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Paul McFedries' Windows 95 Unleashed, Professional Reference Edition
A man may know the world without leaving his own home.
—Lao-Tzu
In Chapter 19, "Miscellaneous Multimedia: Graphics, CD-ROMs, and More," I introduced you to the "cachet to cliché" syndrome, whereby concepts that were once hip and fashionable suddenly become yesterday's news and the victims of a none-too-subtle backlash. This hasn't happened to the Internet just yet (unless you count the righteous backlash leveled against the "Information Superhighway" metaphors that have been done to death). In fact, by just about any measure—popularity, technological innovation, number of industry millionaires—the Internet is still growing by leaps and bounds.
There's no shortage, however, of neo-Luddites and other head-in-the-sand types willing to sound off on whatever soapbox they can find about what they perceive as the evils of all this technology. Even among industry pundits who should know better, it has become almost fashionable to predict an imminent Internet backlash. The rest of us who use the Internet in our daily lives and wonder how we ever got along without it just nod our heads at all this chin-wagging and get back to being productive.
If you're interested in getting on the Internet, this chapter shows you how to do it in Windows 95. I'll review the Internet-related concepts you've seen in previous chapters, and then I'll show you some alternative methods you can use to get connected. From there, you'll learn about Internet security, Windows 95's ftp and Telnet utilities, and other Windows 95 Internet programs.
NOTE: YOU CAN READ THIS CHAPTER ONLINE
If you've been following along here in Part VI, you already know everything you need to know in order to connect to the Internet in Windows 95. In fact, you're probably off investigating the Net's nooks and crannies right now. However, if you're just starting out at this chapter, this section will get your cyberjourney off the ground. You have four ways to proceed:
The next four sections take you through each method. Note that in each case, I'm assuming that you have an account with an Internet service provider (ISP).
Networking and the Internet are intimately related. After all, participating in the Internet is like logging on to a giant TCP/IP network, and networking a few computers is like creating your own mini-Internet (in fact, small networks are often called internets). That's why I named Part VI "Unleashing Windows 95 Networking and Internet Connectivity." I wanted to make it clear that the two concepts are inseparable.
If you've been following along, you've seen that many of the ideas we've looked at apply equally well to either setting up a network or setting up an Internet connection. These ideas are scattered among several chapters, however (mostly in Chapter 30, "Remote Computing with Dial-Up Networking," and Chapter 31, "Implementing TCP/IP for Internet and Network Connections"). So what I want to do now is review the relevant material and summarize everything in one nice, neat package. To that end, here's the general procedure you would follow if you were setting up an Internet connection in Windows 95 from scratch:
That's it; you're ready for action on the Internet. From here, head to the section later in this chapter titled "Connecting to Your Service Provider" to run through the connection procedure.
If you upgraded to Windows 95 over a previous version of Windows that had an Internet connection installed, you might find that that connection no longer works in Windows 95. The problem is related to the file that provides access to the TCP/IP protocol stack for Windows-based Internet applications. For 16-bit applications, this Windows socket (Winsock) support is provided by a file named WINSOCK.DLL. The problem is actually twofold:
Here's a list of programs known to experience problems with the new WINSOCK.DLL:
Chameleon
CompuServe Internet Dialer or CompuServe Net Launcher
FTP Software
Internet In a Box
Internet Office
Mosaic In a Box
NetCom Net Cruiser
Pipeline
Spry Air Series
Trumpet
To resolve this problem, you have two choices:
If you don't feel like slogging through all the steps described earlier, you can try an easier way to get your Windows 95 machine connected to the Internet. If you have Microsoft Plus! and you installed the Internet Jumpstart Kit, the Internet Setup Wizard will help you create the connection by leading you through all the necessary steps in typical Wizard fashion. Note that you'll still need to know the various TCP/IP settings assigned by your ISP as well as the other data mentioned earlier.
With all that information in hand, you have a choice of three ways to launch the Internet Setup Wizard:
The initial Wizard dialog box just gives you some introductory information, so click Next > to continue. The dialog box that appears presents you with your first choice:
Connect using my phone line: Activate this option if you'll be connecting to the Internet via a modem attached to a phone line.
Connect using my Local Area Network: Activate this option if your machine is attached to a network that has an Internet gateway.
