Using the Cisco DialOut Utility

The Cisco DialOut Utility starts up automatically when you start Windows. It normally runs a test and then minimizes itself.

Note If you remove the Cisco DialOut Utility from the Startup group, you will need to start it manually before you start your fax or communications applications. The utility must be running, either maximized or minimized, for the virtual ports to be available. We recommend that rather than exiting the Cisco DialOut Utility, you minimize it. If you exit, you will need to restart the Cisco DialOut Utility on the workstation before you can send a fax or use your communications application. If you must exit the Cisco DialOut Utility, click File then Exit.

Login Dialog Box

When Cisco DialOut Utility starts, if the optional user security is enabled, the Login dialog box opens. See Figure 3-1. If user security is not enabled, this window will not appear.

Figure 3-1:

Secure Login Window

Follow these steps:

Step 1 Your workstation login name is provided in the username field. If the name you use to log in to your workstation differs from the name you use to log in to the NAS, enter your NAS login name.

Step 2 Enter your NAS password. Cisco DialOut Utility cannot gain access to your password, so you need to enter it yourself. As you enter your password, asterisks (*) display so that your password is protected, but the data is received by Cisco DialOut Utility correctly.

Step 3 Click OK when finished. The username and password are sent to the NAS. If the password is entered incorrectly, or if you click Cancel, the Cisco DialOut Utility displays an error message.

To cancel the login, click Cancel. If you cancel, the Cisco DialOut Utility marks the session as a failure.

The Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel

The Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel window is designed to look like a modem, with a few additions. Use the front panel to access the following menu items:

Com port--Displays and allows you to change the current com port
LEDs--Shows the status of four common communication parameters
More >--Allows you to reconfigure ports, view status and statistics for the port that is currently selected, test the operation of all com ports, and disconnect the current communication session.

Caution To close the Cisco DialOut Utility under normal circumstances, from the front panel, click File then Exit. The Disconnect Current Session button is an emergency option that is equivalent to an abrupt End Task or pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and might cause the com port to hang. Use this button for troubleshooting purposes only.

To open the Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel, follow these steps:

Step 1 Double-click the minimized icon. The Cisco DialOut Utility window opens.

Step 2 (Optional) To display the hidden File Help toolbar, click the right mouse button, then select DialOut Menu. This allows you to use Cisco DialOut Utility without a mouse. See Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2: Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel

To access online help for the Cisco DialOut Utility, click Help.

Note We recommend that you minimize the Cisco DialOut Utility rather than exit it. If you exit, you will need to restart the Cisco DialOut Utility or the workstation before you can send a fax or use your communications application. If you find it necessary to exit, click File then Exit.

Com Port

The com port drop-down menu displays and allows you to change the com port that is being monitored by the lights and the status button. To select a different com port, click the down arrow to the right of the field and highlight the com port to monitor.

For instructions on adding or removing com ports, see the section "Add Port" or the section "Remove Port" in this chapter.

LEDs

These LEDs are similar to those found on a modem. The front-panel LEDs show the status of four common communication parameters:

CD (carrier detect)--Indicates the current state of the connection with the NAS. The icons simulate LEDs.
Tx (transmit)--Indicates data has been transmitted to the NAS.
Rx (receive)--Indicates data has been received from the NAS.
ER (error)--Indicates an error has been detected in the session with the NAS.

LED Colors

The colors of each of the four LEDs have the meanings listed below:

CD
- Green--Com port is in session with a NAS but the modem is not yet in session.
- Red--Com port is currently in session with a NAS and the modem is in session.
- Blue--Com port will use the Cisco DialOut Utility when a communications package opens the com port but no package is currently using the port and there is no current session with the NAS for the com port.
Tx
- Gray--Com port is currently not in session with a NAS and no data transmission is possible.
- Green--Com port is in session with a NAS but no data is currently being transmitted.
- Red--Com port is in session with a NAS and data is being transmitted.
- Blue--Transmit buffer is full and no send commands are pending. This is not an error condition unless the situation persists.
Note You might not see the Tx light change from green to red. This is due to the speed at which the transmission to the NAS occurs.
Rx
- Gray--Com port is currently not in session with a NAS and no data reception is possible.
- Green--Com port is in session with a NAS but all data received has been passed to the Cisco DialOut Utility driver layer for the communications package.
- Red--At least two bytes of data that were received from the NAS have not been passed to the driver layer.
Note You might not see the Rx light change from green to red. This is due to the speed at which the data in the Cisco DialOut Utility is being read by the communications application.
- Blue--Receive buffer is full and no receive command is pending. This is a normal condition during large file transfers. The data is being received from the NAS faster than the communications package can process it.
ER
- Gray--Com port is currently not in session with a NAS and no error was detected on the previous session.
- Green--Com port is in session with a NAS and no errors have been detected.
- Red-- An error has been detected on the session. Red indicates that the session was terminated in an unusual way. Check the Event Log on the NAS.

More Functions Window

From the Front Panel window, click More > to open the More Functions window. See Figure 3-3.

Figure 3-3: Cisco DialOut Utility More Functions Window

From the More Functions window, you can perform the following tasks:

Configure Ports--Add, remove, and configure com ports.
Statistics--View status and statistics for the port that is currently selected.
Test All Com Ports--Tests the operation and status of all com ports.
Disconnect Current Session--Disconnects the current communication session.

Change User Information--Allows you to change your NAS username and password. The change applies to the current session only and will not change this information on the NAS.

Configure Ports

To add, remove, or change the parameters associated with the com port, follow these steps:

Step 1 Click Configure Ports. The Configure Ports window opens.

Figure 3-4: Configure Ports Window

Step 2 To change the configuration for an existing port, select the name of the com port whose configuration you want to change. For Windows 95 and Windows NT, this can be any alphanumeric name, but the name must be acceptable to your fax or communications application. For Windows 3.1x, this must be either COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4.

Step 3 Enter the new information for one or both of the following:

Server ID--TCP/IP address of the NAS through which you will dial out. The NAS must be running a compatible release of Cisco IOS software. See the README.TXT file for information on compatible releases.

Note Check with your system administrator for the TCP/IP address of the NAS on your network.
Port ID--Represents the modem on the NAS. Normally this number will be 6001, 6002, and so on; or 7001, 7002, and so on. To stop the reconfiguration of this com port and start over, click Cancel.

Step 4 If Save User Information in Memory is enabled, Cisco DialOut Utility asks for a username and password at startup. The initial value (enabled or disabled) is detected when the com port is added. Change this field only if there has been a change in the security configuration on the NAS.

Step 5 After all fields have been reconfigured, click OK.

Test Port

To test an individual com port, follow these steps:

Step 1 With the port name highlighted, click Test. The Test Connection window opens and the com port is tested for the following items:

Resolve Server ID to Address--Converts the server address to an IP address
Connect to Access Server--Attempts to connect to the NAS's maintenance port
Connect to Access Server Port--Connects to the server and port ID you entered during configuration

During the test, Cisco DialOut Utility displays Testing next to the item being tested. If the tests are successful, the Test Connection window will display Good next to each item. See Figure 3-5.

Figure 3-5: Test Connection Window

If a test is unsuccessful, Cisco DialOut Utility displays Error next to the item. Check the Help window for information on resolving any problems.

Step 2 When all tests are complete, click OK to return to the More Functions window.

Add Port

To add a com port, follow these steps:

Step 1 Click Add Port. The Add Com Port window opens. See Figure 3-6.

Figure 3-6: Add Com Port Window

Step 2 Enter the Com Port Name. For Windows 95 and Windows NT, Either COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. SETUP.EXE has already automatically selected the name of the next available com port. If necessary, you can change this setting now or after the Cisco DialOut Utility is installed. With Windows 95 and Windows NT, you can use any name your application allows; however, we recommend you use COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4.

Step 3 Enter the Server ID--The TCP/IP address of the Cisco NAS through which you will dial out, or a DNS name associated with the server.

