Chapter 3
Getting Started

The easiest way to learn MacComCenter Plus is to install the program and begin using it. MacComCenter Plus will work great with the default installation settings. However, if you would like to adjust the settings to better suit your personal tastes, the following options are the ones most commonly modified. This chapter outlines basic MacComCenter Plus setup, explains how to configure the voice, fax and data features and describes how to perform the most common voice, fax and data functions with MacComCenter Plus.

Basic MacComCenter Plus Setup

To run MacComCenter Plus:

[Message Center Icon]

  1. Open the MacComCenter Plus folder.
  2. Double click on the MessageCenter icon to start the program.

The MessageCenter screen will appear as shown below:

[Message Center Dialog]

As this is the first time you have started MacComCenter Plus, please check the following items to ensure that the modem setup matches your hardware specifications, and that the fax setup is configured for your needs.

MacComCenter Plus Preferences

MacComCenter Plus is configured from the Preferences window in the MessageCenter application. To access the Preferences window, select Preferences from the Edit menu. The Preferences window will appear with the Serial Port tab displayed.

Serial Port Setup

The serial ports are configured from the Serial Port dialog. Since MacComCenter Plus supports multiple serial ports simultaneously, this dialog is divided into five sections -- one for each serial port.

[Serial Ports]

  • The Settings button allows the user to change modem settings for a particular port. If the modem does not support an option, that option will be disabled on the port dialog box. An example of the port Settings dialog box is shown below:
  • The Detect Dial Tone checkbox is used to force MacComCenter Plus to look for a dial tone on the telephone line before dialing a phone number.
  • The Use Caller ID check box is used to enable or disable Caller ID processing. Caller ID is an option available from the phone company. This option allows devices, such as modems, to receive a caller's phone number and name between the first and second rings. This information can be displayed to allow you to decide whether to answer the call or not. MacComCenter Plus uses Caller ID information to route incoming faxes and voice messages to the correct mailbox.
  • The Answer Data popup menu is used to select how MacComCenter Plus will answer data calls. The following options are available:
  • The Volume popup menu is used to configure the modem speaker volume.
  • The Answer on Ring popup menu is used to select how many rings must occur before the incoming call will be answered. If Caller ID is selected, there will always be a minimum of two rings. If you select Never, MacComCenter Plus will not answer the phone.
  • The Comma Delay popup menu is used to configure the length of time each comma used in a dial string will delay the processing of the next dial character. This is commonly used to delay the transmission of a password or beeper code until the called system is ready for the data.
  • The Dial Type popup menu is used to select the dialing mode, either Tone or Pulse.
  • The Fax Baud Rate/ Flow Control settings are used to configure the maximum fax send and receive baud rates. The Fax Flow Control popup menu controls the flow control method for Class 1 and Class 2 faxing.
  • The Distinctive Ring check box is used to enable or disable distinctive ring processing. Distinctive ring is an option available from the phone company. This option allows devices, such as modems, to receive different ring patterns for different phone numbers. Based on the ring pattern, you can determine the type of call. If distinctive ring is enabled, you must configure how MacComCenter Plus will answer the phone for the various ring patterns.

    The Basic Commands and Call Commands dialogs are used to configure the modem AT command strings. These commands control various modem functions and they are modem specific. You should not change these commands unless you know what you are doing. Specifying an invalid AT command string will prevent MacComCenter from communicating with your modem, usually resulting in a 'Disabled' modem.

    The Voice Commands dialog allows you to configure modem specific Voice parameters. This dialog looks like the following:

