RISC OS Freeserve Connectivity

Using Socketeer

Last updated: 5th Aug 1999

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 Configuring Socketeer for Freeserve

These instructions assume that you have obtained the latest version of Socketeer and are creating Freeserve profiles from scratch - NOT downloading the script from this site. Proceed as follows
  1. Configure Socketeer (see separate instructions)
  2. Go to the 'Setup' window from Socketeer (click MENU on its icon) and add a new provider - call it Freeserve - this will be an initial profile in order to create your account.
    N.B. In order to create a new account you must have Acorn's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) module. If not, you will need to use a friend's PC to create your account. You can then jump to the next section.
  3. Go to 'Internet provider' and supply the following information:-
    • Connection type: PPP
    • Phone number: 0845 079 6699
    • Gateway: 0.0.0.0
    • DNS servers: 194.152.64.68
    • Local domain: freeserve.co.uk
  4. Go to 'Your account' and supply the following information:-
    • Login name: freeservesignup
    • Password: signup (note that this is case sensitive)
  5. Save the settings
  6. Try connecting. Socketeer should go through the authorising and negotiating stage and eventually on online.
  7. You now need to load Acorn's !Browse and SSL module and go to https://join.freeserve.net/welcome.shtml
  8. If all is well you should see the "Welcome to Freeserve" banner and a 'Create new account' option. Click on where it says "Click here" to create a new account.
  9. You should see their terms and conditions. Click 'Accept' if you accept them.
  10. Fill in the form of personal information you get presented with next, and click 'Continue' at the bottom of the form. This will probably produce a 'File not found' error. If it does, click in the URL bar at the top and delete the bit which says 'perl/' so that it reads 'http://signup.freeserve.net/node.shtml' and press return.
  11. You should now get a page of advice on choosing an email address. Click 'Continue'.
  12. You now need to choose your email address and subdomain name. Your Freeserve email address will be user@subdomain.freeserve.co.uk so you need to choose settings for 'user' and 'subdomain' and choose a suitable password. Click 'Continue'.
    N.B. If you get a system error returned (or Freeserve tries to take you to another non-existent 'system error' page - you can see this by examining the URL bar), then it is likely that you have a version of Acorn's SSL module which is too old. I received an error using version 0.04 but it worked ok using v0.06
  13. Again, even if all is well you are likely to get another 'File not found' error because of an additional 'perl/' word. Delete it, so the URL reads 'https://signup/freeserve.net/details.shtml' and continue.
    N.B. If the email address you chose has already been claimed by someone else you are likely to get a 'duplicate name' error. However, again you will get the 'File not found' error and you need to delete the 'perl/' part.
  14. You should now get the 'You have completed your signup process' screen. Make a note of your details and click 'Finished'.
  15. After a while a small 'save' window will open (as if you've downloaded a file). This actually contains the information needed in order to finish setting up your computer - if you were using a Windoze PC. Save this onto your disc somewhere safe. You may need it later - However, by making these instructions as simple as possible I hope I may help you to avoid anything too technical.
  16. Your account should now be setup and ready to use. Tell socketeer to disconnect and hangup now.

 Using your new Freeserve account via Socketeer

You now basically need to re-edit your Freeserve profile to make it into a regular account rather than logging onto their new account site. This involves repeating part of the previous section on configuring Socketeer.
  1. Edit the profile you created earlier (or create it if you used a PC to create your account), leaving or setting the parameters in step 3
  2. You now need to edit 'Your account' (step 4 above) so that it contains the following information:-
    • Login name: subdomain.freeserve.co.uk
    • Password: your password (note that this is case sensitive)

    Make sure you include the .freeserve.co.uk bit after your subdomain bit and type your password in the correct case that you created it in at step 12 above.
  3. Re-save the settings.
  4. You can now connect and surf the web using !Browse, !Fresco or !ArcWeb. Happy surfing with your new Freeserve account - and hopefully you'll never need to ring Dixons premium rate telephone help line.


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© Paul Vigay