Hello All,

I am trying to get the Arachne web browser installed and configured on an IBM notebook computer.

IBM Thinkpad 760L (circa 1996 vintage)
133 Mhz Pentium 1 processor
48 Mb RAM
865Mb Hard disk drive
Internal Floppy disk srive
US Robotics PCMCIA sportster 28.8 modem on Com 4
(which is recognised by both browser & O/S)

MS-DOS version 6.22
Arachne version 1.70

I have configured Arachne using the both the PPP Wizard and manually (neither of which were particularly difficult with the ISP information readily to hand)and using the modem initialization string quoted in the manufacturers handbook.

The complete string (if anyone is intersted !)is:-
AT&F&A&3&B1&H1&R2&D2&C1X4SO=0S7=90

I can hear the modem dialing/operating and in the terminal window I see (after authentication)meaningless symbols which I believe are data packets (according to the manuals)however then I get the message - "NO CARRIER".

Before anyone asks - Yes I have checked that both the cable and modem are securely attached, call waiting is not eneabled etc. I have also checked there are no resource conflicts and that the base addresses were correctly listed.

I tried configuring Arachne to work with my trusty BCM external hardware modem on COM1(which I have used with every M.S o/s & several Linux distros)but to no avail.

I have connected quite a few PCs to the internet in my time using all of the microsoft operating systems (except DOS)and a variety of Linux distros but I am totally stuck with this problem.

Although I could purchase Windows 95 on floppy disk via eBay and load an early version of internet explorer or similar I don't really want all of the unecessary (for me) utilities/ fonts etc that Windows 95 comes bundled with. In fact Windows 3.1 had a lot of things I don't need or want (in this instance). I have a desktop running XP so from the notebook all I wanted was an e-mail client and (occasionally) a web browser utility plus some other DOS tools that I like.

Apart from this problem I am really pleased with the notebook (and MS-DOS 6.22).

Whilst on the subject has anyone tried PTS-DOS (as used on the international space station) and if so what did they think of it?

Thanks for your help.

Trevor

Hi Trevor,

DOS PPP dialers is an issue that probably won't be
completely resolved ever, i prefer to address this
problem using a separate approach but i must admit
it's appealing to have a graphic wizard integrated
to the browser - well, as long as it works! If it
were me, i'd begin with trying a connection via my
favourite terminal emulator just to observe what's
going on at my ISP's end... ;-) I seem to recall
quite vaguely that Arachne does support a terminal
mode in the same way the Windows suite does, i may
be wrong but i believe it's called MiniTerm so, it
would sound more coherent to suggest that you give
it a try first. Once again, i simply hate the way
DOS dialers are built but lets see how the Arachne
wizard compares with the rest of them, euh... Ho,
and speaking of wizards... I also recall that the
dialer in Arachne has gone thru some modifications
over the various releases and i'm afraid to say it
didn't benefit much from lessons others guys tried
to shared with a given maintainer - me included...

If you're brave enough, my advice is to launch and
configure the packet-driver from a separate dialer
(meaning: forget about the internal one which you
can find in LSPPP - especially when in trouble)!!!

Judging from your post, i doubt the two MoDems are
failing at the same time by pure coincidence. I'm
tempted to think it's more like your ISP can't get
you authenticated but i may be wrong. If it sends
what guys once called "Chicken Tracks" (ASCII #125
if my memory doesn't fail me), euh... that should
be a good indication the two MoDems negociated the
connection successfully and the PPP protocol tries
to take over. If you're really lucky, the ISP may
even support terminal/TTY/text/manual LogIn mode.

Now, lets suppose you do get an invitation to have
a PPP connection established... If you don't exit
your terminal emulator quick enough and then don't
launch the packet-driver in time no authentication
can take place and then it's no wonder if your ISP
hangs on you. You can evaluate how much an ISP is
tolerent thru the terminal option in Windows... I
believe you'll find this is an XP security feature
by checking the properties of a DialUp connection,
it's not clear if the later Windows versions still
give a choice of terminal before and after dialing
though. Well, i went far enough with similarities
between Arachne's wizard and the Windows world! I
guess you get the idea. :> So, have fun and good
luck! May the force be with you luke, etc.! %-b,

Salutations,

Michel Samson
a/s Bicephale

Two things to try, firstly Arachne version
1.85 and secondly use the alternative LSPPP
dialer, see:

http://83.67.55.228/

I have used most versions but prefer PC-DOS
7 Y2K as it is like MS-DOS6 but slightly
more mature in support of newer hardware.

