Dialer Help Contents
CompuServe Internet Dialer Help Contents

The following Help Topics are available:

What is the CompuServe Internet Dialer (CID)?

Starting CID

Using CID

Disconnecting CID

CID Menus

For Help using Help, press [F1].  Help revised April, 1995.


What is the CompuServe Internet Dialer?
What is the CompuServe Internet Dialer (CID)?

The CompuServe Internet Dialer (or CID for short) is a stand-alone application that provides point-to-point protocol (PPP) access to the Internet through the CompuServe network.

CID makes Internet connection quick and easy by automatically using the same communications session settings that are already set up in your CompuServe Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM), CompuServe Information Manager for DOS (DOSCIM), Version 2.2 or later, and/or CompuServe Navigator, Windows Version (CSNav) software.  You must have the software already installed before you can use CID.

CID will also work in conjunction with Spry Mosaic-CompuServe Edition or any other Winsock-compliant TCP/IP application.  You do not need to do anything to start up CID.  It operates dial-on-demand, which means that when the application requires an Internet connection, CID automatically dials up the CompuServe network to begin connecting to the Internet.

CID will also work independently of any other application, so you can use it to initiate a PPP session by dialing the CompuServe network.  If necessary, you can change your communications session settings and/or your modem control settings.


Starting CID

Typically, CID starts itself; when any Winsock-compliant application needs to communicate with the Internet, CID starts up automatically in dial-on-demand mode.  No setup is required.

You can also start CID in stand-alone mode -- that is, independently of any other application -- by double-clicking the CompuServe Internet Dialer icon in the CompuServe program group.

During a PPP session, CID is minimized.  You can open it by double-clicking the minimized CompuServe Internet Dialer icon.


Using CID

Before you can use CID, you must be sure you have set up your communication session settings and specified the appropriate modem control settings.  These are the same ones specified in the CompuServe Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM), the CompuServe Information Manager for DOS (DOSCIM), and/or the CompuServe Navigator, Windows version (CSNav).

Note:  The session settings must include your CompuServe User ID and your CompuServe password.  Currently, CID can not prompt you for this information when it makes a connection.

Once your settings are set up, you can use CID as described below.

1.	Start any Winsock-compliant TCP/IP application by double-clicking the icon for that application.  When that application needs to communicate with the Internet, CID will begin dialing the CompuServe network (presuming you are not already connected -- in other words, no other TCP/IP applications are open and connected).

When CID begins dialing, you will see a Connection Status screen, which reports the progress of your connection.  When you connect, you will see a Connection acknowledgment.

2.	Once CID establishes a connection, the connection remains active until you disconnect CID.  You can run other applications over the same connection.

3.	You can set CID to disconnect automatically whenever your computer has been inactive for a specified amount of time, by choosing the Timers command from the File menu..


Disconnecting CID

You can disconnect CID at any time in any of the following ways:

•	Click the minimized CompuServe Internet Dialer icon and then choose Close or Hangup from the Windows System menu.

•	Double-click the CompuServe Internet Dialer icon (to open CID) and then either click the graphical Hangup button or choose Hangup or Exit from the File menu.

•	Use the Timers command in the Settings menu to instruct CID to disconnect automatically whenever all of your applications have been closed, or remain inactive, for the amount of time specified in the Connection Timer Settings dialog.  If you use this feature, CID displays a Notification screen when disconnection is imminent, telling you that your applications will be shut down in 10 seconds.  The screen then displays the countdown.  You can click the Continue button to resume using your applications.  If you want CID to disconnect, you can either click the Hangup button or wait until the screen disappears.

When CID disconnects, it will leave open any application that is currently in use.  If you try to access additional information using that application (clicking on a newsgroup in News, for instance), CID will automatically try to reconnect you.


CID Menus
CID Pull-Down Menus

CID has two pull-down menus:

File Menu

Settings Menu


File Menu

The File menu has three commands:

Dial

Hangup

Exit


Dial

This command dials up the CompuServe network through your modem, using the phone number you specified in the Setup Session Settings dialog.


Hangup

This command hangs up your modem, disconnecting you from the CompuServe network


Exit

This command exits CID.  (Another way to exit is to double-click the Windows System menu.)  If you are currently connected, exiting CID disconnects you (equivalent to using the Hangup command).


