reynolds@milton.u.washington.edu (Michael Reynolds) (10/11/90)
After I posted last month asking for a Microsoft Windows-based Telnet, I received one response from a software author offering a product and several responses from users interested in what I found out. Since there seems to be general interest, I thought I'd post a review of what I've found: REVIEW OF WINQVT/NET: BASIC IMPRESSIONS A Telnet Program For MS Windows 3.0 A MS Windows-based Telnet. It spawns a new window for each Telnet session, and can spawn one FTP window, as well. It also runs an FTP server, which is active whenever the program is running. Windows can be individually minimized or maximized (take up whole screen) or moved, but not resized. Cut-and-paste works fine, uses standard Windows conventions. Colors, terminal options, function key assignments can all be changed using mouse and menu for each session. Response time is reasonably fast. Runs in standard or 386enh mode. (I have only tested it in 386enh.) The FTP server includes NCSA Telnet-style password login protection and a not-yet-fully-developed "anonymous login" feature which is almost really handy, except that it only allows anonymous login to a single directory. The ideal implementation would be to do like ka9q, which allows specification of multiple username/password combinations, each specifying its own set of subdirectories that logins have access to, and allowing specification of seperate read and write permissions. This isn't really a complaint about the program, though. I'm just spoiled after seeing all ka9q's neat features. CONSIDERATIONS Due to DPMI (did I get acronym right?) interface that real-mode apps must obey when exchanging info with Windows apps, WinQVT (or any Windows-based Telnet) cannot talk directly to packet driver or any DOS enet card interface TSR. WinQVT gets around this by using a DPMI interface TSR loaded on top of packet driver (talk to the author re other enet card interfaces). Since there is as yet no standard for this interface, WinQVT's was written from scratch (I am lead to understand) and is therefore proprietary. Thus, it will monopolize the enet card interface, which is a bad thing for any PC on a network. Perhaps if a public domain DPMI packet driver interface standard were to emerge, the author might port to that--but you'll have to talk to him about it. BUGS This version is a recent major upgrade from a real-mode Windows version, and thus has it's share of bugs, which the author is working on. I've used it heavily for about three weeks and have crashed Windows once with no error message (might be result of my configuration stuff). The bugs and (as yet) lacking features are only a minor inconvenience, considering the convenience gained from using the Windows interface. COST This is shareware, but not posted anywhere that I know of. Perhaps someone might suggest to the author to put it on cica.cica or somewhere. The author asks $10 for individuals, $40 for "institutional" customers. For more info, contact the author. CONTACT FOR MORE INFO Don Pajerek Telnet: pajerek@kadsma.kodak.com. I have no relationship with the author other than as a satisfied customer. Michael Reynolds U of Washington Libraries, Seattle Internet: reynolds@milton.u.washington.edu