PPPDial

(Engine-Level Function)

Description: Creates a PPP connection to a remote peer. The connection can be via a dial-up or direct device connection.
Returns: PPPhandle if succesful, otherwise an error value.
Usage: Script Only.
Function Groups: Modem, Serial Port
Related to: PPPHandlesPPPStatus
Format: PPPDial(DeviceName[, PhoneNumber, UserName, Password, Domain, Flags, DeviceType, DeviceSubType])
Parameters:  
DeviceName
Required. Any text expression giving the name of the modem as configured in Windows™. The function will return Invalid if this parameter is not a valid text value.
PhoneNumber
An optional text expression giving the phone number to be used when making a PPP call. Required only for use with modems. Defaults to Invalid.
UserName
An optional text expression, providing the user name for remote authentication.
Password
An optional text expression, providing the password for remote authentication.
Domain
An optional text expression, providing the domain name for remote authentication.
Flags
An optional numeric expression, specifying compression, encryption and other options to be provided. A bit-wise AND operation is done between this value and the following constants.

Value

Constant

Meaning

0x0001 

PPPDF_IpHeaderCompression

Use IP header compression

0x0002 

PPPDF_SwCompression

Use software compression

0x0004 

PPPDF_DisableLcpExtensions

 Disable LCP extensions.

0x0008 

PPPDF_RequireEncryptedPw

Require encrypted password.

0x0010 

PPPDF_RequireDataEncryption

Require data encryption

DeviceType
An optional numeric expression identifying the class of RAS device referred to by DeviceName. Possible values are
1 (Phone),
2 (VPN),
3 (Direct - serial/parallel/USB),
4 (Internet) and
5 (Broadband).
To create a PPPoE connection, use 5.
DeviceSubType
An optional text expression specifying the type of device referred to by DeviceName. Possible values are "modem", "isdn", "x25", "vpn", "pad", "GENERIC", "SERIAL", "FRAMERELAY", "ATM", "SONET", "SW56", "IRDA", "PARALLEL" and "PPPoE".
Comments: PPPDial works by creating a phonebook entry in a temporary phone book in the installation folder. The entry is GUID named and has a lifespan the same as the PPPHandle this method creates. A RAS call is then initiated and a PPPHandle created to represent the call.
This function looks for the subroutine, PPPStatus in the scope of the caller. After initiation of the call, this subroutine is called to notify the caller of the progress and status of the call.
The call is terminated and the phonebook entry removed after the PPPHandle destructs. Invalidating the last reference will do this. Destruction is asynchronous. VTScada shutdown waits for all PPP handles to gracefully close.