TECHNICAL BULLETIN #81 - Rev 1.01 (2/19/98)
==============================================================================
TITLE : Using Telnet
PRODUCT : PROCOMM PLUS 32
==============================================================================
There are many technical details that must be resolved before you can communicate
via TCP/IP: setting up your system with a TCP/IP stack, installing Winsock-compliant
software, and connecting your PC to a network service provider or TCP/IP network.
However, these topics are beyond the scope of this document. Instead, this document
describes how to set up Procomm Plus for Telnet connections. In addition, it describes
two methods for launching your Telnet sessions, plus a tip on maintaining a list of your
Telnet connection addresses.
TELNET BASICS
Telnet connections are analogous to the familiar data connections you have
always made with PROCOMM PLUS and your modem. However, Procomm's Telnet client
does not communicate by controlling your modem; instead, it communicates with
underlying network-aware software. Specifically, Procomm's Telnet client interacts
with the dynamically linked library of functions included in the WINSOCK.DLL
that you obtained from a TCP/IP vendor and installed on your PC. Many vendors
provide this functionality - for example, Microsoft created a Winsock-compliant,
TCP/IP add-on for Windows for Workgroups. Similar to modem connections where
you instruct PROCOMM PLUS to use a specific modem, COM port, and phone number
to connect to a host (such as a bulletin board system), you make a Telnet
connection by instructing PROCOMM PLUS to use a directly-connected Telnet port
and provide it the IP address or name address of the host site. Using this
information, Procomm's Telnet client instructs the underlying network-aware software
to connect to the site. When the connection is established, data that is sent
by the site appears in the Terminal window.
CONNECTING WITH TELNET
You can initiate a Telnet connection attempt from within Procomm Plus in one of
three ways:
1. By double clicking a Telnet entry or group in the Connection Directory, or by
highlighting the entry and clicking on Connect.
2. By selecting a Telnet entry from the Rapid Connect list.
3. By selecting Manual Connection from the Connection Directory and supplying a
Telnet address.
Whether you select an entry from the Connection Directory or manually connect, you
will need the address of the specific Telnet host.
ADDING A TELNET-CLASS CONNECTION DIRECTORY ENTRY
To add a Telnet entry to your Connection Directory, follow these steps:
1. Open the Add Directory Entry dialog. Click on the New Entry button, or select
the Connection | New Entry... menu item to display the dialog. The entry class
selected when you open the Add Directory Entry dialog is determined by the class
you’d selected in the main directory window. If the Telnet class is not already
selected, click on the Telnet entry class tab.
2. Specify an entry name. Click in the Name edit field and enter the name to be used
for this entry. This information will be displayed in the Connection Directory entry
list, as well as in other dialogs that reference the entry.
3. Specify the Host name. Click in the Host/IP Address edit field, and specify the
Internet name or IP address of the Telnet site or host system.
4. Specify the emulation to be used for the entry. Click on the Terminal drop down list
box, and select one of the available emulations.
5. Specify other settings as desired. Once you’ve specified the entry’s Name, Host, and
Terminal fields, you’ve given Procomm Plus the minimum information it needs to connect
to your site or system. However, other settings are available in the Add Directory
Entry dialog:
Company: Click in the Company edit field to enter the company name for this entry. The
Company name is not required to connect.
Telnet Options: If you’ve created a custom named option set in the Internet, Telnet
Options group, click on this list box to select it.
Protocol: Click on the Protocol drop down list box, and select one of the available
protocols. You should pick the protocol that you’re most likely to use when connected
with the location you’re calling. If you’re not sure which protocol to choose, leave
this field for now; you can change it later if you wish. The Protocol setting is
provided as a convenience, and you can easily select any of the protocols supported
by Procomm Plus from the Terminal window's Quick Select Line.
Group: If you want the new entry to be a member of a group, click on this drop down
list box to select one of the available groups. If you don’t have a group available,
finish creating the entry and add it to a group later.
6. Add other entry classes, if desired. A single Connection Directory entry can contain
multiple classes. This can be very convenient if you have more than one method of
connecting to a particular site or system! To add an entry class, just click on the
appropriate class-selection button and enter the required information.
7. Save the entry. Once you’re satisfied with the settings you’ve selected for the new
entry, click on OK to return to the main Connection Directory window and create the
entry. To close the Add Directory Entry dialog without creating a new entry, click on
Cancel.
After you’ve created a Telnet-class entry, you can edit a variety of class-specific options
in the main Connection Directory window.
TELNET-CLASS SETTINGS
The fields in the Telnet-class Entry Info group are similar to those you might find in an
address book, such as a name, address and company name.
Name: The entry name, used to reference the entry in the Connection Directory, the
Action Bar’s Rapid Connect list, and in other areas of Procomm Plus. You can enter up
to 40 characters in this field.
Host/IP Address: The Internet name or IP address of the Telnet site or location.
