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Setting Dialer Options

When you use Dialer to make the same connection repeatedly, a profile can save you time. If you are the network administrator creating a profile for your users to simplify their access to the remote system, a profile provides a means to standardize system parameters and reduce your customer support needs.

Starting Dialer

Start Dialer from the Cisco Suite 100 program group. The Dialer application window appears.

Creating a Dialer Profile

To create a Dialer profile:

  1. Collect the information listed in "Preparing to Make a Serial Connection" on page 127.

  2. From the Dialer application window, click the Connect toolbar button, or select Connect from the Interface menu.

    The Connect dialog box appears.

  3. Click the New... button in the Connect dialog box.

    The New dialog box appears.

  4. Enter the name you want to give the new profile in the Profile Name field.
  5. Click the OK button.

Setting Remote Host Options

To set remote host options:

  1. Start Dialer and click the Connect button. The Connect dialog box appears.

    If you are creating a new profile, click New. The New Profile dialog box appears. Enter the new profile name and click OK.

    If you are modifying an existing profile, click Modify.

  2. The Remote Host tab appears:

  3. Choose either SLIP or PPP from the Connection Type drop-down list.
  4. Enter the phone number of the remote host in the Phone Number field. Be sure to enter any numbers necessary to access an outside line. Use a comma to indicate Dialer should pause before continuing to dial.
  5. Enter your login name in the User Name field.
  6. If you want Dialer to prompt you to enter your password(s) before connecting to this remote host, check the Prompt For Password(s) check box.
  7. To save your password(s) to this remote host in the Dialer profile, clear the Prompt For Password(s) check box and enter your password(s) into the Password 1 and 2 fields. If you save your passwords in the Dialer profile, anyone using your worskstation will be able to connect to this remote host using your user name and password(s).
  8. Enter any optional data you may need to give the remote host in the User Data 1 and 2 fields. These fields are a good place to enter data to be used in a login script.
  9. For the PPP Authentication fields, only enter a user name if you know the type of PPP security authentication the remote host provides. If the remote host authenticates users with PAP (Password Authentication Protocol), do not enter your user name, but do enter an authentication password. If the remote host authenticates users with CHAP (Challenge- Handshake Authentication Protocol), enter both your user name and password.

    PAP uses the authentication password to determine if you can log into the remote host. However, this password is less secure on the network.

    CHAP tests both your user name and the authentication password, and provides additional network security.

  10. Either continue setting options on other tabs, or click OK to return to the Connect dialog box.
  11. Click the OK button.

    The Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box. The new profile appears in the Profiles list box.

Setting Local Host Options

To set the local host options:

  1. Start Dialer and click the Connect button. The Connect dialog box appears.

    If you are creating a new profile, click New. The New Profile dialog box appears. Enter the new profile name and click OK.

    If you are modifying an existing profile, click Modify.

    The Remote Host tab appears.

  2. Click the Local Host tab. The Local Host tab appears.

  3. Enter the IP address of your workstation in the IP Address field. Leave this field empty if the remote host assigns your IP address dynamically.
  4. Enter the subnet mask of the local network in the Subnet Mask field.
  5. Enter the host name of your workstation in the PC Host Name field.
  6. Enter your domain name in the Domain Name field.
  7. If you want the IP address you entered to be the default route, check the Use as Default Route check box.

    If you do not want the IP address you entered to be the default route, clear the Use as Default Route check box.

  8. To add a route in addition to the default route, refer to the following section, Adding Additional Routes.
  9. To add a Domain Name Server, refer to "Adding Additional Domain Name Servers" on page 254.
  10. Either continue setting options on other tabs, or click the OK button to return to the Connect dialog box.

Adding Additional Routes

To add additional routes:

  1. Start Dialer and click the Connect button. The Connect dialog box appears.

    If you are creating a new profile, click New. The New Profile dialog box appears. Enter the new profile name and click OK.

    If you are modifying an existing profile, click Modify.

    The Remote Host tab appears.

  2. Click the Local Host tab and click the Add... button in the Routing group. The Add Route dialog box appears.

  3. Enter the destination IP address in the Destination Address field.
  4. Enter the gateway IP address in the Gateway Address field.
  5. If you want the local host to qualify the IP address, click the Host radio button.

