Category Archives: SocketTools

SocketTools 7.2 Released

SocketTools 7.2 has been released and is a recommended update for developers who are currently using version 7.0 or 7.1. This update includes a new text messaging (SMS gateway) component, as well as new features, fixes and improvements to existing components. We’ve added support for secure connections using TLS version 1.1 and 1.2, support for compressed HTTP downloads, and there’s a number of new functions, properties and methods that we’ve added to our e-mail related components to make them easier to work with. We’ve also made some significant improvements to the documentation, and by popular request, we’ve included printable PDF versions of the help as well.

This is a free update for customers using version 7.x, and is a complete package that replaces the previous version. Note that because of the version change, we recommend that you uninstall the previous version of SocketTools before installing 7.2. This update also applies to the related products such as SocketWrench, SocketTools File Transfer and SocketTools Internet Mail.

You can download it using the same link that you were provided with when you ordered the software. The release notes are available on our website.

SocketTools 7.1 Released

SocketTools 7.1 has been released and is a recommended update for developers who are currently using 7.0. This new release includes some general network performace improvements, FTP/SFTP and SSH changes to improve server compatibility and a number of fixes. This is a free update for licensed developers, and is a complete package that replaces the previous version. Note that because of the version change, we recommend that you uninstall version 7.0 before installing 7.1. This update also applies to the related products such as SocketWrench, SocketTools File Transfer and SocketTools Internet Mail.

You can download it using the same link that you were provided with when you ordered the software. The release notes are available on our website.

World IPv6 Day

Today has been designated as World IPv6 Day, when the largest Internet backbones and many of the major Internet search engines and social network sites will test IPv6 deployment. It was originally promoted earlier this year by Akamai, Facebook, Google, Limelight and Yahoo to determine if there were any major problems with IPv6 connectivity and to generally promote the transition away from the legacy IPv4 protocol that is still predominantly used.

For those of you with an IPv6 connection, you can test that connection to us using ipv6.catalyst.com. If your IPv6 connectivity is limited to tunneling using Teredo, most browsers will not be able to connect to the site because they won’t resolve a host name to an IPv6 address if Teredo is the only IPv6 interface configured on the local system. Note that SocketTools works a bit differently. If a host name only has an IPv6 address associated with it, it will attempt to connect to the system, even if the only IPv6 interface is a Teredo tunnel.

SocketTools 7 NewsFeed Control

SocketTools 7 introduces a new component that makes it simple to access news feeds that use RSS. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a collection of standardized formats that are used to publish information about content that is frequently changed. A news feed is published in XML format, which contains one or more items that includes summary text, hyperlinks to source content and additional metadata that is used to describe the item. News feeds can be used for a variety of purposes, including providing updates for weblogs, news headlines, video and audio content. RSS can also be used for other purposes, such as a software updates, where new updates are listed as items in the feed. Continue reading →

SocketTools 7.0 Released

We’re pleased to announce that SocketTools 7.0 and SocketWrench 7.0 have been released and are available for download. Upgrade pricing is available for developers who are currently using version 6.0 or earlier, and those with active SocketTools Subscriptions can download a free update to the new release. We would also like to thank those developers who beta tested for us, your participation and feedback was a significant part of improving SocketTools.

Download Product
Online Documentation
Order Upgrade

SocketTools Native 64-bit Support

One of the most requested features for SocketTools 7 is native 64-bit support for Windows. Although most Windows installations today continue to be 32-bit, along with the vast majority of application software, there is no question that 64-bit platforms are growing in popularity. It’s estimated that approximately 50% of the Windows 7 installations are the 64-bit version, and virtually all desktop and laptop PCs sold in the past 5 years have 64-bit processors. Continue reading →

SocketTools 7 Beta Test

We’re pleased to announce the beginning of the SocketTools 7 Beta Test. If you’re interested in working with the next release of SocketTools and providing feedback on its features, you can join the testing group. You don’t need to be a current customer to join the beta test, but we have a limited number of slots and would prefer developers who are experienced with the product. Please note that this will require that you sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to remain in force until the product is released. Continue reading →

Introducing IPv6 in SocketTools 7

One of the new features in SocketTools 7 will be support for IPv6 networks, in addition to IPv4 that most developers are already familiar with. Although IPv6 has been getting a lot of attention recently, it’s actually been around for quite a while now. Work on the protocol began in the early 1990’s and there have been public IPv6 networks that have existed for over a decade now. However, up to this point it has never gained much traction and IPv4 remains the dominant protocol used over the Internet. This is in the process of changing however, because we’re rapidly approaching the exhaustion of new IPv4 addresses. If you develop software that accesses the Internet, this affects you. Continue reading →

SocketTools 6.0 Support

We’ve been hard at work with the next version of SocketTools and plan for it to be released in the first quarter of 2011. There will be some significant changes in the next release, such as native support for 64-bit platforms and IPv6. We’re doing everything we can to make the transition as seamless as possible for developers who are currently using 6.0, but some coding changes will be required to accommodate those differences. For example, IPv6 addresses have a completely different format than the current IPv4 addresses you’re all familiar with, so any program that allows a user to input an IP address or stores an address needs to be reviewed. However, because of these changes, a lot of developers have been asking about what our plans are to continue to support for version 6.0, after the next version is released. Continue reading →

Third-party Compilers

One of the questions that we often get about the SocketTools Library Edition is about support for other C/C++ compilers and third-party languages. As a collection of standard dynamic link libraries (DLLs), SocketTools can be used by virtually any programming language available for the Windows platform. The documentation is primarily focused around Visual C++ development because that’s what the majority of developers who use the Library Edition are working with, but it’s by no means limited to just Microsoft’s compilers. As long as your favorite language is capable of calling functions in the Windows API, you can use the SocketTools Library Edition. Continue reading →