-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CENTRAL - Down Loading Program Bulletin 6030 09/10/02 Copyright (C) 1993, Coastal Security Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The program CENTRAL.EXE uses a proprietary protocol to receive files from the central station which contain a variety of information about your accounts such as subscriber information, alarm history, trouble conditions, technician's visits, and your instructions to the central station for handling telephone messages, reports and other options. ****************************************************************************** As of August, 2002 the CENTRAL.EXE program is still supported but has been replaced by GETFILES.EXE, a Microsoft .NET technology based program that uses your existing internet (dial-up, DSL or cable) connection to collect your files. The command line to retrieve your files is: GETFILES dealer_number password Your files will be retireved via the internet and placed in the current directory. ****************************************************************************** CENTRAL.EXE may be used to receive your files while the computer is unattended or it may be used to call the central station computer to retrieve the information. -------------------------------- Unattended Operation This option is available only in the central station's local calling area. To use this option, CENTRAL.EXE is started at the end of each business day. Each night between midnight and 8:00 a.m. the central station prepares the down load files and transmits them to the dealers who have selected this option. This way the down load files are available at the beginning of each day. The command line for unattended operation is: CENTRAL [DESTINATION_PATH] [/PARAMETERS] Dealers who normally use the unattended method to receive their down load files may use the attended method to retrieve files. For example if the dealer forgets to leave the computer ready the previous night, he may simply call the central station modem line to retrieve those files in the morning. -------------------------------- Attended Operation This option is available to all dealers. At approximately 9:00 a.m. each morning (after all unattended down loads are complete) the central station computer is configured for attended operation. The CENTRAL.EXE program is used to call the central station to retrieve down load files. Dealers must collect down load files at least once every month. Any file which has not been retrieved within this time frame may be deleted to conserve drive space. CENTRAL 1-561-998-1804 [DESTINATION_PATH] /L:####PASSWORD [/PARAMETERS] -------------------------------- Optional Parameters: CENTRAL.EXE accepts parameters on the command line or in the environment under the label "MODEM". For example, to use COM2 at 19,200 baud you could add the line, "SET MODEM=/B:19200 /P:COM2", to your autoexec.bat file. /A Answer immediately, do not wait for incoming ring signal. This is used in connection with auto attendant systems which are capable of executing the program after a call is received or with direct connect modems. /B:n Baud rate. n=2400 by default. Baud rates up to 38,400 are supported. /C This parameter causes the program to use RS-232 ring indicator and carrier detect signals instead of modem result codes and messages to recognize a new call and connection. /L:nPW This parameter is used only for attended operation. It causes the program to call the central station to retrieve the down load files. n is the dealer number for the files to retrieve. PW is the password agreed upon between the dealer and the central station. /P:COMn This parameter specifies the communications port number COM1 through COM8. COM1 is the default. COM1 and COM2 are the same on all systems. COM3 through COM8 are valid only on IBM PS/2 or IBM PREMIERE computer systems. To get COM3 or COM4 on a standard AT style system, you must specify the port address and interrupt number, as follows: Parameter Port Address IRQ /P:3E8,4 COM3 3E8 hex 4 /P:2E8,3 COM4 2E8 hex 3 /Q This parameter tells the software to quit after a file transfer is successfully received. Without it, the program will wait for another call. /R:pw This parameter is used for unattended operation if you wish to require the central station to send a password at the beginning of the down load. Because of the proprietary nature of the transfer protocol, this feature is seldom used. /S:x This parameter allows a modem setup or initialization command to be sent before the program waits for an incoming call. This parameter should always be used in case other software left the modem in an unusual or unstable condition. Special characters may be inserted into the string by entering a back-slash and the two digit hex value of the special character: \0D carriage return \3D the equals sign \5C the back slash /T This parameter is not for attended use only. It activates an ascii terminal emulator which can be used for manual file transfers or for troubleshooting. Once the terminal is started, press the F1 key for a menu of additional options. /V This parameter causes the program to display more status information than usual. It is also for troubleshooting. -------------------------------- Modem Setup Strings Modem setup strings are required to initialize the modem in case it was left in an unusual or unstable condition by another software package. The following setups have been found to work with various modems: Modem Description Setup Parameter ------------------------------- ------------------------ Hayes 2400 (all models) /S:AT&F&C1&D1 Practical Peripherals 9600 V.32 /S:AT&F&C1&D2 Intel (all models) /S:AT&F U.S.Robotics 9600 V.32 /S:AT&F&C1&D2X6&H1&B1&A3 U.S.Robotics V.Everything /S:AT&F&C1&D2X7&H1&R2&K3&B1&A3 During the file transfer all errors are displayed on the screen. The occurrence of an error is not necessarily a problem since telephone line problems are expected to cause occasional errors. The message, "File transfer complete...", will appear on the screen if the down load was completely successful. This is true even if errors were reported during the transfer. -------------------------------- Data Security Against Hackers The CENTRAL.EXE program uses a proprietary file transfer protocol developed in house. The software supplied to dealers does not allow any information in your computer to be copied, viewed or extracted by an outside caller even if the outside caller knows the proprietary protocol. Not even the central station can access files on your system. The software only allows your computer to receive files from the caller (central station). If a hacker discovered the proprietary protocol used by the central station he could transmit a program containing a virus to your hard disk. This would be harmless unless you executed the program. The central station file manager software never executes the files received from the central station. All you need to do is delete any unknown program files found in your central station directory for complete safety against viruses. The central station's BBS software allows dealers to retrieve files in the attended mode described above. This software does not allow any files to be received by the central station so the central station is totally immune from viruses via modem. Since the program does transmit files containing subscriber information during the down load it is important to understand what a hacker must do to obtain information from the central station about your accounts. First, the hacker must discover the proprietary protocol used to transfer files between dealers and the central station. Second, the hacker must discover your dealer number and secret password. Third, the hacker must retrieve your files before you do. Central station files will only be transferred one time to each dealer. If you call to retrieve your files a second time the system will see that there is nothing new to send and disconnect. -------------------------------- Error codes: 1. Send character time out. The central station had to wait longer than five seconds before the dealer's computer was ready for the next block of data. 2. Block number mis-match. The data received from the central station was out of sequence. This error will abort the call. 3. Re-try count exhausted. An excessive number of line errors were detected causing the call to abort. 4. Bad block type in header. The central station sends several types of data packets. Each is identified in the block or packet header. Either the value in the header was wrong or the data in the packet did not match the identification. This could be caused by a line problem or by a caller other than the central station. The call will abort when five packets are received without a proper header. 5. Receive time out. The central station took to long to send the next data packet. This can happen if the connection is lost during the transfer. 6. Bad header id. This can be caused by a line problem or an unauthorized caller. Five of these will abort the call. 7. Bad checksum value in header. 8. Bad data checksum. This error and error code 7 are usually the result of a line hit. Five in a row aborts the call. Otherwise, the data is simply retransmitted. 9. Block size error. This error occurs when the size of a data packet is wrong. 10. Invalid log in password. This error occurs when a caller fails to transmit a valid log in block with password immediately after a connection is made. 11. Invalid file name size. This error occurs if the file name received from the central station has more than eight characters in the name or three characters in the extension. 12. Unexpected block type. This error occurs when a block or packet type is not the next logical type to be received. For example, receiving a close file command block at a time when no files are open will cause this error. 13. Block number mis-match. Same as error 2, above. 14. Packet data area size too large. The caller sent a packet of data which is larger than the maximum size allowed under the proprietary protocol. 15. Remote failed to transmit ENQ. The remote station failed to signal that it is ready to receive information.