Menu
Your Cart

SocketWrench

SocketWrench

Need more information on this product?

Please contact us on +44 (0)20 8733 7100 or via our online form.

Contact Us

If you are not currently a customer, you can apply for an account.

Register here




.NET component, ActiveX control and dynamic link library (DLL) that simplifies Microsoft Windows Sockets programming for professional developers.

SocketWrench is a general purpose TCP/IP networking component designed to simplify the development of Internet client and server applications. Using SocketWrench, users can connect to any service over the Internet, and can create own custom servers. The product includes a managed .NET component for Visual Studio 2003 and later versions, an ActiveX control for use in languages like Visual Basic, Visual FoxPro and PowerBuilder, as well as a standard dynamic link library (DLL) which can be used with virtually any Windows programming language.

There are three SocketWrench Editions

SocketWrench .NET Class: SocketWrench includes a managed class library designed for the .NET Framework that can be used with Visual Studio .NET 2003 and later versions, including Visual Studio 2012. SocketWrench provides full support for general purpose Internet programming and can be used to create both client server applications. The .NET class also includes support for secure connections using the industry standard SSL and TLS protocols. By simply setting a few properties, a secure connection using strong encryption can be established, providing your application with the greatest flexibility and highest level of security available. The SocketWrench .NET class interface is similar to the interface used by the ActiveX version of the component, simplifying the transition between the two development platforms. Developers who are familiar with the ActiveX control will find the .NET class to be just as easy to use.

SocketWrench ActiveX Control: SocketWrench includes an ActiveX control for development using languages such as Visual Basic 6.0, FoxPro and PowerBuilder. For developers who must maintain legacy applications or prefer to use ActiveX/COM components, SocketWrench offers a way to easily include Internet functionality in an application. In addition to supporting standard network connections, SocketWrench also supports secure, encrypted connections using the industry standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. And unlike some other components which depend on third-party libraries for their security features, SocketWrench uses only standard Windows libraries, which means that there are no complex redistribution requirements.

SocketWrench Library: For developers who prefer a lower-level interface, SocketWrench also includes a standard Windows dynamic link library (DLL) which can be used with virtually any programming language. The SocketWrench library provides an API that is very similar to the standard Windows API, and uses common data types for broad compatibility. Function declarations (prototypes) and constants are included for C/C++, Visual Basic, PowerBASIC and several other languages. Whether you want to create client or server applications, the SocketWrench API includes everything you need in a single library. It is important to note that the SocketWrench DLL is not a COM component, and does not require registration or have any complex redistribution requirements. All you need to do is copy the library to same folder as your application executable, and you're done.

Key Features

  • Includes a managed component written in C#, compatible with any .NET language
  • Includes an ATL based ActiveX control compatible with most languages
  • Includes a Windows dynamic link library (DLL) for maximum performance
  • Fully compatible with Visual Studio 2003/2005/2008/2010/2012
  • Versions 1.1, 2.0 and 4.0 of the .NET Framework are supported
  • Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms
  • Low resource utilization and no external dependencies on third-party libraries
  • Simplifies the development of networking applications
  • Supports both IPv4 and IPv6 network connections
  • Support for both synchronous and asynchronous network connections
  • Easily create both secure client and server applications
  • Support for the standard SSL and TLS security protocols with up to 256-bit encryption
  • Support for client certificates when required by the remote host
  • Support for both implicit and explicit SSL and TLS connections
  • Thread-safe implementation with full support for multithreaded applications
  • An extensive Developer's Guide and online Technical Reference
  • A professional technical support staff and extensive online support resources
  • No runtime licensing fees or additional royalties

SocketWrench - Features

Socket Wrench Standard Edition Socket Wrench Secure Edition Socket Wrench .NET Edition System Requirements Support Licensing

Socket Wrench Standard Edition

The SocketWrench Standard Edition comprises a library and ActiveX control that uses the Microsoft Windows Sockets API to provide basic TCP/IP networking functionality for applications. Support is provided through the component for TCP and UDP protocols and the complete Windows Sockets API. Virtually any type of application that needs to communicate with another either on a local network or over the Internet can be written using the SocketWrench Standard Edition without external dependencies on third-party libraries.

New features in version 4.5 include:

  • The ActiveX controls and libraries have been optimized to reduce their size and improve networking performance under high latency conditions
  • The core networking code used to establish secure SSL/TLS connections has been modified to address various compatibility issues with Windows 95 and Windows 98. Those operating systems no longer require that the Active Directory Services client be installed or modification to the system registry
  • Corrected a problem where the CryptoAPI library was not being initialized correctly under some circumstances. This would cause errors indicating that the server certificate was invalid, even though there was no problem with the certificate
  • Corrected a problem with secure read operations that could immediately timeout on a blocking connection, ignoring the timeout period specified by the caller
  • Addressed a memory leak that could occur when a secure connection was closed. This would only occur if multiple connections were established using the same instance of the control.

