Also, if your system is not LAN-attached, the Netfinity Serial Control service will enable your system administrator to manage your system using any of Netfinity's applications without having to visit your office or interrupt your work.
Use the Netfinity Serial Control to:
Note: Your system must have a properly installed and configured modem that supports at least 9600 baud for the Serial Control service to function.
The following operations can be performed from the Connections screen:
Select a Connection List entry to edit an existing connection or select Add Connection to add a new connection entry.
To Edit/Add Connection Information:
For example, the System Name of the system that you are configuring for Serial Connection access would be a good entry. However, the Name entry is purely descriptive, and can be anything at all.
Be sure to include the area code and any prefixes that might be necessary to reach this system (for example, some phone systems require that you dial a 9 to get an external phone line). Do not use parentheses or dashes in the telephone number.
Note: The system that you are dialing in to must be in AutoAnswer mode for a connection attempt to be successful.
Note:You must provide a number in this field for the null modem connection to function properly. The "dummy" number must consist of at least one digit.
Type in the User ID and Password fields the user ID and password that a remote system, using Serial Connection Control, must provide in order to gain access to your system using Serial Connection Control.
Note: You must provide a User ID and a Password that matches the User ID and Password on the remote systems Serial Connection Control for the Serial Connection Control to allow access to a remote system. Once connected, all normal Security Manager rules apply for access to both local and remote systems.
Note: Many modems have built-in data compression, and therefore are capable of transmitting data at a rate higher than which they are rated for. You should set the Baud Rate as high as will permit a successful connection.
Note: Setting the Baud Rate lower than your modem's rating will force a lower data transmission rate. This may be necessary if telephone line conditions are poor.
Note: For a NULL modem connection to function properly the baud rate must be the same for both the connecting systems.
Note: This option will not be present when connected to a Win3.x machine.
Select a Connection List entry to delete a modem connection using the Connections screen.
To Delete Connection Information, select Delete to delete the displayed serial connection entry.
Once you have created one or more Serial Connection Control entries, you are ready to access remote systems.
To access a remote system:
Once you have initiated the serial connection process, your system will initialize your modem, dial the telephone number for the selected entry, wait for an answer, and then attempt to use the User ID/Password combination to access the remote system. If the connection is successful, you can add (or discover) the remote system with Remote System Manager. Then, you can remotely access and manage the remote system just as if it were part of your network.
Notes:
Once you have configured your modem for use with Serial Control, you must grant access to your system to your network administrator or other authorized users. Authorized users can then use Serial Control to access your system. To grant access to your system:
For information on how to configure a User ID/Password combination to enable remote access to your system, see "Setting Incoming User ID/Password Combinations".
To set the Serial Control service to AutoAnswer mode:
Select the Serial Control object.
The AutoAnswer setting will enable the Serial Connection Control service to automatically answer incoming phone calls through the modem. Once it has answered the telephone, it will attempt to establish a link with the calling system.
Type in the User ID and Password fields the user ID and password that a remote system, using Serial Connection Control, must provide in order to gain access to your system using Serial Connection Control.
Note: You must provide a User ID and a Password that matches the User ID and Password on the remote systems Serial Connection Control for the Serial Connection Control to allow access to a remote system. Once connected, all normal Security Manager rules apply for access to both local and remote systems. Set the Serial Connection Control User ID and Password.
Once you select Start Connection, the Serial Control service will begin waiting for an incoming call. Once "Waiting for call" appears in the Serial Connection Control window status field, you can Exit. Serial Connection Control will continue to wait in the background for incoming calls.
Note: If you want the Serial Connection Control service to automatically start and begin waiting for incoming calls when Netfinity is started, select Auto Answer, and then select the Auto Start check box.
The Serial Control service provides a variety of predefined modem definitions that you can use to access remote systems or to enable remote access of your own system through your modem. You can edit and customize the predefined modem definitions as well as define the settings for additional modems not listed.
The following operations can be performed from the Modem Settings screen:
To Add a Modem Definition using the Modem Settings screen:
To Edit an existing Modem Definition using the Modem Settings screen:
To Delete an existing Modem Definition using the Modem Settings screen:
Although most modems share similar initialization string codes, there are differences from modem to modem. Therefore, it is very difficult to provide appropriate initialization strings for all modems. In some cases you might need to create your own initialization string for your modem. If you do, consult the documentation that comes with your modem for the appropriate initialization string codes.
For a modem to operate correctly with the Netfinity Serial Connection Control service, the initialization string must configure the modem as follows:
Example: The initialization string for a U.S. Robotics Sportster modem using only the settings required for correct operation would be:
E0F1Q0V1X4&A3&C1&D2&H1&R2&Y3S0=0
In addition to the required initialization codes, you can optimize the operation of the Netfinity Serial Connection Control service by configuring your modem with the following additional settings:
Example: The initialization string for a U.S. Robotics Sportster modem using all the required and additional settings would be:
E0F1M1Q0V1X4&A3&C1&D2&H1&I0&K1&M4&
N0&R2&Y3S0=0
Use the Configure Com Ports screen to configure one or more Com ports with a selected modem.
To configure Com ports for a defined modem:
To exit the Serial Control service, select the "Netfinity" image on the top or bottom of the Serial Control service to return to the Netfinity services screen.