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C H O O S I N G M O D E M S O F T W A R E
A modem needs some kind of telecommunications program to
make it work. Some commercial online services, such as
America Online and Prodigy, require special software to
obtain access. Most BBSs and other online services can be
accessed by almost any telecommunications software
program. There are dozens of good general purpose
telecommunications software programs available. There are
also some real lemons.
There is a Terminal program that comes with Windows 3.1.
It is what is called a "bare bones" telecommunications
program. In fact, in my humble opinion, it should only be
used to download another telecommunications program. The
Windows Terminal program has Xmodem and Kermit as the
only transfer protocols. That was fine ten years ago but
will not do in today's world of high speed modems. Below
are a few features you should look for in a
telecommunications program.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE
ZMODEM PROTOCOL
The Zmodem protocol has become the industry standard. You
will want this feature in your telecommunications
software. Zmodem has excellent error checking and can
even resume an interrupted file transfer if you select
this option on your communications software. This ability
is sometimes referred to as "crash recovery."
SCREEN CAPTURE
The telecommunications software that you select should
have a screen capture feature. This is often called a
capture log. With screen capture turned on, your
telecommunications software saves whatever scrolls across
your screen to a text file. Then, when you are off-line,
you can use LIST (shareware), an editor, or a word
processing program to review the screen capture file. A
screen capture text file is often called a capture log
file.
SCROLL-BACK BUFFER
A scroll-back buffer allows you to review past screens.
This feature is real handy when important information has
passed by, and you need it immediately while online.
Often, a scroll-back buffer is activated by pressing a
key combination such as <ALT> B. Then, you can use your
arrow keys to scroll-back. A good scroll-back buffer will
also have a search feature.
TERMINAL EMULATION TYPES
Terminal emulation is the ability of your
telecommunications software to emulate different types of
terminals. This peculiar term comes from "dumb terminal"
which consists of a keyboard, a monitor, and no brains
(or memory). These dumb terminals were used to connect to
mainframes and minicomputers. These often required a
particular manufacturer's dumb terminals. Hence, the term
"terminal emulation." Your telecommunications program has
different terminal emulations, so your computer can talk
to a variety of host computers.
Almost all telecommunications software will emulate TTY,
ANSI, and DEC VT100/101/102. It is nice to have even
more. If you want to connect to the Internet, it is
important to have VT100 (or VT102) terminal emulation.
MACRO CAPABILITIES
A macro is a series of keystrokes that are executed when
a certain key or key combination is pressed. If the
telecommunications software has macro recording
capabilities, it can make it much easier for you. You can
store data such as your name, password, etc., as a macro.
Suppose you assign your name to the function key labeled
<F5>. Then, you can press <F5> to type your name.
SCRIPT LANGUAGE
A script file is a collection of commands, instructions,
or text that can be executed by your telecommunications
program. A script is particularly useful when you want to
log on automatically to a BBS or online service. Often,
the better telecommunications programs have an automatic
script writing feature.
WINDOWS OR DOS?
If you are primarily a Windows user, you will probably
want to use a Windows based telecommunications program.
Some people, who like DOS, think that using a Windows
telecommunications program is a little like turning on a
light switch with a broom handle. It is really a matter
of personal choice. If you are comfortable in DOS, you
may find that you can get online work done faster with a
DOS based program.
COMMERCIAL, SHAREWARE, OR FREEWARE?
Commercial software programs are sold by traditional
software vendors. You will find commercial software at
your favorite super computer store or software specialty
store. However, some of the best telecommunications
programs are available for trial use as shareware.
Shareware is a method of marketing software for the
program's author. Shareware programs are copyrighted. The
manuals for these programs are usually found on the disk
in the form of a text file. You can print the manuals,
using your printer. You can obtain these programs for
trial use from shareware distributors for a copying fee
of just a few dollars per disk. You can also download
shareware programs from BBSs and online services.
Shareware programs require a separate payment to the
author if found useful. The wonderful thing about
shareware is you get to try it out before you buy it.
According to Boardwatch magazine, the majority of modem
maniacs use shareware terminal programs. A freeware
software program has copyright restrictions; however, the
author is not requesting a registration fee. Freeware
programs can be found from the same sources that offer
shareware programs. Here are some of the better full-
featured DOS-based telecommunications programs available
in shareware: Telix, Qmodem Test Drive, and Telemate.
Ripterm is an easy to set up freeware program. If you are
looking for Windows shareware telecommunications
programs, you should take a look at MicroLink for
Windows.
Some commercial DOS-based telecommunications programs
that are excellent include: Procomm Plus, Qmodem Pro for
DOS, and Crosstalk Mark 4. Some of the best full-featured
commercial Windows telecommunications programs include
Procomm Plus for Windows, Qmodem Pro for Windows, and
Crosstalk for Windows.
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