Chapter 3
Getting Started

Basic MacComCenter Plus Setup

1. Open the MacComCenter Plus folder.
2. Double click on the MessageCenter icon to start the program.

As this is the first time you have started MacComCenter Plus, please check the following items to ensure that the modem setup matches your hardware specifications, and that the fax setup is configured for your needs.

MacComCenter Plus Preferences

Serial Port Setup

The Default Setting field specifies the answer options that are loaded when your Macintosh is started. The Current Setting field shows the option that is currently active. The following settings are available:

• Disabled--This setting disables MacComCenter Plus on the selected serial port. If disabled, MacComCenter Plus will close its connection to the port preventing any fax or voice processing.
• Voice and Fax -- This setting allows MacComCenter Plus to process both voice and fax calls.
• Fax Send/Receive-- This setting allows MacComCenter Plus to process only fax calls. Voice messaging is disabled.
• Fax Send Only-- This setting allows MacComCenter Plus to process only outbound faxes. Inbound calls will not be answered, although Caller ID processing will still be enabled.
  • TheClass radio buttons allow you to specify the fax class that will be used when sending and receiving faxes.
  • If you wish to be able to send and receive faxes upon startup, ensure that the Fax Send/Receive or Voice and Fax option is selected under the Default Setting popup menu.

    Note:The current settings may be changed at anytime with the Telephony Control desk accessory found under the Apple menu.

  • The info button provides information about the modem currently attached to the selected port:
    

    Note: If the only button enabled for a port is the Info button, then MacComCenter Plus has not detected a modem connected to that port. If a modem is connected, ensure that the modem is connected and powered on. Click on the Info button and then click Query Port. MacComCenter Plus will look for a modem on that port and query the modem to determine its capabilities. If the modem detection completes successfully, then the other port configuration options will be enabled.

  • The Settings button allows the user to change modem settings for a particular port. If the modem does not support an option, that option will be disabled on the port dialog box. An example of the port dialog box is shown below:

    

  • The Detect Dial Tone checkbox is used to force MacComCenter Plus to look for a dial tone on the telephone line before dialing a phone number.
  • The Use Caller ID check box is used to enable or disable Caller ID processing. Caller ID is an option available from the phone company. This option allows devices, such as modems, to receive a caller's phone number and name between the first and second rings. This information can be displayed to allow you to decide whether to answer the call or not. MacComCenter Plus uses Caller ID information to route incoming faxes and voice messages to the correct mailbox.
  • The Answer Data popup menu is used to select how MacComCenter Plus will answer data calls. The following options are available:
    • Never Answer -- This option will prevent MacComCenter Plus from processing data calls.
    • ARA -- This option will cause MacComCenter Plus to try to enable Apple Talk Remote Access for the incoming call.
    • MCC Terminal -- This option will cause MacComCenter Plus to launch the MCC Terminal application for data communications.
  • The Volume popup menu is used to select the audio playback volume for both the modem and the Macintosh speaker.
  • The Answer on Ring popup menu is used to select how many rings must occur before the incoming call will be answered. If Caller ID is selected, there will always be a minimum of two rings. If you select Never, MacComCenter Plus will not answer the phone.
  • The Comma Delay popup menu is used to configure the length of time each comma used in a dial string will delay the processing of the next dial character. This is commonly used to delay the transmission of a password or beeper code until the called system is ready for the data.
  • The Dial Type popup menu is used to select the dialing mode, either Tone or Pulse.
  • The Fax Baud Rate/ Flow Control settings are used to configure the maximum fax send and receive baud rates. The Fax Flow Control popup menu controls the flow control method for Class 1 and Class 2 faxing.
  • The Distinctive Ring check box is used to enable or disable distinctive ring processing. Distinctive ring is an option available from the phone company. This option allows devices, such as modems, to receive different ring patterns for different phone numbers. Based on the ring pattern, you can determine the type of call. If distinctive ring is enabled, you must configure how MacComCenter Plus will answer the phone for the various ring patterns.
    Fax Only -- This option will cause MacComCenter Plus to always answer in Fax mode.
    • Data Only -- This option will cause MacComCenter Plus to answer the phone using the modem selected in the Answer Data popup menu.
    • Use Port Mode -- This option will cause MacComCenter Plus to answer the phone using the current port mode setting.
    • Don't Answer -- This option will prevent MacComCenter Plus from answering the phone.
    • The Wait Before Redial option allows you to specify how long MacComCenter Plus will delay before redialing a phone number.
    • The Redial Attempts option allows you to specify how many times MacComCenter Plus will retry calling a phone number.
    • The Dial Timeout option allows you to specify how long MacComCenter Plus will wait for the phone to be answered after dialing a number.

