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Updated 11/19/04

Please keep in mind that if you are having problems with your Internet or E-mail, we want to help you solve them.

The first thing to try when experiencing computer problems is to restart the computer.

Internet Explorer  |  E-mail

 

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Internet Explorer Support

The two most commonly used browsers today are Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator.  Most of our users use Internet Explorer.  Unless specifically noted otherwise, support issues assume the user is using Internet Explorer.

Be sure your version of Internet Explorer is at least 4.0 .  To find out which version you're using, in Internet Explorer click on Help, then About Internet Explorer.  We keep Internet Explorer upgrade CD's available for our customers to borrow (no charge).  The upgrade CD's are very easy to use and can do in two minutes what would take two HOURS to download from the internet.

A word about web sites -- Web sites are not permanent, and may change URL addresses or even close without notice.  In such cases, hotlinks to affected sites are not always updated or deleted right away.  If you receive an error message when attempting to access a particular site, try searching for a more up-to-date URL.

 

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USING INTERNET EXPLORER

Once you are connected with Internet Explorer, you can go anywhere you want to, in several different ways.

If the first page to display when you connect (called the start page) is not Internet America’s home page, go to it by typing www.westal.net in the "Address" box and press Enter. On this page you’ll find information about our service, and several web links to sites on the Internet where you can learn, explore, and enjoy!!  

If the mouse pointer turns into a hand when it moves over a picture or text, that picture or text is a "link". Clicking on it will take you to a different page that has information related to that item.

If you have the address of a particular Web page that you want to go to, you can tell Internet Explorer to find that specific page. Do this by clicking in the "Address" field near the top of the screen. Type the desired page’s address into this box, then press the Enter key. Internet Explorer will take you directly to the page. An example of what you would type is: www.westal.net.

What if you don’t know where to go to find what you want? The yellow "Search Engines" link on Internet America’s home page (www.westal.net) takes you to a list of several different search programs that you can use to find information. Click on one to open it. Read the on-screen instructions for each program to get the best results. If you’re not sure which one to use, try Yahoo, Lycos, or Webcrawler. Also, Internet Explorer has a "Search" button on the tool bar.

If you want to go back to a page that you’ve just looked at, click on the left-pointing arrow button. You’ll step through the pages you’ve previously looked at until you arrive at the one you want to see. You can go forward through the recent pages with the right arrow button.

If you get totally lost, you can always press the Home button (with the little house on it) and you’ll come back to your original home page.

Click on "Help" to learn more about using Internet Explorer. Clicking on the "Internet Tutorials" link on Internet America’s Web Links page will take you to a list of Internet tutorial sites. (Go to www.westal.net, click on the yellow "Web Links" link.)

Back to Internet Explorer Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internet America's Home Page
www.westal.net

Quick, easy access to
popular web sites, search tools, and more!

Current System Status Reports & Local Announcements too!

We recommend that you make our home page your Start Page.  A Start Page is the page, or web site, that your Internet browser automatically opens up to when you first connect to the Internet.  Follow the instructions below for the browser you are using:

Internet Explorer 6.0 - After connecting to the Internet, click on "Tools", then "Internet Options"; in the "Home page" section under the "General" tab, enter http://www.westal.net/ in the "Address" field.   Click "OK" to exit.

Netscape Communicator 4.0 and higher - In Communicator, go to Edit, then Preferences.  In the Home Page section, change "Location" to http://www.westal.net/ .   Click "OK" to exit.

Back to Internet Explorer Support 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cannot Access a Particular Web Site

If the server containing (hosting) the site you're trying to access is overloaded or "down", you will not be able to access the site.  Try again later.

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"The Internet Site was not found.  Please make sure the address is correct.  Could not open http://"

This can be caused by invalid URL, loss of connection, or configuration errors.

  • Invalid URL - Double check the spelling of the URL (website address).

  • No connection - Try to access two other sites that you normally are able to access easily.  If you can't access anything, it's possible that you may have lost your Internet connection or that one was not established when the browser opened.  When you're connected to the Internet, your computer puts a small icon (looks like two computers connected together) on your Start bar on the end where the time shows.  If you don't see this icon after opening your browser, you're not connected to the Internet.  Go to Problems Getting Connected for help with this.

  • Configuration errors - Use the checklist to verify your connection settings are correct.  Also check your connection settings in Internet Explorer.

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"The Internet site "..." was not found.  Please make sure the address is correct.

