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C A R R I E R D E T E C T The Bimonthly PC Telecommunications Journal Volume 1, May 1991 Table of Contents: Welcome ......................................... 1 Product Evaluations ............................. 2 Commo Version 4.52 .............................. 3 Wildcat Version 2.5S ............................ 5 Protocol Prowl .................................. 8 rC-Modem Version 4.4 ........................ 8 Bonus Files ..................................... 10 Product Information .............................. 11 Feedback ........................................ 12 Carrier Detect is published bimonthly by Michael W. Crosson. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. All brand and product names mentioned in this publication are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies. (c) 1991 Michael W. Crosson. All rights reserved. Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 1 W E L C O M E Welcome to the first edition of Carrier Detect, The Bimonthly PC Communications Journal. This is a journal that will appeal to any PC owner that uses a modem. Each issue you will discover something new as we chart the sometimes stormy seas of the world of Telecommunications. There will be candid product reviews inside every edition to help you find the product that best meets your needs and a special emphasis will be placed on programs that have a great deal to offer but for whatever reason have not yet come into widespread use. This journal has come into being because I feel that telecommunications is all too often neglected in the major computer magazines. When a communications article IS published, it seems the authors are out of touch. Like most aspects of the computer industry, the communications part of it changes rapidly and to stay informed of the latest software and get the most out of your existing software, you need a publication that is up to the minute and geared toward you - the real world user. It is my hope that you will find each issue to be informative and entertaining. Sincerely, Michael Crosson Publisher P R O D U C T E V A L U A T I O N S Each month Carrier Detect will contain several pro- duct evaluations. Most of these will be software reviews but from time to time hardware will be reviewed also. The opinions expressed in Carrier Detect are solely my own or the respective author of the article. Carrier Detect strives to be as objective and fair as possible when evaluating software. Judgments as to suitability are made with the "typical" modem enthusiast in mind and are not geared toward the complete novice nor the power user. Exceptions to this are noted as such in the article. Software reviews will include both commercial and shareware offerings. Equal attention will be given to Communication Programs and Bulletin Board Software. If you are a software developer or just a loyal fan of a particular package and would like to submit it for review Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 2 please see the Feedback section at the end of the journal. This month we review three programs; Commo, a Comm- unication Program, Wildcat BBS, and rC-Modem, an External Protocol. None of these programs are obscure and each of them already has an established following. I chose these particular releases for the first issue because I believe each to be excellent examples of quality shareware pro grams that should be already be readily available at a bbs system near you. In the unlikely event that you do have difficulty finding them, several sources of the files will be listed. As a last resort you can always call the Carrier Detect support BBS direct and download the files. Commo Version 4.52 Pros: Fast and easy to use Small Memory and disk space requirements Excellent macro facilities Cons: Must edit the dialing dir and macro files yourself No script learning facilities Memory is one of the PC's most precious yet limited resources. Large environments, GUIs, multitaskers, and TSRs can eat up so much memory that there is nothing left for the main application that you wish to run. The pro- blem is getting worse with the software industries trend toward higher minimum memory/hardware requirements. The good news is that Commo is a communications package that successfully bucks this trend without sacrificing power. Commo requires just 140K of free memory and offers many if not more of the features of it's bloated competition. Some of the best features of Commo include a complete scripting language, flexible macros, external protocol support, large dialing directories with a redialing function, automatic Z modem and Mpt downloads, multi tasking support, and a nifty scrollback window. Commo's small but mighty personality is achieved with tight pro- gramming and it's origins in assembly language. Commo is distributed as shareware and anyone can use the program for thirty days to see if it suits their needs. At the end of that time if you continue to use Commo you must send the reasonable registration free of $25 dollars. Like most shareware products Commo is often found in a zipped file that should be named COMMO452.ZIP or something close. Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 3 To install Commo the user first unzips the program into it's directory. Then the user must edit the con- figuration, dialing directory, and macro files to reflect the desired options, entries, or settings. This initial setup is perhaps the most difficult part of using Commo and at first I thought it to be very strange and even confusing. All of Commo's support files are plain ASCII text files, and it is up to you - the user - to edit them, either with Commo's own internal editor or your own text editor. There are no guided form or database entries like most communications packages have and the best thing to do is have the user manual handy when completing these steps. There are many helpful sample entries already listed but their content may not be entirely clear without at least looking over the documentation. After getting use to the concept that the files were just free form text I began to appreciate the flexibility this approach allows and now feel comfortable modifying and experimenting with the entries. Once Commo is up and running I found it to be a delight to use! Most functions and commands are executed by hitting various combinations of the alt key. Overall they are quite intuitive and easy to remember. For ex- ample, Alt-X exits the program while Alt-H hangs up the phone. The program's response is excellent and everything moves along very quickly! There are no slow screens to paint or clunky pull down menus here. Online help is extensive and is always called by hitting F1. Connecting to a local bulletin board was a snap and as easy as tag- ging the systems that i wished to call in the dialing directory. Commo has built in VT102 and ANSI emulation modes. File transfers are accomplished in Commo through a combination of a macro and an external protocol engine such as DSZ by Omen Technology or Mpt by Matthew Thomas. There are no file transfer protocols built in to Commo except a facility to send or receive straight text files. The author includes sample macros to use Z, Y, and X Modem via DSZ which is a separate shareware package. If you desire to use other protocols you must add the proper command lines yourself, a major disadvantage for less experienced modem users. Commo's macro capabilities are to be applauded for their simplicity and their similarity to the English language. The command set includes such easy to use keywords such as LOOK, PAUSE, and SEND. Another major feature is that any macro can be assigned to run from any key! There is a serious omission in Commo that I hope will be addressed in future versions, the lack of a auto-learn script learning function. Although the language is easy to use, you are required to write the Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 4 entire macro and type it in the macro support file yourself. A beginner might have trouble with this, especially if he has no programming background. It is much easier to add to or alter a script that has a skeleton provided from an auto-learn function than writing one from scratch. Another shortcoming is that the macro language is not as rich as those in programs such as Crosstalk or Telix which are almost self contained programming languages. All in all, Commo is an excellent telecommunications program and a bargain for just twenty-five dollars. After extensive use the program always did exactly as it was supposed to do and i did not encounter any problems. I think Commo is best suited for more experienced modem users. While it is easy to use, a beginner may not have the knowledge needed to take full advantage of this pro- gram and may even mistake its flexibility for simplicity. Others who are more experienced will appreciate just how lean and mean Commo really is. It gets the job done with a minimum of fuss yet can be as powerful as you want it to be. With a little editing talent and some imagination you can make Commo into the customized term program of your dreams. Wildcat BBS Version 2.50S Pros: Easy to install Mature Product with excellent product support Many internal protocols including Z Modem Reliable and not prone to crashes Cons: Limited flexibility No support for Echo or Net Mail Dated design and appearance * (please note that version 3.0 is due for release later this year and may address these shortcomings). Wildcat! is one of the most established Bulletin Board systems in existence. If you have been calling public bulletin board systems for a long time chances are that one of the first ones that you logged onto ran Wildcat! software. Since it's shareware introduction in 1986, Wildcat! has gone to become one of the most su- ccessful bulletin board systems and you can now find Wildcat! stocked on the shelf of your local Software Etc. store. It's success is well deserved, as Wildcat is one of the most reliable BBS packages available in a field that is crowded with offerings that are chock full of bugs. There is nothing worse to a sysop then to return to the home or office and see that your bulletin board has Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 5 crashed do to some mysterious bug, runtime error or other problem. Wildcat sysops are a fortunate bunch, for they don't experience this sort of problem much at all if ever. Mustang software took special care to make the usual- ly hairy BBS installation process as painless as possible. I've spent hours attempting to install some packages with no luck at all. With Wildcat! the whole thing took just under 30 minutes. To install Wildcat! is a matter of sim- ply