Using the Microsoft Internet Connection Wizard
Using the Microsoft Internet Connection Wizard
This document describes setting up TCP/IP on your Windows 95/98/2000/ME PC for use with an Internet connection and specifies the use of FOURnet Internet addresses. If you're using a computer with a different operating system such as a Mac or Linux box, you can use the same Internet (IP) addresses and dialup numbers with your Mac or Linux software, because the information is the same across all platforms.
If you've set up an Internet connection before and you're familiar with the process, you may prefer FOURnet's Quick Start Setup Guide. You may need to configure your modem if you do not already have a modem configured on your PC. This document assumes that your modem is already configured and tested.
Most recent Installations/Versions of Microsoft Windows 95/98/2000/ME include The Microsoft Internet Connection Wizard. Using this Wizard, it is easy to install Internet Connectivity on your Windows 95/98/2000/ME PC. You can run the Internet Connection Wizard in most cases by selecting:
Start -> Programs -> Internet Explorer -> Connection Wizard
If you don't find it on your menu try double clicking on the My Computer icon which is located on your Desktop, usually in the upper left hand corner of the Windows 95/98/2000/ME screen. Next, click on the Dial Up Networking icon, and then click on Make New Connection. This sequence will also lead you to the Internet Connection Wizard which we outline below.
NOTE: Your screens or the sequence may not be exactly as shown below because there are slight differences in versions of Windows, Internet Explorer, and the Internet Connection Wizard. Don't be concerned because the information required for your connection remains the same across all versions. If your version differs, and you aren't sure what information to supply in a given field, leave the default (pre-entered information which was supplied by the program itself) and proceed to the next step. Click on the "Next" button as each step is completed until you reach the box similar to the one shown.
A Get Connected dialog box will appear. If you've gotten
this far, you may follow the guided directions on screen.
To configure a new connection, under Setup Options, choose
I want to set up a new connection on this computer to my
existing Internet account using my phone line or local area
network.Some versions of Microsoft Internet Connection Wizards will instead give your the option:
I have an existing Internet account through my phone line or a local area network (LAN). Help me set up my computer to connect to this Internet account.
Choose the option for setting up an "existing" Internet account, whichever version of Microsoft's Internet Connection Wizard is installed on your computer.
A Set Up Your Internet Connection screen appears. Select
the option to Connect using my phone line. Click Next.
Click Next, then enter your phone number as you would dial it from your location. If your connection requires you to dial with an area code prepended to the telephone number, click the box for "dial using the area code".
If you are using a v.34 or K56 Flex modem, use the 291-6340 dialup. If you are using a v.90 or X2 capable modem, use the 295-4245 dialup. If you are using an older, less compatible modem and are having problems connecting, use the 291-1774 dialup number. Do not use a K56 Flex modem with the 295-4245 dialup. We recommend upgrading your K56Flex modem to the V.90 standard.As of April 2, 2001, Verizon changed local area dialing rules to mandatory area code usage or 10 digit dialing. Be sure to check the box for "Dial using the area code and country code" or if you're using Windows ME, choose
Start->Settings->Control Panel->Modems->Dialing Properties->Area Code Rules
Be sure that "Always dial the area code" (10 digit dialing) has a check mark in the box.
Click Next, and proceed to the Username and Password dialog box. When you enter your username, type using all lowercase letters. Be sure your CAPS lock button is off. Make sure that you don't append extra spaces before or after your username. Your password will print out on screen as a string of "*******" asterisks. This is normal. If you can count more than 8 asterisks in the password box, you've entered your password incorrectly. Delete the entry, and enter your password in the box again.
Your username is not your real name - it is your screen or "login" name. It should be eight characters or less and contains no spaces or uppercase letters. Your password was pre-arranged when you setup your FOURnet account. Enter it in the password box. Your password is case-sensitive (use uppercase if you specified this when you setup your account, or lowercase letters if you did not).
Click Next to proceed to the Advanced Settings dialog box.
You do not need to configure any advanced settings at this time.
Choose No in the Advanced Settings dialog box, then click Next to go on to the Dial-Up Connection Name box.
Enter FOURnet, and then choose Next.
Select Yes to set up your Internet Mail Account, then click Next.
Select Create a new Internet mail account. Then click Next.
You can enter your real name, or just use your login name here, whichever you want to appear publicly when mail that is sent by you is received by others. For example: If your username is jsmith, you can enter it here rather than Jane Smith. For simplicity, we recommend that you enter your username in this box. When you are done, click Next to go on to the next step.
Enter your email address in lowercase letters. The 'FOUR' can be upper or lowercase. Be sure to add a "." between 'FOUR' and 'net' to use the proper Domain name. Do not append a ".com" to four.net. This is your reply-to address, so be sure that you enter your correct username (not your real name) so that you will be able to receive email replies to mail which you send out. If you find others cannot reply to emails which you have sent them, examine the information entered in this box to be sure that you have entered your reply-to address correctly. Click Next to go on.