In this case, the URL (web address) is completely wrong.  Double check the URL, or confirm it through the creator/author or webmaster.

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"Unable to open http://...  The site reports that the item you requested could not be found.

The remote server is telling you that the first part of the URL is correct, but the specific page you were looking for does not exist, probably due to an incorrect or invalid URL.  Check your typing and try again.  It's possible that the website could no longer exist.  Try searching for a more up-to-date URL.

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"Cannot open "..."  You do not have permission to open this item.

This usually occurs when an URL has moved, or the author has decided to not allow public access to the item.  Confirm the URL with the creator/author or webmaster.

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"Unable to open "..."  The required Internet protocol is not installed, or the address may be invalid.

This often results from an invalid or improper URL.  If you get this error for several sites, try disconnecting from the Internet.  Restart your computer, then reconnect to the Internet.  If the problem persists, see the troubleshooting helps under "Connection" on the "Support & FAQ's" web page.

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"This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down."

This message can appear anytime the computer is trying to execute a task (like open a program or file) and a file it needs to use to execute that task is either missing, damaged, or corrupted.  The computer is unable to execute the task and gives you this message.

There is usually a "Details" button on this message.  Click it and make a note of what it says.  Generally, it will tell you "WHAT caused WHAT KIND OF FAULT in WHICH MODULE" -- like "IEXPLORE caused an invalid page fault in module kernel32.dll".

Close all open programs and restart the computer.

If the problem persists, contact Network IT.  Be sure to have available the details of any error messages you have received.

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"Why can't I save my password in the CONNECT TO box?"

You are not currently logged into Windows 95/98.  Therefore your password cache list is not open, and you are not able to save passwords.

To workaround this:

When you start Windows 95/98, do not click Cancel in the logon dialog box.  If you do not have a password, create a new one by typing it in the Password box, or create a null password by clicking "OK".  If you create a null password, you are no longer prompted to log on to Windows 95/98 when Windows starts.  Creating a null password does not prevent other people from accessing your computer, but does allow you to save your password when you are using Dial-Up Networking.

To restart Windows 95/98 so that you receive the logon dialog box, click Shut Down on the Start menu, click "Close all programs and log on as a different user," and then click OK.

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"A connection with the server could not be established..."

The "server" referenced in this message is the server that contains (hosts) the web site you are trying to open.  This may be because that server is temporarily overloaded or "down".  Try that web site again later.

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Closing windows that don't have any visible way to close them:

To close annoying advertising windows that appear automatically and don't have the "X" button to close them, hold down your Alt key and then hit your F4 key.

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E-mail Support

Before you begin troubleshooting, always try to send the message at least twice.  If you begin troubleshooting before attempting to send it twice, you could end up troubleshooting a very temporary problem (e.g., low disk space or network lag).

When you are having trouble sending email to someone, try to verify the email address with the recipient personally before beginning any troubleshooting.  Often finding two transposed characters in the email address will save you much trouble.

If a mail message is returned to you, be sure to read the entire error message.  you will often find more detailed information than simply 'undeliverable mail' if you sift through the message.

Remember, if you're having problems, we want to help you solve them.

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USING OUTLOOK EXPRESS

This is the email program that comes with Internet Explorer 4.0 & 5.0. You should find the icon for this program on your desktop.

Checking for New Mail

  • Open Outlook Express either by double-clicking on its icon on your desktop, or by clicking on the "Mail" button on the tool bar in Internet Explorer.

  • If your Outlook Express doesn’t automatically check for new mail when you first open the program, then click on the "Send and Receive" button to download your email from the Internet.

  • All new mail will be delivered into your "Inbox" folder.

    • To Read Your Mail

    1. Click on "Inbox" from the list in the left part of your window.

    2. Messages are listed in the upper right viewing area. Any unread mail will be shown in bold type. If you click once on a message in the list, you can see a preview of that message in the lower right viewing area.

    3. To open a message, double-click on the message in the list. To close a message you’ve opened, click on the close button (X in upper right corner). To send a message to the Delete Folder after you’ve read it, click on the "Delete" button.

    To Reply to a Message

    1. Click on the "Reply to Author" button on the tool bar of the opened message you want to reply to.

    2. A new window will appear that is already addressed to the sender of the message you want to reply to. A copy of their message will already be in the message part of the window, and the blinking cursor will be positioned for you to begin typing your response.

