Copyright: ¢ 1996 Netscape Communications Corporation
Citation: 1996 ¢ Netscape Communications Corporation


Netscape Dialer Help Contents
Dialer Help

The Dialer contains the settings Netscape Navigator uses when calling your Internet service provider. You can use the Dialer to

Dial and connect to your service provider.

Change and add phone numbers for calling your service provider from different locations.

Charge your connection phone calls to your Calling Card.

Enter your user name and password.

Set properties for running Netscape Navigator.

Write a script to automate your login.

Change the settings for your modem.

Click for more information:

The Dialer dialog box

Step-by-step instructions on using the Dialer

Closing the Dialer

The Dialer configuration file

Dialer Statistics


The Dialer is an application that contains your user name (also called a login name or user ID), your password (optional), and the phone number and other settings for your Internet service provider connection. These settings are saved in a Dialer configuration file with an .SR file-name extension. Netscape Navigator uses the Dialer to call and connect to service provider.


 The Dialer Dialog Box

The Dialer dialog box displays your user name (also called a user name or user ID), your password (disguised), and the Current Location and phone number that you are using.

User Name 	Also called a login name or user ID, your user name identifies you as someone with access to your Internet service provider. Some providers use your first  initial and last name (JDOE), while others might use your first name (Jane) or other combinations (JADOE, DOEJ, JANED).

Password 	The characters used to verify your identity.

Current Location 	Displays the location that the Dialer uses to call your service provider. Click the drop-down arrow to select another location. Locations are settings that help you call your service provider from various places. For example, you might live and work in two different area codes. If you use your computer from both home and work, you can create a location that dials one service provider phone number from home, and another location that dials a different number from work. The default location is set up with information from the Account Setup Wizard.

Number to Dial 	The phone number the Dialer calls to connect with your service provider. This number is determined by the Current Location setting. The number the Dialer calls depends on which location you choose in Current Location.

Dial button 	Calls the displayed phone number and connects to your service provider.

Properties button	Contains settings that control how the Dialer works. Properties let you add and modify locations, set up phone numbers, write a login script, change modem settings, and control when and how you connect to your service provider.

See Also:

Step-by-step instructions


Internet service providers (also called ISPs or service providers) are companies that sell phone access to the Internet. You usually pay a monthly fee and sometimes accrue charges for the time you are connected to the service provider.


Your user name (also called a login name or user ID) identifies you as someone with access to your Internet service provider. Some providers use your first  initial and last name (JDOE), while others might use your first name (Jane) or other combinations (JADOE, DOEJ, JANED).


Password contains the characters used to verify your identity.


Current Location displays the location that the Dialer uses to call your service provider. Locations are settings that help you call your service provider from various places. For example, if you use your computer from both home and work, you can create a location that dials one service provider phone number from home, and another one that dials a different number from work. The default location is set up with information from the Account Setup Wizard.


Number to Dial is the phone number the Dialer calls to connect with your service provider. This number is determined by the Current Location setting. The number the Dialer calls depends on which location you choose in Current Location.


Dial calls the displayed phone number and connects to your service provider.


Properties are settings that control how the Dialer works. Properties let you add and modify locations, set up phone numbers, write a login script, change modem settings, and control when and how you connect to your service provider.


Properties

Properties are settings that control how the Dialer works. There are five pages on the Properties screen. To view a page, click the page tab at the top of the Properties screen or press Ctrl+Tab.

You can use properties to:

Change or add a location

Control what the Dialer does after calling your service provider

Change modem settings

Change the phone number and service provider information


Locations Properties

Locations are settings you create that help you call your service provider from various places. For example, if you use your computer from both home and work, you can create a location that dials one service provider phone number from home, and another one that dials a different number from work. The default location is set up with information from the Account Setup Wizard, but you can change it in the Dialer dialog box.

Setting	What it does

Locations name	Lets you enter a descriptive name for the location youre creating or modifying (for example, Home).

Location's area code	Defines the area code for the location (the area code you call from when using this location). This is used to determine if the phone number for your service provider is local or long distance.

Type of line	Defines the phone line you are using. Most lines use Tone, but some older lines use Pulse. You should select Tone unless you know you have a Pulse line.

