tia-feedback@marketplace.com
and let us know if we may acknowledge you in the credits.
Another FAQ by Bill Arnett is available at
ftp://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/html/billa/tia/faq.html
Once TIA is installed on your Internet host computer, you are ready to set up your Mac with the other software you will need to start using SLIP. But since SLIP is so dramatically different than shell access, let's start with a little background.
The Internet is indeed one big network, in which all the machines use the same networking protocol, called TCP/IP, to talk to each other. When you have shell account access to the Internet, it simply means you can dial up and "remote control" one of those computers, called a "host". Your personal computer is not actually directly connected to the network at all.
With SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol), just the opposite is true. You are directly connecting your personal computer to the larger Internet network -- just over thin phone lines, instead of thick network cables (which is why it's slower than direct connections). But to do so, your computer must be able to "speak the language" of the Internet, i.e. it must have TCP/IP software installed.
(Note: there are two other dial-up Internet protocols: CSLIP (compressed SLIP) and PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol). CSLIP is usually a checkbox item in a SLIP package. PPP is a newer, more robust, protocol than SLIP, offering similar functionality, but generally not any faster. However, TIA 1.0 only supports SLIP. CSLIP and PPP support are planned in version 1.1, which will be free to Registered users.)
Just like any other networking software, however, SLIP doesn't do anything by itself. It just establishes a connection. You still need to run applications on top of this connection, just like you need to run desktop applications on a local area network. In Internet parlance these TCP/IP applications are called "clients," because they use and provide access to network services (provided by "servers"). Just like on a LAN, you can run multiple clients simultaneously.
This combination of Internet software you need on your machine is often called a TCP/IP "stack", and that's a good analogy to keep in mind as we proceed. It starts at the bottom with cabling and modem standards, moves upward to the TCP/IP layer, then SLIP, then the Mac OS, then user applications such as Eudora for mail and Mosaic for World Wide Web, and finally you. We will install, configure, and debug from the bottom up (whether we can debug you is another matter).
Next is a Mac modem cable for external modems, normally male DIN-8 (circular) to male DB-25. You want *hardware handshaking* -- most older Macs and cables didn't do it and new ones do -- if in doubt the best idea is to upgrade. (Obviously, this is not an issue with internal modems like the Express Modem.)
A high speed modem -- V.32 9600bps, V.32bis 14400bps, or V.34 28800bps -- is *stongly* preferred. While SLIP does not care how fast your modem is, many Internet operations are painfully slow below these speeds. If you don't have one yet stick with a name brand the cost difference has become minimal and lower priced ones reportedly use a Rockwell chip containing a V.42 bug.
You'll also need to hook the modem to an active telephone line. You can keep your telephone hooked up at the same time as the modem by splitting an existing line with a "Y" or "T" splitter from Target or Radio Shack. Many modems also have a second jack into which a telephone can be plugged. (But be sure not to pick up the handset while you're online!)
UNPACKING - Stuffit Expander 3.5.1: Stuffit Expander is a freeware uncompress/unarchive utility from Aladdin Systems. All of this TCP/IP software comes archived and compressed, with .sea, .cpt, .sit, .hqx, etc. file name suffixes. Stuffit Expander handles not only Stuffit'ed (i.e., files with the ".sit" extension) files but just about any compression standard in use today. Some programs unpack themselves (those ending in ".sea" - Self Extracting Archive) others need to be dragged onto the Stuffit Expander icon (it doesn't work to double-click the archive or the Stuffit application). A $30 shareware program from Aladdin called "DropStuff with Expander Enhancer" extends Stuffit Expander so that it also expands .tar, .Z, .zip, and many other file formats. Note that Stuffit Expander is not the same as "Unstuffit" which is far out of date don't let this confuse you. What you need is "Stuffit Expander."
TCP/IP - MacTCP 2.0.4: MacTCP is a commercial Apple product with no competition. Always make *sure* you obtain MacTCP 2.0.4 or later, since several well-known bugs are fixed in this version. The least expensive way to obtain MacTCP is via one of the various Internet books on the market (see details below in "Obtaining Software"). MacTCP 2.0.4 is included with System 7.5.
SLIP - InterSLIP 1.0.1, VersaTilities 1.1 ($), MacSLIP, Microphone ($, uses MacSLIP): This is the SLIP layer, which fools MacTCP into thinking you're on an Internet LAN. Although VersaTilities is a commercial package, it is highly recommended so we will cover it here. InterSLIP is the most popular of the freeware SLIP packages so we will cover that too.
