known as CSLIP). If that checkbox doesn't match the
setting for your account, things will fail. Essentially what
happens is that small tasks like looking up a machine name
succeed, but anything else fails.
Switching To Another Mac?
-------------------------
Q: I had InterSLIP working, and when I moved my hard drive to
another machine, it crashes whenever I launch InterSLIP Setup?
A: Delete your InterSLIP Prefs file - for some reason this has
happened on several machines we've seen.
InterSLIP Won't Hang Up On Disconnect?
--------------------------------------
Q: InterSLIP works fine, except that when I click on the
Disconnect button, my modem doesn't hang up. What can I do?
A: First off, consider adding &D2 to the end of your modem
initialization string. Doing so will hang up the modem if DTR goes
low, which it does when you click the Disconnect button.
Unfortunately, DTR can also go low if you have a fast modem and a
slow Mac and the modem transfers more data than the Mac can handle
at that point. If this is true, you'll see random hang-ups while
transferring large files.
Second, if you use a dialing script other than the built-in Hayes
Compatible Modem script, it usually will have an @hangup section.
The script I listed above has one, and will hang up the modem just
fine if you use it instead of the Hayes Compatible Modem script.
How To Write CCL Scripts for InterSLIP?
---------------------------------------
Q: Where can I find information on how to write scripts in the CCL
language used by the gateway and dialing scripts?
A: The best documentation seems to be in the InterSLIP
documentation itself. After that you're getting into programming
books from APDA.
Modem Specifics
---------------
Q: How do I configure my BurbleBlazer modem to work with
InterSLIP?
A: Modems have been the worst problem we've come across, and
although we don't pretend to know how to configure most of them, a
few things have come up. These strings may or may not work for you
- since we don't have a testing bank of modems, there was no way
we could test what we were told by other users.
Possible Modem Configurations for InterSLIP
* Telebit WorldBlazer (works fine)
* Apple PowerBook Modem (works fine)
* Apple PowerBook Express Modem (works fine)
* PSI PowerModem (2400 bps) (works fine)
* Apple GeoPort with 660AV (Hayes script, AT&F init string)
* USR V.32bis and V.32terbo Courier Dual HST (works fine)
* Supra v.32bis FaxModem (InterSLIP doesn't always hang up when it
is disconnected. A dialing script should solve this and similar
problems.)
* Abaton InterFAX
* Global Village TelePort/Gold (wouldn't connect when set to
19,200 bps, but connected fine when set to 9,600 bps in
InterSLIP,
also may require a dialing script)
* Global Village PowerPort/Gold (may also work for the
TelePort/Gold - Use AT&F\J0\Q3\N7%C1\V2W1 as the initialization
string instead of just AT&F. (That's J-Zero, by the way, not
J-Oh)
I've also heard that AT&F1 works fine with the GV modems.
* ViVA modem (Requires a dialing script, and the Supra v.32bis
script seems to work)
* Hayes Accura 144 Fax/Modem (requires manual hangup, possibly
solved by a dialing script)
* MacWarehouse LineLink (use this INIT string -
ATL3MOV1&DO*F3*QO*E9*MOH^ (0 = zero))
* US Robotics Sportster (For now, set the speed in InterSLIP to
9,600 - we're working on finding someone to write a dialing
script
for it - connections are flaky if you leave InterSLIP set to
19,200 - this may be solved by the init string AT&F1&D2)
* Zoom modem (Try AT&F&C1&D2&Q6S37=9N0M0 as an init string - not
confirmed - another person recommended AT&F&C1&D2)
You can find a large set of suggested modem initialization strings
in the FirstClass client software available on <ftp.tidbits.com>.
MacPPP Questions
================
Although its interface can seem a bit more confusing than
InterSLIP's, MacPPP is actually quite a bit easier to configure
and use. Thus, fewer questions.
Switching from InterSLIP to MacPPP?
-----------------------------------
Q: I want to switch from InterSLIP to MacPPP. What should I watch
out for?
A: First, you need a new account. Second, I don't recommend
leaving the InterSLIP extension installed at the same time as the
PPP extension. Third, reinstall MacTCP from scratch before trying
to connect with MacPPP.
Open Button Grayed Out?
-----------------------
Q: My Open button is grayed out so I can't click on it to connect?
A: Reinstall MacTCP from scratch, making sure to delete MacTCP DNR
and MacTCP Prep. This one threw me for an hour once.
MacPPP Redials At Random Times?
-------------------------------
Q: MacPPP seems to redial the phone randomly on its own?
A: So I hear. The solution is to click on the Hard Close button to
disconnect rather than the Soft Close button. The drawback to do
thing is that you cannot use MacPPP's auto connect feature after
this unless you reboot.
Other Questions
===============
Those are the most common questions regarding MacTCP, InterSLIP,
and MacPPP, but there are a few other issues that frequently
appear.
Using System 6
--------------
Frankly, I know little about using this software with System 6,
mostly because I haven't used System 6 in almost three years.
However, despite the note on the cover of Internet Starter Kit for
Macintosh about requiring System 7, you may be able to use System
6 for some tasks.
Much of the Internet software being released today requires System
7, so you may not be able to use it at all under System 6. That's
the price of not upgrading. However, to establish a connection
with InterSLIP, you must have InterSLIP Control (a control panel)
installed. We removed it from the disk that comes with Internet
Starter Kit for Macintosh because of space limitations, and the
fact that it's not necessary with System 7. Once you retrieve the
full InterSLIP 1.0.1 package from <ftp.tidbits.com> and install
InterSLIP Control in the Control Panels folder, InterSLIP should
work the same as it does under System 7, although it may be a pain
to use under System 6 without MultiFinder. Finally, Eudora 1.4
requires System 7, I'm told, but Qualcomm keeps version 1.3.1
around at <ftp.qualcomm.com>, and that version should work with
System 6.
MacTCP via ARA
--------------
I have no experience with this setup, but many people have gotten
it to work fine using the network at their organization and a Mac
at home. The trick is as follows (and thanks to George Tempel
<netromancr@aol.com> for the information):
First, you need a Macintosh, a fast modem, ARA, and MacTCP at
home. At work you need a Macintosh running ARA, another fast
modem, and most importantly, a network link through a router that
connects LocalTalk to Ethernet and then out to the Internet. So,
if you can't use the Mac at work with MacTCP applications to
access the Internet, you won't be able to do so via ARA either.
Second, you need to have a unique IP address assigned to your home
Macintosh, because using a Mac via ARA is just like using a Mac on
a LocalTalk network at word. If you don't know how or have access
to establish an IP number for your home Mac, talk to the person in
charge of your router.
Once you have those two things done, choose either a Manually or
Server-addressed IP address for the Mac - either should work
although Server should be easier since you might not need to know
your Gateway address, which you will need if you use Manually. In
addition, if you use Server addressing, your IP address will be in
line with the systems at work, simplifying matters if anything
changes there. Next bring up the ARA connection to the work Mac.
Now, open the Chooser and place yourself in a LocalTalk zone, as
opposed to an Ethernet zone. This ensures that traffic from your
Mac must go through the router (a GatorBox or FastPath, for
example) that handles the encapsulation of packets for Ethernet.
Since your Mac isn't really on Ethernet, its packets will be
ignored unless you choose one of the zones that goes through the
router.
$$
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