UPC Install Master

UPC Install Master (launch: September 2009)

For years, UPC Austria (as well as its subsidiary company 2inode) has trusted in proven software solutions from mquadr.at. Therefore, mquadr.at was commissioned to customise the revolutionary internet installation software m2webalizer, which is already successfully in use at UPC Hungary, to the needs of UPC Austria. So a complex new application the "UPC Install Master" came into being.

Besides initial Internet installation, additional features are included:

• Restoration or checking of Internet and e-mail settings
• installation of additional e-mail accounts
• Discrete installation of the so-called "Fiber Power Optimizer"

Internet installation is done in five steps: First, the customer has to choose his/her access mode (LAN, WLAN or USB) and, according to the access technology they chose, is guided through the correct cabling of their hardware. These step-by-step instructions are displayed in detail. At the express request of UPC, animations were excluded from the software. If the user chose USB configuration, he/she will be asked to select his/her cable modem. The type of modem can be found in a modem list. Then the cabling is checked, relevant driver software is installed if necessary, and the LAN configuration is performed. In doing so, the network card is configured and various security settings (firewall etc.) are set on the customer's system. Basically, all relevant Internet options are set automatically, so the customer is able to surf smoothly and safely via his/her new cable Internet connection. After a successful connection test, the user may among other things choose the following options:

• Installation of Fiber Power Optimizer
• Fully automatic browser configuration
• Set up e-mail account

To restore all Internet and e-mail settings, a simple "one-button recovery solution" may be used. This means: Push one button and all LAN and WLAN settings will be reset to the default settings defined by UPC.

Once the customer has set up his/her Internet access, he/she will receive an extensive status report. This report provides comprehensive information on the current state of the user PC. The listed settings are itemised as follows:

1. General computer-information
2. Status of firewall and antivirus-software
3. Browser and e-mail-clients
4. Available connections

Each category provides information about the hardware in use as well as various settings and predefined parameters. This information is particularly useful if an error occurs and a call centre agent is helping to solve this problem. It thus becomes easier to find the cause of the problem and eliminate the fault. The status report is always positioned within the application in the same look and feel irrespective of which operating system is in use, so call centre agents can be provided with information very quickly. Additionally it can be saved in a document or printed.

Within the Install Master, UPC also offers the possibility to subsequently configure e-mail addresses within the installed e-mail program on the local system. The user has to enter his/her user data and, after successful configuration, receives a summary of all relevant settings which may be saved in a document or printed for future use.

The Fiber Power Optimizer is available to the customer while installing the Internet as well as in the form of a silent installation. This program optimises the user system (for example, TCP/IP settings) so that it is ready for the high speed of chello Fiber Power. Therefore, the existing settings will be saved so that they can be activated again if the Fiber Power Optimizer is uninstalled.

As in all m2webalizer-based products, an extensive context-sensitive Help is included in the UPC Install Master and can be accessed at any point in the software.

inode Companion 2006 - 2009

inode Companion 2009 (launch: February 2009)

At the beginning of 2009, the Internet set-up routine "inode Companion",which was successfully introduced to the market a couple of years ago, was completely revised and adjusted to the new design requirements of UPC Austria.

Alongside a complete change in its corporate design (GUI, banners, logos, labelling and editorial content), all software components included within this Internet access and support tool were completely upgraded. As regards modem configuration, mquadr.at focused on the following new features:

• Support of the new Fritz!Box Modem 5113, as a successor to the Fritz!Box 5010 for inode xDSL, including the set-up and support of VoIP
• For ADSL services the new Thomson TG 585V7 modem was integrated, including all relevant configuration files
• The modem configuration software embedded within inode Companion was also provided as a standalone software application (m2modemconfig), enabling users to dynamically switch between individual broadband modes (single/multi-user)

For further product information on inode Companion and its features, please refer to the following pages

inode Companion 2008 (launch: August 2008)

In the autumn of 2008, mquadr.at took the relaunch of "inode Companion", software that has performed successfully in the field for many years, as an opportunity to adapt the application in line with current technological state of the art.

