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1992-01-10
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█ HOW TO USE THIS TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE █
█──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────█
█ █
█ This guide is contained in the file SAPPHTS.DOC. You can print it out, but █
█ it works best if you view it via the SYSOP menu, which uses our SEE program. █
█ To do that, enter SYSOP at the DOS prompt, select INFO, then select TROUBLE. █
█ This lets you search the guide for keywords whenever you have a problem. █
█ █
█ Each problem described in this file is preceded by a list of keywords, each █
█ of which is preceded by a slash character (/). Thus, if you had a modem █
█ problem, you could press "F" (for Find) then search for /MODEM. By repeat- █
█ edly searching for /MODEM (press F3 after the initial search) you can █
█ quickly scan the file for any related problems. █
█ █
█ When in doubt about which keyword to choose, use the shortest one that can █
█ describe your problem. For example, if a user has trouble connecting, look █
█ for /CONNECT rather than /CONNECTION PROBLEM, since /CONNECT would match on █
█ /CONNECT or /CONNECTING or /CONNECTION and so on. Most important, avoid any █
█ plurals: search for /MODEM, not /MODEMS. █
█ █
█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/ANSWER/CALL
PROBLEM: Modem doesn't answer incoming calls.
This happens if the modem is not configured correctly, either in hardware or
modem settings. Check all of the following suggestions; one of them may solve
your problem.
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
HARDWARE PROBLEMS
···············································································
1. If, when you start up Sapphire, it does NOT have an error-free dialog
with the modem (i.e. if it complain about a carrier, or modem not
ready, or if the modem never responds "OK"), refer to the trouble-
shooting section concerned with those problems (do a keyword search for
(slash)CARRIER, (slash)NOT READY or (slash)OK).
2. If you have an external modem (a box outside your computer, as opposed
to a card inside your computer), check the following:
A. Is your modem plugged in? (Are lights glowing on the front panel?)
B. Is the modem plugged into the phone line?
C. Is the phone line plugged into the CORRECT plug on the modem?
(Some modems have one plug for the line and one for a handset)
3. As an aid to understanding the problem, try calling the modem on a voice
phone. Does it pick up the line? If it does pick up the line, do you
hear a carrier?
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
MODEM SETTINGS
···············································································
1. If you have an external modem, it may have some lights which indicate how
it is set, or what signals it is receiving. Check these lights and
settings, and compare them with the informatin in your modem manual.
LIGHT USUALLY AFFECTED
LABEL MEANING BY MODEM COMMAND RELATED ITEMS IN THIS GUIDE
───── ────────────── ──────────────── ───────────────────────────
AA Auto-Answer ATS0=1 Search for (slash)DIP
MR Modem Ready AT&D1 Search for (slash)DIP
TR Terminal Ready N/A
OH Off-hook ATH0 Should be OFF, not on.
LIGHT
LABEL MEANING COMMENTS
───── ────────────── ────────────────────────────────────────────────
SD Send Should flash when modem receives your commands
RD Read Should flash when modem replies to your commands
2. If you have an internal modem, you still have to make the settings
correctly, but you won't see any lights to indicate if your commands
have been accepted.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/ANSWER/SPEED
PROBLEM: Modem answers incoming calls okay at some speeds but not at others.
1. In configuring your modem, you must take care to set the X setting
properly. For example, some settings may not show the baud rate
properly. In general, use the highest X setting supported by your modem.
2. If you are having trouble at baud rates of 9600 or more, you will have to
consult your modem manual. A sample problem: the other person might be
trying to connect an HST at 9600 to a V32 modem at 9600 -- but the two
methods are not compatible.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/HANG UP/ECHO
PROBLEM: When user hangs up, modem endlessly echoes back to Sapphire.
Some modems don't have time to drop the carrier while characters are being
sent. For this reason, you have to configure the modem not to echo command
characters. This can cause an echoing loop when somebody hangs up.
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| The solution given here applies to most modems, but check your modem manual |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┬·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| MODEM HAS | |
| DIP SWITCHES? | ACTION TO BE TAKEN |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| YES | Set switch 4 to NOT echo characters |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| NO | Include E0 - not E1 - in your modem initialization command |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┴·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/CARRIER
PROBLEM: Sapphire says that the modem is presenting a carrier.
You must set your modem so that it does NOT present a carrier -- unless some-
body has dialed in and is connected.
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| The solution given here applies to most modems, but check your modem manual |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┬·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| MODEM HAS | |
| DIP SWITCHES? | ACTION TO BE TAKEN |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| YES | Set switch 6 to use CD line |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| NO | Try including &C1 in your modem initialization command |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┴·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/NOT READY
PROBLEM: Sapphire says that the modem is not ready.
1. If you have an external modem, are all wires of the modem cable connected
properly?
A. If you have a "null modem cable" (pins 2 and 3 cross-connected)
Sapphire won't answer.
B. Use some wire, a flashlight battery, and a flashlight bulb as a simple
continuity tester, check that the important pins are connected end-to-
end:
Pin 1 (or Pin 7) Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 8 Pin 20
The pin numbers are usually written in tiny letters on one of the
connectors, or pin 1 is marked with a little arrow.
