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Dial-up Tips
Your Home Page
Drag and Drop a new Home Page
User Name Error
The “Do you want to Disconnect?” box doesn't come up when you finish with the Internet
The correct number to access Wanadoo & Freeserve Pay As You Go (No Ties)
The correct number to access Wanadoo & Freeserve AnyTime
Dial-up without Sign-up
Dial-up connection doesn't work any more
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User Name Error
My caller assured me that he had made no changes, but couldn’t get onto the internet any more.
I checked that his modem was working and then tried to connect. It connected to his ISP but came up with an error page to say that the User Name/Password was wrong.
He dug out the letter from his ISP and we checked that the User Name and Password were exactly as on the letter.
I set up a new connection to my ISP - and that worked fine.
So I tried his again - same thing.
Then I spotted the problem - he had typed a space before and after the “@” sign in his e-mail address - which was also his user name. Because the error was symmetrical, either side of the “@”, I hadn’t noticed it.
Problem solved!
Another error that I have made myself is to type a comma instead of a full stop in a User Name. Very difficult to spot when your eyes are getting tired!
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The “Do you want to Disconnect?” box doesn't come up when you finish with the Internet
Left-click the "Start" button.
Go up to "Settings" and then left-click "Control Panel".
Double left-click "Internet Options" to open the "Internet Properties" box.
In the "Internet Properties" box, left-click the "Connections" tab.
Inside the white box marked "Dial-up and Virtual Private Network settings", Left-click to highlight your own internet connection (say it is "xxx").
Left-click the "Settings" button.
The "xxx Settings" box will open.
At the bottom, in "Dial-up settings" left-click the "Advanced" button after the "password" box.
The "Advanced Dial-up" box will open.
Left-click in the little white square to place a tick next to "Disconnect when connection may no longer be needed".
Left-click "OK" at the top of the "Advanced Dial-up" box.
Left-click "OK" at the bottom of the "xxx Settings" box.
Left-click "OK" at the bottom of the "Internet Properties" box.
Close "Control Panel".
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The correct number to access Wanadoo & Freeserve Pay As You Go (No Ties)
The latest Pay As You Go (No Ties) dial-up number is: 0844 058 7000.
Previously used dial-up numbers were: 0845 079 6699 and 0844 056 4000. These were still working at the time of writing but by the time you read this they may have been discontinued.
These numbers are charged from 1p per minute off-peak. (but the 0845 number is slightly cheaper during the peak rate period)
If you want to manually check that you are connecting with the correct dial-up number, follow these instructions:
Open Internet Explorer
Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options
Click on the Connections tab
Double-click on the Wanadoo or Freeserve account listed in the box at the top of the panel - it should have the word [Default] after it
In the 'Dial-up settings' section click on the Properties button
Make sure that the correct number appears in the 'Area code' and 'Telephone number' boxes near the top of the panel. You may see the number preceded by 1470 if you have enabled your Caller Line Identity (CLID).
Click OK, OK and OK again to return to Internet Explorer
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The correct number to access Wanadoo & Freeserve AnyTime
Open Internet Explorer.
Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options
At the top of the Internet Options window click once on the Connections tab.
Click once on the AnyTime setting which has (Default) next to it. If you can't see this, use the scroll arrows to locate the connection.
Once highlighted, click the Settings... button.
Note: It is important to select your default account, as this is the account that Windows will automatically dial when you connect to the Internet using Internet Explorer or the Wanadoo or Freeserve Internet icon.
To check your dial-up phone number, click on the Properties button to the right of your user name.
In the Properties window, make sure that the correct number appears in the 'Telephone number' box. Your AnyTime access number should begin with 1470 0808 or 1470 161642.
i.e. 147008089916080
Note: the entire number should be presented in the 'Telephone number' box, with the 'Area code' box remaining empty.
If your AnyTime number is correct, click OK and OK again.
