VPortPro Version 2.1: VportPro-client with Com Port Control.

Date: December 4, 2005

Labtam is pleased to announce a new software product named VPortPro Version 2.1. This is the second major release for the 2005 year.

The main utility, VPortPro Client, included in the VPortPro package makes serial (RS232) data from your PC available on TCP/IP-based networks and makes TCP/IP data available on virtual serial ports of your PC (i.e., VPortPro Client can create virtual serial ports on your PC and redirect them to remote TCP/IP ports and vice versa).

The VPortPro Client can also be used to pass serial data across a corporate intranet or over the Internet (using the Telnet protocol (with the features provided by the COM Port Control protocol specified by IETF RFC 2217) and the raw TCP connection protocol as well).

New Features on this release include:

1. All components :
- are operational under Microsoft Windows 2003
- all drivers have been significantly renovated and tested

2. ComPort Redirector:
- implemented the "Port Monitor" to trace the chosen serial port
- added the "Start"/"Stop" button to control specifically Server- and/or Client- connections (that is different from the "Connect"/Disconnect" button actions). The "Connect"/"Disconnect" may be treated as "... CURRENT connection to/from this port", but the "Start"/"Stop" must be considered as "... ANY connection to/from this port"
- some trace settings are moved to more natural/expected dialogs/places
- the RFC2217 protocol support option is available without additional manual setting in the ".ini"-file
- for Virtual COM ports, implemented the especial "auto" mode to provide "VCOM-TCP Primary Client"-like behaviour when the opening/closing of a serial port provides the corresponding "Connect"/Disconnect" and "Start"/"Stop" logic

3. ComServ Redirector:
- implemented the MS NT service to provide ComPort Redirector functionality without user logon (and without manual starting the "ComPort Redirector" application)

The following bugs have been fixed:

1. ComPort Redirector :
- fixed some minor bugs

Undocumented Features:

1. COM Port Redirector :
- the "UseOpenedComPort=1" line must be inserted into the "[VPP_HALF]" section of the "xwp.ini" file to set the especial "auto" mode which provides for Virtual COM ports "VCOM-TCP Primary Client"-like behaviour when the opening/closing of a serial port provides the corresponding "Connect"/Disconnect" and "Start"/"Stop" logic in the "Client" mode

2. ComServ Redirector :
- the "UseOpenedComPort=1" line must be inserted into the "[HSERVICE]" section of the "xwp.ini" file to set the especial "auto" mode which provides for Virtual COM ports "VCOM-TCP Primary Client"-like behaviour when the opening/closing of a serial port provides the corresponding "Connect"/Disconnect" and "Start"/"Stop" logic in the "Client" mode. Note, that the ComServ NT service must be restarted (via the "Properties" button of the "Service Status :" box).

3. Uninhalf.exe utility :
- the "uninhalf.exe -s" command line uninstalls the NT service only

Known problems and limitations

1. The package has been tested under the following operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

2. 32-bit software programs (developed for the Win32 platform) have only been tested. 16-bit software programs for MS-DOS have not been tested.

3. In the Telnet RFC2217 mode, the Client supports the following "usual" Telnet-protocol commands:
- TN_TRANSMIT_BINARY
- TN_ECHO
- TN_SUPPRESS_GO_AHEAD

4. To test the COM Port Control protocol (RFC 2217) commands, the ACORP 56000 Data/Fax/Voice modem and the DIGI One IA server have been used.

5. The current driver version allows for creating up to 10 Virtual Serial Ports.

6. COM Port and COM Serv Redirectors :
- allow (together) creating up to 10 Virtual COM Ports
- provide the TCP-Client and RFC2217-Client mode only in pairs so far (as well as TCP-Server and RFC2217-Server)

Single User licenses are at $120.00 USD. Please visit the Software Pricing page for pricing on Multiple Licenses.

If at anytime you require any information or assistance please do not hesitate to e-mail us at:sales@Labtam-inc.com

Download and try VPortPro software for FREE. (Demo version runs for 7 days.)

PLEASE NOTE:

The programs associated in this package may send and/or receive broadcast IP requests. Since such packets cannot cross the nearest firewall/gateway/router, please be sure that these IP requests are invisible from outside your network. We assume that such behavior cannot be considered as "Hacking" or "Trojan horse's action".