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Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 10:58:07 -0600
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From: TIA Single User FAQ <tia-FAQ-single@marketplace.com>
To: jhunter@netcom.com (Jeff Hunter)
Subject: TIA Single User FAQ
In-Reply-To: <199505171654.JAA25967@netcom19.netcom.com>; from jhunter@netcom.com (Jeff Hunter) at W, 17 May 1995 09:54:28 -0700 (PDT)
Reply-To: tia-FAQ-single@marketplace.com
Status: RO



              THE INTERNET ADAPTER (tm) SINGLE USER FAQ 
                      Revision 1.2 (2/12/95)
        To obtain the latest version of this document, send blank
               e-mail to tia-faq-single@marketplace.com


This document contains the answers to frequently asked questions 
about the Single User version of The Internet Adapter (TIA) from 
Cyberspace Development, Inc. (CSD). 

***NOTE: Many installation questions are also answered by the TIA 
Single User Installation Instructions, sent to you with your TIA 
license code. You should also refer to the companion document for 
your personal computer (The TIA Companion for Windows" and "The TIA 
Companion for Macintosh"). If you need a copy of these or other 
documents in the TIA library, see the address listings at the end. 

***Fax-On-Demand Document: To immediately receive a user-friendly 
three-page document describing how to configure an Internet 
connection using a shell account and TIA, call the TIA Fax-On-
Demand line at 800-807-3601.

For easy reference, questions are broken into the following groups:

   A) How TIA Compares with SLIP and PPP 
   B) Troubleshooting your TIA Installation 
   C) Setting up your TCP/IP Software on your PC or Mac 
   D) TIA and your Service Provider 
   E) Purchasing, Licensing, and Customer Service 
   F) Other Questions



************** A) HOW TIA COMPARES WITH SLIP AND PPP *****************

Q: How can you have a SLIP connection and run TCP/IP applications 
like Mosaic without having your own IP address?

TIA runs on the computer where your shell account is located 
(called the "host"), just like any other UNIX software such as pine 
or tin. When you activate it, TIA sends/receives TCP/IP packets out 
over the net from the host's address just like those other 
programs. The "magic" part, as Adam Engst of TidBITS puts it, is 
that TIA redirects these packets back to your client computer (i.e. 
your PC or Mac) using the standard conventions of SLIP (Serial Line 
Internet Protocol).

Because TIA does the redirection internally, it does not require 
the client computer to have its own IP address. (However, your PC 
or Mac TCP/IP stack must still use a "dummy" IP address -- see 
section D).
......................................................................

Q: What is the primary difference between TIA-based SLIP and 
conventional "static" SLIP?

Technically, the biggest difference is that because the client 
computer doesn't have a separate address, it cannot be "seen" by 
the rest of the Internet, and thus cannot function as a server (for 
instance, an FTP server or POP mail server). However, from a 
practical standpoint, relatively few users run servers over SLIP 
connections because these applications are much better suited to 
full-time net connections.

We are aware of one significant client application that requires a 
unique IP address, which TIA does not support: "Talk" clients, used 
for two-way keyboard communications between two internet users. 

......................................................................


Q: How is TIA different than dynamic SLIP?

Dynamic SLIP (more properly called Dynamic IP) was developed to 
solve the same problem TIA does: how to provide SLIP without having 
to assign each user his/her own unique IP address, which is costly 
to set up and maintain. Dynamic IP accomplishes this by assigning 
user addresses from a pre-set "pool" at the time they connect, then 
returning addresses to the pool when users disconnect.

This means a small group of IP addresses can dynamically serve a 
large group of dial-up users, and no user-to-address table needs to 
be maintained. This technique, which usually requires special 
hardware, has become very popular with Internet service providers.

Technically, the difference between TIA and Dynamic IP is that with 
Dynamic IP, users still have their own IP address. But because this 
address is different with each session, the practical effect is the 
same as TIA: you cannot use services that depend on having a fixed 
IP address over time (such as FTP servers or Mail servers).
......................................................................


Q: Besides the lack of an IP address, are there any disadvantages 
to using TIA instead of Dynamic SLIP?

Because of the way it works, there is one TCP/IP protocol (ICMP) 
that TIA does not support. This is the protocol used by "Ping", so 
"Ping" does not work with TIA. ("Finger" does work with TIA.)  
Also, TIA does not work with CUSM ("See You-See Me") and NetTrek 
clients, because of the way they handle UDP packet transfer.

Besides a few other very minor differences, TIA is completely 
standard TCP/IP and SLIP emulated entirely in software, so it works 
with almost every new TCP/IP client package, including Mosaic and 
Eudora.
......................................................................


Q: Are there any advantages to using TIA instead of Dynamic SLIP?

