WestNet's Frequently Asked Questions
This page lists some of the questions that our tech support are frequently
asked. Please be aware that we are constantly updating this page, to
provide you with the most current information available. If you have any
further questions, please contact the WestNet Staff.
Connecting to WestNet
Netscape Navigator & Communicator
Internet Explorer
Windows
General
Connecting to WestNet
I've just loaded the Netscape Dial-Up Kit, and my
connection keeps dropping. What should I check?
- Have you disabled call waiting without having it?
- Do you have call waiting, and did not disable it?
- Do you need to dial anything to get an outside line?
- Is Flow Control set for hardware handshaking? To check:
For Windows 95:
- Click on My Computer -> Control Panel
-> Modems -> General -> Properties
- Click on Connection -> Advanced
- Use Flow Control should be checked, and Hardware should be
checked
For Windows 3.1:
- In the Windows Main folder, click on the Control Panel
- Click on Ports, and highlight the port your are using
- Click on Setting, and set Flow Control to Hardware
I connect to WestNet, but get the error "Cannot
Negotiate a Compatible Set of Network Protocols...."
- TCP/IP Settings need to be checked:
- Click on Start -> Setting -> Control Panel -> Network
- Highlight TCP/IP and click Properties
- IP address: Obtain IP address automatically
- WINS Configuration: Disable WINS Resolution
- Gateway: All fields should be blank
- DNS Configurations: Enabled
- Host: user_name
- Domain: westnet.com
- DNS: 206.24.6.2 (then click ADD)
- DNS: 206.24.6.9 (then click ADD)
- Domain Suffix Search Order: wesnet.com (click ADD)
- Bindings: Client for Microsoft Networks checked
- Click OK, and restart your computer.
How do I change the phone number I am dialing?
- If you are using Windows 95/98:
- In Windows 95, go to MY COMPUTER -> DIAL-UP NETWORKING
- With your right mouse button, click on "WestNet Internet
Services", then choose PROPERTIES
- Change the phone number, and click OK
- For other platforms, and more complete instructions, click here.
It takes a very long time for me to connect, sometimes
up to two minutes for the connection to come up.
- Check your server type settings
- 2 things should be checked off (uncheck
everything else):
Enable Software Compression
TCP/IP
- Click TCP/IP Settings
- The following radio buttons should be "on":
Server assigned IP address
Server assigned name server addresses
- Click OK and close Dial-Up Networking
- Check your configuration settings
- In MY COMPUTER, click on CONTROL PANEL ->
NETWORK
- Click on Dial-Up Adapter and click Properties
- Under the Bindings tab, make sure that TCP/IP is
the only protocol checked
- Click OK, and close Network
- Please note: Sometimes when the Dial-Up Networking settings are
changed, the script that was un-installed in February '98 is re-installed
automatically by Windows. If you can not connect after following Steps
1-3, please check to see if the script is
disabled.
Netscape Navigator & Communicator
Netscape freezes when loading or when I'm browsing web
sites. What should I do?
How can I click on Netscape and get my "Connect To"
box to appear?
- Select START -> SETTINGS -> CONTROL PANEL -> INTERNET
- Click on the "Connection" tab
- Check "Connect to the Internet As Needed"
- Select "Westnet" from drop-down menu as default dialup
In the "Location" field, how do I get rid of the list
of sites in the drop-down?
- With Netscape Navigator 3.X in Windows 95:
- Goto START and select RUN
- Type "regedit.exe" in the dialogue box and hit RUN
- Select the folder "HKEY_CURRENT_USER"
- Goto "Software", and select "Netscape"
- Open the "Netscape Navigator" Folder
- Scroll down to "URL History"
- The list of url's will appear but DO NOT DELETE THE LIST! Instead, to
delete these URL's:
- Select the line you want to delete
- Drop down the EDIT menu, and select "Modify"
- On the`Value Data', highlight the string
- Hit the DELETE Key
- Repeat this procedure as necessary.
- With Netscape Communicator 4.X in Windows 95:
- Goto START -> PROGRAMS -> ACCESSORIES -> NOTEPAD
- Open the file "prefs.js" - it should be located in
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\yourname\prefs.js
- Any lines that have "browser.url_history" in them define what
shows up in the Location pulldown menu. Delete all the lines of this
type that you wish, but do NOT delete any other lines in this file.
- Save your changes and close Notepad.
What are the computer requirements for Netscape?
- For Netscape Navigator 3.0:
- Windows 3.1, Windows 95, or Macintosh
- IBM Compatible 386 or better (or comparable Macintosh)
- 6 MB free hard disk space for Netscape (and additional 5 MB
recommended for disk caching)
- 8 MB RAM
- 14.4 Kbps or faster modem
- For Netscape Communicator 4.0 and other versions, please see the Netscape Home Page
How do I set Netscape to open at WestNet's home
page?