  • The Silence Detection Timer popup menu specifies how long the modem must wait for silence on the phone line before notifying MacComCenter that the caller has stopped talking. If you specify 'None', then MacComCenter will continue recording until the Maximum Message Length timer expires. This will result in all recordings containing a significant amount of silence at the end of the user's message.
  • The Silence Detection Sensitivity radio button group specifies how sensitive the modem is to audio on the phone line (including line noise) when looking for periods of silence. The Low option means that the modem is not likely to detect silence on the phone line (except for really quiet lines). The Medium option configures the modem so it can detect silence on most phone lines. The High option configures the modem to it's most sensitive silence detection mode.
  • When the modem detects a period of silence (as defined above), it notifies MacComCenter that the caller has stopped talking. Usually, this means that the caller has hung up. The Silence Notification Count option configures how many silence notifications must be received from the modem before MacComCenter stops recording and hangs up the phone.
  • The Delete x seconds of audio at the end of the message option specifies how much audio will be deleted from the end of a recording. The callers recording will have extraneous silence recorded at the end of their message since the modem will take a while before notifying MacComCenter that the phone line is silent. This option allows you to remove x seconds of audio from the callers message.
  • The Minimum Message Length popup menu defines how long a callers message must be in order to be considered 'legal'. Messages which are not at least as long as this minimum will be discarded.
  • The Voice Mode Strings and Speakerphone Strings are the modem AT commands used to put the modem into voice and speakerphone mode. You should not change these strings.

    Cover Page Setup

    Select the Cover Page tab to go to the Cover Page Preferences dialog. The dialog appears as follows:

    [Preferences]

    Use the mouse pointer to move the cursor from one edit field or popup menu to the next.

    1. You will need to enter your company name (if applicable), your name, your fax telephone number, and your voice telephone number. This information will appear on your cover pages.
    2. Use the popup menu on the right of the Cover Page Preferences dialog box to select the style to use for the cover page.
    3. Clicking on the Edit Cover Page button will launch the Cover Page Editor and display the cover page selected in the popup menu.

    When you have configured all of the options to your satisfaction, click OK.

    Fax Setup

    To access the Fax ID and send/receive options, select the Fax tab. The Fax Preferences dialog box shown below will appear:

    [Fax Setup]

    Paging Setup

    To access the Paging Services options, select the Paging tab. The Paging Preferences panel shown below will appear:

    [Fax Setup]

    The Paging panel allows you to add, remove, and edit alphanumeric paging service providers.

    Voice Setup

    MacComCenter Plus allows you to play recordings through the Macintosh speaker, the modem speaker or a telephone handset. You can record new messages by using the Macintosh audio input hardware, the modem's microphone or a telephone handset.

    Note: Voice functions require modem hardware support.

    Note: Handset recording/ play back requires that a phone be connected to the phone jack on the modem. Phones not directly connected to the modem (e.g. extensions) will not work.

    Handset recording/playback may be disabled because of restrictions by other country's telephone companies. Playback through the modem speaker generally requires external speakers connected to a speaker output jack on the modem. The best sound quality is usually obtained by recording through the modem.

    You can select the default input and output audio devices by selecting the Voice tab. The following dialog box will appear:

    [Voice Preferences]

    When you have configured all of the options to your satisfaction, click OK.

    Mailbox Setup

    By default, MacComCenter Plus provides a single mailbox to hold incoming voice and fax files. The following section will describe how to add new mailboxes.

    Adding and Configuring Mailboxes

    To add a new mailbox, select New Mailbox from the Mailbox menu. The following dialog box will appear:

    Fill in the fields to configure the new mailbox. If you leave the Mailbox ID blank, the system will assign the next available ID. If you are using voice messaging, you should assign the mailbox ID's based on the maximum number of users (mailboxes) you will create: For less then ten mailboxes, assign ID's 2 through 9. For less then 100 mail boxes assign ID's 10 through 99. For less then 1000 mailboxes assign ID's 100 through 999. Leading 0's are not used, so ID 03 is the same as 3.

    Note: Mailbox ID #1 is the Default Mailbox. It cannot be deleted.

    You can also assign a password to the mailbox if you desire. Passwords prevent other users from reading your mail and using your Locale definitions. They are also used for remote message retrieval if voice messaging is enabled.

    Each mailbox provides an Inbox to display received files and an Outbox to display files waiting to be sent. Additional folders can be added to a mailbox using the Add Folder command in the Mailbox menu. These folders can be used to archive messages you wish to save.