following the instructions that appear on the screen after running the install program found on disk one. Wildcat!'s files are shipped compressed on three 360K diskettes and the program takes up about 1.5 megs of space once completely installed on your hard disk. Even the modem installation is easy because Wildcat! comes with predefined modem settings for many popular modems. If you are using a high speed modem such as the USR Dual Stan- dard, you know what a timesaver this is. Of course you may alter these or enter your own if you do not find an suitable in the choices offered. Wildcat! has a great deal to offer both its sysops and callers. One of Wildcat!'s strong points is the emphasis on security. The program allows up to 50 differ- ent security levels and nearly every option can be set to for a minimum access level before allowing the caller to access that function, message base, or file area. Daily time limits and file ratios are also options that can be controlled with security levels. One nice touch is that the optional internal generic menu system will not display a menu choice if the caller cannot access it. The file section of Wildcat! is also a strong point of the software. It allows for defining up to twenty-six areas. The file area records are maintained by a B-tree indexed database, a system that allows for many advantages over more primitive systems that used a simple text file to keep track of the files (In fact all the main data files in Wildcat! - the User, Message, and File records are all supported by a similar database scheme). File searches are fast, and each file record contains a lot of pertinent information such as the Uploader of the file, date uploaded, time needed to download the file, number of times downloaded, two description lines and more. Many transfer protocols are available internal to Wildcat! including: Xmodem, Ymodem, Ymodem-G, Kermit, Sealink, and the ever popular Z Modem. Batch modes are also available if the protocol supports it and the caller can specify up to fifty files at a time to download. The sysop can add up to ten external protocols including Bimodem to allow even more flexibility. In operation all of the internal protocols worked well when tested. The internal Z Modem Wildcat! offers is not as speedy as the one in DSZ but the difference was slight. There are a few features that are Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 6 missing from Wildcat! that more robust BBSs contain. These include goodies such as an archive editor that can check, view or otherwise manipulate compressed files on the system and a protocol editor to eliminate the need for batch files to run external protocols. However, all these kinds of things are not essential and can be handled with doors or external events. The message section of Wildcat! does not fare quite as well. Like the file area, you can define up to twenty six areas which are called "folders" in Wildcat!. All the normal message commands are present, you can read, enter, scan, reply, forward, and delete messages. The problem lies in the design and appearance of this area of the software. It hasn't really changed much from it's origin- al implementation and it is beginning to show its age. The editor that is present is a rather outdated line oriented one similar to one you might use on GEnie but with word wrap. There are no colors, no uploading pro- vision of prepared messages or included files, no quoting of the previous message - just the basic commands of a bare bones editor. Most other BBS system now incorporate all these features in a full screen editing option or at least allow the sysop to add an external one. In addit- ion, I think don't think the message area is especially easy to use. While it has many of the same options as other systems, the commands don't seem to be as logically arranged or as user friendly. I have watched many callers become completely confused in the message areas and not be able to accomplish what they wanted to do until i broke in for a chat and explained the process. One last problem with the message area is the lack of true support for echo and net mail. Wildcat! has no internal support for echo or netmail beyond offering a menu option that runs a batch file to start an external program for this purpose such as SmallDoor. In other areas Wildcat! is a mixed bag. It has the abi- lity to run doors (which are external programs such as online games), but they can only be called using a batch file that completely exits the software and then reloads it again when the caller is through. In addition, these doors must all be run from the doors menu, a serious limitation to the system's flexibility. In fact none of the menu functions in Wildcat! can be altered beyond chan- ging the command letter that calls the function. Some BBS software feature menu editors that let you add and delete menu choices and functions at will and some even allow stacked menu command macros that execute several steps from one command key. Wildcat! does support many ANSI menu screens so although you can't change the choices at least you can change the appearance of your BBS. Wildcat remains an attractive choice for potential Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 7 sysops despite it's shortcomings. It is not the snazziest BBS nor the most powerful BBS but it is a solid choice for those