With the company's acquisition by UPC, adjustments to the tool's layout and appearance (UI, GUI, banners, logos, labels and editorial content) were necessary on all software levels. In the course of these adjustments, the powerful Internet set-up and support tool was technologically updated and enhanced with new functionality.

The most important technical adaptations and new functionalities are succinctly listed below. Of course, any features of previous releases, as described on the following page, remain available for the customer.

General adaptations:

• Vista support
• Automatic WLAN configuration
• VoIP configuration
• Firefox 3.0 support
• Improved e-mail configuration
• New components for faster configuration and increased software stability

Product-specific and functional enhancements:

• inode Config: The Internet installation software based on m2webalizer (for dial-in, ADSL and xDSL) was basically enhanced with two main features. On the one hand, automatic WLAN configuration was integrated. The software now supports wireless network set-up and configuration with just a few mouse clicks. On the other hand, a specific "expert mode" for WLAN settings was included. Experienced users may thereby choose their preferred encryption method, for example.
• inode modemconfig (for Alcatel/Zyxel/Fritz!Box): The modem configuration software integrated in the set-up process, m2modemconfig, now supports various new models of AVM's Fritz!Box in addition to previously supported hardware (Alcatel, Thomson, ZyXEL). Therefore, inode customers are now able to configure the Fritz!Box automatically (WLAN, VoIP)..

inode Companion 2006 (launch: January 2007)

Due to necessary technical enhancements to inode Companion, as well as new requirements by inode/UPC, the software was completely redesigned in January. Alongside complete adjustment to the new design and the integration of all new inode products, the whole set-up procedure and its usability was improved considerably: Major technical innovation went into Internet installation and configuration, enabling an even quicker set-up of the inode Internet connection and its corresponding modem configuration. The underlying mquadr.at products are still the same, however they were adjusted accordingly and upgraded with some new functionalities. Here are some examples, to name but a few:

• inode Config: Is the Internet access routine based on m2webalizer (for dial- in, ADSL, xDSL). For ADSL, customers can select between single and multi-user set-up (including the corresponding modem configuration). In addition to other well-established functionalities, this new release also includes the set-up of inode Telenode (VoIP) access via Fritz!Box as well as the corresponding Internet connection. Also, inode customers can choose if they wish to set up their e-mail address during Internet access configuration. As well as providing a choice of installation type (standard or custom), inode Config also checks the client system for an activated firewall. If the required firewall settings are not activated, customers will be informed accordingly. Last but not least, Firefox was included as an alternative browser.
• inode Modemconfig (for Alcatel/Zyxel/Fritz!Box): m2modemconfig was specifically adapted for UPC Austria to support the new Alcatel ADSL modems 546 and 585. For all supported xDSL ZyXEL modems, a new type of communication (SNMP) was introduced to avoid unwanted password detection. A remarkable innovation of this release is the fact that inode Modemconfig now performs the automatic configuration of the AVM Fritz!Box modems Fon 5010 and Fon WLAN 7140!
• inode FTP: During Internet configuration m2ftp is preconfigured with the user data retrieved from inode servers and installed automatically on the user's system. As a result, users are immediately able to use this FTP client in the new inode design without having to enter hostname, username or password.

inode 2004 - 2005

inode Companion 2005

inode Config (launch: Version 2, August 2004)

For the new 2005 edition, the Internet installation routine inode Config underwent major revision and improvement. In addition to well established dial-in, ADSL and xDSL single-user Internet products, inode Config now also supports inode xDSL multi-user and wireless installation. These two new options were included in inode Config together with VPN and DHCP as alternative configurations for Inode multi-user products. In addition, inode Config was adapted in such a way that any inode xDSL Internet access is established as a PPPoE connection on Microsoft® Windows XP systems. Well-tested VPN connections are, from now on, exclusively used for xDSL accounts on operating systems other than Microsoft® Windows XP.

The browser Opera represents another major addition to the revised set-up routine. Within the fully automatic installation process, Opera can be installed on the user's system and configured according to Inode requirements. If Internet users select Opera as their preferred browser, the respective e-mail client Opera M2 is configured and all relevant e-mail accounts are created accordingly.