Economics aside, there are three advantages to using TIA: first, 
with Dynamic SLIP, you must close and reopen all of your TCP/IP 
applications with each new online session. That's because each 
application needs to know your IP address, and it changes from 
session to session. This is particularly bothersome if you like to 
keep Eudora open, for instance, to check your mail several times a 
day.

Because TIA uses one consistent "dummy" IP address, this problem 
does not occur.

Secondly, with TIA you can switch between SLIP access and shell 
access in the same online session (back and forth, as often as 
you'd like).

Finally, a TIA connection typically exhibits a slight speed 
advantage over SLIP links of about 5% to 15%. This difference is 
due to TIA's more efficient method of handling requests for 
reissuance of packets.
......................................................................


Q: How is TIA performance compared to SLIP?

Surprisingly, TIA performance can actually be slightly _faster_ 
than SLIP (5% to 15% in tests). The principal reason is TIA's 
handling of bad-packet requests. When a packet of data is not 
received properly over the Internet, the receiving computer sends 
back a bad-packet request and the sending computer resends the 
packet. With conventional SLIP, both the bad-packet request (and 
the retransmitted packet) must travel through the slower modem link 
from the host to the user's computer. With TIA, bad packet requests 
are retransmitted directly from the TIA host, eliminating the slow 
modem leg and significantly enhancing overall throughput.

TIA performance can also be affected slightly by the following two 
factors, though as noted, TIA overall is usually slightly faster 
than regular SLIP:
  (1) The number of TCP/IP sessions a user has open can influence 
      results: at six or fewer performance experienced by the user 
      will be excellent, while at 10 or more performance will begin 
to 
      decline slightly. 
  (2) The load on the host can measureably reduce throughput, 
although 
      this is rarely a factor.
......................................................................


Q: I'm running TIA on a major national provider and sometimes 
everything seems really slow. What's wrong?

As stated above, TIA is virtually _never_ the performance 
bottleneck. Conventional SLIP would not be any faster. The problem 
is the provider's own network performance, especially at peak load 
periods.
......................................................................


Q: Does TIA support PPP?

No, but PPP support is coming soon in version 1.1, which will be a 
free upgrade to all 1.0x owners (see below).


***************B) TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR TIA INSTALLATION***************

(Note: These troubleshooting tips assume you have already referred 
to the TIA Single User Installation Instructions for answers to the 
most common installation questions and problems.)
......................................................................


Q: Do you offer any help for setting up Mac and Windows machines to 
support SLIP?

We do offer "The TIA Companion for Macintosh" and "The TIA 
Companion for Windows". These can be retrieved via FTP from 
marketplace.com or obtained by sending blank e-mail to:

tia-mac-setup@marketplace.com
tia-win-setup@marketplace.com

In addition, the TIA Web Page features several "SuperUser" FAQ's 
for platforms such as the Amiga that are extremely helpful. 
Finally, check the /tia/docs/tips subdirectory at MarketPlace.com; 
recent additions include an extensive FAQ for users of Windows NT.
......................................................................


Q: TIA and my Mac/PC appear to be configured correctly, but nothing 
works. What could be wrong?

The most common problem we see with otherwise properly configured 
customer setups is that they do not have a "clean 8-bit 
connection". By this we mean that hardware handshaking must be in 
use *from one end to the other*. This allows the connection to 
carry all 256 possible characters. XON/XOFF flow control, also 
known as software flow control, can not be used anywhere in the 
serial chain -- or SLIP will not work. 

Software flow control by design will interpret some characters and 
key combinations as commands intended as input to the processes 
that control your serial link. For example, you may dial into your 
host computer through a terminal server that responds to certain 
key combinations (known as "escape sequences"), allowing you to 
suspend or "escape" from your current serial session and initiate a 
separate activity. Your connection will attempt to interpret these 
characters instead of passing them through.

Make sure your SLIP software is set to use hardware handshaking and 
that you have a hardware handshaking modem cable and high speed 
modem that supports hardware handshaking. You might also want to 
ask your local sysadmin to ensure that the connection on the host 
side is 8-bit clean - i.e. that XON/XOFF is *not* used on the host 
side.
......................................................................


Q How can I determine if I have an 8-bit clean connection?

This is best handled in two steps. First confirm whether you have 
an 8-bit connection. A simple test your UNIX system might support 
is the command 'sz -TT' which attempts to output all 256 ASCII code 
combinations to the terminal (i.e., your personal computer). You 
can issue this command and watch the results to see which codes get 
"eaten" by your setup. 