that are more concerned with trouble-free operation than flash. Business' that are looking for BBS software would be wise to consider Wildcat! seriously. In addition to the single line version that I reviewed, it is possible to purchase a Network version (allowing up to 10 lines) and a Professional version (allowing up to 250 lines!). Finally, Wildcat! is available in a shareware version that includes most of the features of the commercial one that i tested. Wildcat! sysops also enjoy excellent technical support from Mustang. They offer a free voice support line where you just pay for the call, a multi-line BBS that operates twenty-four hours a day, and an area on GEnie. Plus as one of the advantages of being a survivor in the BBS market, there are plenty of experienced and loyal Wildcat! sysops that are always willing to lend a helping hand to a newcomer. It also follows that many excellent doors and utilities are available that enhance and compliment Wildcat!. One last gesture of goodwill on the part of Mustang to win the hearts of BBS sysops every where is the inclusion of a fifty dollar coupon in each new box of Wildcat! that is sold. The coupon may be spent on the next major release, Wildcat! utilities, or a convenient auto-update plan. P R O T O C O L P R O W L Protocol Prowl is an area that will appear regularly in Carrier Detect. Here you can expect to find reviews or user tips on both new and familiar file transfer proto- cols. This month we review rC-Modem Version 4.4, a relatively new protocol that offers some unique features that may be valuable to some communication enthusiasts. rC-Modem Version 4.4 rC-Modem is a external protocol by Lavio Pareschi that offers all of the features that helped to make Z Modem so popular and then some. On many BBS systems this protocol is referred to as simply C Modem. RC-Modem boasts a great depth of features as far as protocols go. These include: crash recovery, variable sized data blocks, full duplex operation, batch operation and a unique terminate and stay resident (TSR) option. I especially like the efforts that the protocol goes through to send intelligent packet sizes. RC-Modem actually keeps a record of certain variables of every transfer performed: the accumulated seconds, errors due to noise and total number of calls. From this information it attempts to determine the optimum size of the data Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 8 blocks and minimize the losses due to over head on control and repeated blocks. If you don't understand this, don't fret as it is all invisible to the user. All you have to know is that rC-Modem is going through some pretty neat maneuvers to insure that you are transferring your data as efficiently as possible. The crash recovery is nice also although not quite as convenient as Z modem's. If a transfer is interrupted in progress, rC-Modem will properly save the last data byte received and then save the file with the extension of .BAD. All the caller has to do is resume the transfer once again and rC-Modem will pick up where it left off. rC-Modem can resume transfers started with other protocols that aborted midway in the transmission as well, but first you have rename the file with the .BAD extension, a step that seems a unnecessary since Z modem and others do not require this. Perhaps one of the highlights of the protocol is its TSR option. With rC-Modem it is possible to load it into memory at boot up or before your communications session and then have it "pop up" over whatever program you are working in to transfer a group of files. This feature could be a boon to people who use the communications modules of integrated packages such as Microsoft Works, First Choice or Lotus Works but don't want to use the slow and error prone protocols that are contained in these pack ages (usually using X Modem or some variation). This version appears to use 85K of memory when loaded as a TSR. Not a tiny amount but reasonable considering that most protocols require at least 65K of memory just for normal operation. RC-Modem is easy to set up for use with popular communication and BBS packages. It even offers several methods for installation. The easiest way is to use the rcsetup program that is included. It will ask you a series of easy questions and thereafter all you need to do is shell to dos and type rC-Modem (or better yet create a batch file). It can also be used without the configur- ation file and run from a command line with the desired parameters or in the previously discussed TSR mode. Even the command line method can be easy to use, for example: rcmodem /p=1/rx - This tells rC-Modem to receive a file on Com Port 1 rcmodem /p=1/tx c:\path\filename - This tells rC-Modem to send the file named above on Com 1 Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 9 rC-Modem operates well in practice and i have run into no problems installing it on either BBS systems or term packages including Telix and Commo. It is fast and does not seem prone to aborting in mid-transfer like some protocols. When I have used rC-Modem it usually transfe- rred files at about 236 characters per second over clean lines with a 2400 non-error correcting modem. This is about the same as Z modem under the best conditions. I have tried it in a network environment (Telenet) and it worked well also. This protocol was designed with