Click Next >. If the Wizard detects that you've enabled file and print sharing on the TCP/IP connection that you'll be using to access the Internet, it will display a warning dialog box. This dialog box just lets you know that your system might be prone to Internet-based security violations. To find out more about this, see the section "TCP/IP and Internet Security" later in this chapter.
If you activated the Connect using my phone line option, you'll see the dialog box shown in Figure 32.1. The next section explains this dialog box and takes you through several subsequent dialog boxes that define your phone line connection. If instead you activated the Connect using my Local Area Network option, skip to the section titled "Entering Your TCP/IP Settings."
The next dialog box asks you to specify your service provider. You'll see the following options:
Use The Microsoft Network: Activate this option if you want to use The Microsoft Network as your ISP. Note that this doesn't mean connecting to MSN and accessing Internet resources from within the service. Instead, it means using MSN as an intermediary to establish a TCP/IP connection to the Internet. You can then use a Web browser and other Internet tools to access Net resources.
I already have an account with a different service provider: Activate this option if you have an account with a third-party ISP.
Figure 32.1. For your ISP, you can use either MSN or a third party.
I'll talk about using MSN as your ISP in the next section, so the rest of this section assumes that you're using a third-party ISP. Make sure that the I already have an account with a different service provider option is activated, and click Next > to proceed with the setup.
The Wizard now asks whether you want to use Microsoft Exchange to work with your Internet e-mail, as shown in Figure 32.2. Activate the Yes option if you plan on using the Exchange Internet Mail service. If you'll be using a different e-mail client, activate No. Click Next >.
Figure 32.2. For your Internet e-mail, you can use either Exchange or a third-party client.
The Wizard next installs a few files. You'll likely be prompted to enter your Windows 95 source CD-ROM or disks. When that's done, the Wizard prompts you to enter the name of your ISP, as shown in Figure 32.3. This will actually be the name of the Dial-Up Networking connection that the Wizard will create for your Internet access, so you can enter whatever you like. Click Next > when you're ready to move on.
Figure 32.3. Enter the name of your ISP or a description of the connection.
The next Wizard dialog box, shown in Figure 32.4, asks for the Area code, Telephone number, and Country code of the ISP's dial-in phone number. In most cases, when connecting to the ISP, you'll need to enter your user name, your password, and other options (such as PPP or SLIP connection) by hand. To do this, activate the Bring up terminal window after dialing check box. When you're done, click Next >.
Figure 32.4. Use this dialog box to enter your dial-in phone number.
NOTE: YOU DON'T NEED THE TERMINAL WINDOW FOR SCRIPT LOGONS
The next item on the Internet Setup Wizard's to-do list is to enter your user name and password, as shown in Figure 32.5. Enter the appropriate values in the User name and Password fields, and then click Next >.
Figure 32.5. Use this Wizard dialog box to spell out the user name and password supplied by your ISP.
The Wizard next asks about your IP address. You have two choices:
My Internet Service Provider automatically assigns me one: Activate this option if your ISP uses DHCP or some other method to dole out IP addresses on-the-fly.
Always use the following: Activate this option if your ISP has assigned you an IP address. Use the IP Address text box to enter the dotted-decimal IP address, and use the Subnet Mask text box to enter the dotted-decimal subnet mask, as shown in Figure 32.6.
Click Next > to proceed with the setup.
Figure 32.6. Use this dialog box to either enter your IP address (and appropriate subnet mask) or tell the Wizard that your ISP assigns an address automatically.
You're next asked to specify one or two DNS servers, as shown in Figure 32.7. Use the DNS Server text box to enter the dotted-decimal IP address of your ISP's DNS server. If the ISP also has a secondary DNS server, enter its dotted-decimal IP address in the Alternate DNS Server text box. Click Next >.
Figure 32.7. Use this Wizard dialog box to specify the ISP's DNS server.
If you'll be using Exchange for your Internet e-mail, activate the Use Internet Mail check box in the next Wizard dialog box that appears, as shown in Figure 32.8. (Note that you'll see this dialog box only if you told the Wizard earlier that you'll be using Exchange to handle your Internet e-mail duties.) Enter your e-mail address in the Your Email address text box, and enter the host name of your ISP's mail server in the Internet mail server text box. Click Next > to continue.
Figure 32.8. Use this dialog box to specify your Internet e-mail address and server.
