Using the Cisco DialOut Utility

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 network access server (NAS), enter your NAS login name.

Step 2 Enter your NAS password. The 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 the Cisco DialOut Utility correctly.

Step 3 (Optional) You can allow the Cisco DialOut Utility to remember your password so that you do not need to enter it every time you need to access the NAS. To allow this, click the Save Password check box.

Note

Step 4 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.

If your NAS is not configured for security but you have saved your user information and password, a message displays letting you know that your NAS is not configured for security. This has no effect on the utility. Click OK to acknowledge the message.

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

Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel

The Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel 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 Front Panel 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 must exit the Cisco DialOut Utility, 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 "Add Port" or "Remove Port" section 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 that data has been transmitted to the NAS.
Rx (receive)---Indicates that data has been received from the NAS.
ER (error)---Indicates that 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:

Note

More Functions Window

To open the More Functions window, from the Front Panel, click More >. (See Figure 3-3.)

Figure 3-3: 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---Test the operation and status of all com ports

Disconnect Current Session---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.

Change User Information---Allows you to change your NAS username and password.

Note

Configure Ports

To add or remove com ports, follow these steps:

Step 1 Click Configure Ports. The Configure Ports window opens. (See Figure 3-4.)

Figure 3-4: Configure Ports Window

Add Port

To add a com port, follow these steps:

Step 1 Click Add Port. The Add Com Port window opens. (See Figure 3-5.)

Figure 3-5: Add Com Port Window

Step 2 Enter the Com Port Name, 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. You can use any name your application allows; however, we recommend you use COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4.

Step 3 Enter the Server ID, either 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 "Selecting and Configuring the Modem" and "Adding and Configuring Your Applications" sections in the "Installing and Preconfiguring the Cisco DialOut Utility" chapter.

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 3-6.)

Figure 3-6: Remove Com Port Window

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

Step 3 To make the change effective, you are prompted to reboot the PC at the appropriate time. See the README.DOC file for additional information.

Save User Information in Memory

If Save User Information in Memory is enabled, the 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.

Modem Sounds

To enable or change the simulated modem sounds, follow these steps:

Step 1 In the Windows Explorer, copy the .wav files you want to use into the directory in which you installed the Cisco DialOut Utility.

Note

Step 2 From the Cisco DialOut Utility Front Panel, click More>.

Step 3 Click Configure Ports.

Step 4 Click Sounds.

Step 5 Enter the name(s) of the wave file(s) you want to change in the applicable dialog box in the Sounds window. The default sound files are:

Opening Server Sound---DOUTOPEN.WAV
Dial Tone Sound---DOUTDT.WAV
Ringing Sound---DOUTRING.WAV
Connected Sound---DOUTCONN.WAV
Line Busy Sound---DOUTBUSY.WAV
No Dial Tone Sound---DOUTNODT.WAV
No Answer Sound---DOUTNOAN.WAV

Step 6 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 or DNS name
Connect to Access Server---Attempts to connect to the maintenance port on the NAS
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 3-7.)

Figure 3-7: 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.

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

Step 3 Click Refresh to refresh the values in the Statistics 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 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 telephone number to which you are connected. This information appears after you have dialed.

Step 4 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 maintenance port on the NAS
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. For information on resolving any problems, check the Help window, the README.DOC file, the "Troubleshooting Information" chapter, or the "Information for the System Administrator" appendix.

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, you might need to terminate the session. From the More Functions window, click Disconnect Current 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.

Table of Contents

Using the Cisco DialOut Utility