Features include:

    Optimised for 32-bit platforms with improved performance and reliability with less overhead, reduced memory requirements and higher overall throughput. SocketWrench is compatible with all 32-bit Intel based Windows platforms from Windows 98 to Windows XP
  • Improved interface allows developers to implement the same functionality with fewer lines of code
  • Simplified distribution requires that the single SocketWrench component is re-distributed. There are no external third-party file dependencies to complicate installations on target platforms
  • Includes a Remote Access Dialer control for creating, modifying and establishing dial-up networking connections to Internet service providers and corporate WANs using the SLIP and PPP protocols
  • Includes a File Encoding control and library for compressing, encoding and decoding files in several common formats including base64 and quoted printable
  • Includes ActiveX controls, standard dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) and C++ class wrappers and can be used with virtually any Windows software development tool
  • More than four hundred pages of documentation including a revised tutorial that covers secure sockets programming and a new tutorial for building a client/server application and a guide to migrating applications that use the Freeware Edition control
  • New and revised sample programs to demonstate how to use SocketWrench including a complete FTP client and an HTTP server example.

Socket Wrench Secure Edition

SocketWrench Secure Edition comprises a library and ActiveX control that uses the Microsoft Windows Sockets API to provide basic TCP/IP networking functionality for applications. Standard and secure (SSL) client and server capability is provided through the component as well as support for TCP and UDP protocols. Three standard security protocols are supported: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) versions 2.0 and 3.0, Private Communication Technology (PCT) version 1.0 and Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.0. Virtually any type of application that needs to communicate with another either on a local network or over the Internet can be written using the SocketWrench Secure Edition without external dependencies on third-party libraries.

New features in version 4.5 include:

  • The ActiveX controls and libraries have been optimized to reduce their size and improve networking performance under high latency conditions
  • The core networking code used to establish secure SSL/TLS connections has been modified to address various compatibility issues with Windows 95 and Windows 98. Those operating systems no longer require that the Active Directory Services client be installed or modification to the system registry
  • Corrected a problem where the CryptoAPI library was not being initialized correctly under some circumstances. This would cause errors indicating that the server certificate was invalid, even though there was no problem with the certificate
  • Corrected a problem with secure read operations that could immediately timeout on a blocking connection, ignoring the timeout period specified by the caller
  • Addressed a memory leak that could occur when a secure connection was closed. This would only occur if multiple connections were established using the same instance of the control.

Features include:

  • Client/Server Applications:client and server capability includes support for standard and secure (SSL) connections. Virtually any type of application that needs to communicate with another on a local network or over the Internet can be written using SocketWrench. Build virtually any type of application using the TCP or UDP protocols
  • Internet Security: establish secure connections with remote servers and enable Socket Wrench to function as a secure server itself
  • Dial-Up Networking: a Remote Access Services (RAS) dialer control enables the creation, modification and establishment of dial-up networking connections to Internet service providers and corporate WANs using the SLIP and PPP protocols
  • Secure Communications: are supported allowing developers to create custom secure client and server applications as well as connecting to standard secure servers
  • Standard SSL 2.0 and 3.0 Protocols: the TLS 1.0 protocol and the PCT 1.0 protocol for secure communications are implemented with support for up to 128-bit encryption
  • Optimised for 32-bit platforms: the control and library has improved performance and reliability with less overhead, reduced memory requirements and higher overall throughput
  • Compatibilty: with all 32-bit Intel based Windows platforms from Windows 95 to Windows XP
  • Improved Interface: implement the same functionality with fewer lines of code and easier to read source code
  • Simplified Distribution: re-distribute the single SocketWrench component; there are no external third-party file dependencies that can complicate installations on target platforms
  • File Encoding Control and Library: for compressing, encoding and decoding files in several common formats including base64 and quoted printable
  • Documentation: including a revised tutorial that covers secure sockets programming, a new tutorial for building a client/server application and a guide to migrating applications that use the Freeware Edition control
  • Sample Programs: new and revised and including a complete FTP client, secure HTTP client and an HTTP server example.

Socket Wrench .NET Edition

The SocketWrench .NET Edition is a managed code class that simplifies the task of developing TCP/IP networking applications in Visual Studio .NET using any of the available programming languages such as Visual Basic and C#. SocketWrench is ideal for the developer who requires the features and functionality of the native socket classes, without the inherent complexities and learning curve typically involved with network programming. The class provides a comprehensive interface that makes it easy to build both client and server applications, with full support for the TCP and UDP protocols as well as raw sockets.

SocketWrench also includes support for secure, encrypted connections using the industry standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. There's no need for you to understand the details of certificate management, data encryption or how the security protocols work. Secure sessions can be established just by setting a few properties and SocketWrench takes care of the rest. You can easily create secure client and server applications, and there's support for advanced features like client certificates and protocol selection.

For developers who have used the ActiveX version of SocketWrench, you'll immediately find yourself in familiar territory. The SocketWrench .NET class interface has properties, methods and events that are very similar to the control that you've used in languages like Visual Basic 6.0. It is important to keep in mind that SocketWrench .NET is a managed code class, not a wrapper around the ActiveX control, so there will be some inherent differences. However, whenever possible the class interface was designed to make the transition from the ActiveX control as easy as possible.