The next task is to specify the Exchange profile you want to use for the Internet Mail service, as shown in Figure 32.9. (I explained Exchange profiles in Chapter 24.) You'll probably want to use the default profile (MS Exchange Settings), but feel free to either highlight a different profile or create another profile by clicking the New button. Click Next >.
Figure 32.9. Use this dialog box to choose the Exchange profile you want to use for Internet Mail.
In the final Internet Setup Wizard dialog box, click Finish. When the Wizard prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes. When you get back to Windows 95, you'll find a new connection in your Dial-Up Networking folder. To use this connection to establish an Internet session, see "Connecting to Your Service Provider" later in this chapter.
NOTE: USING THE WIZARD TO MAKE MULTIPLE CONNECTIONS
As you saw in Chapter 23, "Getting Online with The Microsoft Network," MSN has plenty of internal services and features to keep you entertained and informed. You can also, however, use The Microsoft Network as your ISP, giving you a TCP/IP link to the Internet whenever you connect to MSN. This lets you use Internet software (such as Web browsers and FTP clients) to access the full range of Internet services, all without ever seeing MSN Central (unless, of course, you want to).
How you set up MSN as your ISP depends on whether you have access to the Internet Setup Wizard. If you do (that is, if you've installed the Internet Jumpstart Kit in Microsoft Plus!), run the Wizard as described earlier. You'll come across two forks in the Wizard road that will affect the setup:
When you're done, you'll end up with two new icons in your Dial-Up Networking folder: The Microsoft Network and The Microsoft Network (Backup). As you'll see later, you can use these icons to connect to MSN and establish a PPP session without displaying MSN Central.
If you don't have Microsoft Plus!, you'll need to configure MSN for Internet access manually. (If you're not yet a member of MSN, you should first follow the procedure outlined in Chapter 23 for signing up with MSN.) Here are the steps to follow to change your MSN configuration to allow Internet access (these steps assume that you've upgraded to at least version 1.2 of the MSN software):
Figure 32.10. You'll see this dialog box if you've already configured the Dial-Up Adapter's TCP/IP properties with a specific DNS server.
NOTE: A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE DNS
To use MSN to establish an Internet session, see "Connecting to Your Service Provider" later in this chapter.
If you have a CompuServe account with Internet access, you can create a Dial-Up Networking connection that logs on to CompuServe and establishes a PPP connection. This gives you a TCP/IP link to the Internet, and you can then use any Internet software package. Here are the steps to follow:
| Type of Dial-Up Server | PPP: Windows 95, Windows NT 3.5, Internet |
| Log on to network | Deactivated |
| Enable software compression | Activated |
| Require encrypted password | Deactivated |
| NetBEUI | Deactivated |
| IPS/SPX Compatible | Deactivated |
| TCP/IP | Activated |
| Server assigned IP address | Activated |
| Specify name server addresses | Activated |
| Primary DNS | 149.174.213.5 |
| Secondary DNS | 149.174.211.5 |
| Use IP header compression | Activated |
| Use default gateway on remote network | Activated |
To use this connection to establish an Internet session, see "Connecting to Your Service Provider" later in this chapter.
Before you establish a connection to your ISP, you should check out a few Internet properties. To view them, display the Control Panel and open the Internet icon. (Note that you'll see this icon only if you installed the Internet Jumpstart Kit from the Microsoft Plus! add-on.) Windows 95 displays the Internet Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 32.11.
Figure 32.11. Use this dialog box to set various properties that determeine how Windows 95 establishes your Internet connection.
The AutoDial tab contains various properties that modify the Microsoft Plus! AutoDial feature. When this feature is activated, you'll be prompted to connect to your ISP whenever you launch an Internet application or whenever a program requires Internet access. Here's a rundown of the controls on the AutoDial tab:
Use AutoDial: Activate this check box to enable the AutoDial feature.
Choose the Dial-Up Networking connection used to dial the Internet: Use this drop-down list to select AutoDial's default Dial-Up Networking connection. You can use the Properties button to modify the connection, or you can use the New connection button to create a new Dial-Up Networking connection.
Auto disconnect: When this check box is activated, Windows 95 will shut down your Internet connection after a period of inactivity equal to the number of minutes specified in the Disconnect if idle for x minutes spinner.
Perform system security check before dialing: When this check box is activated, Windows 95 performs a security check before it makes an AutoDial connection. See "TCP/IP and Internet Security" later in this chapter for a detailed explanation of what Windows 95 checks and how you can safeguard your system.