Outside line access	Specifies a number needed to get an outside line. For example, at work you might need to dial 9 to call a number outside your offices phone system.

Disable call waiting	Because Call Waiting can disrupt modem connections, you must temporarily disable it when you connect to the Internet. The Dialer can handle this for you. Later when you disconnect from the Internet, Call Waiting is automatically turned back on. Click the box next to Disable call waiting with, and select the code your phone company uses to disable Call Waiting. (You can enter the code if it doesn't appear in the list.) If you don't know the code, look on your phone bill, check the phone book, or call your local phone company.

Provider phone number	The area code and phone number you use to call your Internet service provider.

Dial a 1 for long distance	Click this checkbox if you need to dial a 1 for a long distance call.

Dial area code	This option makes the Dialer always dial the area code (even for local calls). Uncheck this option if you need to dial only 1 for a long-distance phone call (for example, some areas require a 1 but not the area code).

Calling Card button	Click this button if you want to charge the call to your calling card. You can enter calling card information in the dialog box that will appear.

Dial Prefix	The number of your calling card (for some card numbers, this is your phone number). Type your calling card number without any formatting hyphens or parentheses. For example, if your phone number is (408) 555-1212, you would type 4085551212 in Dial Prefix. If you want to use a direct access number to ensure your call is billed with a specific long-distance company, type it here and leave Dial Suffix blank.

Dial Suffix 	The access code (PIN) for your calling card. For some calling cards, the access code is a four-digit number. For other cards, the number is longer.

See Also:

Creating a Location

Using the Dialer


The Location page lets you define new locations, and modify or delete existing ones. Click the arrow to see a drop-down list of all the locations you have created. When you click a different location, its settings appear on the page.


The New button creates a new Location.


The Remove button removes the location displayed in the drop-down list. You can't remove the default location.


Area Code is the area code for the location (the place youre calling from). This number is used to determine if the phone number for your service provider is a local or long-distance call.


The Dialing section lets you define dialing types and access numbers, such as a number needed to get an outside line.


Type of line defines the phone line you are using. Most lines use Tone, but some older lines use Pulse. You should select Tone unless you know you have a Pulse line.


Because Call Waiting can disrupt modem connections, you must temporarily disable it when you connect to your service provider. Click the box next to disable call waiting with, and select the code your phone company uses to disable Call Waiting. (You can enter the code if it doesn't appear in the list.) If you don't know the code, look on your phone bill, check the phone book, or call your local phone company.


Number to dial lists current location's phone number.


Dial Prefix is the number of your calling card. Type the number without any formatting hyphens or parentheses.


Dial Suffix is the access code (PIN) for your calling card. For some calling cards, the access code is a four-digit number. For other cards, the number is longer.


General Properties

You can use the following general properties to control how the Dialer works:

Preference	What it does

Automatically start. . .	Starts Netscape Navigator after the Dialer calls and connects to your service provider. This option also lets you start the Navigator first. The Navigator then automatically starts the Dialer to connect to your service provider.

Minimize connect-time window	Minimizes the Dialer and connect-time windows and keeps them minimized while you use Netscape Navigator.

Disconnect after X minutes	This option hangs up the phone if you don't use the connection for the specified number of minutes. For example, if you read a long message or type a long email message, you aren't using the modem connection. The timer resets after data is transferred through the modem (by sending or receiving email or browsing around the Web).

Manually log in each time	Requires you to enter your user name and password each time you connect.

Automatically log in. . . 	Lets you use a login script to automate the login process.

Show script while logging in	As you connect, opens a window that displays your login script.

Record script button	Lets you record a login script.

Edit script button	Lets you edit your login script.

Enable dial-on-demand	Dials your Internet service provider whenever you start Netscape Navigator.


Click Automatically start Netscape Navigator to start Netscape Navigator after the Dialer calls and connects with your service provider. This option also lets you start the Netscape Navigator first. The Netscape Navigator then automatically starts the Dialer to connect to your service provider.


Minimize Dialer when dialing minimizes the Dialer window and keeps it minimized while you use Netscape Navigator. If you start Netscape Navigator first, the Dialer is automatically minimized when Netscape Navigator starts it.


