Protocols	What are protocols and why are they important?
TCP/IP	What is TCP/IP?
URL	What is a URL?
Call Waiting.	What should I do if I have Call Waiting?
Cache Files.	What are Cache Files?
Provider settings.	What Provider settings do I need to know?
How to AT Commands.	How To Send AT Commands Your Modem.
ID your Modem.	How To Identify Your Modem.
Common Problems and Fixes.
Connecting Problems.	Problems connecting to provider, ( After it has worked ).
Try Restarting.	Problems Connecting, Restart.
Phone Lines.	Problems Connecting, CHK Phone Lines.
CHK Modem Settings.	Before you Reinstall.
Modem Removal	Modem Removal from registry.
Before you Reinstall.	Check modem settings.
Reinstall your Modem.	Reinstalling your Modem.
Not dialing Provider.	Not dialing Provider, Busy Signal, Operator Message, No Dial Tone, Misc Dialing Problems.
Software Setup.	Software setup Problems.
US West DSL Internet access.	Now IE wont connect.
Call for Help.	Before Calling.

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What are protocols and why are they important? The Internet isn't a single network. It's thousands of networks working with millions of computers. In addition to sheer size, the networks have different computer platforms, operating systems, applications, modems, and connecting lines. When you think about it, it's a wonder that all these networks and computers can actually communicate with one another. What makes that communication possible are a series of agreed ways of doing things called protocols . The next two questions look at the most important protocols. Top of page What is TCP/IP? This is the Internet's fundamental communications system. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol . TCP/IP was created in the early days of the Internet so that various government/research/industry networks could communicate the same way. It worked so well that it's still the standard. Today, virtually any computer can be configured with TCP/IP so it can work with the Internet. Top of page What is a URL? For one computer to talk to another computer, it needs to know where that other computer is. The URL gives the address. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator . It contains the exact location for a file somewhere on the Internet, along with the format the file is in. A URL, for example is "www.microsoft.com/", this would connect you to Microsofts home page. Top of page What should I do if I have Call Waiting? Call waiting is a great feature for people who use the telephone a lot. However, it can be a real problem if you're connected to the Internet. That's because it will cut off your Internet connection every time you get a phone call unless you take a few simple steps. To temporarily turn off Call Waiting only while you're connected to internet, double-click My Computer on the desktop. Then double-click on your Control Panel, then on Modem. When the display box comes up, click on dialing properties, you`ll see Call Waiting. You'll see a pull down menu that offers several choices. Click on *70 ( this one will work in most cases ). Now when you're on the Internet, your phone calls will go to your answering device/service or your caller will hear a busy signal. Top of page What are Cache Files? When you visit a Web site, your Web browser stores copies of pages and graphics on your computer in something called cache files. The next time you go to that site, the browser will check the cache to see if it has visited the site earlier. If the browser sees that it has already been there, it will load and display the site from your cache, ( you may want to click the refresh button to get the newest update of the page ). This makes the loading process faster and reduces the work of the network. "NOTE:" Every now and then, it's a good idea to clean out your disk cache. Yes, cache files can speed loading; but they can also cause problems if your cache is filled up ( there maybe a limit set on your cache in your brower or your hard drive is full or fragmented ). Go into your browser's help file for instructions. Top of page What Provider settings do I need to know? In addition to your user name and e-mail address, there are a few other settings you may need to know : Local number of provider: = ? SMTP mail server (Out going): = ? POP3 mail server (In Coming): = ? DNS addresses: = ? Top of page Common Problems and Fixes. If you're having trouble connecting to your internet provider, try these troubleshooting tips first. Have you installed any new hardware? something that may use a comport or the LPT port, does it work when I uninstall it? Try restarting your PC. Check your modem/PC/phone line connections. do you have a surge protector on the PHONE LINE. a large number of modem damage is caused by a surge from the phone line. the manufactor will not cover this ). Reconfigure your modem control panel. is there more than 1 modem listed? Re-Install the modem driver. Re-enter the local access number. Try running the set-up software again. Call Provider. It could be a problem on their end: sever down, local number problems? Have you made any changes to your computer? Have you added any new HW, SW or made any changes? Top of page Try restarting your PC. This is the first thing to try if you've been connected to internet in the past and now you can't get through. Also, if you have an external modem. (a modem that sits beside your computer). turn that off. Wait 20 - 30 seconds or more. ( this gives the modem time to clear the buffers ) turn modem back on. Shut your computer down & wait 2 - 3 minutes. turn computer back on. ( this gives the computer time to clear the buffers ). Top of page Check your modem/PC/phone line connections. Connect the phone line to a phone, does it work ? If you are using an audix to answer your phone. you may need to add 2 comas ,, in front of the number or they can be added in the control panel, under your modem settings as a predialed number, ( some phone companys give you beeps to tell you have messages when you pick up the phone ). If you don't get a dial tone, this can be a quick fix. Make sure that all the connections are plugged into the right places and that they're all secure. Your phone line, for example, might be plugged into a phone jack instead of the modem. ( on the back of the modem ), Don't feel dumb. It happens all the time. If you have an external modem, be sure it's turned on. If you still don't get a dial