E-MAIL - Eudora 1.4.3: Eudora is the most popular public domain electronic mail package for TCP/IP-ed Macs. QualCOMM (eudora-sales@qualcomm.com) offers a commercial version, 2.0.3, for $65 (which is *highly* recommended if you're serious about your e-mail).
USENET NEWS - NewsWatcher 2.0b15, Nuntius, InterNews, TheNews: These programs let you read the Internet's bulletin board system, USENET or netnews. All sport different interfaces but are equally competent. NewsWatcher is most popular. If you select NewsWatcher, consideralso getting a copy of uuUndo 1.0b4, (freeware) which allows NewsWatcher to automatically decode "uuencoded" files. (Uuencoding allows binary files to be sent through email as text and is the commonest form of binary-to-text encoding on the Internet.)
TELNET - NCSA Telnet 2.6: Telnet provides remote login (using the telnet protocol not the rlogin protocol), like a terminal emulator's vt100 session. Using it requires a UNIX shell login somewhere or a public service based on telnet, e.g., library card catalogs.
FTP - Fetch 2.1.2: You can think of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) as the net's equivalent of Xmodem. About two years ago Fetch replaced Xferit as the best ftp client around.
ARCHIE - Archie, Anarchie 1.3.1: Archie clients search the databases on archie servers to locate ftp sites that contain specific files of interest. Archie is freeware. Anarchie 1.3.1, a far superior client, is a $10 shareware archie client by Peter Lewis that also supports ftp. Many people prefer to use Anarchie instead of Fetch because it is "one stop shopping for all your ftp needs."
GOPHER - TurboGopher 1.0.7: Gopher a distributed menuing system for the Internet developed by the University of Minnesota (where the school mascot is -- you guessed it!) Gopher menu items can represent data on the host server or on another server anywhere in the world, transparently. It also acts as a vt100 menu user interface standard.
WAIS (Wide Area Information System) - This is yet another search engine on the net with it's own interface, but most people use this (unknowingly) via Gopher or WWW now, so let's skip it for now. (A specific WAIS client, MacWAIS, is available, however.)
WWW (World Wide Web) - NCSA Mosaic 2.00A8 (Info-Mac mirrors only have 2.00A1 right now, however). Mosaic is the most popular public domain WWW client (some companies have licensed Mosaic so expect enhanced commercial versions). Think of it as a distributed Internet Hypercard (branching, non- sequential text) with some multimedia capabilities. Much information under older protocols (such as archie and gopher) is now accessible via WWW, so it may become the only interface you'll need.
(Note: although it's older, many folks still prefer NCSA Mosaic 1.0.3 because it is more stable. It does not support forms, however.)
A half-dozen auxiliary applications help Mosaic unpack, uncompress, or other wise interpret the multimedia files you might access. For the Mac these are GIFConverter 2.3.7 (shareware), JPEGView 3.3 (freeware), Sparkle 2.1.4 (freeware), and Sound Machine 2.1 (freeware).
Another option is MacWeb 1.00A2.2. This program is very similar to NCSA Mosaic, but is generally more stable. The latest entry is Netscape a very strong contender recently announced by Mosaic Communication Corp.
OTHERS - There are many other TCP/IP programs available -- Finger, Ntp, etc. We recommend browsing ftp.tidbits.com (the public FTP site Adam Engst set up to make accessing the latest versions of Mac Internet software especially easy). Look in the /pub/tidbits/tisk and /pub/tidbits/select directories once you're able to FTP. Also check the Info-Mac mirrors.
1) DOWNLOADING PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE
You can ftp public domain programs (i.e. freeware or shareware) from an archive like ftp.tidbits.com to a shell account on a provider's host, then Xmodem (Ymodem, Zmodem, Kermit) them down to your Mac. In this case you'll probably want to just grab the basics (SLIP, Telnet, FTP), then once your SLIP link is up ftp the rest directly to your Mac.
Unfortunately this process can be problematic because a) the popular ftp sites are overloaded (you get obscure "we're too busy" errors trying to get in), b) ftp sites don't follow a standard directory structure or file naming system, and c) ftp sites don't all have a complete set or the latest versions of software. There is hope: we strongly suggest you a) use Anarchie instead of Fetch, as it has a nicer interface featuring "bookmarks" that point to useful sites, and b) download only from any of the 30 Info-Mac sites that DO standardize on naming conventions (Anarchie will point you to them, or you can start with ftp.hawaii.edu).
