Using Communications Applications When RAS Server is Running

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This article was previously published under Q126437

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SUMMARY

You may be unable to access a serial port in a communication application while the Windows NT Remote Access Service (RAS) server software is running. For example, if the RAS server service is running, and you have configured RAS so that your modem on COM1 accepts RAS dial-in, the following error message appears if you attempt to use COM1 in Windows NT Terminal:

The selected COM port is either not supported or is being used by another device.

Select another port.

You can temporarily disable the RAS server service, so you can use the COM port to dial out using another communications application, by writing a simple batch file.

MORE INFORMATION

Use the following batch file to temporarily stop the RAS server service and run Windows NT Terminal:

   net stop remoteaccess

 c:\winnt\system32\terminal.exe

   net start remoteaccess

Save the batch file and create an icon for it. The batch file disables the RAS server service, making the port available for dial- out, and then restarts the RAS server service once you quit your communications application.

NOTE: This procedure is not necessary if you dial-out using the RAS client software. The RAS client temporarily disables the RAS server service so that the port can be used for dialing-out.

Stopping the RAS server service stops the service for all serial ports that have been configured to allow dial-in. If you have multiple ports configured for dial-in, you may want to reserve one of the ports for dial- out by not configuring it to allow RAS dial-in, rather than disabling the RAS server service.

Only user accounts that have permission to start and stop a service can use this workaround.