the goal of improving transmissions over noisy lines (like those found in Brazil where it is from), so if you live in one of these areas you will want to check this protocol out and urge local sysops to install it. During a trans- fer rC-Modem displays an attractive and informative pro- gress screen that even includes a graph showing the per- centage of completion. There is a command line option to tell rC-Modem to use BIOS calls rather than direct screen writes in case you are computing in a multi-tasking environment. RC-Modem is a effective and trustworthy means to transfer files from PC to PC. It isn't one of the more common protocols found on BBS systems in America but it deserves to be. Try it yourself and see if it isn't a welcome change of pace. B O N U S F I L E S In each issue of Carrier Detect you will find some accompanying files within the Zip archive. The files will usually be related to the products discussed in the current issue. Hopefully the files will find a niche in your telecommunication toolbox and make your day more productive and easier! In this issue I've included a macro file for Commo that will allow you to transfer files with nearly EVERY protocol available! As mentioned in the review, Commo requires this file to perform file transfers and the sample one included in the archive only includes examples for X, Y, Z and Mpt. Since every protocol uses different commands and syntax, creating this file yourself would take a long time and a great deal of trial and error. Protocols seem to be something that many modem users have trouble installing so hopefully this file will assist many established Commo users and persuade others to try out this excellent program with a minimum of fuss. I have tested all of these protocols using this macro Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 10 file on my system and it works well. Please note that you will need to have the protocol engines somewhere in your path for the transfers to work properly. Also, whenever possible, the protocols will place a downloaded file in the directory that YOU specify in the Commo configuration file. The commands assume you are using a 1200 or 2400 baud modem. If you are using a high speed modem, (espec- ially under locked baud rate conditions), a few of the protocols require different command line options that you will need to change. Most of these relate to handshaking and the use of a locked comm port. If you do experience trouble using any of the protocols with this macro file I will be happy to help you if you contact me on the Carrier Detect Support BBS or send me E-Mail on GEnie (M.CROSSON). P R O D U C T I N F O R M A T I O N Following is product information for the products reviewed in this issue of Carrier Detect. If you are interested in purchasing or evaluating any of the products please note the publisher's address listed below. In addition, ALL shareware programs featured in Carrier Detect will be made available to first time callers on the Carrier Detect Support BBS: Symmetry BBS - Tucson, Arizona, (602) 296-2248, 1200-9600 baud (V.32/.42) supported, 24 hours a day. FidoNet 1:300/28 COMMO Distributed as Shareware Version - 4.53 (latest at time of distribution) Cost - $25 registration fee Published by - Fred Brucker, Post Office Box 9103, Santa Rosa, CA, 95405 Available for download to first time callers at: Directory Assistance BBS (707) 538-8780 (node 2). Also Available on: GEnie in IBM RT as COMMO453.ZIP (file 22376) WILDCAT! Commercial and Shareware versions distributed Version - 2.55S (not available as shareware) Cost - $129 Published by Mustang Software, Box 2264, Bakersfield, CA, 93303 Toll-Free Ordering (800) 999-9619 Available at most Software Etc. stores Shareware Testdrive version available for download at: Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 11 Mustang Software BBS (805) 395-0650 Also available on : GEnie in BBS RT as WILD-TD.ZIP (file 3666) RC-MODEM Distributed as Shareware Version 4.40 Cost - $24 registration fee Published by Lavio Pareschi, Centro Cultural Hanns Ludwig Lipmann, CCHLL-BBS, CXP 34045, Rio De Janiero, Brazil CCHILL BBS 0055 (21) 285-6228 (node 1) 0055 (21) 265-7380 (node 2) Available on : GEnie in IBM RT as CMODEM44.ZIP F E E D B A C K I am interested in getting as much feedback as possible regarding this issue of Carrier Detect and welcome suggestions or any other comments you may have. If you are a software publisher or shareware author and would like to submit your program for possible inclusion in future issues you are welcome to do so also. Finally, if you are interested in contributing an article or review please let me know! I can be contacted at the follow following locations: Home Mailing Address - 640 Avenida Princesa, Tucson, AZ 85748 Carrier Detect Support BBS - Symmetry BBS (602) 296-2248, FidoNet 1:300/28 1200-9600 baud V.32, 24 hours a day. First Call Access to all Carrier Detect File and Message Areas! GEnie Information Services - (M.CROSSON) Special Thanks this issue to: Roderick Wade, MicroSource Computers of Tucson Arizona - For providing an area of the MicroSource BBS dedicated to Carrier Detect BBS during May 1991! Bill Logan, Co Sysop of Solitude BBS, (602) 747-5236, Tucson Arizona - For providing the original version of the Commo.Mac file. One where the protocols were organized! Carrier Detect - May 1991 - Page 12