Features include:

  • Managed code class written in C#, compatible with any Visual Studio.NET language
  • An interface that is very similar to the SocketWrench COM interface
  • Low resource utilization and no external dependencies on third-party libraries
  • An interface design that greatly simplifies the development of networking applications
  • Support for both synchronous and asynchronous network connections
  • Easily create both secure client and server applications
  • Support for the standard SSL and TLS security protocols with 128-bit encryption
  • Support for client certificates when required by the remote host
  • Support for both implicit and explicit SSL and TLS connections
  • Thread-safe implementation with full support for multithreaded applications
  • An extensive Developer's Guide and online Technical Reference
  • A professional technical support staff and extensive online support resources
  • No runtime licensing fees or additional royalties
  • A trusted company with over 10 years of experience developing Internet components

System Requirements

  • Windows XP, 2000, NT (SP5), ME, 98 or 95 (OSR2)
  • Intel Pentium or compatible processor 32 MB system memory 15 MB disk space.

The minimum processor, memory and disk requirements are for SocketWrench only. It is recommended that Intel Pentium class processors be used with 64 MB of memory for 32-bit platforms for adequate system performance. It is recommended that Windows NT and Windows 2000 server systems use Intel Pentium II class processors and 128 MB of memory or more. Although the SocketWrench controls and libraries do not use Internet Explorer directly, they do use several libraries that are included with Internet Explorer. These libraries are part of the base operating system under Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5 or later) and Windows ME. Internet Explorer 5.5 or later is required to be installed in Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Support

Support is available in the following subscriptions:

  • Standard Support Subscription: for the single developer with occasional technical questions requiring a guaranteed response time. This subscription plan has the following features:
    • Unlimited technical support by e-mail and fax for any installation, development, debugging and re-distribution problems for a single product
    • All responses are guaranteed within two business days with most questions responded to by the next business day
    • Automatic e-mail notification of new product updates, service packs and hotfixes as they become available
    • A 25% discount on purchases of additional product licences
    • A 15% renewal discount if purchased within 30 days of subscription expiry.
  • Priority Support Subscription: for the single developer with frequent technical questions requiring telephone and e-mail support. This subscription plan has the following features:
    • Unlimited technical support by telephone for any installation, development, debugging and re-distribution problems for a single product
    • Unlimited technical support by e-mail and fax for any installation, development, debugging and re-distribution problems for a single product
    • All responses are guaranteed within one business day with most questions responded to on the same day
    • Precedence over standard support problems including corrections made to a product, product component or library
    • Corrections that require a source code change to resolve a problem will be made available to the developer as a hotfix at no additional charge
    • Free updates to new versions of the product as it is released
    • Automatic e-mail notification of new product updates, service packs and hotfixes as they become available. Subscribers are entitled to free service pack updates and hotfixes for the product
    • A 25% discount on purchases of additional product licences
    • A 15% renewal discount if purchased within 30 days of subscription expiry.
  • Premium Support Subscription: for multiple developers with one or more licences providing telephone and e-mail support for multiple Catalyst products. This subscription plan has the following features:
    • Unlimited technical support by telephone for any installation, development, debugging and re-distribution problems for multiple licences and/or multiple products
    • Unlimited technical support by e-mail and fax for any installation, development, debugging and re-distribution problems for multiple products
    • All responses are guaranteed within one business day with most questions responded to on the same day
    • Precedence over standard and priority support problems including corrections made to a product, product component or library
    • Corrections that require a source code change to resolve a problem will be made available to the developer as a hotfix at no additional charge
    • Free updates to new versions of a product as it is released. Each product may be updated if the subscriber has purchased multiple products
    • Automatic e-mail notification of new product updates, service packs and hotfixes as they become available
    • A 35% discount on purchases of additional product licences
    • A 15% renewal discount if purchased within 30 days of subscription expiry.

     Free SupportIncident SupportStandard SupportPriority Support Premium Support
    e-mail Support60 daysOne incidentUnlimited UnlimitedUnlimited
    Telephone Support One incident Unlimited Unlimited
    Guaranteed Response Time Same day2 days maximum 1 day maximum1 day maximum
    Support Coverage Hourly, one incident Annual, one product Annual, one productAnnual, multiple products
    Update Notification  XX X
    Free Updates and Hotfixes1XX XXX
    Free Product Upgrades2    XX
    On-Demand Hotfixes X X X
    Multiple Licence Discounts  25% 25%35%
    Renewal Discount  15%15% 15%
    1 Includes service pack updates and hotfixes for the same version of the product, where the product build number changes but the major and minor version number does not change. 2 Includes updates to later versions of the same product, where the major or minor version number has changed.

    Licensing

    Click here to read the licensing agreement.

    SocketWrench - System Requirements

    • Microsoft Windows 98, ME, NT 4x, 2000 or XP
    • Intel Pentium processor
    • 64 MB RAM
    • 10 MB available hard disk space.