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From: nac@sirius.com (Nancy Cedeno Alegria)
Newsgroups: alt.winsock,alt.answers,news.answers,comp.os.ms-windows.apps.winsock
.misc,comp.answers
Subject: alt.winsock FAQ
Followup-To: alt.winsock
Date: 18 Sep 1996 19:02:10 GMT
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Archive-name: windows/winsock-faq
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Last-modified: 1996/4/15
URL: http://www.well.com/user/nac/alt-winsock-faq.html
================================================
The alt.winsock FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
================================================
Updated April 15, 1996
----------------------
Table of Contents
I. The alt.winsock Newsgroup
1) What Is This Newsgroup For?
2) What Can I Post Here?
3) What Should I Not Post Here?
II. What is a WinSock?
1) Where Did WinSock Come From?
A) Berkeley Sockets
2) How does it work?
3) What do I need to run WinSock applications?
III. What Are SLIP and PPP?
IV. What WinSocks Are Available and Where Can I Get Them?
1) Trumpet Winsock
A) Which MTU, TCP RWIN, and TCP MSS settings are best?
B) Registration Problems
2) Chameleon Sampler
3) Microsoft TCP/IP-32
4) NetCruiser
5) Do I Need This Stuff Now That Windows 95 Is Out?
6) IBM OS/2 Warp
V. Common WinSock Problems
1) "Call to Undefined Dynalink"
2) COMM Overrun
3) Can't Find C:\TEMP Directory" (Netscape)
4) Netscape 1.1's Window Doesn't Open Properly
5) How Do I Cure Various Errors in WinTalk?
6) How Do I Cure Various Errors in News Xpress?
7) "More Original Lines than New Lines" Error in a Newsreader?
8) GPF Errors in WSIRC
9) I have SLIP Emulation and DCC won't work in IRC.
10) "________ Did Not Call WSCLEANUP"
VI. Can I Run Cool Stuff Like Netscape From My Unix Shell Account?
1) The Internet Adapter (tm)
A) I Use Netcom and TIA -- Why Won't My Newsreader Work?
2) Twinsock (Troy's Winsock)
3) SLiRP
4) Remsock
VII. What's the Best __________ Application?
1) Lists, Lists, Lists
2) Windows 95 Software
3) Shareware is Not Freeware
VIII. Even More Information
1) Application FAQs
A) Free Agent
B) Netscape
C) News Xpress
D) WinVN
2) Other WinSock Resources
A) #Winsock on IRC (EFFNet)
B) #Winsock FAQ
3) TCP/IP
4) Windows Data Communication
5) TIA and Trumpet Winsock
6) SLIP Emulation
7) WinSock Developer Information
A) Winsock Programming FAQ by John Thomas Willis
B) WinSock 1.1 Standard
C) WinSock 2.0 Standard (in development)
D) Microsoft's WinSock Developer Info
E) Usenet
F) Stardust Technologies WinSock Resource Page
8) Other alt.winsock.* newsgroups
9) Winsock Newsgroups in the comp.os.ms-windows Hierarchy
10) UUEncoding and MIME Encoding Binary Files
IX. Where to Find the FAQ
X. Administrivia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. The alt.winsock Newsgroup
============================
1) What Is This Newsgroup For?
------------------------------
alt.winsock is an unmoderated newsgroup for general discussion of the
WinSock (Windows Sockets) API and the myriad applications that run
under it. Postings range from questions on how to setup a WinSock
application to more advanced topics concerning Internet protocols and
programming. This group is also open to both newcomers and advanced
programmers alike. Unfortunately, this openness has made alt.winsock a
very high volume newsgroup. That is why this FAQ was created. If you
have a question or suggestion, please do not be afraid to post it.
Flames have never been a problem and people will usually answer what
seem like the dumbest questions. But, in order to reduce the volume on
this newsgroup, we ask that people consult this FAQ prior to posting a
question. We've put together an abundance of information which we'll
try to keep as up to date as possible.
2) What Can I Post Here?
------------------------
Due to the general nature of alt.winsock, there really aren't any
restrictions on what can or cannot be posted. However, some important
points should be kept in mind.
* Be very specific in your questions.
People will always be willing to help out. But they can't help you
if they don't know what you're talking about. If the problem
concerns your computer rather than a remote site, remember to
state which WinSock you are using (e.g., Trumpet, Chameleon), what
type of computer you have, and whether or not you are using TIA.