In the E-mail Server Names dialog box, enter mail.four.net as your POP3 mail server host. When you configure other Internet programs such as Eudora Email, etc., you may sometimes be asked to enter an SMTP server, POP, or POP3, or Mail server name. Always use mail.four.net as the mail server for these protocols.
Some email programs will offer options for using SSL protocols for sending mail. Be sure these options are NOT enabled. Internet mail servers rarely make use of these protocols and if you choose to use them, your mail program will not be open-standards Internet compatible.
In the Internet Mail Logon dialog box, configure the mail logon using your username and password (remember this is CASE sensitive).
Choose an easy to remember, descriptive name in this box. You can choose whatever you like in the box labeled Friendly Name. For simplicity, you can enter just your username in this box.
Now we will configure USENET News, or NNTP. Click Next to get to the screen below. If you are not interested in reading USENET News, you choose No and skip this section.
Choose Yes, then click Next to setup Internet News.
Choose Create a new Internet news account.
Enter Your Name as you would like it to appear publicly in USENET Newsgroups.
Enter your email address on the Internet News E-mail Address screen if you wish to receive email from USENET news groups. Then choose Next.
If you do not wish to receive replies by email, use nobody@four.net as your Internet News E-mail address. Some people prefer not to make their email address public in USENET newsgroups to avoid being added to SPAM (junk email) mailing lists. If you use nobody@four.net as your Internet News email address, you will not receive any replies by email. If you wish to receive email replies, then use your real email address.
Enter news.four.net for the Internet News Server Name. Choose Next.
Enter an easy to remember descriptive name for FOURnet's News Service in the Friendly Name dialog box and click Next to go on.The Internet Directory Service is not necessary for your FOURnet connection.
Choose No for Setup Your Internet Directory Service and then Next.While we are on this subject, we would like to take a moment to talk about some things you should be aware of before you sign up for any external (other than FOURnet) services, fill in any Web Form, post USENET news messages, or add your email address to any "Directory" services or "Free Email" services.
For your privacy, and to avoid being included in SPAM email lists, we recommend that you supply your email address to database services judiciously (ie be careful where you enter your email address outside of FOURnet. When you "list" yourself with external Internet services and fill in forms which request your email address, your email address is likely to be compiled into Mass E-mail lists which are sold with junk email programs and compiled into E-Mail address databases used by various companies).
Be especially careful NEVER TO SUPPLY YOUR FOURnet PASSWORD anywhere other than on a FOURnet service. Failure to keep your FOURnet password SECRET can mean that your account will no longer be secure and may be compromised. Remember, email addresses can be easily faked. FOURnet will NEVER send you an email requesting you to tell us what your password is. Ignore any such emails and forward them to support@four.net.If you have ever given out your FOURnet password to external mail services (such as Yahoo Free Email) be sure to change your FOURnet password as SOON as possible. It is NOT safe to send your FOURnet password over the Internet to other Internet Sites (external of FOURnet) to obtain your email. If you use external Internet services provided by other companies which are not on our local network, your password for that service will be transmitted over the Internet. For this reason, always use a DIFFERENT password than your FOURnet password for any external services which you use.
Click Finish, and you're ready to test your connection!
To initiate your connection, go to the Dialup Networking window by double-clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. Select Dialup Networking, and then double click on the name of the connection which you just created.
Select Connect. You will see a status box. Note down any error messages that you receive at this point as well as the EXACT DATE AND TIME of your connection attempt, and the telephone number, username, and password that you are using for your FOURnet connection. In the event that your connection fails, you will need this information.
Once you connect, you'll see a status box in the corner of your Windows Systray (the bar at the bottom right of the screen which also has the Start button), close to the digital clock on the right. When you click on this icon, you can see your online status and you can also disconnect, or click on Help for more information about what to do next while you're online.
If your connection is up and running and you have Microsoft's Internet Explorer on your machine, choose
Start->Programs->Internet Explorer->Internet Explorer to begin browsing the web!
Some Windows installations also have a small blue "E" at the bottom left of the screen which is a quick start method for launching Internet Explorer. If you have Windows 98 and/or Outlook Express installed on your computer, you'll also find a small envelope icon on the Systray near the "Start" button (nearby the start button - but don't actually click start). The small envelope icon will allow you to launch Outlook Express if it's installed on your computer and you can use this program to send and receive email.
In the event that your connection has failed at this point, your machine may need some further configuration (such as hardware) or you may have omitted a step or entered something wrong. To trace the problem, record all error messages and times associated with your attempts.
FOURnet Technical Support will need this information in order to be able to check event records for your login times. Additionally, please tell us which version of Windows you are using, and if your computer has had any other Internet or FAX software installed.
FAX or email a report detailing any error messages you receive and the date and time of the attempted connection, and the dialup number you are using to FOURnet at 508-295-5492 or email to support. Use cut-and-paste if possible for any error messages.
If your connection has been working and you suddenly begin having problems, suspect hardware failure or that your problem may be caused by your installation of new software, especially networking software or software which is configured for other connection providers. You can overwrite your FOURnet settings by installing software which has been configured for other providers. In this case, you should reinstall your FOURnet settings.
