Provided by:

Gus Faviere
PC Source - Business Solutions
gfaviere@inforamp.net
gfaviere@msn.com
pcsource@torfree.net

The screen shots in this file are in 800x600x256 colour. For clarity, you may want to change to that resolution if viewing this file. If you print it, what it looks like will depend on your printer. It is an attempt to help non-technical users having problems with Internet connections. Please let me know if this helped you, was too technical or missing information. I apologize for the size of the file but felt it was important to include clear screen shots for reference.

Important Configuration Settings for Windows 95 Internet connections and MS Exchange:

Many of these settings are setup automatically if you purchase MS PLUS! or download Internet Explorer from Microsoft which has an Internet Setup Wizard to look after most options. Even so, you may need to adjust settings or loose the settings from time to time and you can check the references below to fix most common problems. If you have not purchased MS PLUS! and/or have the diskette version of Windows 95, you can obtain the majority of the mentioned options like the Dial-Up Scripting Tool and others from the Microsoft Web site. If you don't have MS PLUS! you must download Internet Explorer in order to obtain the SMTP (Internet Mail) driver! The icon below is an HTML file containing direct links to Windows 95 utilities and add-ons available from Microsoft and others. If you have any Web Browser installed, double click the icon below connect to your provider (if you can't connect at all, give this to a friend or business associate with a connection) and follow the links.

Dial-Up Networking:

During Installation of Windows 95 be sure to specify Dial-Up Networking. If you're not sure check it by going to Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs-Windows Setup. Highlight the Communications Section and click the Details Button - ensure that the Dial-Up Networking has a check mark beside it. If not, click in the box beside Dial-Up Networking to enable it and click OK. The drivers and program will now be added, you'll be prompted for any disk(s) or the CD. Here's where it's specified.

Fig. 1 - Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs-Windows Setup-Communications Dialog

Once it's installed, open the Dial-Up Networking folder on your desktop, double click on the Make New Connection Icon and create a Dial-Up Networking Session for your Service Provider. Fill in the appropriate information e.g. phone number and modem information, then click the Server Type button and select the appropriate options. The Type of Dial-Up Server option must be set as shown below (Fig. 2) for PPP Dial-Up connections. If your Internet Service allows only SLIP connections, click the arrow in the Type of Dial-Up Server dialog and select SLIP: Unix Connection instead of the one shown in Fig. 2 below (if SLIP: Unix Connection does not show up you need to obtain and install the Dial-Up Scripting Tool add-on, it also provides the SLIP driver). NOTE: the Log on to network option and Require encrypted password option are usually reserved for Dialing into Windows NT or Windows 95 systems, not Internet Services. Under Allowed network protocols, TCP/IP should be the only option enabled.  Leave the TCP/IP Settings options at the default values unless told to do otherwise by your system administrator or Service Provider (this option may be used if you have multiple Internet Service providers or Remote Server connections in which case you probably don't need this much help).

Fig. 2 - Dial-Up Networking Session-Properties-Server Type Dialog

Once you configure the above screen and click OK, click the Configure button to bring up your modem configuration, click the Options tab and select the Bring up terminal window after dialing IF YOU ARE DIALING IN MANUALLY OR USING the RoboDun program. If you are using the Dial-Up Scripting Tool (C:\Program Files\Accessories\SCRIPTER.EXE by default) which may be obtained from the Microsoft WWW site, or found on the Microsoft Windows 95 CD in the \Admin\Apptools\Dscript directory, you do not need to select any options on the screen in Fig. 3 below.

Fig. 3 - Dial-Up Networking Session-Properties-Connect using:-Configure-Options Dialog (using the Dial-Up Scripting Tool)

TCP/IP:

This should be automatically setup but you may need to check these settings. Open Control Panel-Network and you should see the following screen (Fig. 4). If you are not on a network, you only require the Client for Microsoft Networks, Dial-Up Adapter and TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter options shown below (the computer setup shown in Fig. 4 is also on a Network and is running various other options). If your configuration is missing any of the above mentioned, click Add and select your required options.

Fig. 4 - Control Panel-Network Dialog

After you have the required services, adapters and protocols installed (Fig. 4), select the Dial-Up Adapter and click Properties. You will see the following screen (Fig. 5) under the Bindings tab, the TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter option must be enabled in order to be operational. Leave the options under the Driver Type and Advanced tabs at their default values.

Fig. 5 - Control Panel-Network-Dial-Up Adapter-Properties Dialog

When you finish above (Fig. 5), highlight the TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter and select Properties. You will see the screen below (Fig. 6), the only option you need to change here is shown below (DNS Configuration) leave all other options at their default settings. Make sure the option is Enabled, type your Host and Domain name (this is normally your email address without the @ character - e.g. mine is gfaviere@inforamp.net) as shown below (do not use the @ character). Click the Add button and type in the IP address of your service provider's Name Server (DNS). For InfoRamp it's the number shown below, your Service Provider can give you this address or it may also be found in your old dialer's *.ini file (e.g. trumpwsk.ini for the Trumpet dialer) in a line that reads dns=198.53.144.2.  You may add multiple addresses here, they are searched in from top to bottom in the order entered.

Fig. 6 - Control Panel-Network-TCP/IP-Properties

MS Exchange:

There are numerous options available in MS Exchange, this section deals with getting it to work for basic Internet Mail only. You may search on-line help and try different options for the various operational options like Remote Preview, Scheduling etc. This is still a somewhat long explanation, I'm trying to not only explain how to get it working but to also give you an idea of it's power.