* If you are replying to a post, decide whether or not the whole
group needs to see your reply. Sometimes, many people could use
your information or answer your question. Other times, it may be
better to simply e-mail your reply to a specific person or persons.
* When announcing a new program or new version, please announce what
site it's available at and provide details about the program.
Also, it is common courtesy to not only ask questions, but to answer
some as well. That is what keeps this group functioning. So, if
someone has a question that you know the answer to, please take a
little time to reply.
3) What Should I Not Post Here?
-------------------------------
Most importantly do not ask off-topic questions. The most frequent
off-topic questions are those concerning helper applications for
WWW browsers. Posts regarding graphics or sound viewers should be
posted to alt.binaries.multimedia.d, alt.binaries.pictures.utilities,
alt.binaries.sounds.utilities, or another more appropriate newsgroup.
Never post binaries to alt.winsock. In general, binaries should only
be posted to alt.binaries.* groups. Even if you believe that you have
found or written a great program that you think everyone in alt.winsock
will want, please do not post a binary to the newsgroup. Simply post a
message that gives a description of the program and tell people where
it can be found.
Advertisers should be very careful when considering whether they
should post on alt.winsock. alt.winsock is NOT a forum for
advertising. But, if your product is a WinSock application, or
might be of interest to WinSock users, please announce yourself as an
advertiser and give an accurate description of your product.
Before you post any generic questions, please check the FAQ.
Please do not post any questions that can be answered in the FAQ. Many
of the routine questions include "What Telnet programs are out there?"
"Where can I find xxxx?" or other such questions. Checking the FAQ
first will reduce traffic and get you a quicker answer as well.
IV. What WinSocks Are Available and Where Can I Get Them?
=========================================================
1) Trumpet Winsock
------------------
Peter Tattam's Trumpet Winsock is one of the most popular WINSOCK.DLLs
available. It includes both WINSOCK.DLL and a dialer program to get
you connected if you're using SLIP or PPP. Versions 2.0b and 2.0e have
been replaced by version 2.1. Version 2.0b is still available from:
ftp://ftp.cica.indiana.edu/pub/pc/win3/winsock/twsk20b.zip
ftp://ftp.coast.net/SimTel/win3/winsock/twsk20b.zip
Version 2.1 is still in development. Recent developments have improved
PPP performance and fixed scripting errors. Like version 2.0, version
2.1 supports both SLIP and PPP. A fairly powerful scripting language
is also included for login, logout, and other actions. Trumpet Winsock
is shareware. After 30 days, you must register (international: US$25,
Australia: AU$25).
ftp://b-box.trumpet.com.au/pub/winsock/twsk21f.zip
Mirrors:
ftp://ftp.synapse.net/contrib/trumpet/winsock/twsk21f.zip
ftp://ftp.coast.net/SimTel/vendors/trumpet/winsock/twsk21f.zip
Make sure you read the README.1ST file if you're upgrading from Trumpet
Winsock 2.0x.
There is a beta version of Trumpet Winsock for Windows 95. For more
information, see:
http://www.trumpet.com.au/wsk/faq/win95.htm
More Information:
http://www.trumpet.com.au/wsk/winsock.htm
A) Which MTU, TCP RWIN, and TCP MSS settings are best?
------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to this question.
It really depends on what kind of connection you have. Ethernet,
SLIP, PPP, and CSLIP all require different settings. Also, your
Internet provider may require that you use certain values. But there
are a few rules that may help you find the best values.
First check which values your Internet provider recommends. These
values will generally be the best. However, not all providers have
experience with Trumpet Winsock, or the values they give you may
still need additional adjustment for optimal speed and reliability.
The INSTALL.DOC that comes with Trumpet Winsock also lists a few
general rules for setting these values. MTU should be TCP MSS+40.
TCP RWIN should be 3 or 4 times TCP MSS. It suggests starting with
the following values: MTU=256, TCP RWIN=848, TCP MSS=212. However,
these are only general rules and there may be better values for
your particular situation.
Peter Tattam also believes that MTU should be pushed up to 1500 if
supported by your provider, although many providers recommend
setting the MTU at 1006.
He also recommends that you set the values for SLIP/PPP as follows:
TCP MSS=512, TCP RWIN=2048. CSLIP/CPPP values should be: TCP
MSS=212, TCP RWIN=848.
Ethernet and TIA users should use the following values: MTU=1500,
TCP RWIN=4096, TCP MSS=1460.
