This file supplements the information in the _Product_ Help utility. It contains helpful information that is either not documented elsewhere or requires emphasis. The following subjects are discussed:
This software will work on any Macintosh running Mac OS 7.6 or newer with Open Transport 1.1.2 or later. However, this software will not work with Mac OS X. Mac OS X users can use the PPPoE client software included with Mac OS X. (See your Mac OS X documentation for more information about this.)
During installation on PowerPC computers an Open Transport connection module named "_ERA_File_" will be installed in your Extensions folder. This module works with Apple's Remote Access software to provide PPPoE connections. Other software also is installed to help you create and manage your network connections.
If you are running a version of Mac OS older than 8.5 or a 68K-based Macintosh, "_ERA_File_" will not work with your computer. However, it still is installed so it will be available to you when you upgrade to a newer Mac OS. (You can safely remove the file if you do not plan to upgrade your Mac OS.)
Also during installation on computers running a version of Mac OS older than version 8.5, an mdev (MacTCP Device) named "_MDEV_" will be installed on the computer. This software works with the TCP/IP Control Panel to create a connection to the Internet. Please note that "_MDEV_" will stop working if you upgrade to a newer version of Open Transport after installing _Product_. You can reactivate it by reinstalling _Product_.
If you are installing the application from a CD, insert the CD into your drive, locate the file named "Install _Product_" on the CD and double-click it. Follow the on-screen instructions.
If you downloaded the application from another computer, extract the file named "Install _Product_" from the downloaded archive file and double click it. Follow the on-screen instructions.
You also can use the Custom Install option to install individual components such as "_MDEV_", "_ERA_File_", help files and others.
NOTE: Your Macintosh must be restarted after installing the System Folder items. The Installer will advise you of this and will perform the restart for you.
WARNING: Apple Location Manager Users
Installing _Product_ could cause you to lose some settings in your current location set. Please read the section "Using Location Manager" before installing _Product_.
Whenever you restart, your Macintosh may ask you if you want to update the settings for your current location. This occurs because _Product_ installs new network configurations and makes them active. (See "About Network Configurations" for more information.) These new configurations are designed to enable your new software to connect quickly and automatically. To avoid altering your existing Location Manager settings, you should click Don't Update unless the specified location is the one you plan to use with _Product_.
When installing _Product_ for the first time, after your computer restarts, use the Location Manager to create a new location for the current settings for TCP/IP and Remote Access. (These settings will have _Service_ in their names.) Then you can use the new location whenever you want to connect to the Internet using _Product_.
Also note that the _Product_ Settings application and control strip module may automatically activate different configurations for the TCP/IP, Remote Access and Modem control panels. This may cause Location Manager to again ask to update the current location. You should choose Don't Update unless the specified location is the one you plan to use with _Product_.
When installing _Product_, the Installer will automatically create the network configurations necessary to connect to the Internet using _Product_. When using _Product_, the Settings application and control strip automatically may activate these network configurations.
To users unfamiliar with the Configurations menu item in the TCP/IP, Remote Access and Modem control panels, this looks like the software is replacing old network settings -- it is not. Instead, the old settings still are available using the Configurations item in the File menu of the appropriate network control panels. (If you never renamed the configurations, your original configurations will be named "Default".)
Furthermore, the configurations created by _Product_ have many of their settings locked. Locking these settings prevents novice users from accidentally changing them and thereby causing the network connection to stop working. If you want to change these settings, create a new configuration and change the settings in the new configuration.
If you are not familiar with Configurations in the network control panels, please review the Help documents available from the Help menu in each network control panel.
We know of several problems which might be important to you in _Product_ version 1.2.5:
- After installing _Product_, Apple's Location Manager may ask if you want to update the settings for your current location. This occurs because the _Product_ installer has created new network configurations and made them active. See the section "Using Location Manager" for more information.
- Multi-processor systems using DAVE from Thursby Software <http://www.thursby.com/> and connecting with _ERA_GUI_ may become unresponsive soon after the computer start up. This is caused by a conflict with the control strip module of DAVE version 2.5.2 and older. We have worked with Thursby Software to build a fix, which should be available in later versions of DAVE. Please contact Thursby Software for a newer version of DAVE if you encounter this problem. You also can avoid the problem by disabling the DAVE control strip module, or by deactivating the "Connect automatically when starting TCP/IP applications" option in the Remote Access control panel for the appropriate _ERA_GUI_ configuration.
- Specifying a URL in the Preferences window for _ERA_GUI_ configurations sometimes does not work. This happens when the URL is very long, or the configuration specifies a very long server or service name. For most users the best way around this problem is to not specify a server name in the Service Browser window. The total length of the service name, server name and the URL must be fewer than approximately 100 characters.
For the latest information about conflicts, incompatibilities and other issues related to _Product_, review the EnterNet for Macintosh FAQ available from
- The Preferences window now works with _MDEV_ connections. The configuration must be the active configuration (visible in the Settings window) when opening Preferences. These preference settings will apply to all _MDEV_ connections. (_ERA_GUI_ connections can have different preference settings for each configuration.)
- Choosing the option "Automatically connect on launch" will attempt to connect using the configuration displayed when the Settings application was closed.
- _Product_ now correctly converts _MDEV_ configurations to _ERA_GUI_ configurations when installing _ERA_File_. Previous versions incorrectly converted the named networks and did not work with non-English installations.