- In Netscape Navigator:
- Drop down the OPTIONS menu
- Choose "General Preferences"
- Under the APPEARANCE tab, type "http://www.westnet.com/" in
the dialogue box for "Browser Starts With"
- Click OK, and close Netscape.
- In Netscape Communicator:
- Drop down the EDIT menu, and choose PREFERENCES
- Under "Category", click on NAVIGATOR
- On the right side of the screen, there is a dialogue
box for "Home Page - Location:". Enter http://www.westnet.com/ in
the dialogue box.
- Click OK, and close Netscape.
I'm upgrading my version of Netscape from Navigator
to Communicator. How do I transfer my bookmarks?
- In the old version of Netscape Navigator, go to:
- Click on BOOKMARKS -> GO TO BOOKMARKS
- Drop down FILE -> SAVE AS
- Save your bookmarks to a file in a directory you will
remember (other than Netscape)
- In the new version of Netscape Communicator, go to:
- Click on BOOKMARKS -> EDIT BOOKMARKS
- Drop down FILE -> IMPORT
- Choose the bookmark file you previously saved
I'm upgrading my version of Netscape from Navigator
to Communicator. How do I transfer my address book?
- In the old version of Netscape Navigator:
- Drop down WINDOW -> ADDRESS BOOK
- Drop down FILE -> SAVE AS
- Save to a name and directory you will remember (other than
Netscape)
- In the new version of Netscape Communicator:
- Drop down COMMUNICATOR -> ADDRESS BOOK
- Drop down FILE -> IMPORT
- Choose the file that you previously saved
- Please note that there MAY be a problem with the format between the 2
versions. If so, please refer to Netscape Help on the Netscape Home Page.
Internet Explorer
How do I set Internet Explorer to open at WestNet's
home page?
- START -> SETTINGS -> CONTROL PANEL -> INTERNET
- Under the "Navigation" or "General" tab, there is a dialogue
box for Home Page Adress. Enter http://www.westnet.com/ in the
dialogue box.
- Click OK, and close the CONTROL PANEL
How do I configure my e-mail in Internet
Explorer?
Windows
The check box to save my password is not available
to be checked. How do I activate this?
- This is a problem with Windows 95. There are two web-sites that
discuss the problem and options to correct it:
I upgraded my computer to Windows 98, and now I can
not connect to WestNet. What should I do?
- Usually, the Windows 98 upgrade does not affect your dial-up
connection to WestNet. If it does, try the following:
- Check to see if the script was re-installed. For directions, see
our Disabling the Script page.
- Try to re-run the Account Setup Wizard, and let the computer
recognize your modem.
- If the modem is not being recognized, then remove and add the
modem from the Control Panel. Re-run the Account Setup Wizard, letting the
computer recognize your modem.
- Contact
the WestNet Staff
:-)
General
How do I connect to America Online (AOL) via the
Internet?
- Click on the "Setup" button on the main America Online screen
(before connecting)
- Click on the "Edit Location" button
- Click on the "Network" scroll down menu and select "TCP/IP" on
both your primary and alternate numbers (although it should never require
the secondary)
- For optimum performance, pump up your "Modem Speed" entry as
high as it will go
How do I transfer (FTP) files to a web page
hosted by WestNet?
- If the files are for a personal home page, please refer to our Creating A Personal Web Page
instructions.
- If the files are for a virtual web page, please use the following
instructions:
- If you have not already done so, setup a virtual web account by
contacting the WestNet
Staff
- Establish a PPP connection to the Internet
- Start your FTP Client and click on the CONNECT (or equivilent)
command.
- Enter the following (please note that it's case-sensitive):
- Host: your web site name (www.domain.com)
- Username: your_user_id
- Password: your_password
- Change directories on the server. Your document directory will be located in
/home/vwww/domain
- Find the files on your machine using the display representing your
computer (usually labeled "LOCAL") that you want to FTP.
- Click on the file on your local machine and drag it to the server
(if prompted for a transfer mode, select "BINARY").
- Repeat as necessary. Please name the first page of your
site "index.html".
- When finished transfering your files, click CLOSE and you will be
disconnected from the WestNet server.
- All web sites have a private are for CGI programs. This directory on the
server is /usr/local/etc/httpd/cgi-bin/yourname and is available via
the web at http://www.yourname.com/cgi-bin/
Does WestNet support Microsoft Front Page
Extensions?
- We do support Front Page Extensions. For further
explanation, please contact the WestNet Staff.