From: jamal@bronze.lcs.mit.edu (Jamal Hannah)
Subject: firstclass-tcp-help.txt .. Solution to a Bug in FC Client 2.6
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 15:36:45 -0500 (EST)

* A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE CONCERNING FIRST CLASS TCP-IP CONNECTIONS *

Hi.  Well, I finaly had this mentioned to me one final time which
confirmed with absolute certainty that this is indeed a bug with
the TCP-IP implimentation of the First Class Client version 2.6 software.

(The solution to this bug is in the last paragraph of this text file,
if you want to skip all this other stuff.)

Have you tried to use First Class Client with a First Class BBS
on the Internet, absolutely certain of the Internet address and
port number, only to find that it reports that the First Class
server "does not exist"?  Don't you believe it!  Read on:

Basicly, this error message pops up, seemingly about %50 of the time,
at least for me, when I am first configuring my Settings and FCP
files for a site I want to connect to.

Something that annoyed me about the First Class Client software was
the fact that it was so darn confusing to figure out how to get it
to work with TCP.. I wanted to get moving as soon as possible!
There was no nice little "ReadMe" file that explained things as
quickly as possible.. some of the First Class Client installers I
have found simply have no documentation at all, so it took
me forever to figure out just what field to put the address in!
People were not being very helpful on IRC, I'll tell you.
When I finaly got the manual in one installer archive, it
was very big and bothersome.. I didnt even have the patience
to wade through it, let alone print it.  (It didnt even have
the information I wanted anyway..)

Just how DOES one connect to a First Class BBS over the Internet,
you may ask?  Well, you need the recent version of FC Client.. 2.6,
and when connecting, you simply click on the "Setup" button
and select the appropriate .fcp file (they reside in the "FCP"
directory, in your First Class firectory) on a popup menu..
this should be called "TCP-IP", basicly.

Once this is selected, make sure you have the IP or name address
in the "Server" field (example: maclair.computize.com), and put a
"*" in the "Network" field.  You should go back up to the
top of this screen and click on the "Setup" button, and then
click on the triangle next to the words "Advanced Options".
You can then set the port number for the site you wish to connect
to (default: 3000), and the buffer-size for communications..
I assume a larger buffer means faster transfers, if you have a
high-bandwidth link..  I'm not positive.  I usualy set it to about
50000-70000. (I am connected to the Net with a T1 line or something
else which is rather fast.)  Note that this data is NOT stored in the
"settings" file when you click "save", but rather it is stored in the
corresponding "*.fcp" file.  You may wish to duplicate your
TCP-IP.fcp file and create files with names like "TCP-IP Port 3000.fcp",
"TCP-IP Port 3004.fcp", "TCP-IP Port 4000.fcp" and "TCP-IP Port 23.fcp"
for each different port that the major Internet FC BBS's seem to use.
Then select "save" and you will be back in the "settings" configuration
window.  You can then click "save" again and this will save the
address you seleted to your settings file.   Aside from the address &
the method of communications, the settings file's main value seems to be
it's ability to hold the icons, PICTs, and sound resources which
your favorite BBS may whant you to see when connecting to that specific
site.

At this point, when one attempts to connect, often it will say there
is no First Class Server at this address.  The solution is to go
back to the "Advanced Options" in the TCP-IP.fcp configuration
window, change the port.. attempt to connect to this bogus port...
and then go back, change the port _back_ to the port you wish to
use, and attempt to connect again.  This always works for me.

 - Jamal Hannah  <jamal@bronze.lcs.mit.edu>
   02/22/95