Configuring and Using Dial-Up Networking Clients

Configuring computers as Dial-Up Networking clients consists of four tasks:

• Running the Install New Modem Wizard to install a modem.
• Configuring Telephony Dialing Properties.
• Running the Make New Connection Wizard in Dial-Up Networking to set up a connection to a remote access server for the dial-up client.
• Optionally, configuring the connection by selecting the remote access server type it will connect to, and by choosing whether to log on to the network after connecting to the remote access server. Selecting the server type automatically enables the correct connection protocol, such as PPP or SLIP.

This section explains how to perform these four tasks.

Installing a Modem

If you have not already installed a modem, the Install New Modem wizard appears when you start Dial-Up Networking. It guides you through the process of installing a modem. For more information about modems, see Chapter 21, "Modems and Communications Tools."

Configuring Telephony Dialing Properties

After the Install New Modem wizard installs your modem, a Location Information dialog box appears. This dialog box asks for such information as what country you are in and what area code you are in. Windows 98 uses this information to establish a dialing rule (called a dialing location). Whenever you dial a call, Windows 98 uses this dialing rule to automatically adjust your dialing string. For example, if you enter "425" as your area code in the Location Information dialog box, then later try to dial the number "425-555-1212," Windows 98 adjusts the dialing string to "555-1212."

If you have a portable computer and frequently dial from different places, you might also want to use the Dialing Properties utility to create different dialing locations for each place. You can also define calling card rules that you can use with one or more of your dialing locations.

Note

The information you entered in the Location Information dialog box also appears in the Dialing Properties utility, as your default dialing location.

The remainder of this section describes how to establish and use different calling locations using the Dialing Properties Utility. For more information about the Dialing Properties utility, including how to define calling card rules, see "Using Dialing Properties" in Chapter 21, "Modems and Communications Tools."

The Dialing Properties utility allows you to define different locations from which you dial. For each location, enter your country code, area code, and other information about the place you are dialing from. You can then dial a number using Dial-Up Networking, and Windows 98 automatically adjusts your dialing string based on the location from which you are calling.

For example, suppose you commonly dial from two different places:

• Your home in the 206 area code region. You do not need to dial an outside line, but you dial *70 for each call to disable call waiting.
• Your office in the 801 area code region. To reach an outside line, you must dial 9.

You can create two different locations (home and office) and enter area code and other information for each location. Then, whenever you make a dialing location, Dialing Properties automatically adjusts the telephone number based on the place you are calling from.

For example, suppose you have defined a Dial-Up Networking Connection to your ISP at 206-555-5555.

If you are dialing from home, Dialing Properties adjusts the telephone number to *70,555-5555. But if you are dialing from your office, Dialing Properties changes the telephone number to 9,1-206-555-5555.

You can access Dialing Properties from several different places, including the Modems icon in Control Panel, the Telephony icon in Control Panel, and the connection you are dialing.

To define a new dialing location

• In Dialing Properties, enter the name of your new dialing location, the area code you are dialing from, and other information about your location. Optionally, enter information about your calling card. This information will then be available to any Dial-Up Networking connection that you create.

To use the dialing location

1. When you configure the General properties for a Dial-Up Networking connect (described in "Configuring General Properties" later in this chapter), make sure that the check box "Use area code and Dialing Properties" is selected.
2. When you dial the connection (described in "Making a Dial-Up Networking Connection" later in this chapter), make sure that you have selected the correct dialing location.

Defining a Dial-Up Networking Connection

When you first start Dial-Up Networking, the Make New Connection Wizard appears. You can define two different types of remote connections:

• A dial-up connection allows you to use modems or ISDN devices to connect to the Internet or your intranet.
• A VPN connection uses two connections. With the first connection, you use a network adapter, modem, or ISDN device to connect to a remote access server on the Internet or your intranet. With the second connection, you can "tunnel through" the first connection to a VPN tunnel server, in order to gain access to any server that the VPN tunnel server allows you to access.

Before creating a new dial-up connection, you should install a modem, ISDN device, or network adapter. If you have not yet installed a modem and did not install a modem when Dial-Up Networking started, you can install one by using the Install New Modem Wizard in the Modems option in Control Panel. For information about modems and ISDN devices, see Chapter 21, "Modems and Communications Tools."