If your AnyTime number is incorrect, click OK, then OK, then OK again and install new settings from your AnyTime account page by downloading the Connection Kit from http://www.wanadoo.co.uk/connectionkit
Enter your username and password, and follow the on-screen instructions.
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Your Home Page
Nine out of ten of the computers that I see have their browser home page either set to MSN (because MSN is the default home page that comes with Windows XP) or to their ISP's home page.
Most ISP's home pages are very busy - and take an age to load on a dial up connection.
So here are a few pieces of very basic information for nervous PC users:
The program that you use to view internet pages is actually called a "browser".
Most people use the browser called "Internet Explorer" because it comes with Windows. But there are other browsers which can be safer to use. The most popular alternative browser is "Firefox".
When you connect to the internet you use a connection supplied by your "Internet Service Provider" - your "ISP". In England, this could be BT, AOL, Orange, Tiscali, Tesco or one of the many others.
When you connect to the internet with your browser, the first page that you see is called your "home" page. This can be any page that you want - it does not have to be MSN, nor does it have to be the home page of your ISP.
When you choose an ISP and run their CD to set up your connection the ISP will automatically set your home page to be their own web site. Then they can try to sell you some more of their products and services or at the very least show you their advertisements.
I always change a new computer to go to www.google.co.uk as the home page. This is for two reasons -
1) it's a low content page so it loads quickly even on the slowest connection and,
2) most people want to start their internet session by searching for something.
If you change your home page to Google this does not mean that you are changing your ISP to Google. You will still be using your current ISP. And your ISP will not notice or care what home page you use and will not start giving you bad service!
You may have special interests and want to set your home page to be your favourite web site. You can do that. It does not change or affect your internet connection.
To change your home page in Internet Explorer:
Open Internet Explorer
Go to the page that you want to be your new home page
Left click Tools at the top of the page
Left click Internet Options...
The Internet Options box will open with the General tab selected
Left click the "Use Current" button
Left click OK
Next time you open Internet Explorer it will open at your new home page.
You can change your home page in other browsers in a very similar way
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Drag and Drop a new Home Page
In the tip Your Home Page, I explain how to change your home page in Internet Explorer.
If you are using Internet Explorer 5 or 6 there is an even easier way to do it (and it takes much longer to explain than do!):
Open your required new home page in Internet Explorer.
Left click and hold the mouse button over the icon to the left of the page’s address in the address bar.
Drag the icon until it is over the Home icon (little house) on the toolbar and drop it there.
Left click Yes to the question “Would you like to change your home page to “XXXXXXX”?”
Sadly this little trick doesn’t work in Internet Explorer 7. Did they forget to include it? Just another reason not to use IE7!
If you are a Firefox user (and you should be) you can do it in exactly the same way. (But the final question is “Do you want this document to be your new home page?”).
But it doesn’t work in Opera - it just adds a new button to the toolbar if you try it. (You have to go Tools, Preferences, Use current, OK).
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Dial-up without Sign-up
If you don’t want to waste time going through the hassle of giving your personal details to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) there are some ISP’s that don’t want anything from you.
Just set up a dial-up connection using one or other of the following:
Telephone No. 0845 665 3000
UserName: uk2
Password: uk2
Telephone No. 0845 088 4191
UserName: isp@dialup
Password: connect
There are several others, but you only need one don’t you!
Remember that you will pay the normal 0845 charges for these connections. If you want cheaper dial-up then you will need to shop around and then register with a cheaper “conventional” ISP.
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Dial-up connection doesn't work any more
BT's 1571 service is better than an answering machine because not only does it take messages when you are out, it also takes messages when your phone is engaged.
But one of its features is that when it has taken a message it changes the dial tone on your phone so that (if you listen to it) you know that there is an outstanding message.
Unfortunately your computers modem is not clever enough to know this, and when it hears an intermittent dial tone it will fail to connect.
So if your modem won't connect, pick up your phone and listen to the dial tone. If it is intermittent, dial 1571, listen to the message(s) and then hang up. Your dial tone will be changed to continuous and your modem should connect again.
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