2. Make sure that the modem is configured to use the Terminal Ready line.
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| The solution given here applies to most modems, but check your modem manual |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┬·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| MODEM HAS | |
| DIP SWITCHES? | ACTION TO BE TAKEN |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| YES | Set switch 1 to use DTR line |
├·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┼·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┤
| NO | Try including &D1 or &D2 in modem initialization command |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┴·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/OK/AT COMMANDS
PROBLEM: The modem never responds "OK" to the commands I send it.
Try configuring the modem at a lower baud-rate -- it may be missing some of the
responses. We recommend that you always initialize at 300 baud. The initial-
ization baud-rate is set via the SYSOP program.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /MODEM/DIP SWITCHES
PROBLEM: Modem has DIP switches.
Older modems have tiny DIP (dual-inline-package) switches (sometimes you have
to open the modem to find the bank of switches). In most cases, they are set
as follows:
┌·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┐
| The solution given here applies to most modems, but check your modem manual |
└·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·─·┘
Switch 1 UP: Computer should use the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) line
Switch 2 UP: Result codes sent as words
Switch 3 DOWN: Result codes are sent to the computer
Switch 4 UP: Echo incoming characters
Switch 5 DOWN: Don't answer incoming calls
Switch 6 UP: Computer should use the Carrier Detect (CD) line
These modems may also have switches 7 and 8; check your manual to see how
they should be set.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /RANDOM/CHARACTERS/NOISE/GARBAGE/CONNECTING
PROBLEM: Users see some random characters when they connect.
1. If only one user has this problem, ask him to try on a different modem,
or to try from another location.
2. If everybody has this problem, disconnect ALL phones at your house (even
those on other lines) except the modem. If this cures the problem, it
may indicate the problem. Some conference phones, for example, cause
leakage between lines, which causes line noise.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /RANDOM/CHARACTERS/NOISE/GARBAGE/CONNECTING
PROBLEM: Users see nothing but random characters when they connect.
1. If you have this problem during early testing, make sure that the other
person has called other BBS's before, at the baud rate being attempted,
and that the baud rate being attempted is within the capabilities of both
modems.
2. See also the previous trouble-shooting item (occasional noise).
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /COMMANDS/SET/NAMES/TEXT
PROBLEM: I don't understand how SET, NAMES or TEXT work.
These commands "tune" other commands to restrict or control what they report.
SET controls them by time, NAMES by the name of the person or file being
referenced, and TEXT by any text (apart from name-oriented text) that might
be presented by the command.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /USER/ENTER/INPUT/FREEZE
PROBLEM: User has to press Enter twice after each input.
The symptom is that the user will type some input, hit Enter, and the cursor
will "freeze" in column one -- before doing a linefeed -- and will not move
on until he hits another character.
This happens when the user sets his terminal program to send a CTRL-S whenever
he presses Enter. For some reason, some Macintosh terminal programs seem to
come pre-configured this way.
Over the phone, it is very difficult to explain to a user how to solve this
problem. In brief, however, he should look through his terminal program's
configuration section for something labelled "handshaking" or "ASCII protocol",
or something like that, and disable handshaking there.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /USER/INPUT/CHARACTERS/MISSING
PROBLEM: Some of the characters the user types are lost.
Sapphire can have problems with multi-tasking software such as DesqView. The
Sapphire serial routines are poll-driven rather than interrupt-driven. What
this means is that, if you're running multi-tasking software, your users may
lose characters when they type.
Poll-driven I/O offers total port compatibility with all hardware platforms
upon which Sapphire is likely to be run, but it does make it inappropriate for
multi-tasking machines.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /FILE LIST/FULL/DISK/SPACE
PROBLEM: File list is full
In most cases, the file list is self-maintaining, but if ALL of the files have
been on the list for less than 14 days, auto-maintenance is disabled.
When this happens, you can manually delete some files, using the FILES command
(when logged in at user level 8), or you can wait for a few days for some files
to time out.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KEYWORD: /PROGRAM/FAILURE/ERROR CODE/RUNTIME ERROR/IO ERROR/BUG
PROBLEM: Program fails with an error code.
Call our BBS at 514-345-8654 and have a look around. We may have a copy of
SAPPHTS.DOC that covers your problem or a new version of SRUN.EXE that solves
it. If that doesn't help, call our voice support line at 514-345-9578. You
can call 24 hours per day; our answering service will take a message if we
do not have technical staff on-site to take your call.
If you think you've spotted a bug in Sapphire, the most important thing you
can do to help us is make it happen on demand. That is to say, before you
report a problem, try to understand it well enough to make it happen on
purpose. Here's a checklist to help you assess the problem:
1. What do you think causes the problem?
2. How often does it happen?
3. Does it happen to everybody or just certain people?
4. Did it start just recently or has it always happened?
5. If it just started, what changed just before it started?
6. What have you done to try to solve the problem?