When you’ve set up an RS232 (Serial) connection, but aren’t getting a login prompt, there are several things to check:

1. Make sure you’ve chosen the right serial port. For example, TinyTERM defaults to COM2. If your PC only has one serial port, COM1, you’ll need to change the default.
2. Verify the communications settings. The baud rate, parity, word length and stop bits all need to match the port settings on the host computer, for the host port your PC is connected to. Each port on the host can have a different communication setup, though that’s uncommon.

If everything is set correctly, but you’re still not seeing a login prompt, you need to test the connection with another application. For example, there is a program included with Windows versions up to XP (but not Vista) named HyperTerminal. Regardless of the application or operating system you use, configure the connection the same as in TERM or TinyTERM.

If everything is set correctly in the other application, but you still don’t get a login prompt, then the problem isn’t in the terminal emulation software. It may be a problem in your PC’s serial port, in the cable connecting you to the host, or in the host’s serial port. You’ll need to test the hardware for failures in that case.

This error means that TinyTERM isn’t detecting a dial tone. When you get this error, first check to see if other Windows programs — HyperTerminal, a dial-up Internet connection, etc. — can use the same phone line.

If not, then check to make sure the telephone line is properly plugged into the modem and the wall. If it is, try plugging a telephone into the same line. That will tell you whether the problem is in the line or the modem itself.

If other Windows applications can use the modem, first try updating your modem driver. After updating the driver, if TinyTERM still can’t use the modem, there’s a compatibility problem. You’ll need to dial the modem manually. Instructions are in our knowledge base here.

When connecting, you may see something like this display:

^L1^T5^S

This comes from a failed automatic login. To fix it, go to the automatic login configuration in TERM or TinyTERM. Clear out everything there, so no settings are left. Saving that configuration will get rid of those characters.

TinyTERM version 4 requires Winsock2 for TCP/IP connectivity. This is not installed by default in Windows 95. You will need to add two patches: DCOM95 and WS2Setup. We recommend you install these before installing TinyTERM.

There may be times when you want to dial out by typing commands, rather than allowing TinyTERM or TERM to connect the modem automatically. To do this, configure TinyTERM to connect to the serial port your modem is attached to.

If it’s an internal modem, it will still be associated with a serial port. Check your operating system documentation for help locating the appropriate port.

Once connected, type

AT

and hit Enter. You should see an OK message come back. If there’s no response, or if you can’t see the letters you typed, try this command:

ATE1Q0

Most modems will respond to this with a clearly visible OK. You can then type the ATDT command to dial the modem, followed by the phone number. For example:

ATDT1-801-268-3088

The AT commands are all part of the Hayes modem command set. Most modems will accept them readily. For a complete list, see http://www.modemhelp.net.

TinyTERM and TERM can dial a calling card, then enter an access code before dialing a modem number. You simply need to enter the entire calling sequence as the phone number, using commas to pause the dialing for two seconds each.

For example, suppose I need to dial 1-800-555-5555 to access my calling card. Six seconds later, it connects and asks for my PIN, which is 1111. Four seconds after that, I can dial the number I need, 801-268-3088. I would enter that number like this:

1-800-555-5555,,,1111,,801-268-3088

This assumes I don’t need to dial 1 for the actual number when using my calling card. You don’t actually need the dashes in the phone numbers, either. They’re ignored when dialing, but they do make it easier to read.

When you start TinyTERM, if there’s something wrong in the connection settings, you’ll get an error message. If TinyTERM closes after you click OK on the message, it means TinyTERM is set to close automatically on disconnect. A connection error is handled like a disconnect.

To fix the problem, use Notepad to edit the .tpx file you’re using with TinyTERM. Search for the line:

closedisc=1

Change the 1 to a 0 (zero):

closedisc=0

Save the changes and exit Notepad. The next time you start TinyTERM, you’ll still get the connection error. However, TinyTERM won’t close, so you can fix the connection settings. You can then set the Close session on disconnect and exit option once you know the connection is working properly.

Century Software, Inc., has been asked to change this behavior, so that connection errors don’t trigger the “close on disconnect” behavior. This is problematic, as a Winsock error includes a disconnect event. So this enhancement has not yet been added.

CR 226

This error means TinyTERM version 3.3 can’t locate its internal procedure for dialing a modem. It most often happens due to an inability to recognize long directory names, especially with spaces. So when it’s installed as a subdirectory of C:\Program Files, this can happen.

The error can also occur when the file WTERMUS.CMD, which contains the w_dialer_dial procedure, has gotten damaged or partially corrupted. In either case, the fix is the same.

Uninstall TinyTERM using the manual uninstall instructions. Reboot the PC, then reinstall TinyTERM. When it asks for a directory path, specify a DOS-style path, rather than a long one; e.g., C:\Century.

If you still get the error after installing, edit the WTERMUS.CMD file in the same manner described under the Incompatible TAPI Version item.

This error comes from using an older version of TinyTERM on Windows Me, 2000, XP or Vista. Windows TAPI changed considerably in those operating systems, so older versions of TinyTERM won’t understand it. The best solution is to upgrade. Or you can dial the modem manually.

You can configure TinyTERM Application Developer 3.3 to dial the modem. To do that, locate the file wtermus.cmd and open it in a text editor such as WordPad. Search it for the line:

setvar t_tapi true

For every instance of that line, change “true” to “false”. Save the changes, and TinyTERM will use its internal dialer instead of TAPI. This workaround is only available on TinyTERM Application Developer 3.3.

Windows 95 introduced TAPI for modem handling. TERM for Windows 7.2 and TinyTERM 3.3 can use TAPI, but will sometimes give errors instead of connecting normally. In those cases, it’s possible to turn off TAPI handling, allowing TinyTERM to use the modem as though it were on Windows 3.1 instead.

Locate the file WTERMUS.CMD in the TinyTERM directory. Open it in Notepad or another text editor. Search it for every instance of the line:

setvar t_tapi true

Change “true” to “false” for every instance. TinyTERM will no longer recognize TAPI, which will allow it to handle the modem directly instead.