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Cover Page Setup

Use the mouse pointer to move the cursor from one edit field or popup menu to the next.

• You will need to enter your company name (if applicable), your name, your fax telephone number, and your voice telephone number. This information will appear on your cover pages.
• Use the popup menu on the right of the Cover Page Preferences dialog box to select the style to use for the cover page.
• Clicking on the Edit Cover Page button will launch the Cover Page Editor and display the cover page selected in the popup menu.

Fax Setup

• The Fax ID String field is located in the upper left corner of the screen. You may set this to any value, but it is customary to set the Fax ID string as your fax telephone number or company name. The maximum length of this field is 20 characters.
• The Beep and Display check boxes are used to configure the user notification MacComCenter Plus will use when it receives a Fax.
• The Center on Page checkbox is used to force MacComCenter Plus to center a printed document between the left and right page margins.
• The Quality popup menu is used to configure the default fax resolution. The fax resolution may also be changed in the Print dialog window. Standard resolution is a black and white image at 100x200 dpi.Fine resolution is a black and white image at 200x200 dpi. All gray scale resolutions are imaged in Fine mode.
• The Hot Keys check box is used to enable the keyboard keys which allow you to switch printer drivers' on the fly'. You can select any combination of Cmd, Option and Shift keys. Pressing the selected key combination before clicking on the File menu will cause MacComCenter Plus to switch printer drivers from the currently selected driver to the MacComCenter^TM Fax printer driver. This short cut allows you to temporarily select the fax print driver without running the Chooser to change printer drivers.
• The Add Faxing to File Menu option is used to select whether MacComCenter Plus will add Fax and Print menu items to the end of the File menu. This is a convenient way to have both Fax and Print options available from the File menu.
• The Launch Telephony Control option is used to select whether MacComCenter Plus will automatically launch the Telephony Control status application when a fax is sent or received.

Voice Setup

Note:Voice functions require modem hardware support.

Note:Handset recording/ play back requires that a phone be connected to the phone jack on the modem. Phones not directly connected to the modem(e.g. extensions) will not work.

Handset recording/playback may be disabled because of restrictions by other country's telephone companies. Playback through the modem speaker generally requires external speakers connected to a speaker output jack on the modem. The best sound quality is usually obtained by recording through the modem.

You can select the default input and output audio devices by selecting the Voice tab. The following dialog box will appear:

• Use the Record From and Play Thru options to specify the default devices which will be used to perform these actions. You can also temporarily change these settings from the Voice menu (on the menu bar).
• Enable Call Screening if you wish to listen to your callers message after MacComCenter Plus answers the line.
• Set the Speaker Volume and Audio Playback Gain using the provided fields. Speaker volume is used to set configure how loud the Macintosh or modem speaker will be when playing audio. Audio playback gain is used to specify how much the amplitude (volume)of recorded messages will be increased.
• The Use Script popup menu allows you to specify the script which will be used to process incoming calls. See Chapter 7 for further information on voice script files.

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Mailbox Setup

Adding and Configuring Mailboxes

Fill in the fields to configure the new mailbox. If you leave the Mailbox ID blank, the system will assign the next available ID. If you are using voice messaging, you should assign the mailbox ID's based on the maximum number of users (mailboxes) you will create: For less then ten mailboxes, assign ID's 1 through 9. For less then 100 mail boxes assign ID's 10 through 99. For less then 1000 mailboxes assign ID's 100 through 999. Leading 0's are not used, so ID 03 is the same as 3.

