Installing ZTerm – version 0.9

                                      To install ZTerm, insert BMUG Telecom A1 disk into your floppy drive. The       
                                        floppy disk will mount on the desktop. Double-click on the disk in order to  
                                        view the contents. 

Telecom A1 disk should look like this: 

 

The file Telecom A1.SEA is a self-extracting archive (compressed file) built with Compact Pro. If you double-click on this file, you will get a dialog box asking where to place the extracted file on your hard drive. Choose a location that has at least 1600 Kb of space.

 

The archive will then extract itself onto your hard drive. 

You will now have a folder called Telecom A1 on your hard disk. Double-click on 
the folder to open it. This is what it will look like:

Double-click on the Communications folder. It will open up and look like this:

When you double-click on the ZTerm folder in order to view the contents,  it should look something like this:

Double-click on the application ZTerm in order to get started.

Call waiting

If you have purchased the call waiting service from your local phone company and someone tries to reach you while you are using your modem, you will be disconnected. In order to maintain a session on a phone line with call waiting, you must add the following onto your dialing string: “*70,” for a touch-tone phone or “1170,” for a pulse phone. These commands disable call waiting for the duration of your call. 

However, this method of disabling call waiting is not available in all areas. Those users with call forwarding can also prevent interruption of BBS sessions by forwarding incoming calls on the modem phone line back to itself. This will produce a busy signal on the line. Make sure to reset call forwarding after you are done. 

Testing your modem

Before attempting to dial with ZTerm, you will need to ensure that your modem is turned on and attached to your computer via a cable connected to your Macintosh’s modem port, the port with the phone icon above it. The other port is the printer port, showing a printer icon. 

If you’ve checked everything out and it’s in working order, you are ready to dial a bulletin board service for the first time. The version of ZTerm on Telecom A1 has phone numbers for popular Macintosh bulletin boards such as the BMUG BBS, NJMUG, Twilight Clone, and BCS Mac BBS (now in Cambridge) built into it in order to make your life easier. You may also choose The WELL in Sausalito, World in Boston, or Netcom in San Jose, which are commercial online services connected to the Internet network. 

For this, your first telecommunications session, we recommend that you dial the BMUG BBS, even if it is a long-distance call. This is because this Guide covers the BMUG BBS in depth, and so it will be easier to get help if you run into trouble. If you live in area code 510 and own a 2400 bps modem, select BMUG 2400 from the Dial menu. 

If you own a 9600 bps modem, select BMUG 9600. If you have a 2400 bps modem, PLEASE dial only the “2400” phone numbers. 

If you live outside of area code 510, you will need to change the phone number entry in the ZTerm directory. To do this, select Directory from the Dial menu. You will be greeted with the ZTerm phone directory.

 

 

To change the phone number, double-click on the BMUG 2400 entry in the directory. A dialog box will then appear:

 

Add the digits 1-510 to the phone number, and then click on OK. You may then select the BMUG 2400 entry on the Dial menu in order to dial.

Once you have selected BMUG 2400, you will hear your modem dial the phone number. ZTerm will display a dialog box:

One of three things can happen: 

1. You will get a busy signal, in which case ZTerm will insert BUSY into the Response field of the Dialog box, increment the Attempts field, and dial again.

2. You will connect, but the bulletin board will not respond (see below).

3. You will connect to the bulletin board’s modem, in which case ZTerm will put up the following message on your screen: 

When you see this message, you should press <return> on your keyboard. You should then see a logon bulletin or a prompt for the system you are dialing. 

If you do get the logon prompt at this point, congratulate yourself on a job well done. Your modem, cable, and telecommunications software are all functioning, and you’re on your way.