Welcome to the FCC Remote Access System README.TXT File ================================= This file contains important information -- please read all of it. Disclaimer ------------- The Federal Communications Commission (the "Commission") makes available this software package for the FCC Remote Access System. Included in this package are the PPP Configuration/Dialer, Announcements, Messages, Suggestion Box, and Round Results Viewer systems. The Commission makes no warranty whatsoever with respect to the software package. In no event shall the Commission, or any of its officers, employees or agents, be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other loss) arising out of or relating to the existence, furnishing, functioning or use of this software package. Moreover, no obligation or liability will arise out of the Commission's technical, programming or other advice or service provided in connection with this software package. Pursuant to Report and Order, WT Docket No. 95-69, the Commission established a fee schedule for on-line access to the Commission's wide area network. A charge of $2.30 per minute will be applied to a user's telephone bill when accessing the Commission's wide area network via the 900 toll-call service. Users of the FCC Remote Access System will connect to the FCC Network via the 900 number toll-call service at a cost of $2.30 per minute. If your telephone system blocks access to 900 numbers, you will be unable to properly connect to the FCC Network. Please see your telephone administrator for assistance. When you are finished using the FCC Remote Access System, you MUST exit the PPP Dialer system to avoid additional telephone charges. Table of Contents --------------------- 1. Hardware and Software Requirements 2. Phone Numbers 3. Extracting the FCC Remote Access System 4. Installing the FCC Remote Access System 5. Running the FCC Remote Access System 6. Creating Backup Installation Disks 7. Configure PPP 8. PPP Dialer 9. Ping 10. Troubleshooting 11. Uninstalling the FCC Remote Access System 12. Program Notes 1. Hardware and Software Requirements -------------------------------------------------  CPU: Intel 80386 or above (80486 or faster recommended)  RAM: 8MB RAM (more recommended if you have multiple applications open)  Hard Disk: 16MB available disk space  Modem: v.32bis 14.4kbps Hayes compatible modem  Monitor: VGA or above  Mouse or other pointing device  Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Microsoft Windows for WorkGroups v3.11* To create backup installation disks for the FCC Remote Access System, you will need the following:  1.44MB 3.5" Floppy Drive  Three (3) blank MS-DOS formatted 1.44MB floppy disks * The FCC Remote Access System has not been tested in a Windows95, Macintosh, or OS/2 environment. Therefore, the FCC will not support operating systems other than Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Microsoft Windows for Workgroups v3.11. This includes any other emulated Windows environment. If your Windows is in a networked environment, you should check with your local network administrator for any potential conflicts with the PPP Dialer you will use to connect to the FCC Network. This usually includes any TCP/IP installed network protocol. The PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) Dialer, when configured with the appropriate parameters, will establish a direct (point-to-point) connection from your PC to the FCC Network. This direct connection is not routed through the Internet. 2. Phone Numbers ---------------------- 202-414-1250 - Technical Support for installing/using this software The FCC Technical Support Hotline is generally available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. 202-682-5851 - FCC Auction BBS 202-418-1400 - FCC Auction Hotline 3. Extracting the FCC Remote Access System --------------------------------------------------------- To extract the FCC Remote Access System, start File Manager in the Main Program group, open the file folder where you downloaded the executable, and double-click on VIEWER3.EXE. A message will appear listing the default directory to which the software will extract. If this directory does not exist, it will be created automatically. Press Unzip to begin extracting the software. When the extraction is complete, a message will appear listing the number of files that were unzipped. Press OK to start the setup program. 4. Installing the FCC Remote Access System ------------------------------------------------------------- After you extract the software, the setup program will run automatically. If you choose not to install the FCC Remote Access System, you can run the setup program later by starting File Manager, opening the file folder to which you extracted the software and double-clicking on SETUP.EXE. When the setup program begins, a screen will appear listing the default directory to which the software will install. Press the Install button, then press OK to install to the specified directory. If the directory does not exist, the setup program will create it automatically. When the installation is complete, a message will appear asking you to restart Windows so that the changes made by the installation may take effect. Press Restart to restart Windows, or press Stay Here to prevent the restart. Do not use the FCC Remote Access System until you restart Windows. 5. Running the FCC Remote Access System ----------------------------------------------------------------- You will now have a new Program Manager group called FCC Remote Access System v3.5 with the following icons: Configure PPP, PPP Dialer, Ping, Round Results Viewer, Suggestion Box, Announcements, Messages, and Readme. You must verify/modify the parameters in Configure PPP prior to using the PPP Dialer. You must start the PPP Dialer and be connected to the FCC Network before you start any of the systems. For technical assistance in installing or using the FCC Remote Access System, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. The FCC Technical Support Hotline will be generally available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. 6. Creating Backup Installation Disks ---------------------------------------------- To create backup installation disks for the FCC Remote Access System, go to File Manager, open the file folder to which you extracted the software, double-click on BACKUP.BAT, and follow the instructions on the screen. 