- _ERA_GUI_ connections now work on NuBus PowerPC Macintosh computers. Earlier versions would connect but would not read large incoming packets such as Web pages.
- The ENI Network Access Module (used for _ERA_GUI_ connections) was changed to more properly handle protocol timers. This change should have no visible affect.
- In prior versions the Settings application did not ask to save the configuration when changing the Connect Via option for _MDEV_ configurations. This problem is fixed.
- _ERA_GUI_ connections now report the secondary DNS information.
- The default MRU is changed to 1492 from 1454.
- Additional Settings application resources now are localizable.
- The Settings app Password field no longer supports Undo. This is necessary because the Settings app may not know what the password is on some versions of Mac OS.
- The Settings app now beeps and writes error information to the log when an unexpected failure occurs.
- The Settings application now automatically converts the last used _MDEV_ configuration to an _ERA_GUI_ configuration when it detects that it is running on a system recently upgraded to Mac OS 8.5 or later and there are no other _ERA_GUI_ configurations.
Features & Fixes New in Version 1.2.4
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- _ERA_GUI_ now works (again) with tunnelled networks which begin with CHAP authentication and use CHAP authentication on the second leg. (This failure was introduced in version 1.2.2.)
- _Product_ now correctly converts _MDEV_ configurations to _ERA_GUI_ configurations when installing _ERA_File_. Previous versions did not convert the password or properly support named networks.
- _ERA_GUI_ configurations no longer negotiate MRU when using default settings. (This is to work around lame Cisco servers which are unable to properly negotiate MRU.) The default MTU remains 1454. These settings are configurable using the EnterNet Administration Kit.
Features & Fixes New in Version 1.2.3
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- Connections using _MDEV_ now automatically disconnect when the computer is put to sleep. This should prevent the computer from crashing when being put to sleep with an open _MDEV_ connection.
- The software now detects when it is running on a computer which is not capable of sleep. This should prevent crashes on older computers.
- The Installer now creates a valid Modem control panel configuration for use by _ERA_GUI_. Few users noticed this problem because the Settings application automatically fixed the invalid configuration with the first manual connection.
- The windows in the Settings application now use the application font specified by the OS instead of using Geneva. Earlier versions had problems properly displaying text in some languages.
- Network Name addressing (also known as Radius Realm addressing) now works properly with _ERA_GUI_ connections. Prior versions corrupted the password when Network Name addressing was used.
- _ERA_GUI_ did not properly configure the network settings on some installations of Mac OS 8.5 and 8.6. This occurs when there is no Modem Preferences file. The software now correctly configures the network settings on these older versions of Mac OS.
Features & Fixes New in Version 1.2.2
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- _ERA_File_ can be configured to force PAP authentication.
- _ERA_GUI_ now works with tunnelled networks which begin with CHAP authentication and then switch to PAP authentication on the second leg.
- Easy Install normally will install only _ERA_GUI_ technology unless the computer is running a version of Mac OS older than Mac OS 8.6. _MDEV_ is always available as a Custom Install option. Some ISPs may choose _MDEV_ as the default configuration, in which case it will be installed as part of Easy Install in addition to _ERA_GUI_.
Features & Fixes New in Version 1.2.1
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- With prior versions the computer sometimes would not awaken from sleep if it had been put to sleep with an open _ERA_GUI_ connection. This now is fixed.
- _Product_ occasionally was causing a crash during startup on some iBooks (dual-USB). This now is fixed.
- _ERA_GUI_ can be configured to suppress outgoing LCP Echo Requests.
- _Product_ can be configured to use the default _MDEV_ configuration when starting for the first time. Normally _Product_ will use the default _ERA_GUI_ configuration when starting for the first time.
Features & Fixes New in Version 1.2
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- _Product_ now includes a native Open Transport PPPoE module (_ERA_File_) for communicating with the PPPoE server. (Requires Open Transport 2.0.3 from Mac OS 8.6.) This module uses Apple's Remote Access technology to automatically connect whenever an application attempts to use the TCP/IP network. PPPoE communications also are much faster.
- The Settings application automatically detects if the _MDEV_ or _ERA_GUI_ technology is in use and provides suitable controls for each.
- The Settings application can offer a choice of PPPoE services when used with the _ERA_File_.
- The _MDEV_ networking module now reports server messages in the log. (Previously these messages were displayed in a modal alert.)
- The _MDEV_ networking module now uses the DNS settings in the TCP/IP control panel when none are provided by the server.
- The _Product_ installer no longer removes TunnelBuilder modules from the System Folder. _Product_ and TunnelBuilder now should be able to coexist in the same system.
Should you find yourself in need of assistance with the application you should check the _Product_ Help utility before calling your support organization. The Help utility can be accessed either by selecting "Open _Product_ Help" from the application's Help menu, or it can be accessed directly. To access the Help utility without launching the application, double-click the file named "User's Guide.html" in the "_InstallFolder_" folder. This will display the help information in your chosen browser.
_Product_ is purchased by ISPs and other companies to enable their end-user customers or employees to access the Internet or to access their private intranets and extranets. Should the application's Help utility not provide the assistance you need, you should contact the organization from which you acquired it. Efficient Networks does not provide technical assistance directly to end users.