You can have separate providers on the same computer. Choose Start->Settings->Control Panel->Dialup Networking->. Drag your FOURnet icon onto the desktop. If you don't have a FOURnet icon here, use the information contained in this document to create one. When you want to connect to FOURnet, use this icon. After you have connected to FOURnet, you can launch your email programs, browsers, etc. In some cases, if you are unable to connect to FOURnet successfully after connecting to another provider, you may need to reboot your PC. After you reboot your PC, connect to FOURnet first before connecting to your other provider if you wish to retrieve FOURnet email, etc.
If you are currently Internet connected or have a Unix shell access account, fill in the Troubleshooting worksheet located at the URL http://www2.four.net/cgi-win/form.exe/trouble to help us get the most information about your possible problem.Before you make a report, choose Start -> Run from the Windows 95 menu. In the Run dialog box, type winipcfg, then click OK.
Click on More Info. Write down all the information contained in this box and included it with your email, FAX or in the Online Troubleshooting Worksheet.
Additional Configuration Information (Advanced Users)
Some older versions of Windows 95 did not include the Microsoft Internet Connection Wizard. In this case, the information below may prove helpful in configuring your connection. First, be sure that TCP/IP was installed from the CD. If your Windows OEM version was installed by a vendor, contact your vendor for upgrade information.
Step One: Setup a Dialup Networking Connection
Before you setup PPP on your computer and proceed to the
next steps, be sure that your modem is properly installed,
tested, and configured for use with your computer and that
no hardware conflicts exist. When you have verified that
your modem was installed correctly, you can proceed.METHOD ONE
Start -> Settings -> Internet -> Connection Tab
You should have a dialog box with "Internet Properties" at the
top on the menu bar, and some tabs labeled "General, Security,
Content, Connection, Programs, Advanced". Be sure that
the "Connection" tab is selected.You will see "connect to the Internet using a modem" with a
check mark spot. Be sure this is checked off. Under proxy
server, there are two boxes - make sure neither one is checked.If you have no dialup connections configured, a "Dial-Up Settings"
box will pop up. Choose "add". The "Make New Connection" box
within the Internet Connection Wizard will pop up.1) Type a name for the computer you are dialing:
FOURnet
2) Select the modem that's installed in your computer from the drop
down list. Don't click on configure (your modem should already
have been configured at installation). At the bottom of the dialog
box, click "Next".3) Type the phone number for the computer you want to call:
Enter the number as you dial it from your location
(locally, V.34 FOURnet callers enter 291-6340)4) Click Next and then click Finish on the last screen.
METHOD TWO
The second way to run the Internet Connection Wizard is:
Double click on the My Computer icon which is normally located
at the upper left corner of your desktop (screen) when Windows
95 boots.Then double click on Dial-Up Networking. In the Dial-Up
Networking box, double click on "Make New Connection". Now,
follow steps 1-4 as outlined above.Step Two: TCP/IP
Choose Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Network
From the Network dialog box, choose Add. The next box will
request the Network Component type that you wish to add. Select
Protocol here, since you are adding the TCP/IP Protocol.
When you select protocol from the list, select Add again.
A Select Network Protocol box will come up. Choose Microsoft
from the list of Manufacturers. In the list of Network Protocols,
select TCP/IP. Click OK.You are back at the Network dialog box where you can scroll
through the installed components. Select:TCP/IP -->Dial-Up Adapter from the list
Click on Properties. The TCP/IP Properties dialog box will open.
There are a number of Tabs at the top. Select each Tab screen
and configure it using the information given below.
IP ADDRESS Checked: Obtain an IP address automatically WINS Configuration Checked: Disable WINS Resolution DNS CONFIGURATION Host (leave blank or use your account name) Domain: FOUR.net DNS Server Search Order: SYSTEM4.FOUR.NET
NOC.FOUR.NETDomain Suffix Search Order: Left Blank NETBIOS Left Blank ADVANCED Left Blank To finish the configuration, at the Bottom of the TCP/IP
Properties dialog box, click OK.Step Three: Configure your Connection for FOURnet
1) Double Click on My Computer, then Dial-Up Networking. In
the Dial-Up Networking box, select (highlight) the Connection
you just created (FOURnet or the name you gave to your Dialup
Connection in Step One). Do not double click, but instead,
when FOURnet is highlighted, click the alternate mouse button
(this is the "other" mouse button rather than the one you normally
click to select). A drop down menu will appear. At the bottom of
this menu, scroll down and select Properties. You will see the
telephone number you entered in Step One located on the General
tab of this box.2) Select the Server Types tab. On this screen, only TCP/IP
should be checked off. Select the Configure box next to the
TCP/IP selection.NOTE: If you are having problems with your connection, be sure that you do not have "IPX" or "NetBeui" selected under protocols - the only protocol which should be selected is "TCP/IP".
For the latest copy of this document, point your browser to the URL: http://www.four.com/support/ppp/icw.htm. We recommend printing out or retaining a copy for future reference and help in case you install other programs which may change your dial up settings. If your connection suddenly fails after an installation of new software, you should go over these steps and re-configure your connection again, checking to ensure that your FOURnet settings, (and especially your username and password) are correct.
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