PC Pro 2000 March/DPPCPRO0300.ISO/Essent/Internet/DUNMgr/readme.txt

Text File | 1999-09-15 | 10.9 KB | 219 lines

DUN Manager - Readme File for Release 1.2c - 15th September 1999
================================================================


DUN Manager is a Windows 95, Windows 98, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000
application designed to simplify and enhance Dial Up Networking and Remote
Access Services.  Features includes single click connection start-up and
hang-up, monitoring of connections started by other applications, a
flashing icon while online, automatic disconnection options to avoid
remaining online by accident (including playing sounds), timed
reconnection to drop and redial a call after a specified period (where
short calls are free), a scheduler for automated connections and tasks,
detailed connection activity logs for problem finding, session cost logs
to determine telephone spending, logging of separate multi-link calls and
non-RAS calls (such as fax), keep alive, re-establish lost connection,
call waiting re-enable after connection, PC clock setting, program
launching, a performance graph showing data flow speeds with optional
logging, and various diagnostics including Trace Route, Ping Host, Finger
and Address Look-Up. DUN Manager includes over telephone tariffs for over
40 different countries, many with multiple operators (27 in the UK) for
accurate call costing.


Overview
--------

DUN Manager from Magenta Systems Ltd sits in the Windows 95, Windows 98,
NT4 or Windows 2000 system tray as an icon, allows a dial-up networking
connection to be started or stopped with a simple click, and flashing a
currency symbol as a reminder while online.  It also monitors connections
started by other applications. Sound effects may be associated with start
of dialling, successful connection, periodically while online as a
reminder, as a warning of idle connections, and when disconnected.
Multiple connections are supported, with redialling if the initial
connection speed is poor.  How connections are started is fully
configurable, as is whether a connection status window appears.  A
performance graph shows the historic transmit and receive data speeds
during and after the connection with the data optionally logged for later
analysis.  The PC clock can be automatically corrected from an Internet
Time Server.  Other applications may be launched when a connection starts
or hangs-up.

DUN Manager provides features to stop a connection being dropped (when
there are no telecom bills), to deliberately drop an idle connection (to
avoid large telecom bills) or timed reconnection to drop and redial a call
after a specified period (where short calls are free).  There is automatic
re-establishment if a connection drops, keep alive will stop the ISP
disconnecting due to idling.  Data flow hang-up will drop the connection
when it becomes idle, while timed hang-up drops after a specified period,
in both cases with a warning sound and a short period allowing reset of
hang-up checking to stay on-line.  The flashing system tray icon is a
reminder while on-line, particularly for those with internal modems, a
sound may be played periodically as a further reminder and a status window
can regularly appear.

Call waiting can be disabled before a connection and re-enabled
afterwards.  A scheduler allows connections to be automatically started at
specified times and repeated until a particular time.  Once connected, the
scheduler will run an application or perform various other specified
tasks.

Auto dial support means that when an application attempts to open a
connection to a remove server (by clicking on a web link), DUN Manager
will automatically dial the default connection, optionally giving a
warning prompt first.  If DUN Manager is not running, it is automatically
launched.

A connection activity log stores all progress messages for each
connection, the phone number dialled, session duration and performance
statistics, and is designed to be useful to ISPs for resolving connection
problems.  Logging shows multi-link calls separately, and also non-RAS
calls (such as fax, HyperTerminal and Ameol2).  If the modem keeps
connection diagnostics (K56K, X2 and V90) these can be automatically
logged after each call.  Old logs are automatically deleted after so many
days.  A session/cost log keeps a monthly tally of dial-up networking
sessions including telephone call cost, and is useful for checking usage
or telecom bills.  Each connection can be defined with a different telecom
tariff, to allow for discount schemes like BT Best Friend.  The time left
in seconds until an incremental call cost will occur is shown.  DUN
Manager includes over telephone tariffs for over 40 different countries,
many with multiple operators (27 in the UK) for accurate call costing. The
UK tariffs are taken from the Magenta Systems Ltd UK Telecom Tariff
Comparison web site: http://www.magsys.co.uk/telecom/.

DUN Manager also includes various internet diagnostic utilities, including
Address Lookup, Reverse Lookup, Ping Host, Trace Route, Finger and a
Telnet terminal for accessing remote servers.   All these utilities save
up to 30 previously used host names, easing subsequent diagnostic
sessions.