TROUBLESHOOTING: AUTODIAL DOESN'T DIAL
If you're connecting to the Internet through a LAN, you can configure a proxy server for extra security. A proxy server is a computer that processes Internet packets: All data heading out to the Internet and all data coming in from the Internet goes through the proxy server. This lets the proxy server filter this data selectively and thus prevent unauthorized access to the LAN.
If your LAN has a proxy server, use the Advanced tab to specify the server, as shown in Figure 32.12. Activate the Use Proxy Server check box, and then enter the address and port number of the proxy server in the Proxy Server text box. If you want to access Internet resources (computers, domains, and port numbers) without going through the proxy server, enter the appropriate values in the Bypass proxy on text box, being sure to separate each value with a comma. For example, if you want to access msn.com and Web sites (port 80) without going through the proxy server, you enter msn.com,:80.
Figure 32.12. Use the Advanced tab to specify a proxy server for Internet access.
With your Internet connection set up and ready for action, you can establish your Net session at any time. You have two ways to proceed:
The next three sections take you through some of the specifics for connections to your third-party ISP, The Microsoft Network, and CompuServe.
When you're connecting to a third-party ISP, you'll see the Post-Dial Terminal window, shown in Figure 32.13. Here you can enter your logon options. Depending on the ISP (and whether you're using a script), you might have to enter some or all of the following information (if you just see a blank terminal window, try pressing Enter):
Figure 32.13. Connecting to a third-party ISP usually requires entering a few parameters in the terminal window.
When you've entered all your options, click the terminal window's Continue button or press F7. If you're establishing a SLIP connection, you'll need to fill in the dialog box shown in Figure 32.14. Enter your dotted-decimal IP address (if the displayed address isn't correct for some reason), and then click OK.
Figure 32.14. You'll have to enter an IP address if you're establishing a SLIP connection.
TROUBLESHOOTING: GARBAGE CHARACTERS IN THE TERMINAL SCREEN
TROUBLESHOOTING: YOU CAN'T ESTABLISH A CONNECTION
If you're using MSN as your ISP, connecting is easy. For starters, you can simply connect to MSN in the usual manner: Double-click the desktop's The Microsoft Network icon, and then click Connect in the Sign In dialog box. The problem with this method is that it loads MSN Central (and probably MSN Today as well), which can really slow down the logon. If all you want is Internet access, use either of the following methods to bypass MSN Central:
In either case, click Connect in the Connect To dialog box that appears. You'll be logged on to MSN, but you won't see MSN Central. If you want to access a service on MSN later, double-click the desktop's The Microsoft Network icon to get MSN Central on-screen.
If CompuServe is your ISP of choice, you have two methods available for establishing a PPP session and enabling access to the Internet:
Click Connect in the Connect To dialog box, and the Post-Dial Terminal Screen appears. Follow these steps to initiate the PPP session:
NOTE: YOUR PROMPTS MIGHT LOOK A BIT STRANGE
Earlier in this chapter, I showed you how to use the Internet properties sheet to tell Windows 95 to perform a security check before performing an AutoDial connection. If you activated that option and you've enabled file and print sharing for TCP/IP on the Dial-Up Adapter (or on your network adapter if you access the Internet via a LAN connection), you'll see the dialog box shown in Figure 32.15 each time Windows 95 uses AutoDial to establish a Net connection.
Figure 32.15. If you've enabled security in the Internet properties sheet, you'll see this dialog box whenever you attempt to connect to the Internet.
You have two choices here:
Figure 32.16. If you click Yes in the dialog box shown in Figure 32.15, Windows 95 disables file and printer sharing for TCP/IP.
Why is file and print sharing such a security risk? Because unless you're careful, folders and drives that you're sharing on your network can also be accessed by people on the Internet! In other words, if you bind file and print sharing to the TCP/IP protocol (specifically, the TCP/IP protocol associated with the Dial-Up Adapter), you extend your shared resources to the Internet as a whole. So it wouldn't be that hard for some total Net stranger to run amok in your files and folders.
