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8.5 Sending/Receiving Files Directly
8.51 Person to Person
One of the quickest ways to send/receive files to a person (or even a company) is by the
direct modem to modem method. This could be via a BBS (many graphic design companies use a BBS
to receive files from their customers) or directly via a modem.
Why would you want to do this? The main reason is speed. Say you had a 1MB file to send to
someone. This could be put on an FTP site (if you or the other person had an FTP site) or
sent by email (although some large files can take longer to cross he system and they have
to be uploaded and then downloaded.
So, the other way is to call a friend (who you want to send a file/s to) and tell them to prepare
their modem for connection. How does this work?
- Configure AmTerm Preferences - you need to set the "local echo" option within AmTerm
preferences so it is checked (clicked on). This is found within the Terminal Folder
within the preferences GUI.
- Dial the Other Person - now you have to dial the other person. Goto the main AmTerm
window and type ATDT number (replacing the "number" with the actual phone number).
AmTerm will now dial the phone number.
- Auto Answer - the person at the other end has to "answer" the call. Although you don't
(as the dialler) need to do anything here, you have to make sure the person at the other end
knows how to "answer" the call with their modem!
All you have to tell the other person to do is to type ATA into their AmTerm (or any other
comms program) main window. ATA is auto answer.
If the person is calling you, you will see "ring, ring" within the main AmTerm window - press
ATA to answer an incoming call.
- Communicate - you can now talk to the other user. Just type text into the main
window and you will see what you are typing and the other user will see what you and they
are typing.
- File Transfer - when you are ready to send your file, goto the menu (see here
for more information) goto the AmTerm Transfer menu and select Send Files from the
list of options.
A file requestor will appear. Just select the file/s you want to upload.
If the other person is sending a file to you, the download GUI will appear automatically:
The file/s will upload and the GUI will dissapear once they are completed. Remember you can
also receive files in the same way. ie. the other person performs the same process as
above and you will see a GUI appear automatically when the file/s are sent to you. They will
download automatically to your download drawer.
- Goodbye - tell the other person you have sent all the files you intend to send and
click Hang Up at the top left of the AmTerm main window.
Many people ask "how do I possibly copy a large file from an Amiga to a PC?". If your PC (or
Mac or other computer) was in the same room you could either use CrossDOS/Mac to put the file
on a hard drive or ZIP cartridge (indeed this would work if you had a ZIP drive on your PC/Mac
outside your room) or you could create a null-modem cable to copy the files directly.
If the PC or Mac (or other computer) was not within the close proximity your best method is
to use your modem (providing the computer you were connecting to had a modem) to contact
the other computer and send your files in the same way as stated above.
Literally copy the same method as for sending a file to another Amiga (via modem). However,
remember that the files you are sending need to work on a PC/Mac or there is no point sending
them! ie. pictures, sounds, documents will all work (Amiga programs will not).
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