    If you want the network to qualify the IP address, click the Network radio button.

  6. Click OK.

    The Add Route dialog box closes, returning you to the Local Host tab. The route appears in the Routing group.

  7. Click OK.

    The Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box.

Adding Additional Domain Name Servers

To add additional domain name servers:

  1. Start Dialer and click the Connect button. The Connect dialog box appears.

    If you are creating a new profile, click New. The New Profile dialog box appears. Enter the new profile name and click OK.

    If you are modifying an existing profile, click Modify.

  2. Click the Local Host tab. The Local Host tab appears.
  3. Click the Add... button in the DNS group.

    The Add DNS dialog box appears.

  4. Enter the IP address of the DNS server into the Name Server Address field.
  5. Click OK.

    The Add DNS dialog box closes, returning you to the Local Host tab. The DNS server appears in the DNS Server IP Addresses list box.

  6. Click OK.

    The Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box.

Setting Modem Options

To set the modem options:

  1. From the Dialer Remote Host tab, click the Modem tab.

    The Modem tab appears.

  2. Choose the manufacturer of your modem from the Manufacture drop-down list. If your modem manufacturer does not appear on the list, choose "Standard Modem Types"
  3. Choose your modem type from the Modem drop- down list.
  4. Choose the speed of your serial port from the Speed drop-down list. This is usually the same speed or higher than the speed of your modem.
  5. Choose the serial port to which your modem is connected from the Port drop-down list.
  6. In the Retries field, enter the number of times you want the modem to try to establish communications after an unsuccessful attempt.
  7. In the Timeout field, enter the length of time in tenths of a second you want to pass before the modem aborts an unsuccessful communication attempt.
  8. If your modem uses the Follow DCD (Data Carrier Detect), pin of the RS-232 interface, check the Follow DCD check box.
  9. To use hardware flow control, check the Hardware Flow Control check box.
  10. If your Internet service provider requires your modem to send 7-bit characters before they accept your login request, check Use 7 Bits Until Connected.
  11. The rest of the information in the Modem tab is set to the standard modem command set by default. If your modem uses the standard command set, you do not need to change any of the defaults. If your modem does not use the standard command set, enter the proper commands for your modem. See your modem documentation for more information.
  12. Either continue setting options on other tabs, or click OK to return to the Connect dialog box.

Setting Script Options

During the login process, most remote hosts require some information for authentication, such as a user name and password, before allowing a user to login. In addition, the local host often receives information, such as an IP address, from the remote host during the login. A login script is an automated process that sends the necessary information to the remote host, and receives the necessary information from the remote host.

A Dialer script is a series of commands sent to the remote host and expected replies from the remote host. These commands and replies can be either:

Each step in the script can contain either a command sent, a reply expected, or both.

Each command/reply sequence also includes a timeout value, which is the number of seconds Dialer waits for the expected reply before aborting the login attempt.

Scripting Overview

The most important aspect of creating a script is to understand exactly what the remote host will send in response to your action. For example, consider the following connection sequence:

You are now connected and ready to use another application.

This example can be represented as the following Dialer script:

Each Send is a variable or command sent by you, and each Expect is a variable or text received from the remote host. The values beginning with a dollar-sign character `$' are variables which either send the value stored in the Dialer profile, or receive the value and store it in the profile. Enter the text expected from the remote host to let Dialer know exactly when to send the commands, and when to receive the IP address.

Remember the following while making a Dialer script:

Creating a Login Script

To create a login script:

  1. From the Dialer Remote Host tab, click the Script tab.

    The Script tab appears.

  2. To have Dialer automatically issue the commands to initialize the modem and dial the phone number, click the Auto Dial check box.

    To specify the commands to initialize the modem and dial the phone number as part of the script, clear the Auto Dial check box.

  3. Enter the command you want to initially send the remote host in the Send field. You can either enter a command, which will be sent exactly as entered, or choose a preset variable from the drop-down list.

    The preset values are:

  4. If the remote host requires a carriage return after the Send command, check the Append Carriage Return check box.

    If the remote host does not require a carriage return, clear the Append Carriage Return check box.