7. Configure PPP --------------------- After installing the software, you should search for the existence of other winsock.dll files on your PC. Start File Manager, open the file folder for the root of the hard drive you wish to search (usually c:\) and select the File | Search menu option. In the 'search for:' box, enter winsock.dll, make sure 'select all subdirectories' is checked and press OK. If winsock.dll files exist IN ADDITION TO the winsock.dll in the directory to which you installed this software, then take one of the following steps: 1. Make sure that no directory containing another winsock.dll file is in your 'Path'. This can be checked by going to the DOS prompt and typing: path. If any directory containing a winsock.dll file does appear in the path, edit the autoexec.bat file to remove the reference to that directory, save, and reboot the PC. If you need to use another PPP software package, reinsert the appropriate directory reference, save and reboot. If an additional winsock.dll file exists in the Windows directory, rename the file to winsock.oem (do NOT remove the Windows directory from the path). OR 2. Rename the other winsock.dll files to winsock.oem. If you need to use another PPP software package, then rename the appropriate winsock.oem file back to winsock.dll. ------------------------------------------- The PPP Dialer software cannot be used without first running the Configure PPP program. To change the configuration of your PPP dialer, double-click on the icon labeled "Configure PPP." The communications setup window will appear. Under the box labeled "Modem," select the com port to which your modem is connected. Under the box labeled "Speed," select 38400. In most cases, carrier detect should not be checked and flow control should be checked. If you experience problems getting the modem to respond, experimenting with those settings may help. The remainder of the screen has default values which should provide you with the optimal performance available. The DNS should be set to 165.135.22.249. Click on the "Script" button to bring up the Script Setup window. This window provides you with the ability to give specific commands to the modem. Click on the box labeled "Selected Modem" and choose the entry from the list which most closely matches the modem installed on your PC. If you experience difficulty connecting to the FCC Network, try entering one of the following generic, Hayes-compatible modem strings in the 'Reset Modem String' box: atz at&f It may be necessary to change the command in the box labeled "Modem Dial Prefix" to accommodate how you make calls. For example: 900 service, no dialing prefix used: ATDT1 900 service, dialing prefix of 9 used: ATDT91 turn off call waiting, long distance or 900 service, no dialing prefix used: ATDT*70,1 The default configuration provided should be compatible with most systems. If you have problems connecting, refer to the Troubleshooting section for possible solutions. 8. PPP Dialer ---------------- Double-click on the icon labeled "PPP Dialer" to connect to the FCC Network. The status of your connection attempt will be displayed. If your telephone system blocks access to 900 numbers, you will be unable to properly connect to the FCC Network. Please see your telephone administrator for assistance. Once you have established a PPP connection, you can switch to the FCC Remote Access System v3.5 program group and double-click on the Round Results Viewer, Announcements, Suggestion Box, or Messages icon to start the respective system. To terminate the PPP connection, select the File | Exit menu option. When you are finished using the FCC Remote Access System, you MUST exit the PPP Dialer system to avoid additional telephone charges. 9. Ping --------- If you would like to test the status of the PPP connection, double-click on the "Ping" icon. The Ping system will tell you if your computer is able to communicate with (ping) the FCC Network. If the ping returns, then you have established a good connection. Under the Number menu option, choose the number of pings you wish to send (one, continuous, or a user-specified number). Under the Specifications menu option, you can customize the type of request (e.g., icmp timestamp request), the interval between pings and the timeout setting; the default settings should suffice. In the host name box, enter 165.135.22.249. Press the start button. The status and packets boxes will display information concerning whether the ping was returned. 10. Troubleshooting ----------------------- Below are problems you may encounter and possible solutions for resolving/isolating these problems. *Modem does not respond Check COM port setting Check that you have selected the appropriate modem in the 'Selected Modem' list or try entering atz or at&f in the 'Reset Modem String' box Check your modem for IRQ conflicts Check the physical connections Change Carrier Detect Change Flow Control *Modem connects but does not return an IP address Check that you have selected the appropriate modem in the 'Selected Modem' list or try entering atz or at&f in the 'Reset Modem String' box Verify the DNS is set to 165.135.22.249 Verify the MRU and MTU are set to 1500 Turn off VJ Compression Change timeout to 15 (this is found on the Script Setup screen in Configure PPP) Check your modem IRQ for conflicts Unload network drivers *SQLSERVER errors Turn off VJ Compression Unload network drivers Check for the existence of multiple winsock.dll files on your PC Test the PPP connection with the Ping program 11. Uninstalling the FCC Remote Access System ------------------------------------------------------------- To uninstall the FCC Remote Access System, delete the directory to which you installed the software, then switch to Program Manager and delete the FCC Remote Access System icons and group. For technical assistance with the FCC Remote Access System, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. The FCC Technical Support Hotline will be generally available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. 12. Program Notes ----------------------- Disable any screen saver software before using the FCC Remote Access System.