* The software you are running is not a 16-bit IP client software. It is most likely a 32-bit version.

Shellsock searches for the 'WINSOCK.INI' file only in the directory where the DLL file is located. If you have put the '.INI' file in the C:\WINDOWS directory and the DLL file in a separate directory, Shellsock cannot locate its initialisation file and pops up this message.

Fix:

If you have installed any software (eg: Blue Laser) that uses "a proxy server" setting, and did not uninstall it correctly, you will face this problem.

Fix:

ShellSock uses two main programs, "telnet" and "lynx" to simulate a socket connection and ShellSock is able to use either or both to do the simulation. If you setup ShellSock to use only lynx (by checking only "Use Lynx" in the setup box), ShellSock will be unable simulate an IRC connect.

Fix:

ShellSock uses two main programs, "telnet" and "lynx" to simulate a socket connection and ShellSock is able to use either or both to do the simulation. If you setup ShellSock to use only telnet (by checking only "Use Telnet" in the setup box), ShellSock has to revert to a slow method of transfer for binary files. The actual speed decrease is more than 200% of normal transfer rate.

Fix:

One of programs that ShellSock depends on is not available and therefore ShellSock is unable to download the images correctly. This is not a fatal error as ShellSock has the capability to work even without this program.

Fix:

This could be due to your modem re-training and ShellSock timing out on the connect (In which case setting the "ConnectTimeout" to a higher value might help) or the particular image has a .html extension. Unfortunately, ShellSock decides on the method to use based on the extension of the file, and in such an extreme case uses the wrong method.

Fix:

The reason that Shellsock is not executed is that the client software you are executing comes with its own winsock.dll which has over written ShellSock or you have installed ShellSock into the C:\WINDOWS directory in Windows 95.

Fix:

Although initially, we had got both Cello and Mosaic working with ShellSock, during last minute modification to ShellSock, we found that both these browsers are become partially inoperational.

Fix:

One of the telnet connection just blocks and does not exit. Therefore other connections cannot be started.

Fix:

Cause: ShellSock cannot access the specified COM Port.

Technical: OpenComm() function returned a value less that 0.

Possible Explanations and Solutions:
Your winsock.ini file could be readonly! If you are using ver 1.00 version of ShellSock, try downloading the latest version which fixes this problem.

Some other program like Hyperterminal, Terminal or Fax Software could be using the COM Port and therefore ShellSock cannot gain access to it. Exit such programs before running ShellSock.

Under Windows 3.1 see if Terminal works correctly with the COM port you are trying to specify. First get terminal working so that you can dial into your Shell account. Then try the same COM port settings on ShellSock.

Under Windows 95, go into Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager and check if the COM Port you specified has a IRQ conflict. If so try to find a solution to the IRQ conflict before trying to get ShellSock working.

In short try out existing terminal programs, to see if they work.... and once you are pretty certain about the COM port settings... try those settings out on ShellSock.

Points to Note:
What is COM4 in DOS need not be COM4 in Windows so try all the ports out.
If you use a DOS terminal program in a DOS session under Windows 95 and then try to use ShellSock without exiting from the DOS session (You have to exit the DOS session.... Not just the terminal program)., ShellSock will be unable to access the COM port.

Cause: A bug in ShellSock ver 1.00 causes this problem to occur if COM speed is set to a value greater than 19200.

Technical: BuildCommDCB() takes values upto 19200 only.

Possible Solutions:
Download and use version 1.01 of ShellSock which fixes this problem.

Cause: ShellSock is unable to detect the CD line status.

Technical: CD line in your serial cable may not be connected at all!

Possible Solutions:
The simplest solution is to ask ShellSock to ignore the CD line status. This is done by modifying the DetectCarrier entry in the "winsock.ini" file.Locate the entry "DetectCarrier=Yes" in the winsock.ini file using a normal text editor like notepad and modify it to "DetectCarrier=No". Alternatively you could get your serial cable checked up.

Cause: Somewhere along the way, we got mixed up between the network byte ordering and host byte ordering and as a direct result, attempting to access a resource with "Use Lynx" checked by referring to its IP number will not work. "hotmail.com" uses this facility to load up pictures.

Possible Solutions:
While accessing your hotmail account, temporarily turn off "Autoload images" and make sure "Use telnet" is checked in ShellSock setup.

Cause: We couldn't figure out a method of disabling the echo of the "telnet" program on the student servers.... and as a direct result, netscape mail and news clients will not work correctly.

The normal 5000/- Rs shell account, the echo of "telnet" can be disabled by using the string "^E ^E ^E" . We need to find a string that would have a similar effect on the student server "telnet" program. Any help in this regard appreciated.

Possible Solutions:
Use "Eudora" ver 1.5.4 or above. Remember to check "Use Asychronous Winsock Calls" in Network setup of Eudora. Also "Use Telnet" of ShellSock setup should be checked.