  5. Enter the reply you expect from the remote host in the Expect field. You can enter a reply, which will be expected exactly as entered, or choose a preset variable from the drop-down list. If you choose a variable from the drop-down list, the reply received is stored in that variable. The preset variables are:

  6. In the Timeout field, enter the number of seconds to wait for the expected reply before aborting the login attempt.
  7. Click Add.
  8. Repeat Steps 3-7 for each command in the script.
  9. Either continue setting options on other tabs, or click the OK button to return to the Connect dialog box.

Modifying a Login Script

To modify a login script:

  1. In the Dialer application window, click the Connect button on the toolbar, or select Connect from the Interface menu. The Connect dialog box appears.
  2. Select the profile you want to modify.
  3. Click the Modify... button.

    The Modify Profile dialog box appears.

  4. Click the Script tab.

    The Script tab appears.

  5. Select the entry you want to modify.
  6. Click Modify...

    The Modify Script Entry dialog box appears.

  7. To change the command sent to the remote host, enter the new command in the Send field, or choose a new preset value from the drop-down list.
  8. To change the reply expected from the remote host, enter the new reply in the Expect field, or choose a new value to be stored from the drop-down list.
  9. To change the length of time in seconds to wait for the expected reply, enter the new value in the Timeout field.
  10. To append a carriage return (<CR>) to the end of the Send text string, check the Append Carriage Return to Send String check box.
  11. Click OK.

    The Modify Script Entry dialog box closes, returning you to the Script tab.

  12. Click OK.

    The Modify Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box.

Setting Dialer Options

To set the Dialer options:

  1. From the Dialer Remote Host tab, click the Options tab. The Options tab appears.

  2. To have Dialer automatically try to re-establish a connection using this profile if the connection is lost, check the Re-establish Connection Upon Loss check box.
  3. To minimize the Dialer window once the connection using this profile is made, check the Minimize on Connect check box.
  4. To have Dialer prompt you for confirmation before disconnecting, check the Prompt on Disconnect check box.
  5. To automatically close the connection after a certain number of seconds with no activity, enter the number of seconds in the Idle Disconnect field. To prevent Dialer from automatically disconnecting, enter 0 (zero).
  6. Choose whether or not to use header compression by clicking the appropriate Header Compression radio button.

    If header compression is enabled on both hosts, communications are quicker. The On radio button indicates that headers should always be compressed. The Off radio button indicates that headers should never be compressed. The Negotiated radio button indicates that headers are not compressed until a compressed header is received from the other side. To use compressed headers, at least one host must have header compression on.

  7. Enter any descriptive notes you want in the Notes field. The comments you enter here appear in the Notes field on the Connect dialog box when you select this profile.
  8. Either continue setting options on other tabs, or click OK to return to the Connect dialog box.

Working with Dialer Profiles

This section includes:

Copying a Profile

To create a new profile by copying the information in an existing profile:

  1. In the Dialer application window, click the Connect button on the toolbar, or select Connect from the Interface menu.

    The Connect dialog box appears.

  2. Select the profile you want to copy by clicking it in the Profiles list.
  3. Click the Copy... button. The Copy Profile dialog box appears.
  4. Enter the name of the profile you want to create in the Copy To field.
  5. Click the OK button.

    The Copy Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box. The new profile appears in the Profiles list.

Modifying a Profile

To modify an existing profile:

  1. In the Dialer application window, click the Connect button on the toolbar, or select Connect from the Interface menu.
  2. Select the profile you want to modify by clicking it.
  3. Click the Modify... button.

    The Remote Host tab dialog appears.

  4. Make any changes you want to the profile.
  5. Click the OK button. The Profile dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box.

Deleting a Profile

To delete a profile:

  1. In the Dialer application window, click the Connect button on the toolbar, or select Connect from the Interface menu. The Connect dialog box appears.
  2. Select the profile you want to delete by clicking it.
  3. Click the Delete button. If the Prompt on Delete option from the Options menu is not enabled, the profile is deleted. If the Prompt on Delete option is enabled, a confirmation appears.
  4. To delete the profile, click the Yes button. To abort the deletion, click the No button.

    The Confirmation dialog box closes, returning you to the Connect dialog box. The profile no longer appears in the Profiles list.


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[copyright and trademarks][Preface Overview][Cisco TCP/IP Suite books]
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