If I have left anything out, please email me and I will put it on this page. I have tried to include everything possible, but I am sure I have left something out! If you make a modification to MDMCBX.INF, please let me know and I will post the changes with your permission for others to use.

I have received many letters asking about different types of connections with Windows 95. I will try to list all of the tips that people have emailed me, or that I have found out through experience. First, I will try to outline my setup to try to help you. I ran Linux until late summer in 96, and I currently run NT Server v3.51, Windows 95, and Windows 3.11. I am using OS/2's boot manager to boot either Windows NT or Win95. Over the summers, I am at home and run WFW 3.11 with a 28.8k USR modem. I used to use an RS-232 null modem cable hooked up to a ROLM phone connected to a CBX (Common Branch eXchange). I could run a dumb terminal program, hit return a few times and get a "CALL, DISPLAY, MODIFY?" prompt. You can see what I'm talking about by telneting to vtcbx.cc.vt.edu. After gettings this prompt, for all intents and purposes, I am connected. The only steps left were handled by the dialup scripting utility which included logging in and actually telling the host I wanted to start a PPP or SLIP session.

There are three main connections that draw the most mail:

Windows 95 -> NT RAS (Remote Access Service)

I have not been able to test mdmcbx4.inf on NT 4.0. However, if you change the first line in the file mdcbx4.inf from Signature="$CHICAGO" to Signature="$CHICAGO$" it will recognize the driver and should work.

I haven't tested this connection, but some others have been able to get this to work. You need to download and install the file mdmcbxnt.inf to run on the Win95 side. This will set up the modem as "NT Direct Connection." The only change that was made was to change the Init string to "CLIENT<cr>" from "<cr>". This file may or may not work with any other direct connections you have. In addition, you may want to add the lines containted in this text file to include support for 57600 and 115200 connections. REMEMBER to make sure that you keep the same permissions on modem.inf before and after you edit the file! When you try to dial NT through Win95, put CLIENT in for the telephone. Make sure Windows 95 does NOT to try to disable call waiting, or put an area code before the word CLIENT. NT needs to receive the string CLIENT alone.

People have also been able to connect up to NT using "Direct Cable Connection,". It looks as though the direct cable connection is similar to NT's NULL modem drivers. This will essentially set up a network between the two computers. You may have to edit the NT INF file.

If you come up with another(or better) way to hook up 95 to NT's RAS, please mail me all applicable files, and I will post them on this page with your permission.

Windows 95 -> Linux

This is probably the second most problematic connection. I have less experience with this. I have only connected my copy of Linux up to the CBX, but I have not tried a Win95 -> Lunix connection. Again, I have heard of people performing this connection, but I do not have any advice! Please see the technical description of the file for some hints on getting started.

Supposedly, it works fine with Slackware using the following inittab entry to log into the first serial port:

s1:45:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 ttyS0 network

This same entry does not work at all with Debian Linux, however.

With the Slackware linux distribution, there is an entry called network which tells agetty that what it sees is what it gets, pass everything straight through and don't try to translate ANYTHING (no special screen formatting characters), so the network keyword in the above statement is essential.

Windows 95->leased line

This has been another tough type of connection to troubleshoot.  People have had success by choosing "manual or operator assisted dial". Again, please see the properties of MDMCBX.INF section for some hints on getting started.

Properties of MDMCBX.INF

The basic idea behind this driver file is that most servers can echo a carraige return back when the client sends a carraige return. This is true with the type of connection I used at Virginia Tech. Windows 95 also likes to detect a connection on its own and sometimes will act as if it is connected when the DTR line is high (I'm not sure if it's the DTR line or not). The connection phase is the one that I have the most problems understanding. This is why Windows 95 was so frustrating to me when I first started playing with the file. I am unsure as to what Windows 95 thinks is a connection and what is not. The only thing I am sure of is that Windows 95 wants the DTR line to be high. This is how it hangs up the modem. It will NOT connect without this high. More recently, I have had more luck with the file when I turned on modem logging. This creates a file called ModemLog.txt in your /win95 directory. To turn this option on, go under the properties of your connection in dial up networking, go under "Configure," then the "Connections" tab, and then click "Advanced."  The modem logging option is located in the bottom right hand corner of the dialog. This gives very good information as to what is going on.

The most crucial line in my driver file is the following:

HKR, Responses, "<cr>", 1, 02, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00,00,00,00 ; Client side - the server has acknowledged and the connection is completed

The <cr> is the response from the server that tells Windows 95 that it is connected. It is analogous to a "CONNECT" message from a Hayes-compatible modem.

Also, the following lines may be of interest:

HKR, Init, 1,, "<cr>" ; do an "AT" to get autobaud correct (start other init strings with 2)

-and-

HKR, Init, 1,, "<cr>"

You can locate these by doing a text search on the file. They specify what Windows 95 will send to the server to "prod" it to respond.

Other things to try

I have tried the following to no avail (I don't think this is compatible with the modem files, but you can try it).

Install the direct cable connection. Go under the registry editor "Go to "RUN" in the start menu and type regedit and search for "modem" Copy the information from the direct cable connection registry key to the modem registry key. You will be able to dial, but Windows will give you an error when you try to bring up the properties of your connection. However, Windows will let you edit the connection. I have tried this, but have not been able to get it to work.  If you find a way to get this to work, please let me konw.

If you are trying to connect to a Cisco Access Server, disable FIFO.

Take a look at the [M2700] key in the file mdmhayes.inf in the /win95/inf/ directory. This is where I originally got most of my modem file. Again, if you find another solution, please mail me and I will post it here with your permission!

Truncate all lines greater than 80 characters. Someone who could not install my file accidentally did this and voila! It worked!

Email/Call Microsoft and tell them you want a null modem file included with the next release of Windows 95 or posted on their page at http://www.microsoft.com.