There is a separate test you can perform to see if you have an 8-
bit serial connection. As with the 'sz-TT' command, it will not 
confirm if the connection is "clean." In other words, your 
connection may still lose certain characters and key combinations 
sporadically, for example due to blockage by a terminal server, 
even if it passes this test. However, it will tell you if the full 
character set is supported and if your modem is properly set for 8-
bit communications.

Via anonymous FTP, in binary mode, download the file 'ascii.bin' to 
your host computer from the tia directory on marketplace.com. Then 
make a backup copy of this file on your unix host for later 
comparison. At the command prompt on your host, type:

cp ascii.bin ascii.bak

Now download the file ascii.bin to your PC/MAC using zmodem in 
binary mode. (It is very important to specify binary mode for 
zmodem since by default zmodem escapes control characters.) At the 
command prompt on your UNIX host, type

sz -b ascii.bin

and then initiate the download on your personal computer, using 
communications software that supports zmodem (typically, you 
received a couple such programs when you purchased your modem or 
personal computer). Next, upload the result file from your Mac/PC 
back to the host. At the UNIX command prompt type

rz 

and then initiate the zmodem upload, in *binary* mode, from your 
PC/Mac.

Once the process is complete compare the original file ascii.bak 
with the test file ascii.bin:

diff ascii.bin ascii.bak

The files should be identical. If they are not then you do not have 
an 8-bit serial connection and SLIP (i.e. TIA) will not function 
properly. If you do not have an 8-bit connection please check your 
client setup first (modem, cable, SLIP software settings). If they 
are functioning properly then contact your local sysadmin.

If you *do* have an 8-bit connection and still have trouble, the 
second step is to evaluate these other potential sources of 
difficulty to determine if lack of a "clean" connection is the 
likely obstacle:

*  TCP/IP stack: Confirm whether it is properly installed on your 
personal computer. Start your TCP/IP stack and confirm that it 
connects to your host computer properly. It should give a 
confirmation when connected and functioning properly. For example, 
the Trumpet stack when installed and launched gives this message 
when it successfully connects to the host computer: "Ready to your 
SLIP software." Be sure you have configured your stack with the 
correct Domain Name Server addresses for your host. 

*  TCP/IP applications: If your applications are configured 
properly, they should launch without a hitch but have problems 
connecting to other systems. Typical error messages: "Unable to 
resolve host" and "Cannot find Domain Server". If you've configured 
your stack with correct Domain Name Server information, then your 
problem lies either with your dial-up connection to the host, or, 
if you are connecting to your host through multiple machines using 
telnet or rlogin, with one of these secondary connections. 

*  Telnet and rlogin: If using telnet or rlogin, instruct these 
programs to not recognize any escape character sequences. For 
telnet, start telnet at the UNIX prompt and then type

set escape off

If your telnet program does not recognize this command, simply type 
"help".

For rlogin, you can usually obtain syntax information by simply 
typing at the command prompt

rlogin

Confirming the function of your client software, serial cabling, 
modem, intermediate links (e.g., telnet links), and terminal server 
performance should allow you to identify the source of your 
connection problem. 

[NOTE: We plan to document here in coming months some commands that 
you can use to confirm the function of your terminal server.]
......................................................................


Q: On my Windows PC when using Trumpet Winsock and Mosaic 
everything works except I keep getting Domain Name Server lookup 
errors when I try to use Mosaic. Why?

It is very important that your DNS setting in the trumpwsk.ini 
match the SMTP setting in the mosaic.ini. If these don't match, 
Mosaic will get DNS errors. If they do match Mosaic should resolve 
domain names.
......................................................................


Q: I don't want to get an evaluation code until I'm sure the TIA 
binary I need for my platform is available. But I'm not exactly 
sure what my host platform is. How can I find out?

One of the easiest and fastest ways is to use the "Config.Guess" 
script from the Free Software Foundation (the GNU folks). It's 
available on Marketplace.com via anonymous FTP or gopher. Full 
instructions for using it are in a separate text file, as well as 
in the TIA Single User Installation Instructions.
......................................................................


Q: I installed TIA but I get "Exec Format Error" or "Cannot Execute 
Binary File" each time I start TIA on my UNIX host. Why?

This means the TIA binary you have downloaded is not the correct 
one for that UNIX host. The most common case we see is a customer 
attempting to run the sparc.sunOS.tia binary on a Motorola 680x0-
based Sun workstation. This won't work since the SPARC chip is not 
binary compatible with the Motorola 680x0 processor. 

For example: if when you run config.guess on your host account you 
receive

m68k-sun-sunos4.1 

your system will not run sparc.sunOS.tia. While the operating 
system on your host matches the target operating environment for 
this tia binary, the hardware platform does not (Motorola 68000 vs. 
Sun Sparc).

