Local Help Not Found | ||||||||||||||||||
There was a problem in finding your local copy of the PointCast help. This might be because either:
If you can connect to the Internet, click here to access Help through the Web.
If you have having problems connecting to PointCast, the rest of this page will help you get connected.
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Connection Troubleshooting | ||||||||||||||||||
Here are some common questions or problems about connecting to the PointCast Network. Click on a link to see the solution.
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Communication Basics | ||||||||||||||||||
When you first installed the PointCast Network, the installer asked you to provide information about your Internet connection. This information is usually enough to set up the connection, but from time-to-time viewers have to do a bit more work to connect to the PointCast Network.
How do I find additional help?Contact the PointCast StatusLine for up-to-the-minute recorded information covering common questions and answers and the status of the PointCast Network: 800-586-4733.
For additional help, send your question to PointCast WebMail Support.
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PointCast Internet settings | ||||||||||||||||||
PointCast offers three types of connections, specified in the Connect Using field of the Internet Settings page. The actions you need to perform depend on which connection type you choose. The three types of connections are: Direct ConnectionSelect this option if you have a direct connection to the Internet (you don't have to connect through a modem). Usually you have a direct connection if you are working for a larger company, university, or a government office.
Usually problems with direct connections result from misconfigured proxies or network problems. If you suspect network problems, see your network administrator.
To see if you need to set proxies, look at your proxy setup in another working Internet application, such as your Web browser. If it is using proxies, copy the HTTP address to the PointCast Proxy setup page by clicking Personalize and choosing Application Settings and selecting the Proxies tab. Enter the proxy address in the space provided. The PointCast channel viewer does not support SOCKS proxies at this time.
Select this option if you use a modem to connect to the Internet and your Internet Service Provider uses the Windows Dial-up Networking component. Your Internet Service Provider software should enter information into the Windows registry to use Windows Dial-up Networking. Using the pull-down menu, select an already configured connection under the "Select a Connection" menu. If you have problems with your Windows Dial-up Networking settings:
Note: If any of the above files are not in their default locations, you can click on the Browse button to find the files. Finally use these steps to check your proxy settings:
Other Modem ServiceSelect this option if you use a modem to connect to the Internet and you use a dialer provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other third party. Your ISP must provide you with a valid IP address. Contact the Customer Service department of your Service Provider for more information.
Note: When using most other modem services, you must first launch your Internet software and connect to your ISP. Once you are connected, launch PointCast and click the Update button. Once you have updated, remember to disconnect from your ISP.
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PointCast proxy settings | ||||||||||||||||||
Depending on how your network is configured, you might need to specify a proxy setting in your PointCast Channel Viewer to access the PointCast Network. Companies often protect their intranets from outside access by setting up a firewall. A proxy server allows computers within the intranet to access the World Wide Web through the firewall. If your company uses a proxy server, you need to describe this server for PointCast so that it can retrieve information. There are two common types of proxies: HTTP or SOCKS (pronounced "socks"); you use one or the other, but not both. HTTP proxies allow you to tell PointCast not to use the proxy server for certain web addresses within your intranet (behind your firewall). If you are not sure about your firewall or proxy servers, see your network administrator. You use a proxy server only when you have a direct connection to the Internet. If you need to configure a proxy, make sure you specified Direct Connection on the Internet settings page. If you have provided proxy server information for other Internet applications (such as the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator browsers), you use the same information with the PointCast Network.
Proxy Settings in PointCast:
Unsupported Proxies
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Common communication problems | ||||||||||||||||||
The message "Unable to communicate with PointCast..." can be caused by a number of reasons. Here are some possible suggestions to help you resolve this problem.
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Dial-up connections | ||||||||||||||||||
To use the PointCast Network with Windows Dial-up Networking, you must have the Microsoft version of wsock32.dll (32-bit Winsock). It is normally located in the \windows\system directory. The size is approximately 65 KB (66,560) dated 8/24/96 or 7/11/95. If you do not find this file, you may need select the View menu item in Windows Explorer, then choose Options, select the View tab and set Show all files. This is because Windows hides all files with the .dll extension by default. First look in the \windows\system directory. If the correct wsock32.dll does not exist in the \windows\system directory, you can use Find file to search for the file:
When you find the file, copy it to the \windows\system directory. If you have problems with your Windows Dial-up Networking connection:
Contact your Internet Service Provider or Microsoft if you think that Windows Dial-up Networking is not working correctly.
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Connecting with America Online | ||||||||||||||||||
You must use a 32-bit version of America Online to connect to PointCast. To check your version of America Online, go to the America Online Help menu and choose About America Online. If the dialog says "America Online 3.0 for Windows", you have a 16-bit version (the 32-bit version says "America Online 3.0 for Windows 95", note the "95"). To find out how to get a 32-bit version of America Online, go to America Online. To set up your Internet connection to PointCast so that is uses the 32-bit version of America Online:
To update PointCast using America Online:
The PointCast Network needs to see the AOL connection to the Internet when the PointCast Network is launched or it can't update.
Note: At this time, AOL 3.0 for Windows 95 does not support 32-bit dialer integration (Windows Dial-up Networking). Until that change, the PointCast Network can not automatically update through AOL.
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Username and Password not saved | ||||||||||||||||||
There are three possible symptoms of this problem. You might get any of these messages:
In most cases, PointCast initiates the modem and starts to verify the username and password, then the error appears. PointCast is unable to make a connection to the Internet because your username and password may not have been saved in Windows Dial-up Networking. Make sure that the Save Password option in the Connect To box is checked in Dial-up Networking. If the Save Password option is grayed out, you need to make sure that you have Client for Microsoft Networks set up in the Control Panel for Networks. To set up the Client for Microsoft Networks:
If this does not solve the problem, additional information can be found at Microsoft's knowledgebase Web page at: http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/SETUP.EXE. This page has a file to download that fixes a problem with a password list update in Windows 95 Service Pack 1.
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No new information | ||||||||||||||||||
This problem could be due to heavy Internet traffic or information packets being lost in transit. Please try updating later. There are two other things you can try:
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