You can also assign a password to the mailbox if you desire. Passwords prevent other users from reading your mail and using your Local definitions. They are also used for remote message retrieval if voice messaging is enabled.

Each mailbox provides an Inbox to display received files and an Outbox to display files waiting to be sent. Additional folders can be added to a mailbox using the Add Folder command in the Mailbox menu. These folders can be used to archive messages you wish to save.

The Voice Options tab allows you to select or record the greeting message which will be played when the mailbox is either selected by a caller (by entering tones on his/her keypad)or selected via Caller ID matching. This allows each user to have their own personal greeting played to callers who are routed to their mailbox. To record a new message, enable Outgoing Message Recording and then click New. The Voice Options tab appears as follows:

MacComCenter Plus allows you to automatically forward received faxes and voice messages to any phone number you specify. These options are configured from the tabs shown below the Last Name field.

• To automatically forward received faxes , use the drop - down list to select the minimum length of time a message must reside on your system before it is forwarded. Next, in the Number field enter the telephone number of the device to which the fax will be forwarded. This phone number is' dialed as entered' and must contain any outside line or long distance codes needed to complete the call.

Select when you would like MacComCenter Plus to forward your voice messages from the provided popup menu. Enter the phone number MacComCenter Plus will dial in the Number field. This phone number is' dialed as entered' and must contain any outside line or long distance codes needed to complete the call. You can also specify the expected type of response your modem will receive. The available options are Person, Beeper ,or Answering Machine.

• If you specify Person, and have a mailbox password, then you must create a Forward Password Recording which the Macintosh will play to prompt the person answering the phone to enter the mailbox password on their phone's keypad. No messages will be forwarded until the correct password is recognized by MacComCenter Plus.

  An example message might be: 'Hello. This is John Smith's Macintosh calling. Please ask John to come to the phone'. Once John hears the recording, he can enter his mailbox password to allow the Mac to play the forwarded message.

• If you specify Beeper, then MacComCenter Plus will dial the number and then hangup. The phone number should contain the required beeper codes and ID's to allow the beeper notification to complete. Use commas in the dial string to adjust the timing for entering the beeper ID code. Once you receive notification on your beeper, you an use remote message retrieval to listen to your messages.
• If you specify Answering Machine, MacComCenter Plus will dial the phone number and then replay the recorded messages, one after the other. You can use commas in the dial string to adjust the timing of the dial operation so that the messages will play when the answering machine is ready.

When you have configured all of the options to your satisfaction, click OK.

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Locale Setup

• The location window on the left side of the dialog provides a list of available locations in MacComCenter Plus.
• Click New to create a new location. Click Delete to remove the selected location. Click Rename to change the name of the selected location.
• When TouchTone Dialing is enabled, MacComCenter Plus will dial using tones. When disabled, pulse dialing will be used.
• The Cellular Mode option tells MacComCenter Plus that you are using a cellular modem to place calls from the selected location.
• The Link to Mailbox for Password option specifies the mailbox from which MacComCenter Plus will derive its password. If a password has been set for the mailbox then it will be required for modifying or selecting that locale. This is done to protect any calling card information you may have provided in your locale settings.
• The Country popup menu, allows you to specify the country from which you are calling. This information is used to generate the correct dial string no matter where in the world you are.
• The LocalArea/CityCode field allows you to specify the area code for the specified location.
• The 10-DigitDialingArea field is for metro numbers that require dialing an area code but are not long-distance calls (thus not requiring the long distance access code).
• The Dial Prefix field allows you to enter the number sequence that must be entered to get an outside line when making a local call (e.g. 9, or *9) from a PBX, or to disable call waiting or other phone company optional service(s).
• The If Long Distance Use check box and field allows you to enter the number sequence that must be entered to get an outside line when making a long distance call(for some PBXs it is different that the one for local calls),or to disable call waiting or other phone company optional service(s). If the check box is not checked, the Dial Prefix field will be used for all calls.
• The Long Distance Access popup menu allows you to select a long distance access code, such as & quot; 1& quot;,for your calls. Another choice could be a specific code used by a specific phone company, such as & quot ;10333 & quot; for Sprint.
• The CallingCard checkbox and field allows you to enter a credit card number to be used in conjunction with the Long Distance Access field. This number will be sent after dialing the dial prefix, the long distance access, the area code, and the phone number (as needed).
• The Save button saves the information you've changed in the current locale. If changes have been made and another locale is selected from the locale list box, an alert will ask if the changes should be saved.
• The Done button closest the Edit Locale window. If any locale changes have been made but not saved, an alert will ask if the changes should be saved.
• The Edit LD Access button allows you to specify calling card information which will be used when dialing long distance numbers. A dialog similar to the following will appear:

