HOST MODE
Configuring TinyTERM to act as a stand-alone file server for your home or office.

Question

Occasionally I need to work on my spreadsheet files at home.

I need to be able to transfer the files to my home PC to work on them, then send the files back to my work PC when I'm done. Is there any way TinyTERM can help me transfer files between my home and work PCs?

Answer

Yes! TinyTERM has a mechanism that allows you to transfer files between PCs. Included with TinyTERM 4.30 is a script file named "hostmode.cs". It's an example of the powerful CScript scripting language included with TinyTERM. Scripts can be used for many purposes, but this Tech Tip will just talk about the hostmode script, hostmode.cs.

An improved version of hostmode.cs is available for download

This version includes a utility that creates the user data file. Download the file and save it to your TinyTERM install directory, which is usually C:\Program Files\Century\TinyTERM.

Question

How do I use TinyTERM with the hostmode.cs script?

Answer

First, you need to decide which PC will be used to control the transfer. For this example, we'll configure your work PC to be the controlling PC (server).

Also, both PCs will need modems. The idea is to setup the work PC to accept an incoming call from your home PC. For best results, your work PC -- the controlling PC -- needs to have a modem that will accept typed commands. If it has a Winmodem, a modem specifically designed to work only with

Microsoft Windows, the hostmode.cs script won't be able to communicate with it properly, and the script will fail.

First, you'll setup a connection on the controlling PC. To do this, open TinyTERM. Click on the "Edit" menu and select "Session Properties."

In the Session Properties dialog, change the connection type to "RS232 (Serial)." Under the "Available devices," select the COM port your modem is on. Then click the "Setup" button next to that line to set the connection speed. You probably won't need to change anything else.

Once you've setup the connection, click the "OK" buttons until the Session Properties dialog closes. Go to the "File" menu and select "Save Session" to save the settings.

Next you'll need to edit hostmode.cs, again on the controlling PC. Under TinyTERM, go to the "Tools" menu and click on "Script Editor ." In the Script Editor, click the "Open" button and select hostmode.cs in the "Open Script File" dialog box. The script will open in a separate Notepad window.

About 25 lines down you'll see a section labeled, "Variable declaration and initial values." Each line after that has a variable setting and a description. These need to be changed to match your controlling PC's requirements.

The settings listed in this section of the script are fairly common and may work for your modem. But then again, they may not. If they don't work, try to get the correct settings from your modem documentation. Most modems come with a manual or other documentation that lists the best values for these functions. If you don't seem to have the information, gather all the documentation you can for your modem and call our Technical Support Hotline at 801-268-3088 for help in setting up the values for your modem.

The other values in this section are mainly personal preference. If you don't like the setting, feel free to change it. Just remember to keep the quotation marks in place, and be sure the upload and download directories you choose exist on the PC.

Once that's done, close Notepad and save the changes. You can then click the Run button to start hostmode. If everything has been setup properly, you'll see messages telling you that hostmode is running.

To stop hostmode, wait until no one is currently dialed in, then type Ctrl-C to exit the script. You won't need to make further changes, so to start it again, go to TinyTERM's "Tools" menu and select "Execute Script File." You can then choose hostmode.cs from there.