Settings Menu

The Settings menu has two commands:

Sessions

Timers


Sessions

This command takes you to the Setup Session Settings dialog, which contains the same information as the one in the CompuServe Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM), the CompuServe Information Manager for DOS (DOSCIM), or the CompuServe Navigator, Windows version (CSNav).  You can use the Setup Session Settings dialog to change any of the communication settings that CID uses to connect to the CompuServe network.


Specifying Session Settings

CID automatically uses the same communications session settings as those specified in the CompuServe Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM), CompuServe Information Manager for DOS (DOSCIM) and/or CompuServe Navigator (CSNav) software.  To review or change these settings, choose Sessions from the Settings menu.  This takes you to the Setup Session Settings dialog.

Note:  Any changes you make to the settings in the Setup Session Settings dialog while using CID also apply to WinCIM, DOSCIM, and/or CSNav.

At the top of the dialog is the Session box, which is for selecting, creating, and deleting sets of session settings.  The set that is currently in effect is identified by name.  If you have only one set, it is automatically named CIS Connection.

•	To select a different set, click the arrow next to the current set and then click the set you want from the resulting drop-down list.  This does not affect the current set specified for WinCIM or CSNav, or vice versa, so you can have different settings in effect for all three.

•	To create a new set, click the New button,.  This takes you to the New Session Name dialog, where you assign a name to the new settings.  Then you return to the Setup Sessions dialog and edit the settings as needed. You can create as many sets as you need, for connecting to the CompuServe network from different locations, different people using the same computer, and so on.

•	To delete a set, click the arrow next to the current set, then click the set you want to delete from the resulting drop-down list, and then click the Delete button.  Before the set is actually deleted, you will be prompted to confirm your intention.

Three of the buttons along the right take you to other dialogs that contain settings for use in special circumstances:

•	The More button takes you to the More Session Settings dialog where you can specify Logon Parameters (only as directed by CompuServe Customer Service) and enable or disable Carrier Detect, the modem feature that provides automatic notification if the connection between your modem and the network fails.

•	The Modem button takes you to the Modem Control Settings dialog, where you can change various command sequences currently used by your modem.

•	The LAN button is for use with WinCIM, DOSCIM, or CSNav if your computer connects to the CompuServe network through a LAN or modem pool.  Currently, CID will not work through a LAN.

Following are brief explanations of the individual settings in the Setup Session Settings dialog:

Alternate is the name assigned to the set of session settings that the Dialer will use if it can not connect to the Compuserve network with the current settings.  The pop-up list contains all the same sets as the pop-up list next to Current, plus [None], which means not to try any other settings if the current ones fail.

Name is the name attached to this account (normally the name you gave when signing up for CompuServe membership).

User ID is the CompuServe User ID number for this account.

Password is the CompuServe password associated with the User ID number.  It should appear as a line of asterisks or be blank.  (If it  is blank, that means you will be prompted to supply your password every time you connect to the CompuServe network.)

Before you change your password here, you must change it on the CompuServe Information Service (GO PHONES).  Otherwise, CompuServe will not recognize your new password when you try to log on.

Access Phone is the phone number your modem dials to access the CompuServe network.

Connector is the communications port through which CID communicates.

Baud Rate is the speed of data communications.  You should use a high baud rate (9600 or above) to communicate with the Internet.  If you change the baud rate, you usually must change the Access Phone number also.

Network is the communications network that connects you to the CompuServe network.  If you change the network, you must also change the Access Phone number.

Dial Type is the type of dialing your modem uses.  Tone means touchtone, Pulse means rotary, and Direct means your computer is hardwired to another computer that connects to the CompuServe network for you.


Specifying New Session Settings

Clicking the New button in the Setup Session Settings dialog takes you to the New Session Name dialog, where you provide the name for a new set of session settings that you want to create.  The name must be unique.

After you type in the new session name, click the OK button.  This takes you back to the Setup Session Settings dialog, with the new session identified as the Current session.  Then you edit the current settings.  When you are through, be sure to click the OK button to save your changes.


Specifying Modem Control Settings

Clicking the Modem button in the Setup Session Settings dialog takes you to the Modem Control Settings dialog, where you can supply or change the information that CID uses to operate your modem.