Click New to create a new long distance access definition. Click Edit to modify an existing definition. Click Delete to remove a definition. Click Done to close the Edit dialog box. When New or Edit is clicked, a dialog similar to the following will appear:

Enter A NAME and the access code for the definition in the provided fields and click OK.

The Edit Countries button accesses a dialog box which allows you to add a new country to the list, edit the existing entry, or delete an entry from the list it he same fashion as described above for the long distance access.

Click on the Edit button to open the country entry box as shown below:

• TheCountry Namefield shows the name of country.
• The Country Code field shows the identification number used to place an international call to that country.
• The Access Out field shows the identification number used to make an international call from that country.

Data Setup

All data communications functions in MacComCenter Plus are performed in the Terminal application. To start the Terminal, double-click on the MCC Terminal icon in the MacComCenter Plus folder.

After the Terminal is loaded, please check the following items to ensure that your MacComCenter Plus setup matches your modem hardware specifications so you can achieve optimal communications. Standard data setup includes checking the line and flow control settings.

The Macintosh to modem speed is the most basic parameter to be adjusted. This is expressed in the software by the Baud Rate setting. To adjust this setting pull down the Setup menu and select the Modem option. The Modem Setup dialog box will appear.

• The Line Settings box at the bottom of the screen contains the options we are concerned with at this time. To change the baud rate, click anywhere in the Baud Rate box and a pop-up list with the supported speeds will be displayed.
• In general, you will want to set the baud rate to the highest speed reliably supported by both your modem and your Macintosh.
• The Flow Control option controls local flow control. Local flow control is the process of regulating the flow of data between your computer and your modem. This provides time to process the data received. Flow control is usually not needed for 2400 bps connections. To change the flow control settings, click anywhere in the Flow Control box, and a pop-up list with the supported flow control options will appear. When using a high speed modem, RTS/CTS flow control is recommended.

• XON/XOFF is a software flow control that involves sending special control codes as part of the data stream.
• RTS/CTS is a hardware flow control that must be implemented in both the software and the modem hardware. The RTS/CTS method is more reliable than XON/XOFF as it relies on changes in the voltage of pins in the serial port, and not on characters in the data stream. However, this means that your Mac to modem cable must also support this method of flow control. Most cables supplied with high speed modems support RTS/CTS flow control. These cables are usually called Hardware Handshake cables.

  As factory settings for the other available options are optimum in most cases, these settings can be left at default (factory settings) for now. All options will be detailed fully later in this User's Guide.

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Using Your Fax/Modem

Playing Voice Messages

To play a received message, simply double-click on the message you wish to play. A received message will appear under the mail box folder to which it was received. By default, messages are stored under the *Default Mail box *folder. You can also play messages by high lighting the desired message and selecting Play/Viewfrom theMail boxmenu or by selecting the message and clicking on the Play button at the bottom of the window.

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Receiving Faxes

The Telephony Control application normally stays in an idle state while waiting for a call. It switches over to active mode when answering a call. When a fax is received, the call is automatically logged in the MacComCenter Plus Log and the received fax will be shown in the MessageCenter Inbox. MacComCenter Plus can be configured to automatically alert you upon receipt of an incoming fax. The different ways MacComCenter Plus can alert you of an incoming fax are by placing an icon on your desktop or by a system beep. Receive fax alerts are set up in the Fax Preferences dialog.