To solve this problem, double-check the results of running the 
config.guess script (described in your TIA installation 
instructions) with the name of the TIA binaries in the 'tia' and 
'tiabeta' directories available via FTP from marketplace.com. Then 
download the correct binary. It is possible we do not have a TIA 
binary for your platform. If so please e-mail tia-
ports@marketplace.com and request a version of TIA for your 
platform. Be sure to include the output of config.guess as it 
appears on your screen.
......................................................................


Q: I know I have correctly identified my host platform, but trying 
to run TIA produces a core dump. What's wrong?

The existing HP-UX binary causes intermittent core dumps. This is a 
known bug and we are working on it. Otherwise, we've heard of this 
problem only with corrupted copies of the TIA binary, and the cause 
has always been retrieving the binary via gopher rather than FTP. 
FTP is a more reliable retrieval method. Even if your host platform 
is HP-UX, we recommend that you try this method.
......................................................................


Q: I'm trying to install a Single User evaluation version and I 
keep getting the error message: "Problem: TIA cannot verify the 
time." Why does TIA need to verify the time, and what can I do 
about this?

Evaluation copies of TIA use public time servers on the Internet to 
monitor the beginning and end of the evaluation period for 
evaluation licenses. Unfortunately a few sites have what are called 
"firewalls" setup for security reasons which prevent TIA from 
reaching those time servers. We are sorry for the inconvenience, 
but at the moment this means you may not be able run an evaluation 
copy of TIA within those sites. 

Only some firewalls will demonstrate this problem. If you think you 
have a firewall at your site, it's best to just try the free 
evaluation and see if it works.

If you *know* you are not behind a firewall, try again later in 
case there is a network problem. If you still encounter problems, 
let us know. TIA has been successfully tested and installed on many 
sites, but given the many environments on the net, there may be a 
problem we haven't encountered before.

Since this difficulty applies only to the Evaluation version, the 
only workaround at present is to purchase a copy and then request a 
refund if you decide TIA doesn't work for you (which we will gladly 
provide). A purchased copy of TIA should have no problems running 
behind a firewall, or even on a network not connected to the main 
Internet, because it does not need to check the time.
......................................................................


Q: Even though I know my login and domain name are correct, TIA 
gives me the error message that my login and/or domain name doesn't 
match my code. Why?

This is usually due to stray spaces, extra carriage returns, or 
other control or "hidden" characters being tacked on to the end of 
the TIACODE line in the file that contains your license code. The 
TIACODE line should end with a carriage return immediately after 
the last TIACODE character.

Problems with the TIACODE usually occur when customers have 
uploaded the .tia file from their Mac or PC to their UNIX shell 
account. Make sure your TIACODE has not been truncated, added to, 
or changed from the original TIA License Code e-mail message. 
(Thanks to J. Charles Ferrari.)
......................................................................


Q: When I start it, TIA works but gives me the message: "TIA had 
difficulty finding the time. In the future if you invoke TIA with 
the command "TIA -TIME" it should work faster. What does this mean?

In some cases the Evaluation version of TIA can work around a 
firewall by using a second method of finding the time. This takes 
longer since TIA tries the method that works for most people first. 
If TIA needs to use the second method, you'll see the message 
above.

Invoking TIA with the "-time" parameter will use the second method 
first, saving you time on startup. (Unfortunately even this second 
method may not work with all firewalls.) Note that while TIA is 
searching/waiting for a time response it will seem to "hang". If 
you wait long enough TIA will time-out and give you a message.
......................................................................


Q: I started TIA and now I want to exit, but it won't respond. Do I 
have to disconnect my modem to break out?

No. Type five Control-C's (Cntl Key + 'C' key, pressed 
simultaneously) in succession, allowing at least two seconds 
between the first and last one. This will cause TIA to exit 
normally and return you to the UNIX prompt. 

This allows you to switch between SLIP and shell access in the same 
session, a feature completely unique to TIA.

Special Note for Trumpet Users: When you are ready to exit TIA 
choose the "Manual login" option from the "Dialler" menu again - 
this takes you out of SLIP (on the PC side). Then, to end your TIA 
session, type five consecutive CTRL-Cs in moderate succession (you 
may need to try this more than once). This should leave you back at 
the UNIX prompt where you began.
......................................................................


Q: I'm trying to use TIA via telnet but it doesn't seem to work. 
What's wrong?

TIA will work via a dial-up or telnet connection. But you must make 
sure that you have an "8-bit clean" connection or TIA will *not* 
work. This means the connection must be setup to use eight bits 
(not seven) and have no control or escape characters. Eight bits 
may not be the default on your terminal server but most terminal 
servers have commands to place you in 8-bit mode.