Additionally, if you are configuring a VPN connection, you must first install virtual private networking. To do so, follow the procedure "To add an additional component" described in "Installing Dial-Up Networking" earlier in this chapter.

To create a Dial-Up Networking connection using the Make New Connection Wizard

1. From My Computer, double-click the Dial-Up Networking folder.
2. In the Dial-Up Networking window, double-click the Make New Connection icon.
3. In the Type a name for the computer you are dialing dialog box, enter a name for your connection.
4. If you are creating a dial-up networking connection, in the Select a device box select a modem or ISDN device.

   – Or –

   If you are creating a VPN connection, in the Select a device: box select Microsoft VPN Adapter.

5. If you are creating a dial-up networking connection, the Make New Connection Wizard prompts you for information about your connection, such as a name for the computer you are dialing, modem type, area code, telephone number, and country code.

   – Or –

   If you are creating a VPN connection, the Make New Connection Wizard prompts you for the host name or address of the VPN server.

6. The new icon for your connection appears in the Dial-Up Networking window. You need to provide this information only once for each connection you define.

   Once a connection has been established, remote network access becomes transparent to the user.

Configuring a Dial-Up Connection

The Dial-Up Networking defaults for the dial-up connection are designed for Internet connections and for most other types of connections. You can change these defaults, but you should do so only if you want to change the default behavior.

There is one exception. By default, Dial-Up Networking uses the PPP protocol to connect to servers. This default will work for most Internet connections and many other types of connections. But if you are connecting to a server that does not use PPP, you must change the server type by following the procedure in "Configuring Options for the Server to Which You Are Connecting" later in this chapter.

You can configure the following options:

• General properties
• Server properties
• Scripting
• Multilink

You can predefine Dial-Up Networking connections for users by including them as part of system policies. If you enable user profiles, different users sharing the same computer can use separate dialing configurations. For more information, see Chapter 7, "User Profiles," and Chapter 8, "System Policies."

Configuring General Properties

This section describes how to configure basic options for a dial-up connection.

To configure general properties for the connection

1. In Dial-Up Networking, right-click a connection icon, and then select Properties from the File menu.
2. Review the information on the General tab to ensure that the telephone number is correct and that the correct modem or ISDN device is selected. Ensure that Use area code and Dialing Properties is selected if you have defined one or more dialing locations as described in "Configuring Telephony Dialing Properties" earlier in this chapter. Make any necessary changes.
3. Click Configure, and then click the Options tab.
4. Optionally, click Bring up terminal window before dialing or Bring up terminal window after dialing. For modem connections, these options allow you to use a terminal window for an interactive logon session with the server.

Configuring Options for the Server to Which You Are Connecting

Dial-Up Networking allows you to configure options for the server to which you are connecting. You do not need to change any values in this section if you are connecting to an ISP and your ISP’s remote access server supports PPP.

To configure options for the server to which you are connecting

1. In Dial-Up Networking, right-click a connection icon, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Server Types tab.

   

3. In the Type of Dial-Up Server box, ensure that the correct remote access server type is selected. If it is not selected, you will not be able to connect to the server. The possible connections are as follows:

4. Optionally, if you are making a connection to an ISP, deselect Log on to network to speed connection time. This option is selected by default, but it is unnecessary for Internet connections.
5. Optionally, select Require encrypted password. If this option is selected, the client will use only Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) and MS-CHAP encryption when generating a password. If this option is not selected, the client can also perform Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) if the server requests it. However, PAP encryption is less secure. For more information about encryption, see "PPP Dial-Up Sequence" later in this chapter.
6. Optionally, select Require data encryption. If this option is selected, the client will refuse to connect with any server that does not use data encryption. However, most ISPs do not support data encryption. For more information, see "Using Data Encryption for Dial-Up Clients," earlier in this chapter.
7. Optionally, select Record a log file for this connection. If this option is selected, Dial-Up Networking will create a PPP log file that shows information about your connection. For information about PPP log files, see "PPP Log File" later in this chapter.
8. In the Allowed network protocols box, ensure that the network protocols used on the target network are selected. For example, if you are configuring a connection to the Internet, ensure that TCP/IP is selected.