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Faxing With Drag'n Fax

The easiest way to send a fax with MacComCenter Plus is through the Drag'n Fax Icon. When MacComCenter Plus was installed, you may have noticed a new icon on your desktop. The Drag'n Fax icon allows you to send a fax by dropping the file you wish to fax on top of the icon.

To fax with Drag'n Fax:

1. Drag the file you wish to fax onto the Drag'n Fax icon.
2. The application in which the file was created will open and the MacComCenter Plus print dialog box will appear.

Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the fax from the phonebook list. To send a fax to someone who is not in your phone book, click New Entry to add the entry to your phone book. The dialog shown on below will appear:

Entertherecipient'sfaxinformationintheprovidedfieldsandclickOK.

1. Click on the Send button to send the fax.

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Faxing From a Macintosh Application

To fax from a Macintosh application:

1. Start the Macintosh application from which you wish to fax a document. Either open or create the document to fax.
2. Select MacComCenter^TM Fax as your current printer. Pull down the Apple menu and select Chooser. The Chooser dialog box will appear. Select MacComCenter^TM Fax and close the Chooser window. This will change your default printer driver to MacComCenter^TM Fax.
   or

   Select Use MacComCenter^TM Fax from the MacComCenter Plus Control Strip module.

   or

   Hold down the HotKey combination before clicking on the File menu.

3. In your application, select Fax Setup from the File menu. The MacComCenter Fax Setup dialog box will appear:

The MacComCenter Fax Setup dialog configures the attributes for sending a fax through the MacComCenter Fax printer driver.

1. Choose the desired options, and click OK.
2. Select Fax from the File menu. The MacComCenter Fax Print dialog box will appear:

Select the entry (or entries) to whom you want to send the fax from the phonebook list and drag them into the Send To list. To send a fax to someone who is not in your phonebook, click New Entry, enter the requested information and click OK.

1. Click on Send to send the fax, or Save to save the fax for later transmission.

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Using the Printer Driver

Options for saving and faxing a document are found above the dividing line on the dialog box. These settings affect a document that is either being sent or being faxed.

• The Page Range field lets you determine which pages of the document will be faxed or saved. You can select all pages, or select a range or pages.
• The Quality popup menu allows you to select the resolution of the resulting file.
  
  • Standard is the fastest transmitting format and the smallest file size, however, it provides the least detail.
  • Fine has twice the detail of Standard, but has a bigger file size and is thus slower when transmitting.
  • 4 Grays, 16Grays, and 64Grays are for faxing documents that require a high level of resolution (such as pictures or graphics). These grayscale options provide better detail than the Fine option; however it creates a larger file size and is even slower to transmit than Fine resolution.
  • The From Mailbox popup menu allows you to select the mailbox to which the document will be saved.
  The settings found under the dividing line of the Printer Driver dialog box are meant only for sending faxes and not for saving files.

• The Phonebook list displays a list of all of your phonebook entries. This same list is found in the MessageCenter application. The ability to add or modify an existing entry is available to the user. Each entry is displayed with a descriptive icon.

  --Indicates an individual.

  --Indicates a group.

  --Indicates an individual without a fax number.

To add a new user click on the New Entrybutton. A trimmed down version of the MessageCenter Phonebook entry dialog is used to add or edit a user:

 
• The Don't use SmartDial check box next to the phone numbers is used for special cases when you want the entered phone number to be dialed exactly as entered and not modified according to the locale preferences. For example, the number entered is an extension number of a co-worker in your office building. In that case there is no need to dial an area code or a prefix for an outside line, so the Don't use SmartDial checkbox should be checked.
• The Send to: list shows all recipients of the document being faxed. To add a phone book entry to this list, click and drag a phonebook entry from the Phonebook list into the Send to list. To remove an entry, click and drag the entry back to the Phonebook list.
• The When radio buttons determine when the file will be faxed to its destination. The available options are:
  • Now--This option will fax the document as soon as it is converted to fax format after clicking on the Send button.
  • Hold--This option will put the fax in the outbox (specified by the Mailbox popup) in a holding state.
  • At--This option allows you to specify the time and date the document will be faxed.
• The CoverPage popup menu lets you select a cover page for your document. This page gets sent in addition to your document, and usually contains in formation about the faxed document. The Notes button allows you to add or edit the note that will be sent on the cover page.
• The text to the right of the Notes button indicates the status of the fax headers. If fax headers are on, the fax will be sent with the time and date sent, the company name, and the page number embedded at the very top of every faxed page.