Background on terminal servers: When you login, your call *may* be 
handled first by a "terminal server", which is a process that 
intercepts your call before it reaches your host computer. You know 
your connection includes a terminal server if, when you dialup, you 
find yourself immediately at a prompt, with no request for login 
name and password. If this matches your login procedure, then after 
connecting (but before logging in or launching TIA) type at the 
command line

set escape off

If this command produces an error message, check the documentation 
for your terminal server or ask your friendly local SysAdmin.
......................................................................


Q: I'm trying to use TIA but I seem to be having some odd serial 
communication problems. What could be wrong?

Could be one of any number of things. Here are a few items to 
check:

* SLIP requires fast-moving bytes. If you are trying to use TIA 
(and Mosaic, etc.) with a modem slower than 14400 baud you should 
probably upgrade your modem! It is important that your modem be 
based on the "16550 UART" chip. Older/slower modems rely on the 
8250 UART ("Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), which 
won't support proper communications. (Sorry!)

* If you are using an external modem, your serial port may be 
acting as a bottleneck if the port is based on the aforementioned 
8250 UART. From a Windows PC, you can check your port hardware by 
typing "msd" at the command prompt and selecting the "Comm Ports" 
option. Please note that TIA is just a "pipe"; it performs no 
operations on packets it receives, so it can't be a bottleneck. 
Because it only redirects packets, it will never affect packet 
speed.

* SLIP requires hardware handshaking. Make sure your modem supports 
this, that you have a cable that supports it, and that your 
software is set with hardware handshaking ON (i.e. not XON/XOFF).

* If you are using TIA from a PC make sure your serial card has a 
16550 UART and, if possible, a buffer. These items will ensure your 
SLIP connection works and if it is already working will ensure you 
get optimum performance.
......................................................................


**********C) SETTING UP YOUR TCP/IP SOFTWARE ON YOUR PC OR MAC********

NOTE: For detailed instructions on setting up your TCP/IP software 
on your PC or Mac, first consult the Single User Installation 
Instructions and the TIA Companion for your personal computer type. 
For help with writing script files to automate your login 
procedure, check the TIA TCP/IP Help File at Marketplace.com. This 
can be obtained via Gopher and World Wide Web or by sending blank 
e-mail to:

   tia-tcpip-info@marketplace.com
......................................................................


Q: Why do I need software on my PC or Mac? Isn't TIA an Internet 
access program?

Unlike many commercial Internet access packages, TIA is an Internet 
access "utility". It does NOT run on your PC or Mac. It runs _only_ 
on the Internet host computer you are connecting to.

To communicate with TIA (as with any other SLIP or PPP account), 
you need to run special software on your PC or Mac. This software 
consists of a "TCP/IP stack" at the bottom layer, and TCP/IP 
applications software (like Mosaic) on the top layer. Mac users 
also need to include a SLIP or PPP program in the middle layer.
......................................................................


Q: Does Eudora and other "POP" mail software work with TIA?

Absolutely. You will need to know the name of your POP mail server, 
but that is usually very easy to locate. Eudora and other POP mail 
clients work exactly the same way with TIA as they do with SLIP.
......................................................................


Q: Can I use newsreaders with TIA?

Yes -- if you can read news from your shell account, you can use a 
graphical TCP/IP newsreader. Again, you will need to know the name 
of your news server (i.e. the news server accessed by your host).
......................................................................


Q: Does CUSM (CE-You-See-Me) work with TIA?

No. A CUSM client won't accept UDPs (User-Defined Packets) that 
have been redirected. TIA, of course, redirects packets. We plan to 
investigate modifications to TIA for future releases that would 
solve this problem. A solution apparently would also allow use of 
the Netrek game program.
......................................................................


Q: I've been told I can use a "dummy" IP address of 1.1.1.1 with 
TIA. Will that work?

A question has come up recently whether it works with some versions 
of MacTCP. In any case, should you ever worry about this, use the 
address 192.0.2.1, which is within a test network that is defined 
as never-to-be-assigned and should work with all TCP/IP software.
......................................................................


Q: Where can I find these gateway and nameserver addresses that I 
need?

We built a special feature into TIA that makes this easy: just run 
TIA with the "-address" parameter, i.e. type at the UNIX command 
line

   tia -address

This doesn't start TIA, but rather has TIA query the host and 
report back to you the addresses of the Gateway and Nameservers 
that it read from the host computer it is running on.

Sometimes "tia -address" will not work, in which case you can type 
(from the shell prompt):

   whois -h internic.net domain.xxx

where domain.xxx is the name of your "top level" domain (i.e. the 
last two parts of your e-mail address). This will show you the 
addresses of the nameservers for that domain name. Use one of those 
as the nameserver in your TCP software.
......................................................................