To setup MS Exchange with full Internet Mail Services, you must have the file minet32.dll and other associated files in your \windows\system directory, these files are included with MS PLUS! or available for downloading at the Microsoft FTP and WWW sites (see w95-help.htm icon at the beginning of this document). Alternatively, you may use an external service like Netscape 1.2 BETA version 6 or higher which provides receiving and sending of mail to/from MS Exchange via a file called netsxp32.dll (also in your \windows\system directory). The Internet Mail service included with MS PLUS! (minet32.dll) is the one shown below, the procedure for installing other drivers is the same, the names and options will be different.

Create a Profile or Edit a current profile by going to Control Panel-Mail and Fax. This brings up a dialog similar to the one shown below (the profile shown is the default name "MS Exchange Settings"), you may have as many profiles as you like (e.g. one for Internet Mail, one for Microsoft Mail (LAN), one for Compuserve) and name them with your own description OR you can have one profile with as many "Services" as you like. Once you have it working, you can experiment with the various options and adjust it to your liking.

The one shown below (Fig. 7) has Internet Mail, Microsoft Fax, Microsoft Mail (LAN), Personal Address Book, Personal Information Store and The Microsoft Network. Once set-up, all mail (or faxes) coming in or going out from/to any of the included "Services" goes into the same "Personal Information Store" accessed by double-clicking your Inbox icon on your desktop. If a service is not shown, you may click Add and select a service. If a service is not available, you will need to purchase MS PLUS! for Internet Mail or install software that provides one - e.g. Netscape 1.2.6 adds a service called Netscape Internet Transport, if you add it to the profile and then setup Netscape to use it, when you Dial-In to your Service Provider using Dial-Up Networking and run Netscape, it will download your mail (directly into your Inbox) and when you click on any WWW mail link, messages will be sent from and stored in MS Exchange - cool. Another service provided on the Windows 95 CD is Compuserve Mail (see the \Drivers\Other\Exchange\Compusrv directory on the CD). Further services will be available for purchase or free later e.g. America On Line etc..

Fig. 7 - MS Exchange Profile, Control Panel-Mail and Fax

To setup Internet Mail, highlight the Internet Mail service (above) and click Properties. In the dialog below (Fig. 8), type in your name and email address. Under "Internet Mail server" type in the name of your provider's mail server, then your account name and finally your password (this is the password you use during login). If your service provider has separate servers for incoming mail ("POP3") the name shown below is the "POP3" server's address and the outgoing ("SMTP") mail is the address you fill in under the Advanced Options button. The default option under Message Format is MIME, this is pretty well the standard now so it shouldn't require any changes.

Fig. 8 - Control Panel-Mail and Fax-Internet Mail-Properties-General Dialog

The last important setting is under the same (Internet Mail) dialog, select the Connection tab (see below - Fig. 9). Select the name of the Dial-Up Networking connection you previously created (you can also create a new one by using Add Entry or Edit Entry to check an existing one). Click the Login As... and type in your Username and Password (the one used to sign in to your service provider). Click Apply and you're done!

The rest of the options allow you to Work off-line, Schedule regular intervals for (automatically) sending and receiving your mail and keeping a Log File. You can try these advanced options later, at this point your connection should be working. I would suggest enabling the Log File, it's  extremely useful, it records detailed information on your connection and can give you clues as to where you may be having problems. It also provides excellent technical information which may be forwarded to technical support staff for trouble-shooting.

Fig. 9 - Control Panel-Mail and Fax-Internet Mail-Properties-Connection Dialog

This screen below applies if you more than one "Service" installed in your profile - e.g. Internet Mail, The Microsoft Network and/or  Fax Services. It controls the order in which your mail is checked and delivered when not using Remote Preview. Fig. 10 shows Internet Mail first (at top) which means when mail is sent or checked (using Tools-Deliver Now-Using All Services from your Inbox), the Internet Mail connection is the first one. Adjust yours accordingly, highlight any service and click either the arrow pointing up or the one pointing down to adjust the order.

Fig. 10 - Control Panel-Mail and Fax-Delivery Dialog

Additional Notes:

To fully automate your login with Dial-Up Networking you can use either RoboDun or the Microsoft Scripting Tool (both available from the links provided in W95-Help.htm). The RoboDun utility works well and easy to use, the Scripting tool is faster and runs only while connecting thereby using no memory or resources. There are sample scripts provided with the Scripting Tool for both SLIP and PPP, look in the folder that you installed it into for files with the *.scp extension, you can open/edit them with Notepad or Wordpad. Following is a simple script to dial into InfoRamp using a PPP connection. You can cut & paste it as is for InfoRamp or adjust it for other service providers.

Before attempting to use any scripts:

•	Save the script below with any file name - you MUST give it the extension *.scp (e.g. ppp.scp or point to point protocol.scp) and you must save in in (plain) text format.
•	Run the Dial-Up Scripting Tool (Start-Programs-Accessories-Dial-Up Scripting Tool).
•	Select your Dial-Up Networking Session (on the left side of the screen)
•	Click the Browse button and point to the file you just saved (ppp.scp)
•	Click on Apply and then Close

Sample script:

;<start cut here>
proc main

; Wait up to 20 seconds for the Username prompt (adjust for yours)
waitfor "Username:" until 20

; The $USERID below is picked up from your Dial-Up Session settings
transmit $USERID

; Press enter and delay 1 second (delay may or may not be required)
transmit "^M"
delay 1

; Wait up to 20 seconds for the Password prompt (adjust for yours)
waitfor "Password:" until 20

; The $PASSWORD below is picked up from your Dial-Up Session Setting
transmit $PASSWORD

; Press enter and delay 1 second (delay may or may not be required)
transmit "^M"
delay 1

; Wait for the ready prompt and transmit the rest of the sign-in
; procedure and exit the script
waitfor ">" until 20
transmit "ppp default"
transmit "^M"
delay 2

endproc

;<end cut here>

Cheers and happy surfing!

Gus Faviere