How to use Arachne with PPP or SLIP
Arachne uses DOS packet driver interface to enable TCP/IP connectivity.
(Note: This technology is not very simple to understand, but it's the only standard
DOS offers just know. xChaos software is in touch with Caldera, company
developing OpenDOS operating system, which will come with new definition
of TCP/IP interface for DOS.)
The packet driver is resident program (TSR), simillar to utilities
like mouse driver or VESA driver. TCP/IP applications access packet
driver using software interrupt - usually it is 0x60 (60H). The packet driver
for ethernet card (LAN) is small freeware program (named like ODIPKT.COM, or so).
If you are using dial-up connection, you need program to "emulate"
ehternet card controled by packet driver.
There are following ways to dial Internet from DOS known to me:
- DOSPPPD - port of Unix PPP daemon to DOS, included in Arachne package.
- EtherPPP - public domain PPP (Point to Point protocol).
The version included in Arachne package will not run with modems faster than 14400 bps.
- Klos PPP - shareware PPP dialer from Klos Technologies. Arachne directly supports it.
- UMSLIP - SLIP driver from Univesity of Minesota. Reported to work with Arachne (IP_Address BOOTP).
- SLIPPER.EXE, CSLIPPER.EXE - SLIP (Single Line Internet Protocol) and CSLIP (=compressed SLIP) programs. Reported to work with Arachne (IP_Address BOOTP).
DOSPPPD
DOSPPPD is a single program - PPPD.EXE. Arachne offers loading
DOSPPPD if ARACHNE.CFG file contains line
Connection @PPPD.EXE.
DOSPPPD is port of Unix PPP daemon to DOS enviroment.
It's probably the best PPP solution available in DOS.
It consumes less memory than EtherPPP or KlosPPP.
Author of DOS port, Toni Lopez, permitted me to include this dialer to Arachne package.
The only problem I experience with it is that it refuses to work with certain
remote systems, like Worldgroup BBS system by Galacticom.
If you don't want to use Arachne built-in configurator, you can study
DOSPPPD documentation, which was created by
merging files README.TXT and PPPD.MAN. You don't have to care about
connection, because Arachne uses it's own dialer - MINITERM.EXE,
configured in ARACHNE.CFG. IP address
is passed by option IP_Address PPP.
If you are user with only average knowledge of TCP/IP and DOS, I suggest
using graphical PPP setup. Just fill in the correct
values, click Ok, save and than restart Arachne. Arachne will
create configuration file PPPDRC.CFG for DOSPPPD automaticaly.
EtherPPP
EtherPPP is a single program - PPP.EXE. Arachne offers loading
EtherPPP if ARACHNE.CFG file contains line
Connection @PPP.EXE parameters>PPP.LOG.
EtherPPP uses CONFIG.PPP file. Arachne create this
file for EtherPPP automaticaly, from file ETHERPAP.TPL (or ETHERPPP.TPL - without
PAP). If you don't want to use Arachne built-in configurator, you can study
EtherPPP documentation. But remember, the
redirection to PPP.LOG file is the only way to pass IP address to
Arachne when you use IP_Address PPP option. And you must
use either fixed IP address or this option, because EtherPPP is not able
to emulate BOOTP.
Before calling PPP.EXE, Arachne will use it's own dialer, MINITERM.EXE,
configured in ARACHNE.CFG.
You don't have to care about file DIAL.PPP (created by Arachne from template
LOGIN.CFG) as in earlier versions of Arachne.
If you are user with only average knowledge of TCP/IP and DOS, I suggest
using graphical PPP setup. Just fill
in the correct values, click Ok, save and than restart Arachne.
You cannot use graphical setup in following two cases:
- Non-standart IRQ of your modem. You have to udpate the
Connection keyword in ARACHNE.CFG manualy.
For example if your internal 28800 bps modem is on COM3 and uses IRQ 7,
you have to use Connection @PPP.EXE /c 3 /i 7 /s 38400 /d script>PPP.LOG.
- Insufficient low DOS memory. If you cannot
optimize your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS (try QEMM packege or Dos 6.2, EMM386
and MEMMAKER utility - not included in Win95), and you don't have cca
425 kB for Arachne + 125 kB for EtherPPP, you will have to use
different dialer (like Klos PPP).
Klos PPP
Many people complained, that EtherPPP consumes too much low DOS memory. On
some machines this can be problem. There is other dialer called Klos PPP,
which can be loaded to high memory (in case that you modify
ARACHNE.BAT; you must know how to work with high
memory area). The Klos PPP dialer comes with
utility that updates WATTCP.CFG and since pre-release 1.0 beta 8, Arachne
automaticaly loads KlosPPP if it is installed and calls the utility
to modify WATTCP.CFG after connecting, so your
ARACHNE.CFG can look simply like:
Connection @PPPMENU.EXE
Hangup @PPPMENU.EXE
DialPage file:DIALINIT.HTM
IP_Address WATTCP
TCP_Config WATTCP.CFG
You must get uncrippled self-extracting archive pppshare.exe available at
http://www.klos.com. The license agreement
doesn't allow us to include the archive directly to Arachne package.
Place the pppshare.exe to Arachne directory and go to the
Klos PPP setup page to install and configure it.
Klos PPP offers program PPPMENU.EXE as interface to PPP dialer. After connecting
with PPPMENU.EXE, you must select "Exit PPP connect" menu option to return
to Arachne.
UMSLIP, SLIPPER.EXE, CSLIPPER.EXE:
I have recieved e-mail, that UMSLIP and CSLIPPER both correctly emulate
BOOTP, so you can call one of them as external dialer
or you can dial with them first and then use Arachne exactly the same way as on
Local Network. Freeware SLIP programs can be found
on many anonymous FTP sites.
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