Accessing CompuServe with Your H/PC

By Don Hergert

Many computer users belong to CompuServe (CIS), and there is some good support for H/PCs available on CIS in the HPHAND and PALMB sections. Most users are familiar with the proprietary interface that runs on your Desktop PC, but it is not available for the Windows CE Platform. However many areas of CompuServe are accessible as text or ASCII based Bulletin Boards using your H/PC and the built-in Terminal Application. Here's how to do it:

Create a terminal icon

Tap the Start button on the Windows CE taskbar.
Tap the Programs group.
Double tap the Communications folder.
Double tap the Terminal icon.
Double tap the Make a New Connection icon.
Supply the name for this new Terminal icon. ("My Session" is default)
Select your modem from the drop-down list. ("Hayes Compatible on COM1:" default) If you have a PCMCIA modem inserted, it should be displayed in the "Select a Modem" box.
Tap the Configure button to go to the Device Properties dialog box.
In Connection Preferences, select your modem's highest recommended Baud Rate from the drop down list.
Select the Data Bits, Parity, Stop Bits, and Flow Control used by the system you want to connect to. For the Cassiopeia, it is probably best to just leave the settings at 8 Bits, No Parity.
Leave unchecked the following: Manual Dial, Use terminal window before dialing, and Use terminal window after dialing.
Tap on the Call Options tab. These settings are optional for normal dialing and modems. Change them only if you know you want one of the features involved changed.
Tap OK in the Device Properties window.
Enter the Telephone Number you want auto-dialed.
Tap the Emulation tab. Select the emulation you want for this Terminal icon. (DEC VT-100 or TTY (Generic).
The remaining properties on this tab are optional. Change them only if you want one of the features involved changed.
Tap the OK in the upper right of the Session Properties window.

Setting up your modem to work properly with Terminal

Attach your modem to your Handheld PC. If you are inserting a PC Card modem, turn off the Handheld PC, insert the modem, press the reset button and turn the system on. Always try to use the AC adapter with PC Card modems to avoid draining the Handheld's main batteries.
Make sure BEFORE ATTACHING THE PHONE LINE to your modem that you are connecting to an analog phone system. Most phone systems are analog, but many hotels and businesses use digital phone systems which have higher voltages running through their lines. DIGITAL PHONE SYSTEMS CAN FRY PC CARD MODEMS! If you're not sure, don' t attach it. If nothing else is available, a fax phone line will work. When you are sure it is a safe analog line, attach the phone line to your modem.
Locate the new Terminal icon you just created above and double tap it.
If at this point your system dials, the service you are calling connects, the Terminal window opens, and the service you are calling prompts you for user identification information. If this successfully occurs, you are finished with this section. Move on to the next section: "Getting CIS to Talk with You." If not, go to step 5.
If at this point your system dials, the phone is answered, you appear to connect but don't get a Terminal window (instead, your dialing window just stays there after the "noise" of the modem negotiation ends). Terminal is either having trouble with buffering, or with recognizing the connect string your modem is providing. Tap the Cancel button, and then tap the Terminal icon you've created.
Tap the Properties tool bar icon (the one next to the big X). This will move you back into the Session Properties window. Tap the Configure button, and then the Call Options tab.
In the Extra Settings field, enter \N0. This is a modem command to use normal buffering with no error correction. Tap OK, and then OK again. Then double tap the Terminal icon.
Try to connect again. If you get a Terminal window but no prompt from your service, press Enter a few times. At this point, you should get an identification prompt from your service. If so, move on to the next section: "Getting CIS to Talk with You." If not, go to step 9
If again your dial window just waits and waits, go back to the Extra Settings field, and add X0 to your previous modem command using the procedures in step 7. This is a modem command to produce the minimal standard set of return codes. Try to connect again. If you succeed this time, move on to the next section: "Getting CIS to Talk with You." If not, go to step 10.
If this still doesn't help, you'll probably need to scrap auto-dial, and enable the manual dial terminal session as a part of Terminal. You'll have to type the dialing string manually, but at least you will know when the dialing has been successful. When you see the connect string, press OK in the manual dial terminal session, and Terminal will start up with the new connection.
To enable manual dial, tap the Terminal icon you've created, then tap the Properties tool bar icon (see step 6), and tap the Configure button. Tap the Manual Dial check box to enable it. Tap OK and then OK again.
Consult your modem manual for the actual dial command syntax. For Hayes-compatible modems this will be something like ATD or ADTD followed by the phone number to dial.
Double tap the Terminal icon. You'll get a manual dial terminal window. Enter the appropriate dial string from step 12. You should hear your modem dialing, negotiating with your service's modem, and eventually you should see some sort of connect string confirming your connection. When that occurs, press Enter a few times. You should then see prompts from your service. Tap OK.

Getting CIS to talk to you

The regular Terminal screen should be before you now. Press Enter once. In the U.S., you'll probably see something like the following: 00 XXXX Ho t N e: This may be different in other countries. If you do get this prompt enter the Host Name, "CIS". The reason these prompts are missing characters is that CIS defaults to 7 bit words, Even parity. The Cassiopeia, at least as far as we've seen, can only communicate at 8 bit words, NO parity. The missing characters are actually the typical garbage high-bit characters of a parity mismatch, only they've been masked out by the VT- 100 emulation (if that was your emulation choice). If you used TTY emulation, you'll actually see the garbage high-bit characters in place of the spaces.
You should get the next prompt: " U er D: " Enter your User ID with a "+" appended to it at this point.
Now you should get this final login prompt:" Password: " Enter your password now.
You should now be in CompuServe. This is the Text mode, and everything runs using a simple menu system. You can enter GO [servicename] to jump around, or just follow the menu tree. Type Help to see more navigation information.
When done with CIS, just tap the X in the upper right hand corner. This will disconnect your modem from the phone line and exit your Terminal session.