Two other major archive sites are sumex-aim.stanford.edu and mac.archive.umich.edu. These sites are "mirrored" (duplicated exactly) widely about the world, so please try to use the site geographically closest to you. (See the mirror list or do an archie search on "mac.ftp.list" to find more locations.)
[NOTE: We will attempt to include other sites in future versions of this document, and we are also trying to assemble some of the most important programs in a directory at Marketplace.com. Stay tuned.]
If you use shareware, please remember to pay the shareware fee.
2) BUYING AN INTERNET BOOK
More and more appear every day (which is part of the problem), but all the good ones include the software you need on disk, even if some of it is one or two minor revisions out of date. Although undoubtedly many are worthy, one we can personally vouch for is Adam Engst's "The Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh Version 2.0".
DISCLAIMER: Although Adam is in the credits, he did *not* suggest that we mention of his book here, nor do any of us have any financial interest in his books. We mention it only because it is one the easiest and cheapest ways to get MacTCP and much of the other software mentioned here, and it happens to be an excellent guide for new Internet users.
UNABASHED PLUG: SoftAware in Los Angeles sells Adam's book (which retails for US$29.95) plus TIA and SLIP script disks in a package called "Cheap Sunglasses" for US$60. You can reach them at 310-314-1466 or via e-mail at eroth@netcom.com.
SECOND UNABASHED PLUG: If all else fails you can request a disk set from David Menges at Ygnacio (dcm@ygnacio.com). Specify if you have an older Mac that can only handle lower capacity disks. The cost is $20 for 8 disks, and they take about 3 days to arrive. Much slower than ftp, but David does try to keep versions up to date. He can't send you MacTCP, though.
3) PURCHASING COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
Yes, some people actually do it, and in many cases it really does save them hours of time. Of course, it's not quite as _fun_ as freeware, but then some people have other ways of entertaining themselves (we can't imagine what). In any case, Versatilities from Synergy Software is one package that's worth the money, and it includes everything from MacTCP up through SLIP, plus several TCP/IP applications including Telnet. It's available from MacConnection (800-800-2222) and other mail order suppliers.
If all you really need is a of MacTCP, you can just upgrade to System 7.5 ($100) through your dealer or Apple (800-SOS-APPL). (Note that to get the System 7.5 installer to install MacTCP, you must do a "Custom Install.")
Item Comment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Phone number(s) confirm speed & type of modems
login and password get EXACT spelling in upper/lowercase
login sequence description of prompts and responses
(often you will have to record)
domain name either their domain or your own
gateway address where your Mac should send packets
to the world
DNS server names/IP addresses for your provider's primary (and
preferably secondary) name server
POP/SMTP server name for e-mail
NNTP server name for news
Power everything off (paranoia). Connect all hardware. Make sure the phone cord is in the modem's port called "line" or "wall", not "phone". Make sure the modem is plugged into the Mac's modem port. Power everything on.
2) MODEM
Although the modem init string is entered later, during SLIP configuration, we'll talk about it now. You *must* enable RTS/CTS and you *must not* use XON/XOFF, V.42bis, MNP-5, or answer mode.
Start off with "&F" (resets your modem to factory settings your other communications programs should do the same for themselves) for T3000 use &F9, for Supra &F1. Add items to turn off sound (M0), make sure your modem doesn't answer incoming calls (should default that way), speed dial, etc. as you dare. Some brand-specific settings from VersaTilities:
Global Village PowerPort \J0 %C1 \N4 \G0 \Q3 W1
Telebit T2500 S0=0 S58=2 S66=1 S92=1 S95=2 S96=1 S97=1
S98=3 S106=1
Telebit T3000 X2 &C1 &D0 S59=3 S111=0
USR Courier X7 E1 Q0 V1 &B1 &C1 &D0 &h1 &R2 S0=0 B0
Supra FaxModem &C1 &W1
Realize the difference between the modem-to-modem speed (V.32bis 14400bps, say) and the computer-to-modem speed. The latter can be driven as fast as your computer can handle, however for strange reasons many users have found 19200 to actually provide the best overall performance with SLIP.
In case you're inside a PBX remember to prefix the phone number with a "8," or "9," to get out many PBXs just do not work for data (and can even smoke a modem), so you might want to talk with your PBX person first. If you have call waiting add a disable string (*70 in most cases check with your local phone company) to block it for the duration of the call. If you need pauses in your dialing sequence, add one or more "," (comma) characters in the dialing sequence as needed.