Michel,

I am using the terminal (miniterm) and I am viewing data packets after authentication - thats when I get no carrier.

I hit the F7 key to quit terminal and launch the packet driver but there is no response - that is the window will not close.

I will try again but which packet driver do you recommend?

Merci beaucoup pour votre assitance,
Je suis tres reconissant.

----

Plain and simple,

Thanks for the advice - I could not find the driver on the site that you suggest but I think this is because I am rather tired so I will look again tomorrow. The site looks interesting and I would like to take some time to view all of the information in order to obtain the maximum benefit.

I had PC-DOS 7.00 on this machine originally, do you know if I can purchase it from IBM or get a download? The notebook was purchased at a car boot sale for £5.00 and was something of an unknown quantity so I installed MS-DOS. However considering your advice I would be keen to reinstall PC-DOS.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to answer my question - very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi Trevor,

About "No Carrier with Arachne browser" of Aug. 9:

T4> I can hear the modem dialing/operating and in
T4> the terminal window I see (after authenti-
T4> cation) meaningless symbols... ...then I get
T4> the message - "NO CARRIER".
MS> ...launch and configure the packet-driver from
MS> a separate dialer... ...forget about the
MS> internal one which you can find in LSPPP...
T4> I am using the terminal (miniterm) and I am
T4> viewing data packets after authentication...

The night reaches its end already so i'll try this
old adage until i can write further on your topic:
an image is worth a thousand words they say and my
time grows short so, i hope you won't mind i used
a counterpart of Arachne's dialer to illustrate!

;->

http://public.sogetel.net/bicephale/PPP-Auth.HTMl

The DOS capture would be exactly the same. My 1st
picture shows a case where the ISP is known to be
DOS friendly but i used so much time to enter the
UserName, it finally was ready to give up! Should
i have continued to ignore the prompt long enough,
the ISP would have disconnected me (this given ISP
has some very well behaved terminal servers in its
pool)... My second picture is for when i complete
the TTY LogIn in time (no PAP/CHAP authentication
here), the PPP protocol negociation follows next
but since i haven't closed the window yet it means
the ISP's PPP protocol has no reciprocal peer and
since PAP/CHAP authentication require the PPP part
to complete 1st, euh... in the case of an ISP who
isn't that much DOS friendly, euh, this would just
mean no authentication has taken place at all.

;^)

There's a 3rd picture i could have taken but then
you wouldn't have seen much because when PPP/CHAP
authentication is used one doesn't have to wait a
single bit: as soon as the CARRIER condition is
detected you know the MoDems have negociated their
connection successfully and it's time to start the
PPP protocol (hence, the terminal window would be
closed before most ISPs can even send their prompt
if any). One reason which can make an ISP hang up
on you is because the PPP packet-driver simply is
not found, meaning it won't take over; another is
you couldn't agree on the authentication protocol.

In any case, the "Chicken Tracks" are no proof you
have been validated successfully, even when an ISP
seems to support manual LogIn, i've seen instances
when i still had to enable PAP or CHAP validation!

8-b,

For this reason, i suggest you always try to use a
form of automated authentication even if scripting
is active, euh... Ho, and one very old bug that i
never managed to bring enough focus on is the fact
that the packet-driver may be present but it fails
to take adequate control of one's MoDem because of
the way in which the wizard gets its corresponding
serial-port defined on the driver's command-line!

%-o

T4> ...which packet driver do you recommend?
PS> Two things to try, firstly Arachne version
PS> 1.85 and secondly use the alternative LSPPP
PS> dialer, see: http://83.67.55.228/

I checked the later reference, i found it's valid.

I don't believe using Arachne v1.85 will make much
difference though, if the problem is with the way
it builds its command-line you're still in trouble.

The last verion of LSPPP (2003-Oct-12) is fine with
me but then, again, i just don't trust its internal
dialer!!! Yet, here's a short path to this driver:

http://members.tripod.com/~ladsoft/lsppp/lsppp10.zip

T4> Merci beaucoup pour votre assitance...

It's a pleasure, you're most welcomed! 8-)

Salutations,

Michel Samson
a/s Bicephale