Even if PAP/CHAP is used for initial connects, there are separate
programs that often require additional ID/passwords. For instance,
when I access my ISP shell, I must enter a separate ID/password
combination to access my IMAP mail server from the shell, or indeed
from my PC directly (using PC pine). Obviously lots of shells will ask
for an ID/password when you try to telnet into them. This is true for
ftp as well.
I have also, on occasion found it useful to disable PAP/CHAP and
use a terminal emulator to access my ISP, in order to troubleshoot
problems that happen at/or just after connection. Then you can see
the prompts, if and when the PPP characters start coming, etc.
In sum, there are still various circumstances when it is useful to
have some kind of automated, scripted entry of ID and password.
> "login and password prompts"? I hope that someday it will dawn on some
> members of this list that we are the only ones who have ever heard of
> encountering these when dialing an ISP in these days (ie. post 1995 -
> perhaps earlier). Everyone is using PAP/CHAP, if not they are probably
> limited to a speed for the user at 14 400 since they haven't upgraded for
> ages. All ISPs support DOS, they may not know it - especially considering
> that some people suggests scripts and weird stuff that they don't know
> anything about. They shouldn't need either, and nor should anyone in the
> known world, since this technique is obsolete and offers nothing extra to
> make it worth the trouble to use and take into account.
> //Bernie
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Howard Schwartz
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theo "at" ncal.verio.com