The Previous and Next buttons will move to the previous or next page of your document.

F Note:The preview does not display the cover page.

At this point you can cancel the whole operation by clicking on Cancel, or start it by clicking on Save or Send.

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Dialing a Modem Number

This example will guide you through connecting to Smith Micro Software's support BBS. The BBS name is American E-Mail. You can use this system to test the data communications portion of MacComCenter Plus. There is no charge other than possible long distance tolls charged by your phone company.

To call the BBS, select Dial from the Data menu. The Terminal dialer will appear.

Simply enter the number you wish to dial by clicking on the numbers on the stylized keypad, or type the numbers directly from your Macintosh keyboard. When the number has been entered, click on the Dial button, or press Return. MacComCenter Plus will dial the number entered. The dialer will use the specified Baud Rate, Terminal,and Line Settings set in the Modem Setup option under the Setup menu. The American E-Mail BBS number is (714)362-5822.

Click Dial to dial the BBS. A Dialing Status window, will appear.

Depending on your modem's volume setting, you may hear a dial tone and the tones (or pulses)as your modem accesses the phone line and dials the number.

After the line rings, your modem will & quot ; negotiate & quot ; with the remote modem and you may hear high-pitched squeals. When the two modems have finished their negotiations, you will receive a CONNECT message.

You are now connected to the BBS using MacComCenter Plus and your modem. If desired, follow the prompts to create a new user account. You will be prompted at every step and must create a password of your own choosing to enter the system for future on-line sessions. When connected to the American E-Mail BBS, you may upload and download public domain and utility files and programs, visit the On-Line Software Store, or get on-line technical support in one of the support forums. All selections are menu driven. If you are unsure of your options, you can always enter a question mark (?) for Help. To disconnect from a remote system, pull down theData menu, and select Hang Up.

Note: You can also use the MacComCenter Plus Phonebook to dial previously entered numbers from the Terminal.

Unlike faxing, file transfers do not happen automatically; there are certain steps that must be accomplished by the user. Fortunately, MacComCenter Plus makes the procedure as intuitive as possible.

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File Transfers

File transfers are divided into two basic types: Downloads and Uploads. When you download a file, you are copying a file from a remote computer to your local machine. When you upload a file, you are sending a file from your local machine to a remote computer. The following steps outline the general process used to transfer files.

Computer to Computer Transfers

1. Establish communications with the remote system.

• Use the Phonebook or Dialer to call the remote system.
• If the remote system is calling your computer, ensure the answer mode selected under Telephony Control Setup is either Auto Detect or Data Only. The actual connection will be automatic.

1. Inform the remote user that you are interested in transferring a file.
2. Inform the remote user of the file(s) you with to send or receive.
3. Inform the remote user of the file transfer protocol to use.

1. Pull down the Datamenu, and select either Send File or Receive File, depending on whether you are uploading (Send File) or downloading (Receive File).

1. If uploading, select the file(s) you wish to send to the remote user, and click OK for the transfer to begin.

BBS File Transfers

1. Establish communications with the remote system.

1. Enter your logon name and password to access the BBS.
2. Select the option on the BBS to send or receive a file. Respond to all prompted questions until the BBS indicates that it is ready to send or receive the file. The file transfer protocol is usually selected in one of the prompted questions.
3. Pull down the Data menu, and select either Send File or Receive File, depending on whether you are uploading (Send File) or downloading (Receive File).
4. Select the file transfer protocol previously selected for use with the BBS.
5. If uploading, select the file(s) you wish to send to the remote user, and click OK for the transfer to begin.

Event Logging