Wininet dialup AOL - problems

[Ragnar Midtskogen]

Hello,

I have written a VB6 app that is used to unattended sent files from a
computer via FTP to an FTP server.
It has the ability to dial a connection if the computer is not connected,
and it has always worked reliably,
disconnecting when done..
Recently I have been asked to set up one for a client who has AOL,
on a Win XP machine, connected via dialup.

First, I found that AOL does not return True when calling the Wininet
InternetAutodial API function. I found a way around that
by checking if I am connected afterwards.

However, the InternetAutodialHangup does not work either, the connection is
not disconnected.
I have not found any way to get around this yet.

I tried another tack, I thought I would set a timeout for the AOL
connection, but found that the
Advanced properties button on the tab where the disconnect time can be set
is disabled.

I also talked to AOL tech support, probably in Bangalore, he had trouble
hearing me.
But he told me that AOL did not provide a way to set a timeout period. Ge
did say that
the server would send a request after a long time of no activity, but could
not give me any time.

I guess AOL has had had a lot of complaints about people losing their
connections, but
few about not being able to terminate an idle connection.

My client would have gotten broadband, but none is available in his area, so
he is stuck with dialup.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Ragnar

 

[Ragnar Midtskogen]

In case anyone has had the same problems, I found that the RAS API function
RASHangup will terminate the AOL dialup connection.
I first call the RASEnumerateConnections to rettrieve the conection data,
then use that as an argument to the RASHangup.
To avoid leaving the port in an undetermined state I call
RASGetConnectionStatus in a loop to keep the code running until the
connection is closed.

Ragnar