 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Navigating a BBS Jean D'Andrea jda@melbpc.org.au |
This article is about connecting to the Melb PC BBS. I have not tried to cover every detail, as many settings are defaults, however, the examples I have used correspond to our BBS. Other BBSs may have different procedures. They will, however, be similar to those described below.
Before you dial in
You've just bought your first modem. Naturally you're impatient to fire it up and get online. Hold it right there. You're much more likely to be successful if you read the manual first.
Now that you've done that. You're ready to configure your modem, and communications (comms) program to suit your particular system. My comms program is Telix for DOS, and I have a 28,800 modem. Many of the settings will be the same, or similar in the software you use. Some of the more important settings you'll need to use are shown in Figure 1.
If your program has an "auto baud detect" option, ensure that it is not active.
For a 28,800 modem, I use 57,600 bps. If you have a 14,400 modem, use 19,200, or perhaps 38,400. Although this may be too fast. Many newer computers have high-speed UARTs and can handle the faster speed, older PCs may require you to lower the bps. You'll have to experiment.
Select the comms port to which your modem is connected, the default is usually port 2.
Most BBSs use 8 bits for data, 0 for parity, and 1 stop bit: these are the default settings in many comms programs.
The best video mode to use is ANSI or ANSI-BBS. The preferred transfer protocol for Melb PC's BBS is Zmodem. But others may use different protocols.
Set up a "Phone Book" in your comms program. Enter the numbers of your favourite BBS, Melb PC being your first choice, of course!
When you've completed the setup, you're almost ready to dial. A couple more points, then you can get online! Disable call waiting, if you have it. You can do this yourself, or configure your comms program to dial the relevant number sequence. Disconnect any other phones on the same line, if you can. Some phones cause modem disconnects when the phone goes through an automatic recharge process.
Going online
Now you're ready to go on line! Select the BBS number (from your phone book), and press Enter. After the modem dials and the call is answered, you should hear some strange screeching and wailing noises. Those are the two modems (yours and the one at the BBS) negotiating a connection. When the logon screen appears, you'll see a prompt, asking you to enter your name. Once you do that, you'll most likely be told that you're not on the list. Don't worry, this is normal. It means that you haven't logged on to our BBS before. Naturally, there will be exceptions to this. For example, if your name is John Brown, there may already be someone of that name registered as a user. If you've never been on before, and you're asked for your password, then you can be sure this is the case. If that happens, you'll need to hang up and dial back in, this time answering the name prompt with John "X" Brown (X, being your middle initial) and remember to log on using this exact name in the future.
Once you have entered your name, you'll be prompted to answer more questions, including your membership number, and your birth date. This information is not available to anyone except the Sysops. When choosing your password, use something you'll remember, but don't use your name, your pet's name or other obvious words people who know you might easily guess. And don't tell it to anyone else.
After answering the prompts, you'll be given "guest" access to the BBS, just until your data is recorded and confirmed by the office, then you will be upgraded to member access. (This will normally take a couple of days). On the Melb PC BBS "guests" may download files and read messages, but cannot upload messages or files. Guests are limited to 30 minutes online per day. Once you've been upgraded to member access, you can upload and download files and messages (into most areas) and you can be online for 90 minutes each day.
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Finding your way around
On Melb PC's BBS you have the option of reading the bulletins, or going straight to the BBS. Read the
bulletins to see what's going on. To go directly to the main menu (Figure 2) select N.
To the right is a list of information and help files: I'd suggest that you read New User Help. To the
left is the activities menu - the first two items are the Message and File Areas. Most BBSs will have menus
similar to this. Have a browse to familiarise yourself with the basic commands - the worst you can do is cut
yourself off!
The message area
To look at the message area, select M, which gives you another menu. The best area to visit, if you're
new to messaging, is LOC.10. To go to this area, select A for Area Change, then type
LOC.10. To read some messages, use Browse, Current, and From, to enter the message
number from which you'd like to read.
Because it's time consuming to read and enter messages online, most members eventually switch to downloading
messages, so that they can read and respond to them later, offline.
To leave the Messages area, select Q. That will take you back to the main menu.
Downloading messages to read offline
To choose the message areas you'd like to download for offline reading, select the Off-line & Blue
Wave Mail choice from the main menu. From the Off-line Mail menu, choose Blue Wave Door,
(Figure 3) then select Configuration, and finally, Choose Areas for Download.
Now you're ready to select some message areas. A good area to start with is General. Type the number
shown against this area, and the options Personal, Personal And All, and All will be displayed.
Select All by pressing Enter, and you're set up to receive messages from this area in your download
packet.
Some areas, such as Private, and Messages to/from the Sysop, are "forced" (that means that you
will get them whenever you download messages), so they'll automatically be included in your packet.
When you've entered the message areas you want, you can review the list by entering %. To exit, enter
!, then Q (quit) to return to the Blue Wave Door Menu.
From this menu, select D (download), and the program will send your message packet to your
download directory. You did set one up when configuring your system, didn't you?
Once you're finished, exit the Blue Wave Door and return to the main menu.
So far we've been talking about messages, browsing them online and downloading them to read offline. Now
let's visit the Files Area and find you an offline reader, so you can open, read and reply to those
messages, offline.
Downloading a file with File Tagger
On the main menu, press F to go to the Files Area. On the next menu, select the File
Tagger utility, shown as No.1. File Tagger command options are listed across the lower part of the
screen. (Figure 4) F (Find) will give you a small box, into which you enter "offline", and a
list of all the files that contain "offline" - in the file name or description - will be displayed.
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Using the arrow keys, move down the page until the file you want is
highlighted Blue Wave 2.3 is a popular choice. (Figure 4) Press Enter to tag this file. The listing will
change colour, and a mark will appear beside it. If this is the only file you want to download, press
D (download), (see Figure 4) and you'll be prompted to choose your download protocol. Zmodem is
the best option, so select this. Downloading of your chosen offline reader will begin. If you want to find
more files, repeat the process you used to find Blue Wave until you find the ones you want, tagging them as
you go. Then download all, as above.
That's not all there is to using a BBS, of course, but it will get you started. Soon you'll be enjoying it
immensely. It's a whole new world out there!
About the author
Jean is Assistant Sysop (Messages) on Melb PC's BBS, and is also the committee member with BBS
responsibility. She can be contacted through the office; e-mail to jda@melbpc.org.au, or on the
BBS.
Reprinted from the March 1997 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