B) Registration Problems
------------------------
One of the biggest problems Trumpet has been having is responding
to user registrations. Be patient because they are busy. But if you
find that they never respond, send e-mail to
registrations@trumpet.com.au. Give your full name and Trumpet
should respond promptly with your registration number.
More Information:
Trumpet Software International Home Page:
http://www.trumpet.com.au/
2) Chameleon Sampler
---------------------
Chameleon Sampler is another popular WinSock. Internet Chameleon is
NetManage's heavy-duty full-featured commercial package. Chameleon
Sampler is a freeware package that includes both SLIP and PPP support.
In addition, it also includes basic FTP, Telnet, Mail, and Ping
clients. Like Trumpet, it also includes its own dialer and has proven
itself to be stable and compatible. It is included with several books.
More Information:
http://www.netmanage.com/netmanage/products/chamsamp.html
3) Microsoft TCP/IP-32
----------------------
This is Microsoft's stack for use with Windows NT or Windows for
Workgroups 3.11. Unfortunately, this stack does NOT support dialup
connections. Free for owners of Windows NT or Windows for Workgroups.
Available from:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/windows/Public/tcpip/
4) NetCruiser
-------------
NetCruiser probably doesn't belong on this list, as it's not 100%
WinSock compatible. NetCruiser includes a proprietary stack and
suite of applications included with SLIP accounts from Netcom (a
large Internet service provider), the latest version has added
*some* WinSock compatibility. NetCruiser itself works only with Netcom.
Compatibility Notes: WinSock applications known to have difficulty with
NetCruiser include WinTalk and mIRC.
More Information:
http://www.netcom.com/faq/
http://www.netcom.com/
5) Do I Need This Stuff Now That Windows 95 Is Out?
----------------------------------------------------
Nope. Windows 95 includes all the 32-bit TCP/IP and WinSock drivers
that you'll need. And, it includes its own "Dial-Up Networking" that
lets you use SLIP or PPP.
A lot of Windows 95 beta users have installed Trumpet Winsock and are
using it quite happily.
More Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/
http://www.calamistrum.com/Win95Soft/barry/wn95slip.html
http://www.trumpet.com.au/wsk/faq/win95.htm
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~llurch/win95netbugs/faq.html
6) IBM OS/2 Warp
----------------
IBM's OS/2 Warp operating system includes a stack and a suite of
applications that have been well-received. Aside from the included
applications, native WinSock software for OS/2 is sparse. Most
Windows WinSock applications run well. Included with the operating
system (street price approx. US$70-140 depending upon
configuration)
More Information:
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/warp.html
http://pclt.cis.yale.edu/pclt/winworld/os2.htm
VI. Can I Run Cool Stuff Like Netscape From My Unix Shell Account?
==================================================================
If you're limited to a Unix shell account, you may still be able to take
advantage of Winsock applications. Several SLIP Emulators are available
which "convert" standard shell accounts into makeshift SLIP accounts.
Note: Many providers do not allow you to run a SLIP emulator. Some are
concerned about system resources; others want you to buy a real
SLIP or PPP account (which are almost universally more expensive).
If your provider bans use of SLIP emulators, using one may result
in loss of your Internet access. (Yes, system administrators can
tell if you're using a SLIP emulator even if you change the
executable's file name or size.)
1) The Internet Adapter (tm)
----------------------------
The Internet Adapter (TIA) is an innovative product by Cyberspace
Development, Inc. that allows Unix shell users to simulate a SLIP
connection over a Unix shell account. PPP is not yet supported, but it
is expected to be included when v2.0 is released. TIA is installed on
the Unix host (either in your home directory, if you're a single user,
or with the other Unix executables on the system if it's a site-
licensed copy provided by your provider). When you run TIA on your
Unix host, you can then run WinSock applications on your own machine.
(Note that you still need to install WinSock on your PC.)
For most applications, there is no difference between a true SLIP
account and TIA. But there are a few drawbacks. Because TIA users do
not have a real, unique IP address, applications that require this
(some DCC Chat, Talk, CuSeeMe, Ping, etc.) will not work. Also,
servers, in general, will not work. The latest beta version does have
a port redirection feature, but TIA is not meant for server use. TIA
requires that you have an "8-bit clean" connection to the Internet.
Check the TIA FAQs for more information.
TIA currently costs U.S. $25.00 for a single-site license. They also
have 14-day temporary licenses available. Version 1.04 has recently
been moved from beta to official release in preperation for the
release of Version 2.0, which is currently in closed beta testing.
All future upgrades will be free to registered users.
