In article <1994Aug29.181256.28540@miavx1>, [log in to unmask] (Clayton L. Hines) wrote: :Why is it that for the last two weeks or so, when I dial in to the mainframe :and choose MIAVX1 at the Gandalf data switch, it tells me: : :SERVICE DISABLED - This service is temporarily unavailalbe. :Please use class v1. : :This precludes the use of 8-bit word length, and I am unable to transfer any :files from the VAX to my PC, unless I want to use (gulp) Kermit. Will the :8-bit connection be available any time soon? : As a work-around, you could get an updated Kermit client, set your packet lengths to 1000, set blocks to 2 and get decent Kermit downloads. Note that this works much better with text files rather than binary files, but it really isn't too bad. No matter how good your zmodem client is, the zmodem on the MCUG library (unless it has recently been updated) is pretty old and does not provide many of the state-of-the-art transfers one has come to expect from zmodem. The problem with C-Kermit is that many of the clients are so old that they still only receive small packets not using sliding windows. Hopefully, you'll find a newer Kermit at kermit.columbia.edu. Maybe it won't be any faster than your zmodem (or, maybe it will be for text files), but it will be faster than your older Kermit. John ---- Mome Raths BBS, Oxford, OH, (513)523-7887 OS/2, DOS, Windows, Pix, 28.8 modem