Exchanging Data Between Two Computers

To validate a link between two computers running Windows 95, you must install the IR communications driver on both computers. To do this, carry out the procedure in Step 1. Installing the IR Communications Driver.

Note that the IR devices on the two computers do not have to be made by the same manufacturer as long as both devices are IrDA-compliant. For example, you could have a JetEye PC Infrared PC Interface (ESI-9680) attached to one desktop computer and an Adaptec AIRport APA-9320 External Infrared Adapter attached to the other desktop and the IR link will work.

One way to validate an IR link is to run the HyperTerminal application on both computers and send characters from the keyboard of each computer over the IR link. HyperTerminal is installed on a Windows 95 computer as part of the typical installation that is recommended for most computers. To validate your installation of the IR driver on both computers, carry out the following procedure:

  1. On both computers, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click the Control Panel. Double-click the Infrared icon. Then move the IR devices within 3 feet of each other, and make sure they're pointing at each other. When the two IR devices discover each other, the message "Available infrared devices in range" will appear on the Status tab of the Infrared Monitor interface screen. Make sure Infrared Monitor reports both IR devices have the appropriate infrared device within range before you proceed. You might have to realign the IR devices so they point right at each other, move them closer together, and/or change the batteries in an IR adapter or plug the AC power into an IR adapter. For more information, see Troubleshooting.
  2. On one of the computers, click the Options tab in the Infrared Monitor interface and find the information that starts with "Providing application support on ...". Write down the name of the COM port you find there. This is the name of the simulated serial port that the IR link using. The name of this virtual serial port might be COM4 or COM5 and it will differ from the name of the physical communications port your IR device is running on (which is typically named COM1 or COM2).
  3. Run HyperTerminal on the computer for which you have the virtual serial port name by clicking the Start button, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, and then clicking the HyperTerminal folder. In the window that appears, double-click the Hypertrm.exe icon.
  4. In the Connection Description dialog box, type a descriptive name (such as "Direct IR") for the new connection, and then click OK.
  5. In the Phone Number dialog box, use the Connect Using drop-down list to click the "Direct to Comx" entry, where x is the number of the virtual COM port that you wrote down in step 2. Then click OK. You are ready to start using HyperTerminal on one of the computers.
  6. Repeat steps 2. through 5. for the other computer.
  7. In HyperTerminal on either computer, type any characters at the keyboard. If the characters you type appear in the HyperTerminal window on the other computer, then you have confirmed that the IR link works in that direction. Repeat this step on the other computer. If the IR link works in both directions using HyperTerminal, you have confirmed the successful installation of the IR communications driver on the two computers.

    Note  The changes in status that are displayed in the Status tab of the Infrared Monitor interface while you type characters in HyperTerminal.

  8. Disconnect the HyperTerminal direct IR connection by exiting the HyperTerminal application on both computers. When you are prompted to save the session, click Yes. This saves the direct IR connection setup information as an icon in the HyperTerminal main folder. You can double-click this icon to restart one side of the HyperTerminal direct IR connection.