Modem Properties

The Modem page contains your modem settings. This information was gathered by the Account Setup Wizard, so you should only change these settings if your modem isn't working or if you changed your modem (for example, you installed a newer modem or changed the port your modem uses).

The brand name and model of your modem displays at the top of the Modem page.

Property	What it does

Port	Port is the communications port your modem uses (COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4).

Speaker Volume	Speaker Volume controls the volume of your modem speaker. The speaker lets you hear your modem dial the number, confirm the connection, and begin transferring data.

Maximum Speed	Maximum Speed is the number of bits per second (DTE speed) for communication between your computer and the modem.

Advanced	The Advanced dialog box contains more complex modem settings. IRQ Number is the interrupt request setting (from 2 to 15) for your modem. Most modems use different IRQ settings depending on the COM port the modem uses (this setting prevents conflicts with other cards and devices in your computer). Consult your modem documentation for the proper setting. Two common settings are COM1 with IRQ 4 and COM2 with IRQ 3. I/O Address is the base port address your computer uses to access your modem. You should change this number only if your modem uses an address value different from the one the Modem setup utility determined.

Change Modem button	Starts the Modem Wizard. You can let the Modem Wizard detect your modem, or you can manually select your modem from a list.


Port is the communications port your modem uses (COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4).You can click the Change Modem button to have the Modem Wizard automatically find which port your modem is set to.


Speaker Volume controls the volume of your modem speaker. The speaker lets you hear your modem dial the number, confirm the connection, and begin transferring data.


Maximum Speed is the number of bits per second (DTE speed) for communication between your computer and the modem.


Change Modem starts the Modem Wizard. You can let the Modem Wizard detect your modem, or you can manually select your modem from a list.


IRQ Number is the interrupt request setting (from 2 to 15) for your modem. Most modems use different IRQ settings depending on the COM port the modem uses (this setting prevents conflicts with other cards and devices in your computer). Consult your modem documentation for the proper setting (two common settings are COM1 with IRQ 4 and COM2 with IRQ 3).


I/O Address is the base port address your computer uses to access your modem. You should change this number only if your modem uses an address value different from the one the Modem setup program determined.


Service Provider Properties

The Service Provider page displays information about your Internet service provider.

Primary DNS is the IP address of your service provider's server (a four-part number separated by dots; for example, 198.95.251.30).

Secondary DNS is an optional second address to use when the first DNS server is busy.

Service Provider Domain Name is the string that identifies your Internet service provider (also called a host name). For example, the domain name of Netscape's server is netscape.com.

You should change the previous settings only if your service provider notifies you of an IP or DNS address change.


About Properties page
About properties

This page displays product information about the Netscape Dialer.


Step-by-Step Instructions

The Dialer program can be used for the following tasks:

Creating a Location

Connecting to your Internet provider

Setting Properties

Changing Modem Settings

See Also:

Closing the Dialer

The Dialer Dialog Box


Creating a Location

Locations are settings that help you call your service provider from various places. For example, you might work and live in two different area codes. If you use your computer from both home and work, you can create a location that dials one service provider phone number from home, and another location that dials a different phone number from work. The default location is set up with information from the Account Setup Wizard.

Follow these steps to create a location:

1.	In the Dialer dialog box, click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears with the Locations page selected.

2.	Click New. A dialog box appears.

3.	Type a descriptive name for the new location (for example, Work), then click OK. The Location page reappears with the new Location name appearing in the drop-down list.

4.	Change any location settings you need for the new location. For example, enter the service provider's phone number you want to dial from work.

5.	You can create another location by clicking New again, and repeating the previous steps.

6.	When you're done creating locations, click OK to save all the settings.

The last location you create becomes the default Current Location (the one the Dialer will use the next time it dials). If you want to use a different location, select one from the Current Location list in the Dialer dialog box.


Setting Properties

To set the properties for controlling how the Dialer works:

1.	Start the Dialer, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears with the Locations page selected.

2.	Check or uncheck any options you want.

4.	When you're done setting options, click OK to return to the Dialer main screen. The properties are saved and used automatically.

See Also:

Creating a Location

Changing Modem Settings


Changing Modem Settings

The Account Setup Wizard placed your modem settings in the Dialer. You should change the settings only if you're having problems with your modem, or if you've changed your modem (altered the IRQ, port, or other setting) or installed a different modem.