    The Voice Options tab allows you to select or record the greeting message which will be played when the mailbox is selected by a caller by entering touchtones on his/her phone keypad. This allows each user to have their own personal greeting played to callers who have selected their mailbox. To record a new message, enable Outgoing Message Recording and then click New. To select a different message use the popup menu provided. The Voice Options tab appears as follows:

    MacComCenter Plus allows you to automatically forward received faxes and voice messages to any phone number you specify. These options are configured from the tabs shown below the Last Name field.

    Forwarding voice messages can be configured by clicking on the Message Forwarding tab.

    Select when you would like MacComCenter Plus to forward your voice messages from the provided popup menu. Enter the phone number MacComCenter Plus will dial in the Number field. This phone number is 'dialed as entered' and must contain any outside line or long distance codes needed to complete the call. You can also specify the expected type of response your modem will receive. The available options are Person, Pager, or Answering Machine.

    Warning: Pagers and Answering Machines will not be asked to enter a password.

    You can also restrict message forwarding to certain days of the week and time of day. This is done by entering the desired times in the Beginning at and Until fields, and selecting the day(s) of the week on the Days selector underneath it.

    Received faxes can also be forwarded. Click on the Fax Forwarding tab to access this option.

    Select when you would like MacComCenter Plus to forward your faxes from the provided popup menu. Enter the phone number MacComCenter Plus will dial in the Number field. This phone number is 'dialed as entered' and must contain any outside line or long distance codes needed to complete the call.

    Calls can also be transferred to another extension, if supported by you phone system. Click on the Call Transfer tab to access this option.

    In the Number field enter the extension number where you wish MacComCenter Plus to transfer your call to. This phone number is 'dialed as entered' and must contain any code needed to complete the call. Next, select the time of day and days of the week when the call transfer should take place. This is done by entering the desired times in the Beginning at and Until fields, and selecting the day(s) of the week on the Days selector underneath it.

    When you have configured all of the options to your satisfaction, click OK.

    Locale Setup

    MacComCenter Plus allows you to specify the various locations from which you use MacComCenter Plus. These locations specify how MacComCenter Plus will dial the telephone line when calling from a specific location. For example, you may need to dial a 9 to access an outside line when you are at work, but this is not necessary when dialing from home. MacComCenter Plus's SmartDial feature can take these differences into account, and will ensure that all calls are dialed correctly. To open the Location dialog box, select Edit Location from the Locale menu. The following dialog will be displayed:

    Click New to create a new long distance access definition. Click Edit to modify an existing definition. Click Delete to remove a definition. Click Done to close the Edit dialog box. When New or Edit is clicked, a dialog similar to the following will appear:

    Enter a name and the access code for the definition in the provided fields and click OK. This field will accept a maximum of 19 digits.

    The Edit Countries button accesses a dialog box which allows you to add a new country to the list, edit the existing entry, or delete an entry from the list it he same fashion as described above for the long distance access.

    Click on the Edit button to open the country entry box as shown below:

    Data Setup

    All data communications functions in MacComCenter Plus are performed in the Terminal application. To start the Terminal, double-click on the MCC Terminal icon in the MacComCenter Plus folder. [MCC Terminal]

    After the Terminal is loaded, please check the following items to ensure that your MacComCenter Plus setup matches your modem hardware specifications so you can achieve optimal communications. Standard data setup includes checking the line and flow control settings.

    The Macintosh to modem speed is the most basic parameter to be adjusted. This is expressed in the software by the Baud Rate setting. To adjust this setting pull down the Setup menu and select the Modem option. The Modem Setup dialog box will appear.

    There are two types of flow control:

    Using Your Fax/Modem

    Now that the basic setup options have been configured, it's time to begin using MacComCenter Plus.

    Playing Voice Messages

    MacComCenter Plus allows you to easily play incoming voice messages, as well as providing the ability to customize the messages callers will hear when they access MacComCenter Plus.

    To play a received message, simply double-click on the message you wish to play. A received message will appear under the mail box folder to which it was received. By default, messages are stored under the *Default Mail box *folder. You can also play messages by high lighting the desired message and selecting Play/View from the Mailbox menu or by selecting the message and clicking on the Play button at the bottom of the window.