Here's how someone on the Net could access your shared resources:
NOTE: LMHOSTS IS SIMILAR TO HOSTS
Given these not-too-far-fetched conditions, the remote user could display a list of the resources being shared on your computer by entering the NET VIEW command at his DOS prompt:
NET VIEW \\NetBIOSName
Here, NetBIOSName is the NetBIOS name of your computer. This command displays a listing similar to this:
C:\>net view \\Hermes Shared resources at \\HERMES Sharename Type Comment C Disk C'mon in and look around! D Disk No password required! H Disk CD-ROM (go ahead and start the program!) The command was completed successfully. C:\>
To map one of your resources to his computer, the person can use the NET USE command:
NET USE \\NetBIOSName\DriveLetter
Here, DriveLetter is the letter of the shared drive he wants to map.
NOTE: MICROSOFT'S NET COMMANDS
To protect yourself, you should disable file and print sharing over the Dial-Up Adapter's TCP/IP protocol. If you use your LAN for Internet access, you need to disable file and print sharing for the network adapter's TCP/IP protocol. You can still use another protocol (such as NetBEUI) for sharing resources.
The only problem you might run into is if your network uses the TCP/IP protocol exclusively. In this case, it might be impractical to disable file and print sharing. Your alternative is to set up a reasonable level of security for the resources you share:
NOTE: A POOR MAN'S WAN
With your Internet connection up and running and the appropriate security measures in place, you're free to take full advantage of all the Net has to offer. To do that, you need the appropriate client applications, and the clients you use will depend on the Internet services you want to access. The various services—the World Wide Web, FTP, Telnet, Usenet, and so on—are separate pieces of the overall Internet puzzle, so they require separate applications. (Some applications, though—Web browsers, mostly—are making a bid for becoming the "Swiss army knife" of the Internet by offering access to several different services in one package.)
Many service providers supply their customers with collections of Internet programs. This is an easy way to get started because you can usually download everything you need from the ISP's site with a single command, and most of the programs will be preconfigured with the appropriate options for your ISP.
Unfortunately, Windows 95 ships with only a limited collection of Internet appliances. In fact, you get just two programs:
ftp: This is a command-line utility for transferring files from remote Internet sites (see the next section).
Telnet: This is a graphical terminal emulation client for connecting to remote Internet computers. See "Using Telnet for Remote Internet Sessions" later in this chapter.
Microsoft Plus! and the Windows 95 Service Pack 1 also ship with Internet Explorer, Microsoft's Web browser. I explain the ins and outs of this browser in Chapter 33, "Exploring the Web with Internet Explorer."
If you want to work with any other clients or Internet services, you'll have to either purchase the appropriate applications or head out to the Internet and use the ftp utility to download the files you need. I'll tell you about a few programs designed for Windows 95 (and how to get your hands on them) later in this chapter, in the section titled "A Review of Windows 95 Internet Software."
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sits just above TCP in the TCP/IP food chain. FTP's purpose in life is to coordinate file transfers to and from remote Internet sites. If you're just starting out on the Internet, for example, you can use FTP to download programs that let you access the services that interest you.
To initiate these transfers, you need an FTP client. This section shows you how to use the ftp command-line utility that ships with Windows 95. I won't explore this utility in any great depth because I'm assuming that you'll want to get a graphical FTP client at the earliest opportunity. The Internet has several free FTP clients designed for Windows 95, and I'll show you how to get them later in this chapter.
The idea behind the ftp utility (and, indeed, any FTP client) is that you connect to a remote host that's running an FTP server and then use various commands to change directories, display files, and transfer files. It's a lot like working with files in a DOS session (which is why you'll likely want to get a graphical FTP client!).
Here's the syntax for Windows 95's ftp utility:
ftp [-v] [-n] [-i] [-d] [-g] [host] [-s: filename]
| -v | Suppresses the display of the remote server's responses. |
| -n | Turns off autologon on initial connection. |
| -i | Turns off interactive prompting during multiple-file transfers. |
| -d | Enables debugging, displaying all FTP commands passed between the client and the server. |
| -g | Disables filename "globbing," which permits the use of wildcard characters in local file- and pathnames. |
| host | Specifies the host name or IP address of the remote host to which you want to connect. |
| -s: filename | Specifies a text file containing FTP commands that will run automatically after the ftp utility starts. You can use this switch to automate your FTP sessions. |
For example, the following command starts the ftp utility and initiates a connection to Microsoft's FTP site (ftp.microsoft.com):
ftp ftp.microsoft.com
Note that all the parameters in the ftp command are optional. If you like, you can just enter the ftp command by itself to start a local FTP session. This replaces your usual DOS prompt with the FTP prompt: ftp>. From here, you can use the open command to start an FTP session with a remote server, like so:
open ftp.microsoft.com
After you're connected to the remote computer, you'll be asked for a user name and password. In most cases, you won't have an account on the remote machine, so you won't have a user name or a password. This doesn't mean you're out of luck, however. Most FTP servers are anonymous FTP sites, which means they offer public access to their files. With anonymous FTP access, you don't need a user name or password to access the remote computer. The remote machine accepts anonymous as your user name, and your e-mail address as the password. After that, you can access files on the remote machine, although your wanderings are usually restricted to one or more public directories.