tone. try disconnecting any devices between your modem and the phone line that is connected into the wall. They may be drawing too much power from the phone line. Top of page Reconfigure your modem control panel. If you get a message saying your modem is being used by another dial-up network connection, try this. Double click on "My Computer" on the desktop, then on "Control Panel," then on "Modems." Is there more than 1 modem installed ? if yes, uninstall both. restart & reinstall your modem. click on the dianotics tab, highlight the port your modem is installed on. click on more info button a message will appear. ( it will take about 30 seconds ) you get a window with alot of commands & responds. under the responds you could look for any that say error. Go back to the modem properties window & Highlight the modem you should be connected to if it isn't highlighted already then click on Properties. click on another Com Port & try the modem test again. Top of page Before you remove & reinstall your modem. Check to see if you have another app using your modem. Sometimes you will have an app that has engaged your modem port when your computer starts. Some of these programs are: faxing programs. any internet programs. "virus", or a program which was downloaded to connect to your computer when your computer starts, or when you connect to the internet. one sign of this is your modem speed has dropped. another way to check this would be to see whats running in the back ground. check the startup group, or registry editor under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run look for: systray, unnamed entries, entries that are unknown. Top of page Re-Install the modem driver. If you still get a display saying your modem is being used by another dial-up network connection another step you can take is to: un-install. restart. re-install the modem driver. Documentation for Windows 95/98/NT or for your modem will have instructions. Top of page "NOTE" Most any hardware or software changes you make to your computer do not take affect until you restart, also during reboot you may get an error that will help you troubleshoot the problem. Top of page Re-enter the local access number. Look at the number the modem is dialing. is there a 1 added ? does it work if you pickup the handset before dialing. this could be a sign of low voltage on the phone line. If the computer you're dialing into is not answering. a quick fix can be re-entering the providers access number. From the Tools menu, go to Configure. When the providers Internet Configuration screen appears. click on Connection, and then the Edit Number button. Type in the appropriate access number. Top of page Try running the set-up software again. On your end, you may have a problem with a modem that's not correctly configured with the Windows 95/98 dialer setup or your providers SW. You could try running the setup software again and see if that helps. Top of page If you need to call the manufactor, provider or software vendor: It's also a good idea to have the following information on hand: Any error messages you've received. Your user name and password. The brand and model of your computer. The brand, model and speed of your modem. How much hard disk space you have available. Your operating system and version number. How much RAM your computer has. If you have 2 modems in your system. You maybe on your own, Most tech support wont support more than 1 modem. If your trying to connect through a network. You`ll need to contact your network people, Most tech support wont support more than basic networking. "NOTE" For information on these last 2 items, right-click on "My Computer" on your desktop, then click on "Properties," the information will be listed here, also if you click on device manger tab, it will give you more info on your modem & ports. Top of page How To Identify Your Modem. who made your no-name modem. Sometimes it's not important to know the exact manufacturer. The most common commands between modems are often the same. If you are using Windows 3.x, you probably don't need any specific modem driver. Lots of modems use a common chipset (such as Rockwell) on a board. Most of the time, you can find the chipset name printed on the largest chip on the modem, and sometimes you may find it by entering some of the AT "ID" commands (ATI1, ATI2, ATI3, etc.). in the screen of a communications program such as the Terminal and/or HyperTerminal programs. Terminal comes standard with Windows 3.x, and HyperTerminal is included with Win95/98. The ATI commands usually run up through 10 or 12, and you can learn a lot from them, such as the values in the s-registers, and sometimes even a list of modem commands. One of the ATI commands will usualy return some modem ID or chipset ID (Rockwell chipset ID's usually start with an "R"). If you know the chipset name, you can probably find drivers that you can download on the manufacturer's web site. Top of page How To Send AT Comands to Your Modem. HyperTerminal AT Commands To send AT commands to your modem(s), run the HyperTerminal program (HyperTrm.exe) which is usually found at Start, Programs, Accessories, HyperTerminal. In the "Connection Description" dialog box, enter the name "AT COMMANDS", choose any icon it offers, and click OK. On the "Connect Screen", do not enter a phone number, but rather click the down arrow on the "Connect Using" line and pick "Direct to Com#" (replace "Com#" with the communication port your modem is on). Save this session. From now on, just double click the "AT COMMANDS" icon to open a terminal screen within which you can communicate directly with your modem by AT commands. Top of page Modem Removal from registry. Here's that registry key removal tool that's on the 98 cd. Simply uninstall your modem - close all programs - run the .exe and it will attempt to clean the registry of those nasty registry keys. This tool is specifically helpful when windows automatically detects the modem and installs the same corrupt/incorrect driver continuously. Where the tool is located: On your windows 98 cd \DRIVERS\MODEM\3COM-USR\WINMODEM\wmregdel.exe Top of page US West DSL Internet access, Now IE wont connect. Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, then double-click on Internet Options. On the Connections tab, click on the button marked "Never dial a connection." Click on OK.

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