Difference between revisions of "OS/2 Warp 3"

Revision as of 14:49, 14 March 2008

OS/2 Warp 3.0 Dialup Setup

Starting your Internet connection with the Bonus Pack

If you are new to the OS/2 Warp3 TCP/IP environment, the Bonus Pack TCP/IP option installs the dialer program, used for connecting your modem to the Internet. In addition, the TCP/IP install process includes client programs, like WEB Explorer, Ultimedia Mail, NewsReader, and utilities like Gopher, FTP, Telnet, etc. IBM in it's great wisdom, provided dialer programs to access both the IBM Internet (Advantis) resources as well as independent Internet Service Providers; we will be focusing on the later. Each of the client programs will work with either provider.

This readme assumes you have installed the TCP/IP Internet Access Kit (IAK) from the bonus pack.

OS/2 Warp3 will support ppp/pap (the preferred method) or slip and ppp (script) connections with the software that comes out of the box. Neither slip or ppp script will be addressed in this readme.

Most likely you will want to update your system as soon as you can in-order-to have the most current TCP/IP software available for Warp3.

Getting started

This procedure describes how to configure your system dialer for a pap connection. Please enter the following statements in your config.sys file and re-boot your system:

      set hostname=your_username 
      set TZ=MST7MDT

Using Password Authentication Protocol with PPP

1. Using the dialer is a very simple way to use PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) as by design, it is the default of the program.

Two problems found during testing may affect the operation of your machine. The first is that the program has a default lcp-restart value of 5 seconds (the documentation states 3 seconds). Secondly, the Xmission terminal server did not seem to be ready for the presentation of Warp's first lcp request, and subsequently gave up.

To correct this, create a text file, ppp.cfg, in your \tcpip\etc directory. Edit the file with the following entry:

lcp-restart 3 pap-restart 5

2. Set up the Dial Other Internet Provider (DOIP)

- Double click IBM Information Superhighway folder - Double click IBM Internet Connection for OS/2 folder - Double click Internet Utilities folder - Double click Dial Other Internet Providers - Click on Add Entry button and complete the following fields

              Login info page
Name			_your_chosen_userid_ (in upper case)
Description		pap
Login ID		_your_chosen_userid_
Password		_your_chosen_password_
Required		check
Phone Number		990-0900 (SLC or number for your area)
Login Sequence		NONE (in upper case)
Connection type	check ppp
Hangup			10

              Connect Info page
MRU Size		1500  (I use 1104 as my setting)
VJ Compression	check
Domain Nameserver	198.60.22.2
Host Name		anything  (I use my userid) 
Domain Name		xmission.com

              Server Info page
News Server		news.xmission.com
WWW Server		www.xmission.com
POP Mail Server		mail.xmission.com
Reply Domain		xmission.com
Reply (mail) ID		_your_chosen_userid_
POP Login ID		_your_chosen_userid_
POP Password		_your_chosen_password_

              Modem Info page
Modem Type		_select your modem from the list_
Com port		_select your com port_
Speed			57600
data bits		8
parity			NONE
Prefix			ATDT
Init string 1		default (using a USR Courier I use AT&F1)
Init string 2		default (ATS7=30S11=55)

Close the folder and chose the save option.

3. Now make a connection by clicking on the dial button.

If you get an Unsupported protocol (80fd) message, it can be ignored.

4. Try using the client applications; Ultimedia Mail, NewsReader,

 WebExplorer, etc.

Each client application has help functions for additional information. If a window opens indicating you are not connected to the Internet, be sure to select the Alternate radio button before making your connect selection.

Ultimedia Mail may prompt you to verify information. Once the program is running, you can set your time zone, signature, and reply to information via the Mail Cabinet | Cabinet | Settings book.

The NewsReader when first started will prompt you to load a list of news groups in order for you to make a selection(s) of the groups of interest. Double clicking a group will cause it to be selected. Also view the different parts of Options and Configure to make choices that meet your needs.

WebExplorer is pretty easy to use. If your wish to get rid of the announcement and shutdown query you can add a -q to the parameters line in the program properties. The number of threads can also be changed from the default of 4 to a maximum of 8; again on the parameter line add -t n where n is a number from 2 to eight (e.g. -t 8).

Updating your TCP/IP Software

Using the 'Retrieve Software Updates' program, also found in the Information Superhighway folder, was at one time a very acceptable way to perform the update function; however, since IBM released Warp4 the Retrieve software updates function has been greatly reduced to a minimum.