A typical FTP session progresses in the following way:
Table 32.1 summarizes the ftp commands you'll use most often during each step.
Table 32.1. A summary of frequently used ftp commands.
CAUTION: USE BINARY MODE FOR BINARY FILE TRANSFERS
The command-line nature of the ftp utility will probably doom that program to the dustbin of unused Windows 95 accessories. After all, why wrestle with cryptic commands when excellent graphical clients are available that do everything ftp does, and more besides?
By contrast, Windows 95's other Internet utility—the Telnet program—will likely find a permanent place in most people's Internet tool chest. Not that the Telnet program is all that spectacular—some third-party clients have more features—but it's certainly more than adequate for those few times you'll need to use the telnet protocol.
What is the telnet protocol? It's another member of the TCP/IP suite of protocols. In this case, telnet is a terminal emulation protocol that lets you log on to remote systems and use their services as though you were sitting at a local terminal. For example, you can use telnet to log on to a library's server and access its card catalog database.
To run the Windows 95 Telnet client, either open the TELNET.EXE file in your main Windows 95 folder, or select Start | Run, enter telnet, and click OK. You'll see the Telnet window, shown in Figure 32.17. The next few sections show you how to set preferences, connect to a remote host, and log your sessions.
Figure 32.17. You can use Windows 95's Telnet client to connect to remote hosts.
Before connecting to a remote host, the Telnet client offers a few preferences you can use to customize your sessions. Select Terminal | Preferences to display the Terminal Preferences dialog box, shown in Figure 32.18.
Figure 32.18. Use this dialog box to customize your Telnet sessions.
Here's a rundown of the various options you can work with:
Local Echo: The remote system might not "echo" the characters you enter, so you won't see anything on-screen as you type. In this case, you should activate the Local Echo check box so that you can see your typing. If you see double characters while you're typing, you should deactivate this check box.
Blinking Cursor: If you activate this check box, the cursor that tells you where your next typed character will appear blinks on and off.
Block Cursor: This check box toggles the cursor between a block and a line.
VT100 Arrows: This option determines how Telnet handles your keyboard's arrow keys. When the VT100 Arrows check box is activated, Telnet sends arrow keystrokes to the remote host; when it's deactivated, Telnet doesn't send the keystrokes but instead uses them to navigate locally.
Buffer Size: This text box specifies the number of lines of text from the remote host that Telnet stores in its buffer. You can use the window scrollbar to see the lines stored in this buffer.
TIP: USE A LARGER BUFFER SIZE
Emulation: These options determine the type of terminal emulation Telnet uses with the remote host. The setting you use depends on the host, but you'll find that VT100/ANSI should suffice for most hosts.
Fonts: Use this button to display the Font dialog box, from which you can choose the font you want the Telnet client to use when displaying text from the remote host.
Background Color: This button displays the Color dialog box, in which you can select the background color of the Telnet window. Note that if you select a darker color, you'll probably want to use the Fonts button to specify a lighter color for the text.
Click OK to put your new settings into effect.
When you're ready to initiate a telnet session, select Connect | Remote System. Telnet displays the Connect dialog box, shown in Figure 32.19. You need to specify three options for each connection:
Host Name: Use this combo box to specify the host to which you want to connect. You can enter a fully qualified domain name or an IP address. After you've connected to at least one host, your previous selections appear in the drop-down list.
Port: Use this combo box to choose the port to use for the connection. Most systems use the telnet port, but you can choose one of the other ports in the drop-down list or enter a specific port number.
TermType: If the remote host uses TermType sub-negotiation, use this drop-down list to specify the terminal type string you want Telnet to send to the host.
After you've entered your options, click Connect to initiate the telnet session.
