Virginia Tech Terminal Servers

When you use the inbound modem pool or CALL VTTELNET from the CBX, you are interacting with our terminal server and see its VT_TermServ> prompt. Virginia Tech has at least 6 cisco terminal servers of varying types.

Terminal Server Settings

To see the settings for the terminal server, enter 

     VT_TermServ> show terminal

You can get information about terminal server commands by entering a question mark. You may also change settings, for example, setting the terminal type to vt100.

     VT_TermServ> ?

     VT_TermServ> terminal ?

Telnet and the Terminal Server

You can use an ASCII terminal or personal computer with Kermit or TinCan to TELNET to other machines just by entering their fully qualified Internet domain name at the VT_TermServ prompt. For example, 

     VT_TermServ>   csugrad.cs.vt.edu.

Of course, you must have an account on the machine, or it must allow guest access, before you can actually log on to it.

Try using VTTELNET to reach uncavx.unca.edu 23. The 23 is a port number. There is a space between it and the host domain name. At the username prompt, enter: info You will see a CWIS, or CampusWide Information System.

Windows user's need to use the terminal server for telnet sessions since the BEV software does not include a TELNET client. From Mosaic, just write down the address and instructions for places you want to telnet to for later use. Macintosh and DECstation users can just use Mosaic to reach the same information.

What Can Go Wrong?

If you see the message % Account Expiring your password has expired. You must enter the changepass command and change your password. That is all you can do during that terminal session. You must exit and reconnect before you can use the service.

If you see the message % Access Denied you either typed the wrong password, have not activated your PID, or do not have inbound modem pool service.

Slip and the Terminal Servers

SLIP (Serial Line IP) and PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) allow you to use TCP/IP applications over a serial (phone) line. SLIP came first and is widely used since it is supported by many terminal servers. However, SLIP does not contain error correction, a feature implemented in PPP. Both protocols allow you to use the full power of the Internet from your personal computer over a phone line.

The SLIP protocol is a simple method for sending data, in packets, across serial lines. The formal "nonstandard" definition of the protocol is RFC 1055 .

A SLIP session.

In order to use SLIP, you must have a PID and SLIP account, and access to the terminal server that supports SLIP.

You must also have TCP/IP applications, something called a packet driver, to put the data you transmit into the correct form or "packets". The steps go something like this:

  1. Load the packet drivers on your machine. That is part of what the WNET (tcpman) application does for Windows machines. MacSLIP also does this.
  2. Establish the connection with the terminal server. That is the second part of WNET and MacSLIP.
  3. Once the session is established, you can use any of your TCP/IP applications.
  4. When you are through, use the WNET or MacSLIP disconnect to end the terminal server session and unload the packet drivers.
jwatson@vt.edu