   Note

   By default, all network protocols (TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, and NetBEUI) are selected in the Allowed network protocols box. However, for you to use those protocols, they must also be installed on the client workstation you are configuring. For information about how to install protocols, see Chapter 15, "Network Adapters and Protocols."

9. Optionally, if you are configuring a connection to your ISP and your ISP requires you to enter information such as a static IP address for your computer or a DNS server to which you must connect, click TCP/IP Settings. However, in most cases you do not need to do so. For more information, see Chapter 20, "Internet Access and Tools."

Configuring Scripting for Modem Connections

Windows 98 supports scripting on modem connections (not on ISDN or VPN connections.) In most cases, you do not need to create a script. Many ISPs do not require a manual logon, and ISPs that do require a manual logon almost always provide a script file you can use. Contact your ISP for more information.

However, if you need and do not have a logon script, you can create one. Windows 98 provides four sample scripts you can use as starting points. The sample scripts are located in your \Program Files\Accessories directory. Windows 98 also includes a document that explains how to write and modify logon scripts. The file is called Script.doc and located in your Windows directory.

After you have created a script, save it in your \Program Files\Accessories directory, using the file extension SCP.

Important

Microsoft does not support logon scripts you create. Also, Microsoft does not support modifications to the four sample scripts.

After you have created the script, you must configure scripting for each connection that will use the script. Make sure your connection is working properly before you configure scripting.

To configure scripting for the Windows 98 dial-up client

1. In Dial-Up Networking, right-click a connection icon, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Scripting tab, and then click Browse .
3. Locate the script, and then click Open.
4. Optionally, select the Step through script box.

   Selecting the Step through script box enables you to step through the script to verify that each line is working correctly, or to troubleshoot the script if the connection fails.

5. Click OK.

Configuring Multilink

The PPP Multilink protocol allows you to use two or more devices (such as modems or ISDN devices) for a single dial-up link. With Multilink, you combine the bandwidth capabilities of both devices, thus inexpensively increasing the bandwidth on your dial-up connections. This section describes how to use Multilink. For additional information about Multilink, and for information about ISDN, see Chapter 21, "Modems and Communications Tools."

The Windows 98 PPP Multilink implementation complies with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) PPP Multilink standard defined by Request for Comments (RFC) 1717.

Before using Multilink, consider the following issues:

• Multilink is available only for Windows 98 dial-up clients, not for the Windows 98 dial-up server.
• The server or ISP you connect to must also support PPP Multilink. Otherwise, Multilink will not function correctly.
• You can use Multilink only when your computer is configured with multiple devices that can be combined to form the logical PPP pipe over the communication link.
• For best performance, the devices you use should be the same speed.
• When you combine both B channels under ISDN, you cannot use your second channel for other applications, such as fax or voice calls.

To configure Multilink for the Windows 98 dial-up client

1. In Dial-Up Networking, right-click your connection icon, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Multilink tab.
3. Select Use additional devices.
4. Click Add.
5. Specify the additional device you wish to use.
6. If you need to edit an entry, click Edit.

To use Multilink

• After you have configured Multilink, click the connection icon and click Connect. Dial-Up Networking connects using the primary device, then the secondary device.

To view information about your link

1. Click the Dial-Up Networking icon displayed on your taskbar.
2. In the dialog box, click Details.

Configuring a Connection to the Internet

To configure a Windows 98 Dial-Up Connection to dial the Internet, follow the procedures outlined in "Configuring and Using Dial-Up Networking Clients" earlier in this chapter. Keep in mind the following issues:

• Before you begin, check to make sure TCP/IP is correctly installed on your computer.
• If you want to use a terminal window for an interactive logon session with the server, in the modem’s Properties, click Bring up terminal window before dialing or bring up terminal window after dialing.
• If you are using SLIP instead of PPP to connect to the Internet, in the Server Types dialog box, select SLIP: UNIX Connection.
• If you want to speed your connection time, in the Server Types dialog box, deselect Log on to network. This option is not necessary for Internet connections.
• If your ISP requires you to enter information such as an IP address for your computer or the IP address of a DNS server, enter this information in the Server types dialog box. In most cases, you will not need to enter information here. For more information, see Chapter 20, "Internet Access and Tools."