Figure 32.19. Use this dialog box to fill in your connection options.
TIP: COMMAND-LINE CONNECTIONS
After Telnet makes the connection to the remote host, you'll likely have to log on. How you do this depends on the host. In Figure 32.20, for example, I logged on using www so that I could access a command-line World Wide Web browser (called Lynx) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Figure 32.20. After the connection is established, you'll probably have to log on to the remote telnet server.
TIP: DELETING CHARACTERS
To save the text that is displayed in a telnet session, the Telnet client gives you two choices:
When your session is complete, select Connect | Disconnect, and then click OK when Telnet reports that the connection was lost.
Windows 95 comes with only a measly collection of Internet clients, but don't let that hold you back. Hundreds of programs are available on the Net for accessing the World Wide Web, FTP, Usenet, and more. In this section, I'll present short descriptions of a few of my favorite Internet clients. All of these programs are available on the Internet (many of them free for the asking), and they're all designed to take advantage of Windows 95's interface and features.
The way some folks carry on, you'd think the World Wide Web and the Internet were synonymous. Everywhere you turn, people are yakking about some cool Web site they visited or trading URLs (Uniform Resource Locators—the addresses of Net-based resources, especially Web pages) like there's no tomorrow.
If you want to get in on the Web action, you'll need a Web browser. And because most of the Web's appeal lies in its graphical nature, you'll want to get a graphical browser that shows Web pages in their best light. If you have Microsoft Plus! or the Windows 95 Service Pack 1, you already have Microsoft's first-class browser: Internet Explorer. I show you how this client works in the next chapter (and I also show you how to get it directly from the Internet). However, there are other browsers designed for Windows 95; I'll give you the rundown in this section.
Netscape NavigatorFigure 32.21. Netscape Navigator: For now, it's the Web standard.
NOTE: NETSCAPE FTP ALTERNATIVES
| Company/Developer | Netscape Communications Corporation |
| Current version | 2.02 |
| Where to get it | ftp://ftp20.netscape.com/pub/navigator/gold/2.02/windows/ |
| Filename | g32e202.exe (varies with version number) |
| File size | 3,537 KB |
| Price | Free for nonprofit use. A commercial version is available for $79. |
| For more info | http://home.netscape.com/ |
| Comments | This is Netscape Navigator with a twist: You can edit HTML pages right from the browser. The Netscape Editor, shown in Figure 32.22, gives you a WYSIWYG interface that lets you avoid the intricacies of HTML tags and build Web pages like you'd build any graphical interface. |
Figure 32.22. Navigator Gold gives you WYSIWYG Web page editing right from the browser.
NCSA MosaicFigure 32.23. The NCSA Mosaic Web browser.
As I've said, you'll almost certainly want to shelve Windows 95's ftp utility in favor of a graphical client. Not only will you trade the ugly ftp interface (such as it is!) for a handsome GUI-oriented style, but you'll also get easy access to commands, automated logons, the capability to save your favorite sites, and much more. It's the only way to download. This section presents the particulars of two made-for-Windows 95 FTP clients: WS_FTP and CuteFTP.
WS_FTP| Company/Developer | Freeware: John A. Junod; Commercial version: Ipswitch, Inc. |
| Current version | 96.03.02 |
| Where to get it | ftp://ftp.csra.net/pub/win32/ |
| Filename | ws_ftp32.zip |
| File size | 193 KB |
| Price | Free for nonprofit use. |
| For more info | http://www.csra.net/junodj/ws_ftp32.htm |
| Comments | This is an outstanding FTP client. As you can see in Figure 32.24, you get graphical, Explorer-like views of both the remote system and your local folders. You also get easy pushbutton access to common commands, tons of customization options, automated logons, and the capability to save "session profiles" for your favorite sites. |
Figure 32.24. WS_FTP: One of the best FTP clients (graphical or otherwise) on the Net.
CuteFTPFigure 32.25. CuteFTP is the new kid on the graphical FTP client block but is rapidly becoming the fave rave of knowledgeable file fiends.
If you feel like braving the muddy waters of Usenet newsgroups, you'll need a good Usenet client to help you through your travails. These clients are called newsreaders. The Net boasts a few good ones for Windows 95.