1. Install MacTCP by adding it to Control Panels (AdminTCP and/or MacTCP Admin are not necessary), then reboot.
2. Double click on MacTCP's icon to open it. At the top of the window are one or more network driver icons. Choose your SLIP driver by clicking once on it. Set the IP address to 192.0.2.1 (This is a special number that no machine on the Internet will be using.) Note: if you can't change this number at first, do step 3 first.
3. Click the "More" button to go to the second window. In the upper left
corner select the radio button "Manual". Below it set the gateway address
to the IP address your provider supplied. Make sure the top right corner
is set to class "C" and netmask to 255.255.255.0 otherwise leave it alone.
In the bottom right corner, enter the names of your provider's DNS servers
and their IP addresses, and click the accompanying radio button. The result
should look something like this:
netcom.com 192.100.81.101 (*)
. 192.100.81.101 ( )
. 192.100.81.105 ( )4. Close out of MacTCP. Drag the following files into the Trash
System:MacTCP DNR
System:Preferences:MacTCP Prep
5. Now reboot.
2) SLIP
Here're we'll cover VersaTilities and InterSLIP. All examples use Dave Menges user information as an example:
name = David C. Menges provider = Colorado SuperNet
login = dcm provider domain = csn.org and csn.net
password = gleepsnort provider DNS = ns-1.csn.net = 128.138.213.21
domain = ygnacio.com provider POP = teal.csn.org = 128.138.213.22
EXAMPLE #1: VERSATILITIES
1. Use the vendor-supplied installation procedure. Reboot. These files will be created in these locations:
File Location ------------------------------------------------------------------ VersaTerm AdminSLIP System Folder:Apple Menu Items VersaTerm ControlSLIP System Folder:Control Panels VersaTerm SLIP Extension System Folder:Extensions Lots of CTB tools System Folder:Extensions Miscellaneous fonts System Folder:Fonts2. Launch VersaTerm AdminSLIP. A small window will appear click on the "Configure" button to go on to a bigger screen. Starting in the upper left hand corner, give this configuration your provider's name, and below that add the phone number. The next item is the baud rate between your modem and your computer, as discussed above. Set Handshake to "RTS & CTS". Leave the rest of this screen alone (the upper right numbers are picked up from MacTCP, and everything else defaults nicely).
3. Select the "Script" third window. Unlike most expect-send scripts, VersaTilities requires you match the whole incoming prompt, not just the tail end. In the upper right corner is a pull down menu "Script" - use it for inserting special characters into the send strings you build. Here's a somewhat generic expect-send setup for Dave Menges:
Send Text:
Wait for:
^M^M [x]
login: dcm [x]
password: gleepsnort [x]
%_ tia [x]
Note: The unmatched initial "Send Text" box sends a few carriage returns
(^M) right off the bat. Sometimes this helps a sleepy provider wake up.
When the script sees "login" it sends "dcm" and a carriage return, etc.
When it sees a shell prompt "% " (include the trailing space), it sends
the command "tia" and a carriage return. Now close this window.
4. Select the "Modem" third window. In the upper right corner of the resulting screen is a pull down menu "Modems" if you're lucky your modem is there and you're done -- otherwise follow the hints above and improvise. Close out.
EXAMPLE #2: INTERSLIP
1. Download and unpack InterSLIP Installer.
2. Double click on the "InterSLIP Installer" application. This will create
five files and put them various places (then it reboots):
File name Location ------------------------------ InterSLIP Setup System Folder:Apple Menu Items InterSLIP Control System Folder:Control Panels InterSLIP System Folder:Extensions InterSLIP Docs Desktop PSInet HOST-DCS DesktopYou can throw away the last two. Installer also creates this directory in System Folder:Preferences ("/" denoting a Mac folder):
InterSLIP Folder/
Colorado SuperNet (we will create this below)
Dialing Scripts/
Gateway Scripts/
csn.org (we will create this below)
InterSLIP Preferences
The file "Colorado SuperNet" contains preferences for that provider (you
will have one of these files for each provider you subscribe to). The file
"csn.org" is the gateway expect-send login script we will develop below.
3. First, we need to develop the gateway script "csn.org". The general idea is to customize the bulk of the script to your provider as usual, but towards the end leave out anything that tries to grab an IP address (which dynamic SLIP does) and add a section to type "tia" at a shell prompt. If you edit this file with something besides TeachText remember to save it as ASCII.
Colorado SuperNet uses Xylogics Annex terminal servers which put out three prompts, and their default shell and login file, csh and .login, tries to determine terminal type and then issues a "% " shell prompt, like this: