InkLine Stay Connected 2.2 What's New? Douglas Smith
New features in this release:
The ability to handle NetØ's idle message by clicking the "Resume" button automatically.
Secondary registration site for those who cannot access the primary registration site.
The most important feature for this release is the incorporation of a modem dialer. With Stay Connect's modem dialer, users will be able to connect to the Internet, and stay on the Net for as long as they wish, with just one mouse click. This one-stop connectivity solution allows users to bypass Windows 95/98's Dial-Up Networking (DUN) or NT's Remote Access Service (RAS), which are more cumbersome to use.
A modem dialer configuration page which allows multiple dial-up profiles.
Tested and certified under Microsoft Windows 98.
After registering the program, the menu "Enter Registration Code" and "Register via Internet" will not show up again.
URL addresses are properly formatted with blue underlined text, instead of being contained in a button.
In previous versions, users were able to define only one host to tag their services to. This version allows users to tag on to more than one host.
Many ISPs are now detecting fixed pinging intervals (e.g., previous versions of Stay Connected!). If the ISP’s server detects a fixed sequence of activity from a user, it will assume that the user is using an automated connection utility and force a disconnection. With *random interval* plus *random host access* combination, Stay Connected! actually simulates human activities.
Host accesses have a choice of Sequential, Random or Dedicated access over a list of hosts. Hosts can be added/deleted according to user's preferences.
Priority can be set for the hosts to be accessed during Sequential mode. Should user choose Random access mode, priority will be changed to Random. No priority is given to Dedicated host since only one host's service is being tagged.
A Startup Wizard to walk user through step-by-step graphical help guide the first time the software is used.
Supports America Online Browser version 4.0 Preview Edition, as well as browsers prior to version 4.0.
AOL users can choose to launch AOL browser automatically when they activate Stay Connected!
Logs in for AOL users automatically.
An external browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer can be launched after AOL user has successfully logged into AOL.
Advanced Options for AOL users to alter the Timer Title should AOL decide to change their Timer Title again.
For latest patch or updates for AOL users, clicking on the "Configuration -> America Online -> Latest AOL Updates" button will bring AOL users to the InkLine website directly.
The look and feel of the configuration options are greatly enhanced.
For users who still prefer the classic Stay Connected! configurations, the options of accessing a dedicated host as well as using a fixed interval are still available.
Due to the vastly improved configuration choices, the menu item from "Options" to "Configurations" was renamed.
The Status window is renamed to "Online Status Report" because of the vastly improved status feedback from individual protocol. Added also is an AOL status feedback to this status report screen.
Added user-specified port to cater to users accessing the Internet through a proxy server or firewall, as well as specific sites with specific services like IRC and MSN.
As a convenience for users to register the software, a browser-shortcut icon is added to the folder. Users can also register via the newly added menu item "Register Via Internet." Internet registration is the preferred choice as the operation is fully automated 24/7, and is instantaneous.
A startup screen with evaluation period countdown so users are aware of the unregistered evaluation period. Registered users can disable this startup screen.
