SETTING UP AND CONFIGURING AN INTERNET CONNECTION
Before you can make any use of the Internet from your computer, you need to connect!! The connection itself is often known as a "socket", into which applications such as e-mail readers and web browsers "plug" themselves in order to gain access.
SIGNING UP FOR AN ACCOUNT
This couldn't be easier, provided you have a basic understanding of Spanish or have somebody with you who does. We will demonstrate the procedure for signing up for an account with Wanadoo. The process is very similar for the other major ISPs.
Go to the web page of your chosen ISP, and follow the instructions.
For example, for Wanadoo, click on "Acceso Internet" from the home page, pick your account type, and on "Quiero Darme de Alta. Fill in the forms, and that's that. Make sure you make a note of the information given (listed below) which you will need to establish yourconnection.
We will be assuming that you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, and that you have just obtained an account with one of the major Spanish ISPs. We will also assume that your modem is correctly set up and working.
The ISP will have supplied you with the following information (items marked with * you give to them!)
Your user name to make the connection (and password *)
Your local access node (the number you need to dial to connect)
Your IP address
Their DNS (name server) addresses.
Although you don't need them just to connect and browse the web, you will also be given details of:
Your user name to access your e-mail (and password *)
Your e-mail address
Their POP3 server
Their SMTP server
Their news server
HOW DO WE CONFIGURE OUR CONNECTION?
Open "My Computer", then "Dial-up Networking".
Click on the "Make New Connection" icon.
In the "Type a name for the computer you are dialing", put whatever you like - this will be the icon description when the connection configuration is completed.
The "Select a device" box should already be filled in. Unless you have more than one modem, there will be no reason (or easy way) of changing this.
There is no need to click the "configure" box, unless you know what you're doing. The default settings are reliable rather than lightning fast.
Click "next"
You will be asked to type in the number of your local connection. Put all nine digits in the "telephone number" box, and nothing in the area code - this makes life easier later! Make sure the country or region code is showing "Spain (34)". If not, your computer is incorrectly set up!
Click "next" and you will be told you have successfully created a new connection - but your work's only just starting!!
CONFIGURATION - SECOND STAGE
Go back to the "Dial-up Networking" folder. Your new connection should be shown there.
Right click on the icon and select "Properties"
On the first page, "General", make sure no digits are displayed in the area code box, and make sure "Use area code and dialing properties" is unchecked (it's checked by default)
On the next page, "Server Types", the server type can be various things (if it's greyed out, it's unchangeable and right!), but should refer to some sort of PPP connection. If not, continue anyway and if you have no luck call for help.
The boxes underneath are where Windows gets it wrong!
Only "Enable Software Compression" and "TCP/IP" should be checked. Uncheck all others.
Now click on the TCP/IP settings box. This is where the fun starts!
The "addresses" you are being asked to input consist of a set of four numbers, between 0 and 255. Your ISP will have given you these.
Unless you have an ADSL connection, you will be using a dynamic IP. Check the "server assigned IP" box, and that's all you will need to do for that.
Although, increasingly, servers are configured so that you can use server assigned DNS, defined DNS is quicker. The WINS settings will always be 0.0.0.0
For Wanadoo, the Primary DNS is 62.37.228.20 and the secondary DNS 62.36.220.75
For Terra, the Primary DNS is 195.235.113.3 and the secondary DNS 195.235.96.90
For Eresmas, the Primary DNS is 62.81.16.197 and the secondary DNS 62.81.0.1
"Use IP compression header" and "Use
default gateway" should both be checked.
Click on "OK". Don't touch the scripting and multilink pages.
Go back to the "General" page and click OK.
CONNECTING!
Double click the icon for your connection.
You will be confronted by a dialog box with some fields filled in. The user name will (probably) be wrong.
You need to change it to the user name for logging on to your account. This is NOT the same as your e-mail or pop3 name. I can't tell you what it will be - you will have been told when you signed up for your account, and I hope you made a note of it, but it's probably something like
myusername@uni2 (both Wanadoo)
MYUSERNAME@telelineb (Terra)
myusername@alehop (both Eresmas)
The password is whatever you chose.
Also, most (but not all) modems make noises as they connect.
Another possible reason is simply that all lines at your server are busy!!
In all cases, check everything and try again.
When successfully connected, you can start browsing - but that's another topic for another session!
That's all for today, folks.