As a result, updates to WEB Explore, NewsReader, Ultimedia Mail, etc., have been lacking. It would be a good idea to go through this process a least once to gain understanding of the function and to correct a problem with the dialer (assuming it is still available).

This program will automatically update your software, all you have to do is select a component and then select install. Also bring in the package descriptions.

Select the 'Latest SLIP and PPP'. Select Install. Select and install the IBM Internet modem list (updates to modem configurations and commands).

Shut-down and re-boot your machine.

Reconnect to Xmission to test your new dialer configuration.

The other client program updates that were at one time stored in the "Retrieve Software Updates" format have been transferred to Xmission from another IBM site and may be used to update your system if you chose to do so. These; however, are in *.zip format and will have to be installed by you. Each function also contains a readme file for a detailed description of the install.

If you prefer to download the updates yourself from IBM, you can use the FTP program via

      ftp01.ny.us.ibm.com 

or you can now use a new function (available since Warp4) via your WebExplorer at

      http://ps.boulder.ibm.com/enhanced.html 

Please be mindful of pointers between Warp3 and Warp4, and those associated with tcp/ip and fixpacks for Warp3. I have not tried any of the WebExplorer functions with Warp3.

At Xmission, Warp3 TCP/IP fixes can be found in this library with subdirectories of:

nr2	NewsReader v1.25 (312255 bytes)
ppp	Slip and ppp dialer (583253 bytes)
tn	Telnet (180202 bytes)
uml	Ultimedia Mail v 2.1.004 (2588124 bytes)
web	Web Explorer v1.03 and base fix pn71501. Also 
included are beta versions 1.1b and 1.1d (3966492 
bytes)

Other considerations

Re-dial

The IBM dialer does not have re-dial capability needed when the modem responds with a busy signal or ring-no-answer, etc., in this case the user must manually initiate a re-dial. There is; however, a script, 'pppdial.cmd' available which can be used to resolve this problem. As of today, this script is shareware (free); you may get information about it via your WebExplorer at:

http://www.cam.org/~tomlins/pppdial.html

A copy of ppdial29.zip is also included in this library.

Because the script's install process is designed to sense information about your current setup, it is recommended you do this after you have gone through your dialer set-up. After installing the script, change the Login Sequence field on Login info page from NONE to

pppdial.cmd x:\tcpip\bin\your_file_name

Below is an example of what my pppdial response file (\tcpip\bin\rspfile.pap) consists of in conjunction with a pap connection.

GO
<span class="button">PPPDIAL_USE_DIALER</span>
<span class="button">PPPDIAL_INIT1</span> AT&F1
<span class="button">PPPDIAL_INIT2</span> ATS7=30S11=55&N15

Note that I chose to use the fields in the dialer with the exception of the modem settings because I thought it was cleaner.

COM port speed

There is also an enhancement available for your COM port speed beyond the ability of Warp3's code. The author provides a shareware version for a test period; after which you may chose to purchase a registered copy. Information about this product, SIO, is available via your WebExplorer at:

http://199.248.240.2/Index.htm

If you are using FaxWorks Pro v3.0, see the notes about mode in the modem page of the FaxWorks settings; it may affect your desired operation.

NISTIME

This neat little utility (nistime.zip in this library) will allow you to keep your PC's clock in sync with xmission and the rest of the world. Be sure to put a set SET TZ=MST7MDT statement in your config.sys. I have used this program with both Warp3 and Warp4 without incident. I use the following in execution.

      nistime.exe -m2 -s1

HELP and INFORMATION RESOURCES

There are many WWW sites available that can provide help and information regarding the use of OS/2 Warp and the Internet, but each of us have our own preferences, so I'll leave discovery of this subject open, except for the following. With over 20 months of Internet use with Warp3 and Warp4 I've only found four really useful sites other than the Usenet comp.os.os2.* groups. They are (I may have not pointed to a home URL) :

Help for Ultimedia Mail at

    	http://www.ibm.net/emea/umlhelp.html 

If multiple email ID's are needed be sure to checkout this information.

OS/2 Programs and Shareware at

    	http://www.musthave.com/OS2

Information on Internet Protocols - Request For Comments at

    	http://www.internic.net/ds/rfc-index.html

Information on HTML for building WEB pages

    	http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/html3/Contents.html

Netscape for OS/2 Warp

With a recent agreement between IBM and Netscape, an OS/2 version of the Netscape WEB browser has been made available. If you care to try this as an alternative (or in addition) to WebExplorer have a look at

     	http://www.internet.ibm.com/browsers/netscape/warp

where you can download a copy and other options, free.