    Drag and Drop Support for Voice Messages

    MacComCenter Plus allows you to easily export incoming voice messages by dragging the desire voice message(s) to the desired location on the Finder. The new voice file will be converted to a AIFF sound file and placed on the desired location.

    Receiving Faxes

    Receiving a fax is an almost automatic procedure. To receive a fax, simply make sure that the MacComCenter's current mode is Fax Send/Receive or Voice and Fax. This can be checked quickly by launching the Telephony Control application. Since the default setting enables fax reception, MacComCenter Plus is ready to receive immediately.

    The Telephony Control application normally stays in an idle state while waiting for a call. It switches over to active mode when answering a call. When a fax is received, the call is automatically logged in the MacComCenter Plus Log and the received fax will be shown in the MessageCenter Inbox. MacComCenter Plus can be configured to automatically alert you upon receipt of an incoming fax. The different ways MacComCenter Plus can alert you of an incoming fax are by placing an icon on your desktop or updating the message counts in the Telephony Control. Receive fax alerts are set up in the Fax Preferences dialog.

    Using the Control Strip

    The MacComCenter Control Strip Module gives you access to most of MacComCenter components from one centralized place.

    From within the Control Strip Module you are able to:

    If your current system software does not have the Control Strip control panel installed, you will need to install it manually. To do this, open the MacComCenter v3 folder, and then open the Move to 'Control Panels' folder. Inside this folder you'll find the Control Strip control panel and a ReadMe file. You should read this ReadMe file for instructions on installation of the Control Strip control panel.

    Faxing With Quick Fax

    The Quick Fax is simple utility that allows you to send a quick note to one or more individuals. This utility is useful for those times when you need to fax a quick message to someone without running a word processing application. [Drag'n Fax]

    To fax with Quick Fax:

    1. Double-click on the Quick Fax icon, or by using the MacComCenter Control Strip Module.
      Note: You may also select the Send Quick Fax... command from the File menu from within the MessageCenter or Telephony Control application
    2. The application will launch, and the following dialog box will appear.

    Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the fax from the phonebook list. To send a fax to someone who is not in your phone book, click New Entry to add the entry to your phone book. The dialog shown on below will appear:

    Enter the recipient's fax information in the provided fields and click OK.

    1. From the Cover Page popup menu, select the kind of cover page you want to use for your Quick Fax.
    2. In the Quick Note field, type the body of the message you want to send (note: there is a limit of 255 characters for the message text).
    3. Click on the Send button to send the fax.

    Faxing With Drag'n Fax

    The easiest way to send a fax with MacComCenter Plus is through the Drag'n Fax Icon. When MacComCenter Plus was installed, you may have noticed a new icon on your desktop. The Drag'n Fax icon allows you to send a fax by dropping the file you wish to fax on top of the icon. [Drag'n Fax]

    To fax with Drag'n Fax:

    1. Drag the file you wish to fax onto the Drag'n Fax icon.
    2. The application which created the file will run and the MacComCenter Plus print dialog box will appear.

    Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the fax from the phonebook list. To send a fax to someone who is not in your phone book, click New Entry to add the entry to your phone book. The dialog shown on below will appear:

    Enter the recipient's fax information in the provided fields and click OK.

    1. Click on the Send button to send the fax.

    Faxing From a Macintosh Application

    Another convenient way to send a fax is directly from the application that created the file. The benefits of sending out faxes in this manner are many. You do not need to interrupt your work to send the fax; all fonts, graphics, and formatting are automatically incorporated, and you do not need to manually convert the document before sending. This method of faxing is as simple as switching printer drivers. The driver can be switched on the fly via user configured HotKeys, by changing the printer driver to MacComCenter™ Fax using the Chooser under the Apple menu, or via the Control Strip module.

    To fax from a Macintosh application:

    1. Start the Macintosh application from which you wish to fax a document. Either open or create the document to fax.
    2. Select MacComCenter™ Fax as your current printer. Pull down the Apple menu and select Chooser. The Chooser dialog box will appear. Select MacComCenter™ Fax and close the Chooser window. This will change your default printer driver to MacComCenter™ Fax.

      or

      Select Use MacComCenter™ Fax from the MacComCenter Plus Control Strip module.

      or

      Hold down the HotKey combination before clicking on the File menu.