Making a Dial-Up Networking Connection

After you have defined a remote connection by using the Make New Connection Wizard, you can make a connection.

Note

If you selected Use area code and Dialing Properties in the General Properties for your connection, Dial-Up Networking automatically adjusts the dialing string (telephone number) according to your dialing location (the place you’re dialing from). For more information about your dialing location, see "Configuring Telephony Dialing Properties" earlier in this chapter.

To make a Dial-Up Networking Connection

1. Double-click its connection icon in the Dial-Up Networking folder.
2. Optionally, enter a user name and password.
3. If you selected Use area code and Dialing Properties in the General Properties for your connection, in the Dialing from area, ensure that you have selected the correct dialing location (the place you are dialing from). If necessary, select another dialing location or click Dial properties to define a new dialing location.

After a connection has been made, a connection icon appears in the system tray. You can double-click this icon to see information about the connection, such as the server type it is using, the protocols it is using, and whether it is using authentication and compression.

Note

If you are using PPP to connect to the remote server and you are dialing in to an IPX network, you will lose IPX connectivity to your local network. Thus, after you make a dial-up networking connection, NetWare servers on the local network will no longer be visible.

You might also lose IP connectivity to your local network if you are dialing in to an IP network. For specific details and for ways to restore IP connectivity, see "Technical Notes on Dial-Up and Virtual Private Networking" later in this chapter.

Dial-Up Networking starts automatically in certain circumstances, through an autodial feature included in Dial-Up Networking and an autodial feature included in the Internet Explorer 4 browsing software. The following sections describe the two features.

Using the Dial-Up Networking Autodial Feature

Dial-Up Networking provides an autodial feature. If autodial is enabled, Windows 98 starts Dial-Up Networking when you try to perform one of the following tasks:

• You try to access a network resource when your computer is not connected to any network.
• You try to access a network resource that you have accessed before using Dial-Up Networking.
• Your application specifies a UNC name (which uses the form \\servername\ sharename) that cannot be accessed by using the network.

Note

The Dial-Up Networking autodial feature is separate from the Internet Explorer browsing software autodial feature, described below.

When you choose a remote connection, Windows 98 retrieves the server information from the addresses stored in the registry. If the information is not available, you are asked to select a server from the connection icons in Dial-Up Networking, or to type a new server name.

If Dial-Up Networking cannot find the network resource, it displays a network error message. If the connection is successful, Windows 98 remembers the connection for future use.

You can disable the prompt that asks if you want to use Dial-Up Networking when you are attempting to connect to a network resource.

To disable the Dial-Up Networking prompt

1. In Dial-Up Networking, click the Connections menu, and then click Settings.
2. Click Don’t prompt to use Dial-Up Networking.

Using the Internet Explorer Browsing Software Autodial Feature

The Internet Explorer browsing software includes an autodial feature that can automatically start Dial-Up Networking while you are browsing. When you start the Internet Explorer browsing software or try to access a URL that is not locally available, and you have not already established a Dial-Up Networking connection, a dialog box appears and asks you if you want to use Dial-Up Networking.

Note

The Internet Explorer autodial feature is separate from the Dial-up Networking autodial feature, described above.

The Internet Explorer browsing software starts Dial-Up Networking only if you have a modem and you have configured the Internet Explorer browsing software to automatically start Dial-Up Networking.

The following procedure shows how to do so.

To configure the Internet Explorer browsing software to automatically start Dial-Up Networking

1. In Control Panel, double-click Internet, and then click the Connection tab.
2. In the Connection box, select Connect to the Internet using a modem.
3. Optionally, click the Settings box to specify a particular Dial-Up Networking connection and to enter information about that connection.

The following procedure shows how to configure the Internet Explorer browsing software to not start Dial-Up Networking.

To configure the Internet Explorer browsing software to not start Dial-Up Networking

1. In Control Panel, double-click Internet, and then click the Connection tab.
2. In the Connection box, select Connect to the Internet using a local area network.