Modems and Communications Tools: The Basics

Windows 95 simplifies using modems by allowing you to install and configure a modem once to work for all communications applications, just as you do for a printer. This provides the following benefits:

• Centralized modem and COM port configuration through the Modems option in Control Panel for all communications applications created for Windows 95
• Support for hundreds of brand-name modems, including automatically detecting them
• Modem connections and configuration using point-and-click instead of AT commands

Note For applications created for Windows 3.1 or MS-DOS, you still need to define the serial port, modem type, and other modem settings within each application.

Windows 95 includes three tools for expanding communications capabilities:

• HyperTerminal allows you to connect two computers through a modem and telephony application programming interface (TAPI) for transferring files, and it also automatically detects data bits, stop bits, and parity.
• Phone Dialer allows you to use a computer to dial phone numbers for voice telephone calls. It includes a telephone dial pad, user-programmable speed dials, and a call log.
• Microsoft File Transfer allows you to send and receive files while talking on the phone.

With Windows 95, you can do the following:

• Set up a modem in the Modems option in Control Panel, or in a communications application created for Windows 95 (such as HyperTerminal) when you run it for the first time. Windows 95 provides an Install New Modem wizard that automatically detects the modem type and sets its default settings.
• Send and receive faxes over a modem using Microsoft Fax. For more information, see Chapter 27, "Microsoft Fax."
• Configure HyperTerminal to predefine computers to which your computer can connect.
• Configure Phone Dialer to make voice telephone calls.
• Define the location you are calling from just once in Dialing Properties. All communications tools and applications created for Windows 95 reference that location when dialing out.
• Manually dial a phone call or display a terminal window before or after dialing. For information, see "Setting Modem Properties" later in this chapter.
• Connect to a remote computer by using Dial-Up Networking. For information, see Chapter 28, "Dial-Up Networking and Mobile Computing."