Q: Are there any other tools to help me debug the SLIP and TCP/IP 
setup?

For the Macintosh there is a great public domain tool called MacTCP 
Watcher. This is a good way to test if your TCP/IP setup is 
configured properly. If so, it helps you narrow the problem down to 
the TCP/IP applications themselves. MacTCP Watcher is available via 
FTP from ftp.farces.com. It is easy to run and has buttons to test 
TCP UDP and DNS. Please note that it also includes a PING test but 
TIA does not support PING. 
......................................................................


Q: I'm already using PPP software. If I want to use TIA, do I have 
to switch to SLIP software? And isn't SLIP inferior to PPP?

First, we plan to add PPP support in version 1.1 as soon as 
possible. Secondly, since PPP is a newer and more robust protocol 
than SLIP, many PPP packages also support SLIP, so you simply may 
need to switch modes. And lastly, with the type of programs that 
most TIA users (and dynamic IP users) are using, the benefits of 
PPP over SLIP are almost negligible.
......................................................................


Q: I'm totally confused by all this SLIP and TCP/IP software setup 
stuff. Where can I go for help?

You and half the planet. That's why there are at least two dozen 
commercial software companies scrambling to offer you a one-stop 
solution. After hours of experimentation, these commercial 
alternatives can start to look more attractive, and indeed some of 
them are excellent packages -- that also come with technical 
support.

A more economical solution is one of the many popular Internet 
books that include client software disks. One of our personal 
favorites is Adam Engst's "The Internet Starter Kit" in both 
Windows and Macintosh editions. It's available from SoftAware in 
Los Angeles at 310-314-1466 and at many larger bookstores.

SoftAware also specializes in setting up accounts to run with TIA.

Finally, the net itself is full of resources aimed at helping new 
dial-up SLIP/PPP users, and if you have shell access, you can reach 
most of them. We are assembling pointers to the best ones we can 
find currently, and they are available both on the Marketplace.com 
gopher and Web menus and via e-mail (see the addresses at the end).
......................................................................


Q: I have SLIP working but it seems very slow. What is wrong?

On Macintosh computers this can be due to an extension conflict. 
For example we have had reports of the CP DriveLight extension on a 
PowerMac slowing down file transfers by a factor of two. 

Also on Macintosh computers we have seen this due to the use of 
virtual memory or when using any extension that invokes virtual 
memory like RAM Doubler. To test this, turn off virtual memory and 
boot your Mac with minimal extensions. (Thanks to Steven Blacher.)

The version of SLIP and/or TCP/IP software you are using can also 
have a significant impact on performance. We have evidence of this 
with both Trumpet Winsock and InterSLIP. Be sure and check 
marketplace.com (via gopher or world wide web) and see which 
versions of software are currently recommended in our online 
documentation.

On any platform start with your SLIP software set to use the 
highest modem speed possible (e.g, 38K or 57K). Just to keep it 
confusing we have also heard that *reducing* this speed (e.g., from 
38K to 19.2K) in some cases actually increases file transfer speeds 
radically. The moral of this story is don't be afraid to experiment 
with settings to improve your bandwidth! (Thanks to Kevin Daberkow)

Also try experimenting with using and not using modem compression. 
Data that is already compressed (e.g., by disk file compression 
utilities) may actually transfer more slowly when run through a 
second compression program. In general, however, it is better to be 
using modem compression for transferring uncompressed data. (Thanks 
to Tim Onders)

Finally, without trying to sound completely as if we're in advanced 
denial, we want to point out that if TIA is installed and 
functioning on your host (i.e., you've started TIA successfully at 
the command prompt, which is signalled by TIA issuing the startup 
banner that concludes with "Ready to start your SLIP software"), 
under no known circumstances has it been found the source of a 
speed problem. TIA performs no operation at all on packets that it 
receives from client machines. Its sole taks is to redirect 
packets. As a result, in tests TIA uses only a tiny fraction of 
overall host CPU resources, even in heavily-loaded systems. We thus 
urge you to consider other points in the complex TCP/IP 
communications stream first when trying to identify links that are 
slowing performance.
......................................................................


*****************D) TIA AND YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER*********************

Q: Isn't my service provider going to be upset that I can access 
SLIP from my shell account when they charge more for SLIP accounts?

Indeed, since TIA's release we have spoken to numerous providers 
who have mixed feelings about TIA. Some feel it is a great solution 
for getting more functionality from existing hardware and giving 
more customers access to SLIP. Others feel it allows customers to 
access the provider's facilities in ways for which they were not 
designed and that do not fit within their business models.

We knew this would be a controversial issue when we decided to 
develop TIA. But our feeling was simply this: TIA is a tool that 
enables easier graphical access to the Internet, and thus it should 
be available to as wide an audience as possible. That's why we 
decided to sell it to individuals as well as organizations and 
access providers.
......................................................................


Q: Can my access provider ban the use of TIA?

It would certainly be their legal right to do so. Whether this is 
the best political or economic decision is another matter.

We would prefer, of course, to work with access providers to be 
sure TIA can be made available to their customers in such a way 
that both benefit, and we are currently working on modifications 
that allow this. If you believe your access provider might ban TIA, 
encourage them to talk to us first. 
......................................................................


Q: Does TIA put a strain on my access provider's machine?

In extensive load tests at Colorado Supernet where TIA was beta-
tested, machine loading was almost insignificant, even with large 
numbers of simultaneous users. In many cases the use of TIA on a 
shell account actually represents _less_ of a processor load than 
the use of standard UNIX shell software such as editors and 
newsreaders.
......................................................................


Q: My service provider uses a menu. How can I script my SLIP 
software to access TIA?

First, check with your service provider to see if they can setup 
your account to go straight to a "shell" or "system" prompt. This 
will avoid the menu.

If you can't do that, see if your SLIP software allows you to 
establish a connection manually. Then you can login to the menu, 
choose the "shell" option, and fire up your SLIP software.

Lastly, some SLIP scripting packages allow you to enter the 
characters needed to navigate the menu automatically, so you can 
just script the entire sequence.
......................................................................


***********E) PURCHASING, LICENSING, AND CUSTOMER 
SERVICE*************

Q: When I convert from an Evaluation License to a Registered 
License do I have to update my TIA binary?

No - all you need to do is resubmit the order form, changing your 
choice of order type from Evaluation to Purchase and including your 
purchasing information. You will receive a new .tia file via email. 
Just replace the old evaluation .tia file with the new registered 
.tia file and you are on your way.
......................................................................


Q: How do I purchase a Single User version of TIA by check?

1) First, before you send us your check, please fill out a copy of 
the Single User Order form (the same one you used to order the 
Evaluation License Code). Make these changes:

  a) Change the ORDER TYPE field from "Evaluation" to "Purchase".

  b) In the CREDIT CARD NUMBER field, enter "Paying by Check".

2) *Don't* send the completed form to tia-single@ marketplace.com. 
Instead, e-mail it to the TIA Sales Department. The address is:

  tia-order-desk@marketplace.com

Please put your name as the Subject of the message.

3) Send a check for $25.00 to:

  TIA Sales 
  InterMind Corp. 
  1101 N Northlake Way, STE 106 
  Seattle, WA   98103-8901

Cashier's checks are preferred, but you can send a personal check 
drawn on a major bank.

4) When we receive your check, we will submit your order form. You 
will receive your Registered License Code via e-mail.
......................................................................


Q: The order form requires both my login name and my domain name. 
I'm going to change domains soon. Does this mean I'll have to 
purchase a new license code?

No. You will need a new license code, but at most there will only 
be a small handling fee. For technical reasons it was necessary for 
us to include your domain name in the license code, but our 
intention was always to let a Single User License be portable to 
different hosts as long as it was only in use by a single user.

Although we have not yet implemented it, we plan to create a 
special e-mail form that allows Registered Single Users to request 
a new license code under a different domain name, provided they use 
their same login name. If this situation comes up in the meantime, 
however, please send e-mail to:

   tia-order-desk@marketplace.com

and we'll see that you get a new code.
......................................................................


Q: Can I get an extension to my evaluation time period, and if so, 
how?

If your Evaluation license code expires before you have been able to
fully evaluate any feature of TIA, you may get *one additional* free
evaluation license code automatically by applying as you did for the
first license code - via Email form, Web form, or Telnet interface.
We will not normally grant additional extensions. (For unusual
circumstances, please send a message to tia-order-desk@marketplace.com
with an explanation.)

......................................................................


Q: Who do I contact if I have problems with my order?

Please send email to:     tia-order-desk@marketplace.com
......................................................................


Q: What is your upgrade policy, and how will it work?

Easy upgrading was planned as part of the TIA Customer Service 
System from the start. All 1.x upgrades will be free to Registered 
Licensees of TIA Version 1.0x. To upgrade when a new version is 
released, licensees will simply obtain the new TIA binary via FTP. 
You won't need to change your License Code at all. 
......................................................................


*********************F) OTHER QUESTIONS*******************************

Q: How do I know if TIA is available for my platform?

Check the "Ports Currently Available" document available via Gopher 
at marketplace.com or via world wide web at http://marketplace.com/ 
. This will include ports that have been released as well as ports 
that are currently in beta test but available to the public. You 
may also check the 'tia' directory and the 'tiabeta' directory 
available via anonymous FTP at marketplace.com.
......................................................................


Q: How do I request a port for my platform?

Just send mail to tia-ports@marketplace.com. Please include details 
about your hardware and operating system, the number of hosts and 
users involved, and the type of TIA license you would like. We will 
give precedence to port requests in the following order:

1) Overall demand for a particular platform. 2) Site or multiple 
host licenses. 3) The easy and speed with which we can create a 
particular port.
......................................................................


Q: How will I know when a port for my platform will be ready?

If you sent mail to the address above, we will notify you by mail 
when your port is ready. Otherwise, the easiest way to stay abreast 
of our port plans is to subscribe to the TIA mailing list by 
sending mail to the address listed below for "CSD Mailing List 
Server". Notification of all new ports and port plans will be 
posted regularly to this list.

You can also check the TIA Port information in our gopher menus or 
Web pages at marketplace.com (listed the directory below).
......................................................................


Q: Where do I get more information or further help?

Below is a complete directory of the addresses and phone numbers 
pertaining to TIA:

A) E-Mail Auto-Reply Addresses

  General info                   tia-info@marketplace.com 
  Single User FAQ                tia-FAQ-single@marketplace.com 
  Host FAQ                       tia-FAQ-host@marketplace.com 
  Single User Installation Instr.tia-install-single@marketplace.com 
  Host Installation Instructions tia-install-host@marketplace.com 
  TIA Companion for Macintosh    tia-mac-setup@marketplace.com
  TIA Companion for Windows      tia-win-setup@marketplace.com

  SoftAware TIA Product Brochure softaware@marketplace.com 
  TIA Port Program Form          tia-port-form@marketplace.com 
  The Dial-Up TCP/IP Help File   tia-tcpip-info@marketplace.com 
  TIA Directory                  tia-directory@marketplace.com

B) E-Mail Mailbot-Processed Addresses

  Single User Order Form         tia-single@marketplace.com 
  Host Order Form                tia-host@marketplace.com 
  Host Order Form                tia-site@marketplace.com 
  CSD Mailing List Server        tia-broadcast-
request@marketplace.com

C) E-Mail Human-Processed Addresses

  All TIA customer service       tia-order-desk@marketplace.com 
  All port requests              tia-ports@marketplace.com 
  Tech support - Evaluation      tia-eval-support@marketplace.com 
  Tech support - Registered      tia-support@marketplace.com 
  TIA feedback & bug reports     tia-feedback@marketplace.com

D) Direct Connection Addresses

  FTP                            marketplace.com 
  Telnet                         marketplace.com 
  Gopher                         marketplace.com 
  World Wide Web                 http://marketplace.com/

E) Phone Numbers

  SoftAware Sales                310-314-1466  
     (Single User Licenses and Installation packages only)
  InterMind Sales                206-545-7803 
     (Host and Site Licenses only)
  Marketplace IVR system         1-800-440-6880 or 303-440-7550  
(for secure credit card entry when ordering online or via e-mail)



Thank you very much for your interest in the Host version of The 
Internet Adapter.

--The TIA Team at Cyberspace Development Inc. and InterMind 
Corporation

(c) 1994, 1995 Cyberspace Development Inc. and InterMind Corp.
Version 1.2



X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
 Another file downloaded from:                                NIRVANAnet(tm)

 &TOTSE                510/935-5845   Walnut Creek, CA         Taipan Enigma
 Burn This Flag        408/363-9766       San Jose, CA                Zardoz
 realitycheck          415/666-0339  San Francisco, CA    Poindexter Fortran
 Governed Anarchy      510/226-6656        Fremont, CA             Eightball
 New Dork Sublime      805/823-1346      Tehachapi, CA               Biffnix
 Lies Unlimited        801/278-2699 Salt Lake City, UT            Mick Freen
 Atomic Books          410/669-4179      Baltimore, MD               Baywolf
 Sea of Noise          203/886-1441        Norwich, CT             Mr. Noise
 The Dojo              713/997-6351       Pearland, TX               Yojimbo
 Frayed Ends of Sanity 503/965-6747     Cloverdale, OR              Flatline
 The Ether Room        510/228-1146       Martinez, CA Tiny Little Super Guy
 Hacker Heaven         860/456-9266        Lebanon, CT         The Visionary
 The Shaven Yak        510/672-6570        Clayton, CA             Magic Man
 El Observador         408/372-9054        Salinas, CA         El Observador
 Cool Beans!           415/648-7865  San Francisco, CA        G.A. Ellsworth
 DUSK Til Dawn         604/746-5383   Cowichan Bay, BC         Cyber Trollis
 The Great Abyss       510/482-5813        Oakland, CA             Keymaster

                          "Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
