PASSWORD
AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOL
All current MosCom
dial-up numbers nationwide will eventually become PAP-enabled,
including each newly acquired set of dial-up lines, so read
on:
What
is Password Aunthentication Protocol (PAP)?
Password
Authentication Protocol allows any MosCom Internet subscriber
to log-in to his or her dial-up PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)
account without going through the black Terminal Window (and
having to type in his or her username and password a second
time). However, you (the subscriber) must first configure (or
reconfigure) your system and connection icons so that it will
automatically supply your username and password at the beginning
of the log-in authentication phase.
How
does PAP work?
PAP works by sending your
username and password to the MosCom server immediately after
your modem completes the connection (after modem handshaking
is done). This information is stored in your dialer software
(e.g., Trumpet Winsock for Windows 3.x, and Dial-Up Networking
for Windows 95/98). Thus the MosCom server no longer needs to
ask the information through the "Login:" and "Password:"
prompts (found in the Terminal Window). PAP is easier to setup
than a log-in script, is more reliable, and requires less updating.
Log-in scripts aren't needed anymore and may even conflict with
the PAP access-please consult first with the MosCom System Administrators
before enabling your scripts to run during your dial-up procedure.
What
are the benefits of PAP?
Using PAP
to dial-in to your account simplifies the dial-up and log-in
process. There should be a slight reduction in the time to log-in,
a few seconds, because it skips certain procedures, although
the modem handshake time (indicated by the weird screech-and-gong
noises) would remain the same. The level of security to access
your account remains the same since your username and password
are still required to complete the connection.
Windows
95, 98, and NT users benefit the most, as PAP is built into
Windows 95's Dial-Up Networking and has been carried over
to all the other Windows versions (with slightly simplified
procedures). Users with Windows 3.x and Trumpet Winsock won't
have to wait for the login.cmd script to log-on-Trumpet just
needs to dial the PAP modem access number and then start PPP.
Macintosh users will notice benefits as well: the script that
the Mac uses won't be needed anymore, so logging on will be
much faster.
What
will happen if I dial-in to a PAP-enabled number using a computer
that has not been reconfigured yet for PAP access?
If your
computer has not been configured or reconfigured to enable
PAP access, you will be able to dial-in but you won't be able
to log-in to your account! If the black Terminal Window comes
up, all you'll see on it will be a lot of garbage characters
displayed in the Terminal Window, after which it will hang.
You won't be able to proceed to the next step, because you
won't be asked anymore by the server to enter your username
and password (thus you will be denied access to the server
and your account). It may be harder for you to reconfigure
your computer by then, because you would not be able to refer
to the MosCom website or be able to receive detailed instructions
sent via email. Please don't delay with your PAP reconfiguration
(Some PAP numbers may still be able to accept non-PAP log-ins
because their routers may allow them to do so but this is
not guaranteed and also not recommended)!
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