More information:
http://marketplace.com:80/tia/tiahome.html
e-mail: tia-info@marketplace.com
A) I use Netcom and TIA -- Why Won't My Newsreader Work?
--------------------------------------------------------
So far, Netcom is the only large provider that has had this
problem. Netcom does not allow its users to access the NNTP server.
But there is a way around this. A free product also found at:
ftp://marketplace.com/tia
allows the newsreader to access news off the disk. This program is
installed, just like TIA, in your Unix shell. It is executed at the
same time as TIA by executing "tia -p:119 nntpd." There is also
good documentation in the tiabeta directory.
More Information:
ftp://marketplace.com/tia/readme.nntpd
2) Twinsock (Troy's Winsock)
----------------------------
Troy Rollo's Twinsock is a freeware alternative to TIA. Unlike TIA,
Twinsock includes both a host program to be placed on your shell
account and its own special stack. Setup can be easier than TIA,
since the stack requires no special configuration. Note that Twinsock
will work even without an 8-bit clean connection, though the 6-bit
mode is slower.
See the FAQ (under More Information, below) for information about
FTPing the latest compiled versions for various hosts. You must FTP
the complete package (see below) to obtain the required stack, which
is compiled. Source code for the host program and the stack is
included.
More Information:
http://www_ug.eecg.utoronto.ca/~luk/tsfaq.html
FTP Sites:
ftp://ftp.coast.net/simtel/win3/winsock/twnsck14.zip
ftp://archive.orst.edu/pub/mirrors/simtel/win3/winsock/twnsck14.zip
ftp://micros.hensa.ac.uk/mirrors/simtel/win3/winsock/twnsck14.zip
3) SLiRP
--------
A recent addition to the SLIP emulation scene, Danny Gasparovski's
SLiRP is quickly gaining momentum. It's similar to TIA, but doesn't
include a stack, although it is free. No compiled versions are
available yet; you'll have to compile it yourself. Available from:
ftp://peace.wit.com/danjo/slirp/slirp-0.9o.tar.gz
ftp://blitzen.canberra.edu.au/pub/slirp/slirp-0.95d.tar.gz
More Information:
http://blitzen.canberra.edu.au/slirp
4) Remsock
----------
Oslonett's Remsock is a little-used SLIP emulator similar to Twinsock
in that it includes its own stack. Much of the documentation is in
Norwegian. Aside from compatibility problems, Remsock's biggest
failing is that it's "crippleware." It stops working 15 minutes into
each connection until you pay the registration fee ($15). Available
from:
ftp://kids.kotel.co.kr/pub/network/remsock.zip
VII. What's the Best ________ Application?
==========================================
There are currently over a hundred WinSock applications out there. We
won't try to tell you which one is the best one for your needs. To a
certain extent, you're going to have to figure that out for yourself.
1) Lists, Lists, Lists
----------------------
Fortunately, there are several excellent resources out there that can
provide you with pointers to (and evaluations of) most of the Internet
programs available on the Internet for Windows users.
There are several regularly updated lists of WinSock applications. If
you're looking for something, try these lists first. You can FTP the
files directly through either of the Web-based lists. Here are the most
popular and useful:
- Stroud's Consummate Winsock Apps List (updated regularly)
http://cws.wilmington.net/cwsa.html
- The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Compliant Software
http://www.tucows.com/
- Ed Sinkovits' Winter List (updated weekly)
http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/winter/index.html
or
ftp://ftp.coast.net/SimTel/win3/winsock/winter15.zip
- Craig Larsen's Winsock Application FAQ (complete list of all
Winsock applications)
http://www.primenet.com/~larsenc/faqhtml.html
- Stardust Technologies, Inc. WinSock Page
http://www.winsock.com
2) Windows 95 Software
----------------------
Finding WinSock applications for Windows 95 is much more difficult
than finding software for Windows 3.x. Fortunately, there is a
new software archive that exclusively lists Windows 95 applications:
- Net Ex Unofficial Windows 95 Software Archive
http://www.netex.net/w95/index.html
- Windows95.com
http://www.windows95.com
3) Shareware is Not Freeware
----------------------------
The WinSock community has been very fortunate to have many freeware
applications available. For this, everyone should be grateful to the
many authors who have put many countless hours writing these programs.
However, not all winsock applications are freeware. Many are
shareware, and shareware is NOT the same as freeware. Please use your
conscience. If you try out a shareware program and find it to be
useful, send in the registration fee. The prices are usually quite
reasonable. Moreover, it encourages and enables further development of
many great applications.