Log File Information Page

Recording log files

Windows 95 and Windows 98 can record log files named Modemlog.txt and Ppplog.txt in the folder where Windows is installed. These files are useful for monitoring calls and for trouble-shooting.

Recording a modem log file

To record a modem log file:
  1. click the Start button.
  2. Point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Dial-Up Networking.
  3. Right click the icon for your Internet connection and then choose properties.
  4. In the General tab click Configure.
  5. In the Connection tab click Advanced.
  6. Make sure the Record a log file checkbox is checked.
picture of the 'Advanced Connection Settings' window - 19Kbytes

Dial-Up Networking adds the details of each call to modemlog.txt, but stops adding when the file becomes too large (around 250KBytes).
You can use the Modemlog File Viewer program to examine your Modemlog.txt file.

Note: By default the modemlog.txt file is recorded in the Windows directory, but both the filename and the location can be changed in the Windows Registry. In Windows 98, the modemlog.txt file may have a different file name, one that reflects the name of the modem, with a .log extension.

Recording a PPP log file

To record a PPP log file:
  1. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon.
  2. In the Configuration tab click Dial-Up Adapter in the network components list.
  3. In the Configuration tab click Properties.
  4. In the Advanced tab click Record a log file.
  5. Make sure the value is Yes.
picture of the 'Dial-Up Adapter Properties' window - 16Kbytes

You can use the Ppplog File Viewer program to examine your Ppplog.txt file.

A sample Modemlog.txt file

This sample call shows what is recorded in the modemlog.txt file, with general comments in green and more important comments in red.

01-21-1998 20:03:07.69 - MultiModem MT2834ZDX in use. Start of logging
01-21-1998 20:03:07.69 - Modem type: MultiModem MT2834ZDX Modem type as determined from INF file
01-21-1998 20:03:07.69 - Modem inf path: MDMMTS.INF INF file used for modem
01-21-1998 20:03:07.69 - Modem inf section: Modem10 Section name in INF file
01-21-1998 20:03:08.08 - 57600,N,8,1 DTE speed as set in Control panel - Modems
01-21-1998 20:03:08.42 - 115200,N,8,1 DTE speed as set in Dial-Up Networking | My Connection | Properties | Configure | Maximum speed
01-21-1998 20:03:08.46 - Initializing modem. Modem type
01-21-1998 20:03:08.46 - Send: AT Characters sent
01-21-1998 20:03:08.46 - Recv: AT Characters echoed back by modem
01-21-1998 20:03:08.61 - Recv: OK characters received from modem
01-21-1998 20:03:08.61 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:08.63 - Send: AT &F E0 S0=0 S25=20 Initialisation string (from Registry) as setup from INF file
01-21-1998 20:03:08.63 - Recv: AT &F E0 S0=0 S25=20 Characters echoed back by modem
01-21-1998 20:03:08.96 - Recv: OK characters received from modem
01-21-1998 20:03:08.96 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:08.96 - Send: ATS7=60S30=0M1&E1&E15&E4X4 Additional Initialisation string from Dial-Up Networking | My Connection | Properties | Configure | Connection and Advanced Connection Settings windows
01-21-1998 20:03:09.11 - Recv: OK characters received from modem
01-21-1998 20:03:09.11 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:09.11 - Send: ATs48=28%dp1&cd1 Extra Settings initialisation string from Dial-Up Networking | My Connection | Properties | Configure | Advanced | Extra Settings
01-21-1998 20:03:09.27 - Recv: OK characters received from modem
01-21-1998 20:03:09.27 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:09.27 - Dialing. Informative message
01-21-1998 20:03:09.27 - Send: ATDT; Put modem on-hook (to detect dialtone)
01-21-1998 20:03:11.54 - Recv: OK characters received from modem
01-21-1998 20:03:11.54 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:11.54 - Dialing. Informative message
01-21-1998 20:03:11.54 - Send: ATDT########## Dial ISP access number (hidden by one # for each digit)
01-21-1998 20:03:43.78 - Recv: CONNECT 28800 LAPM COMPRESSED characters received from modem (modem's connection string)
01-21-1998 20:03:43.78 - Interpreted response: Connect DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 20:03:43.78 - Connection established at 28800bps. Informative message
01-21-1998 20:03:43.78 - Error-control on. Informative message
01-21-1998 20:03:43.78 - Data compression on. Informative message
01-21-1998 20:03:43.96 - 115200,N,8,1 DTE speed
01-21-1998 21:33:02.78 - Hanging up the modem. Informative message
01-21-1998 21:33:02.79 - Hardware hangup by lowering DTR. Informative message
01-21-1998 21:33:03.42 - Recv: NO CARRIER characters received from modem
01-21-1998 21:33:03.42 - Interpreted response: No Carrier DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 21:33:03.42 - Send: ATH Modem type
01-21-1998 21:33:05.43 - Recv: Modem type
01-21-1998 21:33:05.43 - WARNING: Unrecognized response. Retrying... Informative message
01-21-1998 21:33:05.43 - Send: ATH Modem type
01-21-1998 21:33:05.58 - Recv: OK Modem type
01-21-1998 21:33:05.58 - Interpreted response: Ok DUN's interpretation of the response
01-21-1998 21:33:06.17 - Session Statistics: Informative message
01-21-1998 21:33:06.17 - Reads : 3140599 bytes Total characters received for this connection
01-21-1998 21:33:06.17 - Writes: 558965 bytes Total characters sent for this connection
01-21-1998 21:33:06.17 - MultiModem MT2834ZDX closed. End of logging

