Re: WINAPPC and WINDOWS 95 -- MIDRANGE-L

>>>1) Last November Jerry Draper told me over the phone the release date
>>>for the 32-bit virtual device driver (VDD) for twinax was "imminent".  I
>>>have called once a month like clockwork and talked to Dick Heath.  It's
>>>still not ready.  It wasn't until the 5th call about it that Dick even
>>>remembered my previously asking about it.

In checking with the engineers at Synapse, I learned that they have had
their card running native under 95 and NT for many months.  They have long
been running native under Windows 3.1x with no DOS TSR's.  What has been
missing for these many months has been the twinax link interface
specifications for the 32 bit router from Netsoft.  Synapse can only do so
much.  It would be nice if specifications for critcal "standard" interfaces
were readily available to those who need them.  That is their plea.  I
understand that Synapse, after asking for so long, received some specific
documentation on this software last week indirectly thru Zak Kong, Chairman
of Netsoft.  This should enable them to complete the link interface that
they have been promising for so long.  They apologize for the delay even
though it was beyond their control.

>>>2) If I have even 1 WinAPPC session open, CA/400 data transfer will not
>>>work.  Data transfer hangs, and displaying the Win95 task list shows all
>>>WinAPPC sessions as "not responding".  (Aside:  once this condition has
>>>occured, I must _power down_ my PC in order to get the sessions to start
>>>again in a stable manner.  
>>> ..snip..
>>>If I close the
>>>WinAPPC sessions first, then data transfer will work.  Synapse says the
>>>problem is the version of the Netsoft router that's in CA/400.  IBM says
>>>that since it works when WinAPPC is closed, it's a WinAPPC problem.  My
>>>gut feel is it's a little of both.  


I understand that this problem has been resolved in version 4.08 of WinAPPC
which is available free (as usual) to registered users via the Synapse BBS
or thru their internet site www.synapse.com.  Additionally, to be more
proactive on this software version front, Synapse customers can now sign up
on the internet based Synapse listserv so that they can be automatically be
notified of new releases.  Synapse does not charge for upgrades,
modifications, feature upgrades, platfom changes, or whatever you want to
call it.  Many manufacturers charge $35-$60 for version upgrades (often to
fix their own bugs).  This can save you lots of money.

>>>The "zero footprint" of the Synapse card is
>>>wonderful except in the case of a problem.  All electrical power must be
>>>removed before the card will get completely reset.)

The adapter handler for the Synapse Twinax adapter (WTAH <base i/o>) with
the /R switch will do a software reset of the Synapse twinax adapter.  You
can do this under a DOS Prompt under Windows which will only reset the card
and not load any DOS TSR's.  This eliminates any requirement to do a
hardware reset on the PC to initialize the twinax card.  Since the Synapse
twinax adapter board can support both LU 4/7 and LU 6.2 at the same time
it's not great normally to have users resetting the card.  Because of the
microprocessor based design, you can start a session to the AS400 under
Windows, exit emulation, exit Windows and the link is still stable.  When
you re-enter Windows and re-start emulation, your session is still there
exactly where you left off.

>>>What _really_ torks me off however,
>>>is every single time I have called Synapse about it, I have to explain
>>>it to Dick all over again.  Then Dick asks why I don't just use the
>>>WinAPPC transfer.  Then I explain to him that I am the only user with
>>>WinAPPC and the data transfer must be usable at other PCs, not just
>>>mine.  (This has happened 6 times:  Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, and May.)

Dick is the primary point man for Synapse tech support.  Dick has been a
personal friend of mine for many years.  He is totally bummed out to be
flamed in this listserv.  He has over 34 years experience in data processing
and is very good at this critical, difficult, and sometimes thankless, job.
There are thousands of users who have been helped by Dick over the years and
who are very thankful for his patient and methodical approach to solving
their problems.  Dick keeps a database of every incoming and outgoing call
noting details of each specific problem, his suggestions, and hopefully, the
resolution to the problem.  This database is shared throughout the Synapse
organization to that other tech support people and software engineers can be
kept up to date with outstanding tech support issues.  If you are having a
problem with a Synapse product tech support is free and available.  You do
not get voice mail or wait on hold for three days so get service.  If Dick
or anyone else is not getting your problem solved, I suggest you simply
escalate the question at Synapse so that it does get solved.  Everybody is
willing to help Synapse customers.  You may find youself talking to Joe
Frank himself.

>>>3) A recent posting by Jerry Draper made some comments about the use of
>>>the Synapse card, twinax, WTAH.COM, NSTWINAX.EXE.  His post was that
>>>WTAH.COM and NSTWINAX.EXE needed to be loaded in AUTOEXEC.BAT, not
>>>WINSTART.BAT because it wouldn't work in WINSTART.BAT.  I replied that
>>>my setup was just the opposite (i.e. it works in WINSTART.BAT, but not
>>>AUTOEXEC.BAT).  Even though Jerry has posted several times in that
>>>thread since my post, he has not responded to this.  

I did not respond directly to this question but followed it closely because
I am interested in the differences betwen AUTOEXEC.BAT and WINSTART.BAT.  I
think the answer was posted by someone as to the differences.  I find this
listserv incredibly educational.

>>>Bottom line?  My take is that Synapse is having some real problems
>>>technically right now and is trying to be real hush-hush on it.  I base
>>>that on the fact that every time I call Dick, I get told it's being
>>>worked on, then basically get put to the back burner and ignored until I
>>>call the next month.  Couple that with Jerry's non-response to a direct
>>>contradiction here and I'm beginning to think Synapse has something to
>>>hide.

Synapse is taking a flame here.  Jeff seems pissed.  OK.  However, Synapse
has not been asleep for the five months it took Netsoft to deliver
documentation on the twinax link interface.  

They have worked with Wall Data to adapt the Wall Data APPC router included
with Rumba directly to the Synapse Twinax adapter to eliminate the IBM/Clone
"freezeup" problem.  
They have worked with Microsoft to adapt the Microsoft SNA Server directly
to the Synapse WinAPPC software without requiring any router at all which
eliminates a complete layer of software.  Load time to signon display is now
less than 5 seconds compared to 37 seconds when using the router (BTW MS's
applet takes 12 seconds).  

They have released a complete refresh of their WinAPPC software (version
4.08) and, as usual, made it available to their registered users free of
charge.  

They have perfected their Remote/APPC for async dialup to the AS400 that
includes dialback, userid/pw, callerid, scheduing, and encrypted data streams.  

Independently Roger Pence reports in his Microsoft and the AS/400 newsletter
that IBM's CA/400 takes over 7 minutes to transfer 100,000 records from the
AS/400 to the PC while Synapse's WinAPPC only takes 1.5 minutes.  Synapse
must be doing something right.  If anything, their lack is in
marketing/sales as compared to the competition.  As a company run by
software engineers I know any lack they might have is definitely not in
technical excellence.

Regards,


Jerry



Jerry Draper, Trilobyte Software Systems, since 1976
Specializing in connecting PC's, Windows, MAC's, and LAN's to the AS/400
Representing Synapse, Apple, IBM, UDS, Andrew, MI, DCI, Netsoft, etc.
(415) 457-3431; (415) 258-1658fax; jdraper@wco.com

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