To run the Modem Wizard, click the Change Modem button. Follow the onscreen directions.

To manually change modem settings,

1.	Start the Dialer and click Properties. A dialog box appears.

2.	Click the Modem tab at the top of the dialog box. The Modem page appears.

3.	Select the port your modem uses (COM1, COM2, etc.)

4.	Select the speed your modem uses.

5.	If you need to change the modem interrupt or base I/O port, click Advanced.

6.	Click OK to save the new modem settings and return to the Dialer main screen.

See Also:

Modem settings


Closing the Dialer program
Closing the Dialer

To close the Dialer,

1.	Make sure the Properties dialog box is closed by clicking OK (to save new property settings) or Cancel (to discard new property settings).

2.	If you're connected to your Internet provider, click Disconnect.

3.	In the Dialer main screen, double-click the control-menu box in the top-left corner.


The Dialer Configuration file

When you sign up with an Internet service provider, the information about the provider, your user name and password, and other settings used by the Dialer are saved in a configuration file that the Dialer uses.

Dialer configuration files have the extension .SR and are associated with the Dialer application and icon in the Netscape Navigator group. If you choose to sign up with two or more Internet providers, you'll create separate dial icons, each associated with a different .SR file.

To see which .SR file is associated with an icon, click the icon and press Alt+Enter. Windows displays the properties for the icon (see your Windows manual for more information on application properties).

If you have two or more accounts, use the Dialer to start Netscape Navigator. If you start Netscape Navigator first, the Dialer uses the same account as your previous connections. Also, if you share your computer with others, you may not want to save your password in the Dialer because the Dialer saves the password in the .SR file in the C:\NETSCAPE\DIALER directory where anyone can read it.


Using the Dialer Statistics window
Using the Dialer Statistics

When you connect with your Internet service provider, the Dialer collects information about the connection, including errors. You can use this information to help solve connection problems.

When youre connected to your provider, you can click the Statistics button to view the information. The Dialer also writes to disk all the statistics information to a file called STATS.TXT in theC:\NETSCAPE\DIALER directory.

Title	Description

Port BPS 	Specifies the speed (bits per second) at which the serial port sends information to the computer (DTE speed). This is not the speed at which the modems communicate.

Connect BPS 	Specifies the speed (bits per second) that your modem and the service providers modem transfer data (DCE speed).

Flow Control 	Specifies the type of flow control the dial-in software uses (Hardware or Software). Hardware flow control is also known as RTS/CTS. Software flow control is also known as XON/XOFF.

Serial Chip 	Specifies the type of serial chip your computer uses. This chip handles the flow of data through the serial port to your computer. Newer computers should have serial boards that contain a 16550A UART chip, which can handle communications from high-speed modems.

PPP Compression 	Specifies if the connection is using PPP compression. This feature is not supported by all service providers.

Overrun Errors 	Specifies the number of overrun errors encountered at the serial port. An overrun error occurs when the data is coming into the computer from the remote connection faster than the computer can handle it, so data is lost. The most common reason this occurs is when you are using a fast modem with an 8250 or 16450 UART serial chip. You might need to slow down your modem or upgrade your serial chip.

Invalid CRCs 	Specifies the number of invalid CRCs (Cyclic Redundancy Checks). This occurs when data is transferred and there is an error in the transmission (usually phone line noise).

Frames Received OK	Specifies the number of frames received without errors. When modems transfer information, the data is separated into frames to ensure you get all the data correctly.

Frames Rejected 	Specifies the number of frames that didnt transmit correctly but not due to a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Checks) problem. You can get transmit problems for different reasons. This value is almost always 0.

Largest Frame Received 	Specifies the size of the largest frame your modem received.

Frames Transmitted 	Specifies the number of frames your modem sent. Transmission of a frame does not imply that it has been received successfully by the remote server.

Frames Retransmitted 	Specifies the number of frames your modem had to resend.

Largest Frame Transmitted	Specifies the size of the largest frame your modem sent.

IP Address 	Specifies the IP address for your computer for this dial-in session. This address changes each time you log in with your service provider.