    3. In your application, select Fax Setup from the File menu. The MacComCenter Fax Setup dialog box will appear:

    The MacComCenter Fax Setup dialog configures the attributes for sending a fax through the MacComCenter Fax printer driver.

    1. Choose the desired options, and click OK.
    2. Select Fax from the File menu. The MacComCenter Fax Print dialog box will appear:

    Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the fax from the phonebook list and drag them into the Send to: list. To send a fax to someone who is not in your phonebook, click New Entry, enter the requested information and click OK.

    1. Click on Send to send the fax, or Save to save the fax for later transmission.

    The document will now be converted into a faxable format and sent to the number entered in the Send to: list.

    Using the Printer Driver

    The printer driver has several options and features that determine how, when and to whom documents will be faxed. The Printer Driver dialog box appears as follows:

    Options for saving and faxing a document are found above the dividing line on the dialog box. These settings affect a document that is either being sent or being faxed.

    To add a new user click on the New Entry button. A trimmed down version of the MessageCenter Phonebook entry dialog is used to add or edit a user:

    The Send to: list shows all recipients of the document being faxed. To add a phone book entry to this list, click and drag a phonebook entry from the Phonebook list into the Send to: list. To remove an entry, click and drag the entry back to the Phonebook list.

    The When radio buttons determine when the file will be faxed to its destination. The available options are:

    The CoverPage popup menu lets you select a cover page for your document. This page gets sent in addition to your document, and usually contains in formation about the faxed document. The Notes button allows you to add or edit the note that will be sent on the cover page.

    The text to the right of the Notes button indicates the status of the fax headers. If fax headers are on, the fax will be sent with the time and date sent, the company name, and the page number embedded at the very top of every faxed page.

    Faxes can be previewed before being sent or saved by clicking on the Preview button. Clicking on Preview invokes the following dialog:

    [Preview]

    The Previous and Next buttons will move to the previous or next page of your document.

    Note: The preview does not display the cover page.

    At this point you can cancel the whole operation by clicking on Cancel, or start it by clicking on Save or Send.

    Saving a Fax as a File

    Normally, when you fax a document, the fax image is stored in a MacComCenter specific folder and an entry is made in the MessageCenter scheduler database. You can Open the Fax from the MessageCenter in order to view it, but you don't have direct access to the Fax image or the Fax file. If you want to save your document in a MacComCenter Fax file and not in the MessageCenter, there is an option available in the Print Driver for saving directly to a file. If you hold the Option key down when the Fax Print dialog is displayed, the 'Save' button will change to 'Save As...'. Clicking on the 'Save As...' button will bring up the standard file 'Save' dialog allowing you to save the fax image in a file. The Fax Print dialog with the Option key down will look like the following:

    Saving a document to a file will not save any scheduling or destination parameters. You can view the saved fax file by double-clicking on the file icon or by opening the file with the MessageCenter File menu Open item.

    Sending a Page

    Quick Page is simple utility that allows you to send a message to a Numeric or AlphaNumeric Pager. You can send the same message to one or more individuals. [Quick Page]

    Sending a message to a Pager

    1. Double-click on the Quick Page icon, or select the Send a Page... menu item by using the MacComCenter Control Strip Module.
      Note: You may also select the Send a QuickPage... command from the File menu from within the MessageCenter or Telephony Control application
    2. The paging application will launch, and the following dialog box will appear.

    Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the message from the phonebook list. To send a Pager message to someone who is not in your phone book, click New Entry to add the entry to your phone book. The dialog shown on below will appear:

    Enter the recipient's Pager information in the provided fields and click OK.

    Dialing a Modem Number

    The MacComCenter Plus Terminal is your gateway for connecting your modem to a wide variety of bulletin board systems (BBS) and on-line services. No matter what type of system you are calling, the concept remains the same.

    This example will guide you through connecting to Smith Micro Software's support BBS. The BBS name is American E-Mail. You can use this system to test the data communications portion of MacComCenter Plus. There is no charge other than possible long distance tolls charged by your phone company.

