NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
Everybody Has a HyperTerminal
by Bill Shook, August 99
bshook1019@aol.com
(click to email author)


A Hyper what? True. If you have Windows 95 or 98, you have HyperTerminal, which is a communications program that allows connecting to any other remote communictions program that can be set up as a "Host", such as BBSs or even software like Procomm. Examples are most technical support group BBSs and of course your club's BBS, providing entertaining and helpful software FREE -- TONS of it! and a message center to get answers to almost anything you can think of that's computer related. And it's so easy to use once it is set up with a double click from the desktop, which you'll learn how to do in this article. Stay with us.

First, Windows 95, 95B&C, 98 1st and 2nd editions will have some subtle differences, but for our purposes essentially they are the same. Windows 95 will be used to describe the procedure and any known differences noted with a (WIN98).

1) Left click on Start, then Programs, then Accessories, then HyperTerminal. (WIN98: If HyperTerminal isn't found in Accessories, look for and left click on Communications, then on HyperTerminal). The HyperTerminal dialog box will come up. Double click on the file HYPERTRM.EXE. Depending on your View settings, you may not be able to read the entire filename. It'll be the HYPER... file with a monitor and telephone in its icon. If you have this condition and want/need to see the full filenames, do the following:

  • a) Left click on View in the Menubar, then on Options (WIN98: called Folder Options) in the drop down menu and in the View tab, place a check in the "Show all files" line, (in WIN98 it's under the Hidden Files heading) and UNcheck the "hide file extensions... line."

  • b) Then left click on Apply in the lower right corner, and then on OK.

  • c) Left click on View in the Menubar again, then on Details and you should see that your files are listed vertically and with complete filenames.


  • 2) After double clicking on HYPERTRM.EXE, the Connection Description Dialog box will come up. On the Name line, type in NWA-PCUG BBS, then click on OK and the Phone Number box comes up. (WIN98: This box is called Connect To:)

    3) The Country Code: line will probably have United States of America(1) in it. If it doesn't, select it with the down arrow provided.

    4) The Area Code: line will probably have 501 in it. If it doesn't, type it in.

    5) The next line is Phone Number:. Type in the BBS number, which is 3619036. Note that hyphens aren't necessary but are ok if you want them in for readability.

    6) The last line, Connect Using: should have the name of your modem, which is set up by Windows). OK out and the Connect box comes up.

    7) Click Cancel (we'll come back to this box in a minute), then View in the Menubar, then Font in the drop down menu. Within the Font box, highlight the Terminal font and Regular Font Style and 8 or 9 Font Size. Then OK out and click on Call in the Menubar, then Connect in the drop down menu, and the Connect box should be back.

    8) If the phone number shown here is proper* for dialing the BBS from your location, then you're ready to click DIAL and connect to the BBS!. See, you made it! Now, wasn't that simple? For most of you that's all that is required except to make the icons for the desktop.

    * The phone number is proper when it shows:

  • a) 3619036 when no area code is required (calling from Fayetteville, Springdale and a few other remote areas) or,

  • b) 1 501 3619036 (calling from Rogers, Bentonville, etc) when the area code is required. Note that an extra leading 1, like 1 1 501 3619036 is not correct.

  • If the phone number isn't proper (or correct), see the Exception Procedure section below.

    Connecting to the BBS


    Click on Dial and you should connect to the BBS. It'll ask you to type in your name, and then ask if it is ok, type a Y and you'll see a few opening descriptive screens and then the Main Menu. Press the G key (for Goodbye) to exit out of the BBS for now in order to finish the set up. You can go back and browse the BBS later all you want.

    To be sure you are disconnected from the BBS, you may see the word DISCONNECTED in the lower left corner of the HyperTerminal box which fills the screen. (If the box is too large, the DISCONNECTED line may not show and you'll need to raise up the box by dragging it from its top title bar). If the last line shows CONNECTED or nothing (you do not even see DISCONNECTED), left click on Call in the Menubar, then on Disconnect in the drop down menu (or click on the telephone that has the receiver raised above it - off hook).

    Saving the Configuration


    Click on File from the Menubar then on Save and then exit out with the X in the upper right hand corner. You'll be back to the HyperTerminal screen where we started with HYPERTRM.EXE. Now you'll also see the file NWA-PCUG BBS.HT. Its icon will be two telephones, one large red and one small yellow, unless you changed its icon.