Company: The business or company title for the entry. This field provides a convenient
way to locate entries, as it is referenced in the directory’s Find dialog.
Notes File: A text file to be associated with the entry. The default setting for this
field is [None]. To create a new file, select [Create] and specify a filename. You can
then click on Edit... to edit the file.
Logon Info...: Click on this button to open a dialog where you can specify logon
information for the site or system you’re calling. The Logon Info values are very
convenient if you’re using an ASPECT script to automate your connection to a host
system. Each logon string value is available in an ASPECT system variable after the
Connection Directory has dialed the entry. This allows you to easily reference them
from within a script.
Password: An entry’s Password logon string is reported in ASPECT’s $PASSWORD system
variable and sent when you select Data | Send Information | Password in the Terminal
window.
User ID: An entry’s User ID logon string is reported in ASPECT’s $USERID system variable
and sent when you select Data | Send Information | User Id in the Terminal window.
Miscellaneous: An entry’s Miscellaneous logon string is reported in ASPECT’s $MISC
system variable. and sent when you select Data | Send Information | Misc String in the
Terminal window.
Click on OK to accept the values and return to the main Connection Directory window. To
close the dialog without saving any changes you may have made, click on Cancel.
TELNET-CLASS BASIC OPTIONS
The Telnet-class Basic Options settings allow you to determine the basic characteristics
of the Terminal window after the connection is made, such as the current emulation and the
file transfer protocol.
Terminal: Click on this list box to select an emulation to be used when connecting to
this entry. Any Terminal named option sets you’ve created will also be included in the
list.
Protocol: Click on this list box to select a default file transfer protocol to be used
when you’re connected with this entry. Any Protocol named option sets you’ve created will
also be available in the list.
Data Options: The Data, Data Options option set to be used with this entry. By default,
this is set to normal options, but you can select another set by clicking on the list
box.
Script: An ASPECT script to be launched when this entry is used. Click on this list box
to select a script from among those stored in the default Script path defined in the
Data, Data Options, Paths panel in Setup. To specify how the script is handled, click
on the Setup... button. This opens the Script Execution Options dialog.
Capture: A Capture file to be associated with this entry. Click on this list box to
select an existing Capture file from among those stored in the default Capture path
defined in the Data, Data Options, Paths panel in Setup. To specify how the Capture
file will be handled when used with this entry, click on the field’s associated
Setup... button. This opens the Capture File Options dialog.
TELNET-CLASS TELNET OPTIONS
The Telnet Options settings determine how a Telnet connection made with the entry will be
handled.
Telnet Options: If you’ve created a named option set for the Internet, Telnet Options
group in Setup, you can click on this list box to select it to be used with the entry.
By default, the normal Telnet option set, or your current option set, is selected.
When negotiating the Telnet...: Click in this edit field to specify a terminal id
string to be transmitted when negotiating a Telnet connection for this entry. This
field is blank by default.
Telnet Port: Click in this edit field to specify the Telnet Port to be used with this
connection. By default, the standard port, 23, is used. Do not alter this setting
unless you are specifically required to do so by a Telnet host or site. Most Telnet
systems use the standard Telnet port, 23.
TELNET-CLASS ADVANCED OPTIONS
The Telnet-class Advanced Options settings allow you to fine-tune the Terminal window for
your session, and to specify some of the files used after you’ve connected to the entry.
Terminal Font: If you’ve created a named option set in the Data, Terminal Fonts panel
of Setup, you can select it to be used when you’re connected with this entry. By default,
the normal font set is selected; click on the Terminal Font drop down list box to select
a different set.
Terminal Colors: If you’ve created a named option set in the Data, Terminal Colors panel
of Setup, you can select it to be used when you’re connected with this entry. By default,
the normal terminal colors set is selected; click on the Terminal Colors drop down list
box to select a different set.
Meta Keys: Click on this drop down list box to select a Meta Key file to be loaded when
you dial this entry. By default, the currently-loaded .key file is used; this is
indicated by the [Current] setting.
Translate Table: Click on this drop down list box to select a Translate Table to be
loaded when you dial this entry. By default, the currently-loaded .xlt file is used,
indicated by the [Current] setting
TELNET-CLASS ACTION BARS
The Telnet-class Action Bars fields allow you to specify the Action Bars displayed in the
Terminal window when you connect to an entry. You can select Action Bars to be loaded at the
Top, Bottom, Left or Right border of the Terminal window, or in a Floating pad by clicking on
the appropriate drop down list box. By default, the currently-displayed Action Bars will be
used, indicated by the [Current] list item.
==========================================================================
To ensure that you have the latest version of this document, compare its
revision number to that of the same document on any of our support sites.
This technical bulletin may be copied and distributed freely as long as it
is distributed in its entirety and it is not distributed for profit.
Copyright (c) 1996 Quarterdeck All rights reserved.
==========================================================================
|