Note

Step 4 Enter the Port ID--Represents the modem on the NAS. Normally this number will be 6001, 6002, and so on; or 7001, 7002, and so on. See your system administrator for the number to use. To stop the definition of this com port and start again, click Cancel.

Step 5 After all fields have been defined, click OK.

Note After you have finished adding com ports, you must follow the instructions in the sections "Selecting and Configuring the Modem" and "Adding and Configuring Your Applications."

Remove Port

Follow these steps to remove a com port from the Cisco DialOut Utility:

Step 1 Highlight the name of the com port you want to remove and click Remove. The Remove Com Port window opens and displays the name of the port you selected. See Figure 3-7.

Figure 3-7: Remove Com Port Window

Step 2 Click OK to confirm removal or click Cancel to keep the port.

Step 3 With Windows 95, to make the change effective, you will be prompted to reboot the PC at the appropriate time.

With Windows NT and Windows 3.1x, you do not need to reboot.

See the README.TXT file for additional information.

Statistics Window

The Cisco DialOut Utility Statistics window displays the statistics of the selected com port. The data presented is a snapshot of information that can be used to monitor the connection with the NAS as well as provide information for troubleshooting.

Step 1 From the Cisco DialOut Front Panel, click More.

Step 2 Click Statistics. The Statistics window opens. See Figure 3-8.

Figure 3-8: Statistics Window

Click Refresh to refresh the values in the Status window. The window is updated to the current values. However, clicking Refresh does not reset the values. You can use the Refresh feature to indicate progress of transmission or download (receiving).

Note The Statistics Window does not dynamically update.

The Statistics window displays the following items:

Port--IP Address of the NAS to which this com port is assigned.
Status--Status of the com port as listed below:

: Not In Session--Currently not connected to a NAS.
: In Session--Currently in session with a NAS.

Bytes Received--Number of bytes received from the NAS. This number might differ from a counter reported by a communications package. The difference is the number of bytes in the Cisco DialOut Utility buffer that have not been received by the package. The counter is a 32-bit value and can count to over 4 billion bytes.
Bytes Transmitted--Number of bytes transmitted to the NAS. The number might differ from a counter reported by a communications package. The difference is the number of bytes in the Cisco DialOut Utility buffer that have not been transmitted yet. Additionally, bytes transmitted via the transmit immediate facility are not counted, because they are usually control characters. The counter is a 32-bit value and can count to over 4 billion bytes.
Pending Receive--When there is a command waiting to receive data from the NAS, the value of Pending Receive is Yes. When there is no receive command waiting, the value is No. Under normal operations, the only time this value is No is when the receive buffer is full while the communications package is reading data from the buffer but the minimum receive size value prevents another receive command from being issued.
Pending Send--When there is a command in the process of sending data, the value of Pending Send is Yes. When there is no Send command in process, the value is No. This value will normally be No. The period of time needed to transmit information is usually very short. If a single send command takes more than a fraction of a second, there might be a network or network card problem.
Last Error--If an error has occurred, this item will show a number that indicates where the error occurred, along with an explanation of the error. This might indicate a license violation.
Telephone Number--The last item in the window is the telephone number to which you are connected. This information appears after you have dialed.

Step 3 Click OK to return to the Front Panel.

Test All Com Ports

To test operation of all com ports, follow these steps:

Step 1 Click Test All Com Ports. The Test Connection window opens and the com ports are tested for the following items:

Resolve Server ID to Address--Converts the server address to an IP address
Connect to Access Server--Attempts to connect to the NAS's maintenance port
Connect to Access Server Port--Connects to the server and port ID you entered during configuration

Figure 3-9: Test Connection Window

If a test is unsuccessful, Cisco DialOut Utility displays Error next to the item. Check the Help window for information on resolving any problems.

Step 2 When all tests are complete, click OK to return to the More Functions window.

Disconnect Current Session

In the unlikely event your application hangs, to terminate the session, from the More Functions window, click Disconnect Current Session.

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