    Making the Desktop Icon


    To automate accessing the BBS, we'll put an icon to it on your desktop. Before we start, make sure you can see an open spot on your desktop. If not, shrink or move the HyperTerminal box so you can. Also, if you haven't used this procedure before, be sure to read and do the procedure carefully. OK, left click (only 1 click) the NWA-PCUG BBS.HT file to highlight it. Then with the cursor hovering over the highlighted filename, press (not click) the RIGHT mouse button and while holding it down drag the filename to an open spot on your desktop and then, not before, release the right button. A little menu box will pop up asking if you want to Copy, Move, or Make a Shortcut. Left click on Make a Shortcut. Now you've got your access icon so the next time you want to access the BBS, just double click this icon and up will come the BBS Connect box waiting for you to click on Dial. Simple, eh? (Before proceeding, X out of any open windows).

    Where to Put the Downloaded Files


    There is one more goodie that'll simplify file management when downloading from the BBS. That is telling the BBS where to put the downloads and setting up an icon to make it easy for you to go right to them. By default, the downloaded files will go into the HyperTerminal folder. If this is ok, you're finished with this section; skip down to "Making the Download Folder Icon". Otherwise, to change the folder, start by double clicking on the BBS icon you just made. You'll get the BBS Connect box, left click on CANCEL and then go up to the Menubar and left click on Transfers and then on Receive Files. You'll notice on the top line called "Place received file in the following folder" that it will place it in this HyperTerminal folder. This is by default. To change the folder, go to the next section.

    Setting up the Download Folder


    While still in the Receive File box, left click on the Browse button and locate the appropriate folder. If it's a special folder that you haven't made yet, you'll need to exit, make it and come back here and then browse to it. Make sure the line saying "Use Receiving Protocol" has ZMODEM in it. If it doesn't, you guessed it, use the down arrow provided to put it there. Then, click the Close button and X out of all of the open windows back to your desktop.

    Making the Download Folder Icon


    Now, we'll make the icon to get to it easily. For those of you familiar with Windows Explorer, just go to the folder you just decided to put your downloads in and using the "drag right mouse button" procedure we used above in the "Making the Desktop Icon" section, drag and place the shortcut to the folder on the desktop. Then, when downloading from the BBS, all you need to do to see the downloaded files is double click on the folder icon and viola... there are your files. If you want guidance to making the download folder icon, continue to the next section. Otherwise, you're now ready to go to the final section "Success".

    Guidance Making the Download Folder Icon


    We'll "explore" to the HyperTerminal folder as an example for the icon. RIGHT click on Start, left click on Explore, scroll up to Program Files, click the plus sign to the left of Program Files and immediately you should see Accessories, also with a plus sign. Click on its plus sign and you'll see the HyperTerminal folder which is what you highlight and drag to the desktop with the right mouse button for your icon. (WIN98: following Accessories, you may need to click on the Communications plus sign to see the HpyerTerminal folder). You're now ready to go to the final section "Success".

    Exception Procedure


    1) If the phone number in the Connect box (Item 7 above) is not correct, first click on MODIFY. The NWA-PCUG BBS Properties box comes up and looks almost identical to the Phone Number (or Connect to) box you entered earlier. If the Phone Number (or Connect to) tab is not active, click on it. Then change anything that is wrong, e.g. country code, area code, phone number (area code should not be on the phone number line), or modem, and be sure to check the "use country code and area code" line. Then OK out and the Connect box comes up again.

    2) If the phone number is still wrong, click on Dialing Properties and the box showing that name will come up and should be setting on the My Location(s) tab. In about the middle of the screen on the line referencing accessing an outside line for local and long distance, both local and long distance should be left blank.

    3) If you have call waiting, place a check in the appropriate line and using the down arrow, select '*70,' for tone dialing and '1170,' for pulse dialing.

    4) Check Tone or Pulse dialing, whichever you have.

    5) Then go to the bottom line labelled "Dial as a Long Distance call" and if the BBS number is long distance for you, e.g., Rogers, etc, check this box. If not, leave it unchecked. Either way, immediately above this line you'll see the number that will be dialed, e.g. either 3619036 or 1 501 3619036. Then OK out and the Connect box comes back and the phone number should be right.

    Success


    Well, you made it. You should now be able to access the BBS with your desktop icon and see any downloaded files with a second desktop icon. Now that it's so easy to do, why not check it out often.

    Give me a call at 361-2963 or email at bshook1019@aol.com with any problems or questions. Happy BBSing!

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