DUN Manager is shareware, developed by Magenta Systems Ltd, in the UK.
DUN Manager may be evaluated for 30 days, but must be registered if usage
is to continue.  Until registered, DUN Manager may display a nag screen
for a short period after each connection.  Registration costs ú25 (UKP)
which is about $41 or Ç38 (euro), and is done from the Registration
option within DUN Manager via email with an encrypted credit card number
or by printing a page to be faxed or snail mailed.


Tariffs
-------

Tariffs are included for the following 43 countries: Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Kenya, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand,
Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and the UK.  Further countries are
being added each month.


Installation
------------

If DUN Manager has been previously installed, it must be stopped before
installing a new version, otherwise there will an error while copying
the new files.

DUN Manager comprises a single program file DUNMAN.EXE (about 848
Kbyte in size, and three small DLLs. Installation will therefore not
effect any other Windows applications.  No software will be installed in
the Windows directory.  The only prerequisite is Windows 95,
(any version), Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, with TCP/IP
networking and Dial-Up Networking (Remote Access Services) installed.  DUN
Manager will work on 486/66 PCs with 16 Mbytes of memory, but anything
slower is not recommended.  For Windows 95, it is strongly recommended
that Dial-Up Networking 1.2 or 1.3 is installed, these are available as
upgrades from the Microsoft web site.  Performance statistics may not be
available with earlier versions.  Windows 98 already has DUN 1.2.

DUN Manager is usually distributed as a ZIP file which should first be
unzipped into a temporary folder.  If you do not already have it, the
Winzip application from http://www.winzip.com/ (or from most magazine
cover CD-ROMs, Tucows archives, etc) is strongly recommended. The program
SETUP.EXE should then be run to install DUN Manager.  About 1.3 Mbytes
of disk space is required for the software and documentation.  If you
have received an executable with a version number like DUNMAN12.EXE,
this should be run just like SETUP.EXE to install the software.

The DUN Manager icon is placed on the desktop, allowing easy start-up.
An 'Auto Run DUN Manager When Windows Starts-Up' option in Preferences,
Defaults may be specified to make DUN Manager start automatically each
time that windows starts.

A number of WAV sound files suitable for the events in DUN Manager may
be downloaded from the DUN Manager web site in file DUNSOUND.ZIP, which
should be unzipped into the C:\WINDOWS\MEDIA directory for convenience.

Once started, the DUN Manager icon should appear in the System Tray (next
to the time display) to indicate that DUN Manager is running.  Moving the
mouse pointer over the icon will display the current status for Dial-Up
Networking and Right Clicking the icon displays a pop-up menu with all
the DUN Manager options.  The behaviour for Single and Double Left
Clicking is configurable, but is defaulted to displaying the Status Window
and Starting the Default Connection respectively. While on-line, moving
the mouse pointer over the icon shows the current connection name, the
duration on-line and the call cost (if costing is enabled).


Restrictions and Notes
----------------------

When DUN Manager starts it now validates the Dial-Up Connections so
a warning dialog may immediately appear listing any problems found.  It
is best to immediately edit connection properties to resolve these
problems and prevent the dialog subsequently appearing.

DUN Manager has been tested on Windows 2000 RC1 2072 (aka NT5) and mostly
works as expected, except for Auto Dial.


Distribution
------------

DUN Manager may be freely distributed via web pages, FTP sites, BBS and
conferencing systems or on CD-ROM in unaltered zip format, but no charge
may be made other than reasonable media or bandwidth cost.  Any
notifications must state that DUN Manager is shareware with nags until
registered with Magenta Systems Ltd.  Please email Magenta Systems Ltd if
you distribute DUN Manager in some way, so you can be notified of upgrades
or other important changes.

DUN Manager may also be distributed or sold by partners.  For instance
dealers could pre-install DUN Manager on new PCs, and can then be assured
of receiving a commission from Magenta Systems Ltd if the software is
subsequently registered.  Please contact [e-mail] if you
are interesting in reselling DUN Manager with PCs or internet services.


Copyright Information
---------------------

DUN Manager is copyright Magenta Systems Ltd, England, 1999.

Magenta Systems Ltd
9 Vincent Road
Croydon
CR0 6ED
United Kingdom

Phone [phone], International Phone [phone]
Fax [phone], International Fax [phone]

If the above telephone numbers do not work outside the UK,
use the old London dialling code instead:
Phone [phone], Fax [phone]

Email: [e-mail]
Web: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/
Download: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/dunman12.zip
Alt Download: http://www.dunman.freeserve.co.uk/dunman12.exe
Sound files: http://www.magsys.co.uk/dunman/dunsound.zip

There is also a support conference on the CIX conferencing system,
cix:magsoft.  Information on joining CIX may be found at
http://www.cix.co.uk/.