    To call the BBS, select Dial from the Data menu. The Terminal dialer will appear.

    [Dialer]

    Simply enter the number you wish to dial by clicking on the numbers on the stylized keypad, or type the numbers directly from your Macintosh keyboard. When the number has been entered, click on the Dial button, or press Return. MacComCenter Plus will dial the number entered. The dialer will use the specified Baud Rate, Terminal, and Line Settings set in the Modem Setup option under the Setup menu. The Smith Micro BBS number is (714)362-5822.

    Click Dial to dial the BBS. A Dialing Status window, will appear.

    Depending on your modem's volume setting, you may hear a dial tone and the tones (or plusses) as your modem accesses the phone line and dials the number.

    After the line rings, your modem will " negotiate " with the remote modem and you may hear high-pitched squeals. When the two modems have finished their negotiations, you will receive a CONNECT message.

    You are now connected to the BBS using MacComCenter Plus and your modem. If desired, follow the prompts to create a new user account. You will be prompted at every step and must create a password of your own choosing to enter the system for future on-line sessions. When connected to the Smith Micro BBS, you may upload and download public domain and utility files and programs, visit the On-Line Software Store, or get on-line technical support in one of the support forums. All selections are menu driven. If you are unsure of your options, you can always enter a question mark (?) for Help. To disconnect from a remote system, pull down the Data menu, and select Hang Up.

    Note: You can also use the MacComCenter Plus Phonebook to dial previously entered numbers from the Terminal.

    Unlike faxing, file transfers do not happen automatically; there are certain steps that must be accomplished by the user. Fortunately, MacComCenter Plus makes the procedure as intuitive as possible.

    File Transfers

    A file transfer is nothing more than transferring a file from one computer to another. The modem is the medium of transfer, and a file transfer protocol is used to denote the beginning and end of the file.

    File transfers are divided into two basic types: Downloads and Uploads. When you download a file, you are copying a file from a remote computer to your local machine. When you upload a file, you are sending a file from your local machine to a remote computer. The following steps outline the general process used to transfer files.

    Computer to Computer Transfers

    1. Establish communications with the remote system.

    Ensure that you can communicate with the remote side by typing a short message, and then reading the reply.

    1. Inform the remote user that you are interested in transferring a file.
    2. Inform the remote user of the file(s) you with to send or receive.
    3. Inform the remote user of the file transfer protocol to use.

    File transfer protocols are explained in Chapter 9.

    1. Pull down the Data menu, and select either Send File or Receive File, depending on whether you are uploading (Send File ) or downloading (Receive File ).

    Choose the protocol that was previously decided on in Step 4.

    1. If uploading, select the file(s) you wish to send to the remote user, and click OK for the transfer to begin.

    Note that the Xmodem and ASCII protocols require the user to name the file to be received on a download. The other available protocols will automatically acquire the name of the file being transferred.

    BBS File Transfers

    Transferring a file to or from a BBS is usually simpler than transferring files between two computers.

    1. Establish communications with the remote system.

    Use the Phonebook or Dialer to call the remote system.

    1. Enter your logon name and password to access the BBS.
    2. Select the option on the BBS to send or receive a file. Respond to all prompted questions until the BBS indicates that it is ready to send or receive the file. The file transfer protocol is usually selected in one of the prompted questions.
    3. Pull down the Data menu, and select either Send File or Receive File, depending on whether you are uploading (Send File ) or downloading (Receive File ).
    4. Select the file transfer protocol previously selected for use with the BBS.
    5. If uploading, select the file(s) you wish to send to the remote user, and click OK for the transfer to begin.

    Note that the Xmodem and ASCII protocols require the user to name the file to be received on a download. The other available protocols will automatically acquire the name of the file being transferred.

    Event Logging

    Event logging is a feature which records significant events during the operation of MacComCenter Plus. Events are grouped into event classes and individual event classes may be enabled or disabled with the provided check boxes. Events in disabled event classes are not recorded. The event log is maintained as a text file which can be viewed by selecting the Log tab in the main MacComCenter Plus application. The Log tab appears as follows:

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