Causes: "Use Telnet" is not checked in ShellSock Setup.
The pop3 server is probably not present on your student server.

Possible Solutions:
Make sure that "Use Telnet" option is checked in ShellSock setup when using any mail or news clients. Ask helpdesk for a pop3 server to be installed. (Even the dialup method of Eudora requires this). As of now, giasmda, giasbga and giasbma have pop3 servers functional. In a worst case senario, you can always .forward mail to different pop3 account and use Eudora read it off from there. There are some freenets that support pop3 servers.

Cause: Eudora is using the blocking hook method which ShellSock does not support.

Possible Solutions:
Use "Eudora" ver 1.5.4 or above. Remember to check "Use Asychronous Winsock Calls" in Network setup of Eudora. Also "Use Telnet" of ShellSock setup should be checked.

Cause: Eudora is caching IP numbers to the mail server. The second time you try to send, Eudora tries to connect up using the IP number only. However since ShellSock relies on pseudo IP numbers, Eudora is searching for a non-existant IP address. The third time, Since an error was encountered Eudora looks up the domain name again and therefore will work correctly.

Possible Solutions:
Uncheck the option "Cache network info" in Network setup of Eudora.

Cause: This error will occur on the giasbm01 server due to a entirely different version of the pop3 server installed there.

Possible Solutions:
Netscape mail won't work. Use "Eudora" ver 1.5.4 or above. Remember to check "Use Asychronous Winsock Calls" in Network setup of Eudora. Also "Use Telnet" of ShellSock setup should be checked. Locate entry "EchooffPorts=110,119,6667,7000" in the "winsock.ini" file. and replace it with "EchooffPorts=119,6667,7000".

Cause: You are trying to access a password protected web page with only "Use Lynx" checked in ShellSock setup.

Possible Solutions:
Check "Use Telnet" in ShellSock setup and then try to access the web page.

Possible Solutions:
Login as guest, and from the menu select the "server" to which you want to proceed to. You will now notice "Trying 202.xx.xx.xx" on your screen, followed by "Connected to giasxx....." etc. At this point press ^] (i.e. ] ). The "telnet>" prompt will now appear on the screen. Type "set escape ^P" and press enter. ^P is P. Now log on as usual, come to the shell prompt and click on the [done] button of the ShellSock terminal window.

Possible Solutions:
Unfortunately this is not possible, but we can suggest some useful alternatives. Although we have not incorporated a dialler. You can utilize the init string in setup of ShellSock as a simple dialler. Simply add "dt 887615" (where 887615 would be your VSNL shell account number) to the existing init string (use dp if pulse dial). Using this method, ShellSock will always dial the number specified when it initializes the modem. To redial, simply click on the "Init" button in the terminal window or use the ALT_I shortcut. If you wish to abort while dialling, simply press . You can also utilize your existing communication program to do the dialing and logging in for you and then exit your communication program and start off Netscape/Explorer. To achieve this, you might have to specify "AT &D0" in the modem initialization string of your communication program. As long as the line is still active and the communication settings of both ShellSock and the Communication program match.. this method will work correctly.

• 32-bit software do not work with ShellSock:

  ShellSock currently supports only 16-bit client software. Even on Windows 95, ShellSock together with a 16-bit client software will work correctly.

• FTP Clients:

  Due to the rather complicated juggling required to emulate a ftp connect, ShellSock does not currently support ftp clients or ftp access.

• Reduced Functionality of certain software:

  ShellSock can emulate only one connect at a time. Some options like (finger in an IRC client) may not work while you are actually chatting online.

• No support for any Server software:

  This should be pretty obvious. You cannot run a web server on this emulation.

• No support for UDP/ raw sockets:

  Utility programs like PING will not work as shellsock does not implement support for UDP/ raw sockets. ShellSock currently emulates only the TCP protocol.

• Programs that convert IP numbers to Host Names and Vice Versa:

  These programs will not display the correct IP address or Host Name. This is because ShellSock uses a method of false IP no/ Name allocation to satisfy such programs.

• Programs that use blocking hooks:

  ShellSock does not implement the blocking hook method and as such any programs that uses blocking hooks will not work correctly. Whenever configurable, try to use the asynchronous type socket calls only.

• Some images are shown to be broken:

  ShellSock relies on the extension of the file to determine the method of transfer. Unfortunately on some web sites, the graphics counter image has a .html extension and therefore such images will not be transferred correctly. One solution is to check "Use Lynx" only for browsing and check "Use Telnet" for chatting, email or news.

• Large Posts Info may cause problems:

  Due to inherent technical limitations of the telnet buffer length at the unix server, posts larger than 255 bytes have to be broken up for information to be correctly transmitted. However in some cases this breaking up of the posts may not be recognized by some www servers which stop as soon as they get the CR LF.