A sample Ppplog.txt file

This sample call shows what is recorded in the ppplog.txt file, with general comments in green and more important comments in red. Beware: Ppplog files recorded using later versions of Dial-Up Networking contain your Username and Password!

09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - Remote access driver log opened. Start of logging
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - Installable CP VxD SPAP is loaded
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - Server type is PPP (Point to Point Protocol).
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol 80fd (CCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol 803f (NBFCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol 8021 (IPCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol 802b (IPXCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol c029 (CallbackCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol c027 (no description) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol c023 (PAP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol c223 (CHAP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - FSA : Adding Control Protocol c021 (LCP) to control protocol chain.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - LCP : Callback negotiation enabled.
09-17-1998 20:51:31.04 - LCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.21 - LCP : Rejecting unknown option 0.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.21 - LCP : Rejecting unknown option 17.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.21 - LCP : Rejecting unknown option 19.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.36 - LCP : Received and accepted MRU of 1524.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.36 - LCP : Received and accepted ACCM of a0000.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.36 - LCP : Received and accepted authentication protocol c223 (CHAP).
09-17-1998 20:51:34.36 - LCP : Received and accepted protocol field compression option.
09-17-1998 20:51:34.36 - LCP : Received and accepted address+control field compression option.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.19 - LCP : Received configure reject for callback control protocol option.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.34 - LCP : Layer up.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.34 - CHAP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - CHAP : Login was successful.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - CHAP : Layer up.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - IPXCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - IPCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - IPCP : IP address is 0.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.70 - NBFCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.71 - CCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.88 - FSA : Received protocol reject for control protocol 802b.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.88 - IPXCP : Layer finished.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.96 - FSA : Received protocol reject for control protocol 803f.
09-17-1998 20:51:37.96 - NBFCP : Layer finished.
09-17-1998 20:51:38.07 - IPCP : Changing IP address from 0 to 9f86e6fa.
09-17-1998 20:51:38.07 - IPCP : Accepting primary DNS 9f86ed06. The DNS IP address 159.134.237.06
09-17-1998 20:51:38.07 - IPCP : Accepting backup DNS 9f86f811. The Secondary DNS IP address 159.134.248.17
09-17-1998 20:51:41.70 - IPCP : Received and accepted compression protocol request f 1.
09-17-1998 20:51:41.70 - IPCP : Received and accepted IP address of 9f86ee7e.
09-17-1998 20:51:41.70 - IPCP : Layer up.
09-17-1998 20:51:42.05 - CCP : Received terminate request.
09-17-1998 20:51:42.05 - CCP : Layer finished.
09-17-1998 20:51:42.05 - FSA : Last control protocol failed.
09-17-1998 20:51:42.05 - CCP : Received terminate request.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.77 - Remote access driver is shutting down.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.77 - CRC Errors 0 Should be 0 - If Error Correction is not used this figure is unlikely to be zero, and if there are Buffer Overrun Errors or Incomplete Packets this figure will not be zero
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Timeout Errors 0 Should be 0
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Alignment Errors 0 Should be 0
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Overrun Errors 0 Should be zero - Non zero value indicates that the serial port speed is too high
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Framing Errors 0 Should be 0
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Buffer Overrun Errors 0 Should be 0
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Incomplete Packets 0 Should be 0
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Bytes Received 160413
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Bytes Transmittted 28376
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Frames Received 377
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - Frames Transmitted 440
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - LCP : Layer down.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - CHAP : Layer down.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - IPXCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.80 - IPCP : Layer down.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.81 - NBFCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.81 - CCP : Layer started.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.92 - LCP : Received terminate acknowledgement.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.92 - LCP : Layer finished.
09-17-1998 21:02:51.92 - Remote access driver log closed. End of logging

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Last updated on January 24th, 1999

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