 Setting system defaults
The System Profile stores all the basic configuration information for your system. The settings on this form control the basic operation of your FirstClass server and provide system defaults. Many of the fields on this form were filled in when you installed your server.
To open the System Profile, choose Admin > System Profile.
MDM (modem) files
An MDM file is a text file that stores information about a particular type of modem.
FirstClass provides many predefined modem (MDM) files. You can probably find an MDM file for your modem in the FCNS/SERVER/MODEMS folder (Windows) or fcns/Ssrver/modems folder (Mac OS X).
You can configure most of the parameters in the MDM file using FirstClass Tools. The configuration specified in FirstClass Tools overrides the value specified in the MDM file.
To configure the other parameters, you can modify the MDM file directly with a text editor.
The most common reason for changing an MDM file is to increase the Long Timeout period (MLTO). You might need to do this if you are using a slow communications link (for example, if you are making calls over a great distance, such as across the Atlantic). You will probably not need to change the other parameters.
You might need to create an MDM file if the modem you are using is not available in the list of modems in the Modem.FCP dialog (Windows) or in the list of modems displayed in FirstClass Tools (Mac OS X).
On both platforms, it's worth your time to check the Conferences/Software Libraries/Modem Settings conference on FirstClass.com. It contains many MDM files, and you could spare yourself the effort of creating new files.
Modifying MDM files
Syntax rules
FirstClass allows both single quotes (') and double quotes (") as string delimiters. The provided MDM files use single quotes because some AT&T-based modems use double quotes in their commands.
The following special characters are used in MDM files:
• \r (return)
• \n (linefeed).
Because the strings in the MDM files use the backslash (\) as the escape character, when you want to indicate a backslash as part of the string, you must use two backslashes. For example, the string \\Q3 will be sent to the modem as \Q3.
MDM file parameters
With the syntax rules described in the previous section, use the following parameters in an MDM file.
MNAME The complete name of this modem, as opposed to the truncated DOS filename. This parameter, required because MDM files for Windows clients have DOS filenames, displays the modem name on the MODEM.FCP form.
MDMATT The Attention string, typically +++. This variable allows the use of TIES strings (an alternative format for the Attention string) although few modems use them.
MDMDIAL The Dial string, typically ATD%s\r. The client uses this string when dialing a server. The %s is replaced with the phone number in the settings file or the Gateway Configuration form, together with the tone or pulse modifiers.
MDMTONE and MDMPULSE The tone and pulse dial modifiers. Some modems do not support these modifiers. For such modems, these parameters must be blank. These parameters correspond to the "Phone" fields on the Modem.FCP and Session Information forms.
MDMHUP The Hangup string, typically ATH\r.
MDMANS The Answer string, typically ATA\r.
MDMRESET The modem Reset string. Common Reset strings are AT&F\r and ATZ\r. The AT&F\r string performs a hardware reset, reverting to factory settings. The ATZ\r string reverts to settings saved with the AT&W command.
MDMINIT The Initialization (INIT) string. This string can be up to 40 characters. The INIT string is used to turn off the extended functions of the modem, including flow control, data compression, error correction, DTR hangup, and carrier detection, thus allowing these functions to be controlled by the modem configuration defined on the Modem.FCP form and the Session Information form.
If you use ATZ\r as the Reset string, the Initialization string must contain at least the following commands, which are required by FirstClass:
ATS0=0V1E0
where
• S0=0 disables autoanswer
• V1 returns nonnumeric (text) results
• E0 disables echo.
For most modems based on Rockwell hardware (for example, Hayes Supra or Cardinal), you could use the following INIT string:
ATS0=0V1E0X4W1&K0&Q0N0M0&C0&D0\r
This string contains the standard configuration plus the following optional commands:
• X4 enables the return of result codes to the user
• W1 enables the extensions to the result codes
This causes the details of the connect type to appear in the connection progress display on the client and server.
• %K0 disables flow control
• &Q0 disables error correction and compression
• N0 disables the speed negotiation function
• M0 disables the modem speaker
• %C0 disables carrier detection
• %D0 disables DTR hangup.
MDMOPT The Option string is similar to the Dial string. It is typically AT%s\r. The %s will be replaced by the optional commands listed below:
MDMHWHS Enables flow control, error correction, and data compression. For the Hayes ULTRA, it would be &K3&Q5N1, meaning turn on hardware handshaking, compression, error correction (autoreliable mode), and begin at the highest speed available and fall back to lower speeds if required. This command corresponds to the "H/W handshake" field on the Modem.FCP and Session Information forms.
MDMSPKR Enables the modem speaker during dialing and negotiation. It corresponds to the "Speaker" field on the Modem.FCP form.
MDMCD Enables carrier detection. It corresponds to the "Carrier detect" field on the Modem.FCP and Session Information forms.
MDMDTR Enables DTR hangup. It corresponds to the "DTR hangup" field on the Modem.FCP and Session Information forms.
These commands are sent to the modem only if they are configured in the modem connection file.
MBAUD The speed to use if hardware handshaking is not enabled. For a high-speed modem, this parameter is usually set to 9600 bps. For lower-speed modems, the parameter is usually set to the highest rate the modem supports. This parameter corresponds to the "Baud rate" field on the Modem.FCP and Session Information forms.
MHWHSBAUD The speed to use if hardware handshaking is enabled. This speed is typically two to four times higher than the rate specified in MBAUD. Do not change this parameter in the MDM file, but instead change it in the modem connection file.
To find the baud rate value:
1 Set the baud rate to 2400, using a standard terminal emulation package such as the Windows Terminal application.
2 Type AT and press Enter/Return.
The modem should respond with OK.
3 Change the baud rate to 9600 and type the AT command again.
4 Repeat this process for baud rates of 19200 and 56000, until the modem no longer responds.
For a 14400 baud modem, this could occur at a rate as high as 56000. Most of the predefined MDM files use 19200, because most serial ports are limited to this speed.
MAUTOSPEED The Autospeed string. This string specifies whether to use the autospeed feature on hardware handshaking connections. This parameter corresponds to the "Auto speed" field on the Session Information form.
MLT0 The Long Timeout string. This string specifies how long (in 60ths of a second) to wait for a CONNECT signal after sending the Dial command. If the connection will take a long time (for example, for calls over a great distance), you might wish to increase the Long Timeout period.
MST0 The Short Timeout string. This string specifies how long (in 60ths of a second) to wait for an OK from the modem after sending most commands.
MGT0 The Guard Timer string. This string specifies how long (in 60ths of a second) to wait after sending the Attention string before sending any more commands.
MDELAY Some modems, especially internal and shared modems, take awhile to wake up. This string specifies how long (in 60ths of a second) to wait for the modem to wake up before sending it commands.
MCOMMENTS General comments about the modem.
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