Specifications

Niagara Release 2.3
Revised: May 22, 2002 Niagara Networking & Connectivity Guide
Chapter 5 Connecting to an ISP
Configuring Captive ISP on the JACE-4/5
5–8
Configuring Captive ISP on the JACE-4/5
In order to connect your JACE-4/5 to an ISP, you must configure the captive ISP
service. The following topics guide you through configuring captive ISP:
• About Captive ISP
• Installing and Configuring Modems
• Configuring the Software
• Troubleshooting Connection Problems
About Captive ISP
When configured to use the captive ISP service, the Niagara software daemon dials
the ISP when the JACE-4/5 boots. If the JACE ever loses the connection, it
immediately tries to reconnect, whether or not it has any data to send to another host.
Once the JACE establishes connection to the ISP, all access to the JACE is through
the IP address assigned by the ISP.
Captive ISP is unlike direct-dial mode, where the station dials a specially-configured
host only when it has data to send to it; rather the station assumes that the JACE is
always connected. Also unlike direct dial, multiple stations and GUI tools (e.g.,
browser, Admin Tool, JDE) can access the JACE simultaneously through the IP
address assigned by the ISP. In addition, address book entries for other hosts are
configured using the IP address or host name rather than the dial-up properties.
About
Disconnects
If the JACE cannot connect to the ISP after a configurable number of attempts, the
JACE will listen for a period of time (also configurable) for incoming calls. The
JACE will periodically attempt to reconnect to the ISP. This is one window where
the modem is free and you can successfully dial into the JACE. For more
information, see the ispRetryCount and ispRetryDelay parameters in “Configuring
ras.properties for Captive ISP,” page 5-10.
In addition to this unscheduled type of disconnect, we supply two additional methods
of controlled disconnects.
Release 2.2 and earlier
The JACE-4/5 can also be configured to disconnect from the ISP up to 6 times per
day for a configurable number of minutes. While the JACE-5 is disconnected, it will
listen for incoming calls on the modem. When the disconnect duration expires, the
JACE will automatically redial the ISP. For more information, see the
ispDisconnectn parameters, explained in “Configuring ras.properties for Captive
ISP,” page 5-10.
Release 2.3 and later
The JACE-4/5 can be configured to disconnect from the ISP by using a Niagara
object tied to a Schedule object that you configure. For more information, see “Using
the IspConnection Object to Control Disconnects,” page 5-15.