Major simplification of the underlying ADSL installation could be achieved by merging m2modemconfig - the configuration software for ADSL modems - with inode Config. As a result, Inode ADSL installation finally presents itself as an all-embracing, well thought-out process, sparing customers the trouble of configuring their modem manually.

Apart from the changes mentioned above, adjustments to Inode's new corporate design and major improvement of the application's usability, all basic features of inode Config remain unchanged. Therefore, when the Internet installation has finished, customer-specific data is fetched from the Inode server in order to configure the browser and e-mail client accordingly.

inode modemconfig (launch: June 2004)

As mentioned above, one of the major modifications to inode Config 2005 involves the integration of m2modemconfig, the configuration software for ADSL modems. Since the SpeedTouch 510 ADSL modems are delivered to Austrian customers without the correct configuration protocol and correct VC/VP values, mquadr.at has developed a software application that can be combined with the Internet installation routine and that implements all relevant settings automatically. During installation, Inode Modemconfig is saved in the inode program folder, enabling modem configuration at any time in the future.

m2FTP (launch: July 2003)

It goes without saying that the 2005 version of inode Companion is once again equipped with the well-tried mquadr.at FTP client.

During the configuration process, m2ftpm2ftp is configured with the user data provided by the Inode server and is subsequently installed onto the user's PC. As a result, users can easily establish a connection to the respective Inode server in order to upload their files or download them from their Web space. m2ftp covers all features inherent in a conventional FTP client and is displayed in the "look & feel" of Inode.

inode Companion 2004 (launch: January 2004)

Within Inode's first Internet companion, mquadr.at was responsible for the design of the fully automatic installation software inode Config, which includes set-up and configuration of all Inode Internet access products, such as dial-in, ADSL and xDSL. First, the main configuration of the user's PC (DUN network connection, VPN, configuration of network interface card, browser, etc.) is carried out automatically within just a few seconds. Then, a special software add-on, the inode Config live update, carries out the personalised configuration of browser and e-mail client.

To round off the inode Companion offer, m2webcenter was adjusted to Inode's requirements. "inode Center" includes ADSL and xDSL-specific features (such as network settings, VPN and ADSL configuration) and facilitate concise administration and management of all settings relevant for your Internet access.

With the help of m2ftp, which is automatically set up and pre-configured with user-specific data retrieved from the server, Inode customers can easily administer their Web space and carry out up- and downloads.

zyxel modem configurator (launch: September 2005)

In order to achieve major cost reduction and simplification in the user-specific set-up of Zyxel 660x modems for inode xDSL Internet accounts, inode Config was once again equipped with a new, innovative feature. Before the actual set-up of Internet access (including configuration of browser and e-mail client), Zyxel modem configuration automatically checks the type of modem connected to the user's PC, as well as its integrated files. After new firmware has been implemented in the modem, a connection to the inode portal is established. Once users have entered their personal username and password, the Zyxel modem is configured automatically based on the respective product specifications. This is once again followed by the final, user-specific set-up of the xDSL Internet account, including system checks, set-up of all relevant connection settings, browser and e-mail configuration, etc. Since the configuration of Zyxel 660 modems has until now been carried out manually, this automated process leads to major cost reduction. At the same time, Inode customers benefit from a standard and user-friendly configuration process, which can be completed without requiring any technical know-how.

inode Center (launch: Version 2, January 2005)

The The cutting-edge Internet administration software inode Center (m2webcenter) represents another essential component of the Internet software specifically developed for Inode. Alongside improvements to the user interfaces (such as dynamic presentation of user data) and integration of the new Inode design, a large number of new features were included in inode Center 2005. The new release of inode Center includes comprehensive diagnostic tools, such as IP Config or traceroute, by means of which Inode-specific Internet settings can be easily checked and faults quickly detected. A status report includes a complete overview of all relevant data and facilitates efficient communication between users and support agents in the case of connectivity problems. Customised wizards enable automatic set-up or repair of any Inode Internet access.

Last but not least, inode Center 2005 includes support for the Opera browser. All relevant browser settings, as well as e-mail configurations for Opera M2, can be easily administered within this newly designed category.