Initially, CID is set to use the modem settings currently defined for your CompuServe Information Manager for Windows (WinCIM), CompuServe Information Manager for DOS (DOSCIM), or CompuServe Navigator, Windows version (CSNav) software.  Any changes you make to these settings also apply to WinCIM, DOSCIM, and/or CSNav.

To change the modem, click the arrow to the right of the Modem textbox, and you will see a drop-down list of the modems supported by CID.  If your modem is on the list, select it and CID will automatically fill in the standard control strings for you.  If your modem is not on the list, select Other and check your modem manual to find the correct strings.

Following are brief explanations of the various strings:

Initialize initializes your modem.

Prefix (also known as the attention command) precedes every command.

Suffix (usually a carriage return) terminates every command.

Dial Tone instructs the modem to send tone signals when dialing (for touchtone phones).

Dial Pulse instructs the modem to send pulse signals when dialing (for rotary phones).

Reset resets the modem.

Hang Up disconnects the modem from the phone line.

Escape issues an Escape command.  (+++ , the default string, also hangs up some modems.)

Acknowledge is the string the modem transmits to indicate that it has received a command.

Connect is the string the modem transmits to indicate that it has successfully connected.

Failure is the string the modem transmits to indicate that it cannot connect, or that it has stopped receiving signals.

Error Correction is the modem instruction for error correction.  Click the adjacent checkbox to turn error correction on or off.  A checkmark in the box means error correction is turned on.

Data Compression is the modem instruction for data compression.  Click the adjacent chackbox to turn data compression on or off.  A checkmark in the box means data compression is turned on.

The Modem Security box is for use with a modem that is password-protected against unauthorized access.  In it, you can supply the required User ID and Password.

Speaker Off toggles the modem speaker off or on, if you have one.  Click the adjacent checkbox to put a checkmark in it (off) or to remove the checkmark if it is there (on).


Specifying More Session Settings

The More Session Settings dialog contains some settings that can be changed to meet special circumstances.  You open this dialog by clicking the More button in the Setup Session Settings dialog.

Following are brief descriptions of the individual settings:

Logon Parameters are special instructions that accompany your User ID number when you connect to the CompuServe network.  The only time you should make any changes here is when specifically instructed to do so by a CompuServe Customer Service representative.

HMI Time-out is not available while CID is in operation.  This setting is used, however, in WinCIM, DOSCIM, and CSNav.

Redial Attempts is the number of times CID will try to redial the phone if the first attempt does not work.

Enable Carrier Detect toggles the Carrier Detect feature of your modem on or off.  (A checkmark in the checkbox means the feature is on.)  If your modem has this feature, and it is on, then your modem notifies your computer whenever the connection between your computer and the communications network cannot be established or whenever the connection fails.


Timers

This command takes you to the Connection Timer Settings dialog.  CID references the settings in this dialog to determine whether an application is active, how long to wait after applications are closed or inactive before disconnecting, and whether to notify you when a hangup or reconnection is imminent.  Default values have been provided for you; you may want to change these options once you are familiar with how CID works.


Specifying Connection Timer Settings

Choosing Timers from the Settings menu takes you to the Connection Timer Settings dialog, where you can review or modify the information CID references to control automatic disconnection.

You can set the options in this dialog box as described below.

When any dialup application is open but inactive, hang up after: __

If all of your current applications are inactive (not in use), CID will hang up after the amount of time you specify.  Note that this may occur if you are merely reading information from the application; for an application to be considered active, you must either be searching for information or receiving information.

>	Prompt on Hangup

This option determines whether you will be notified and offered the option of continuing your connection when CID is about to automatically disconnect from the CompuServe network.

>	Inbound Activity

If you check this option, CID will treat an application as active when it is performing Inbound activity (downloading, returning results of searches, receiving data).

>	Outbound Activity

If you check this option, CID will treat an application as active when it is performing Outbound activity (sending or requesting information).

When all dialup applications are closed, hang up after: __

When all of your applications are closed, CID will, by default, disconnect you after the amount of time you specify in this field.

>	Prompt on hangup

This option determines whether you will be notified and offered the option of continuing your connection when CID is about to automatically disconnect from the CompuServe network.

>	Prompt before reconnecting

Whenever CID disconnects, it will leave any current application open, if possible.  If you try to access additional information in that application, CID will try to reconnect you automatically.  If you want to receive a prompt asking you whether you should reconnect at this point, select this option.