Free Agent| Company/Developer | Forte, Inc. |
| Current version | 1.0 |
| Where to get it | ftp://ftp.forteinc.com/forte/agent/ |
| Filename | fagent10.zip (varies with version number) |
| File size | 727 KB |
| Price | Free. (A commercial version—called Agent—also is available; it's $29 if you download it, $40 if you order it from Forte.) |
| For more info | http://www.forteinc.com/agent/index.asp |
| Comments | Free Agent puts the lie to the old saw that you can't get something for nothing. Free Agent is just that—free. Yet you get a first-rate newsreader with far too many features to list here. As you can see from Figure 32.26, the Free Agent layout is clean and easy to navigate, and you have many options for managing newsgroups and messages. And Free Agent handles binaries as painlessly as any program I know. |
Figure 32.26. Free Agent is a top-notch newsreader.
Microsoft News| Company/Developer | Microsoft |
| Current version | 1.0 (beta) |
| Where to get it | http://www.windows.com/ie/download/ |
| Filename | Mailnews.exe |
| File size | 601 KB |
| Price | Free. |
| For more info | http://www.windows.com/ie/platform/imn.htm |
| Comments | Microsoft News is a simple newsreader that comes as part of the Microsoft Internet Mail and Newsreader package. It doesn't pack a lot of bells and whistles (although only a beta version was available when I tested it), but the interface is nice, as you can see from Figure 32.27, and it has all the basic features. |
Figure 32.27. Microsoft News is a simple, yet functional, newsreader.
News Xpress for Windows 95| Company/Developer | W.L. Ken, Ng |
| Current version | 2.0 (beta) |
| Where to get it | ftp://ftp.hk.super.net/pub/windows95/wskutil/ |
| Filename | nx20b0.zip (varies with version number) |
| File size | 208 KB |
| Price | Free. |
| For more info | http://www.malch.com/nxfaq.asp |
| Comments | News Xpress is a competent newsreader (although the beta version I tested was a bit buggy). It has all the required features of a modern-day newsreader, but some users might not like the MDI interface that spawns a new window every time you open a newsgroup or message, as you can see in Figure 32.28. |
This section presents a few more applications that should make your online life a bit easier.
LView Pro for Windows 95 (Graphics viewer and converter) (Terminal emulation client)| Company/Developer | InterSoft International, Inc. |
| Current version | 2.8.9 Release 2 |
| Where to get it | ftp://www.neosoft.com/pub/users/z/zkrr01/ |
| Filename | nt32289.zip (varies with version number) |
| File size | 1,042 KB |
| Price | Shareware: $20. |
| For more info | http://starbase.neosoft.com/~zkrr01/netterm.asp |
| Comments | If the Windows 95 Telnet client doesn't turn your crank, the 32-bit version of NetTerm surely will. This program is loaded with everything you'll ever need for telnet sessions (and a few things you didn't know you needed). You can run multiple sessions, set up keystroke macros and scripts, save favorite terminal sites in a phone book, and even edit documents remotely. This is perfect for editing Web pages that are stored on your service provider's site. |
| Company/Developer | Niko Mak Computing, Inc. |
| Current version | 6.0a |
| Where to get it | ftp://204.213.250.17/winzip/ |
| Filename | winzip95.exe |
| File size | 359 KB |
| Price | Shareware: $29. |
| For more info | http://www.winzip.com/ |
| Comments | If you perform even a moderate amount of file downloading, you should place WinZip at the top of your shopping list. This insanely great little utility can handle just about any kind of compressed file you throw at it, including files in ZIP, LZH, ARJ, ARC, TAR, and GZIP formats. And it does all the work in a superb interface that makes both decompressing and compressing files a breeze (see Figure 32.29). A must. |
Figure 32.29. WinZip is a must-have utility for handling compressed files in all flavors.
WPlany (Audio player)This chapter showed how Windows 95 and the Internet get along. As you saw, they get along just fine, thank you. I began by summarizing what you've learned in previous chapters regarding modems, Dial-Up Networking, and TCP/IP, and then I distilled the info into a procedure for getting Internet access. I also showed you three other ways to get connected: via the Internet Setup Wizard, via The Microsoft Network, and via CompuServe. Other topics in this chapter included the relationship between TCP/IP and Internet security, how to use ftp and Telnet, and a review of some Windows 95 Internet software applications.
One more time, here's a list of chapters that contain all the information you need to get an Internet connection up and running in Windows 95:
Copyright © 1995-2012 Paul McFedries and Logophilia Limited