    3. After typing your response, click the "Send" button. This sends the message to your "Outbox" folder.

    4. If Outlook Express doesn’t automatically send the message from your "Outbox" folder to the Internet, you can click the "Send and Receive" button on the tool bar to deliver the message to the Internet. After the message is delivered to the Internet, a copy of it is saved in your "Sent Items" folder.

     

    To Compose a New Message

    1. In Outlook Express, click on the "New Message" (or "Compose Message") button.

    2. Click on the little icon next to "To:" to enter someone into your address book. (Once someone is in your address book, you can just type their name in the "To:" box.  Be sure to type the name exactly as you've entered it in the address book) Click on "New Contact". To set up Internet America in your address book, type "Internet America" in the "Last" Name box, then type staff@westal.net in the "Add new E-mail Addresses" field. Click "Add", then click OK. If you want, you can highlight a name and then click "To->" to address your mail. Click OK to return to your new message.

    3. In the "Subject" field type in a brief reference to your message content. Then type your message in the large area of the message form.

    4. When you’re finished composing your message, click on the "Send" button (see picture of flying envelope at left end of tool bar). This will send your mail to your "Outbox" folder.

    NOTE:  If Outlook Express doesn’t automatically send the message from your "Outbox" folder to the Internet, you can click the "Send and Receive" button on the tool bar to deliver the message to the Internet. After the message is delivered to the Internet, a copy of it is saved in your "Sent Items" folder.

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

    Check Settings in Outlook Express 5

    Open Outlook Express. Click on Tools, then Accounts, then the Mail tab. Select the mail account that you want to check (usually the "default" one), then click the Properties button.

    Under the General tab:

    • User Information field: Your Name (eg. John Doe)

    • Organization field: leave blank unless you want to enter a business name.

    • E-mail Address field: username@westal.net (eg. jdoe@westal.net)

    • Return Address field: leave blank.

    Under the Server tab:

    • Incoming mail server is a POP3

    • Incoming mail (POP3): 207.203.133.67

    • Outgoing mail (SMTP): 207.203.133.67

    Incoming mail server:

    • Account Name field: your username (eg. jdoe)

    • Password field: your password

    • No checkmark in front of "Log on using Secure Password …"

    • No checkmark in front of "My server requires authentication."

    Under Connection tab:

    • Checkmark in front of "Always connect to this account using:"

    • Be sure Internet America is selected as the dial-in account to be used.

    Click the "Apply" button, then "OK", then "Close".

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

     

    File size limit for email attachments

    The recommended maximum email message size is 750 Kilobytes.

    A good rule-of-thumb to use when sending attachments in email is The smaller, the better. Email messages with large attachments could "clog" the mail system and your inbox. Therefore, keep these points in mind:

    • Keep attachments under 3/4mb (750K).

    • Use compression ("zip" or "stuff" your files).

    • Some programs will let you "break-up" large files into smaller ones... This is usually the best way.

    • Be sure to tell your friends not to send large file attachments to you, either (it works both ways).

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

    "Why can't I retrieve/send a large message?"

    At sometime or the other all of us need to get a large file to someone else on the Internet. The method that first suggests itself to many users is to send the file as an attachment to an email message. Unfortunately, this ignores the fact that the sender and recipient are usually at the end of a dial-up or slow dedicated connection and that different email servers and client software sometimes don't play well together.

    The problems that can result from transferring a large email file are not fatal but can be quite infuriating. The usual symptoms can include a file corrupted by incompatible MIME* protocols (*MIME is the standard protocol use to transfer binary files via email and the web.) or a jammed mailbox where the user's email software just blows up and can't complete the download of a large multi-megabyte file. At the minimum this means lost time to replace or repair a corrupted file or a jammed mailbox where the recipient's email software keeps blowing up during the long downloads required to receive the big message. (A large binary of the multi-megabyte variety can take a dial-up user hours to download. Email software often isn't able to remain stable during such a long connection.) Needless to say no other email can be downloaded until the email message causing the jam is removed.

    In our experience transfer problem start when the message size exceeds 750K. Over this size email file transfers are just not reliable and are dependent upon what the destination and any intermediate 'hops' will accept.

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    My email messages won't all download

    The most common cause of this problem is a large or corrupted message that is jamming your mailbox.

    Our customers can usually un-jam their own mailbox using our web-based email service (Web Messaging)

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    How to un-jam your email box

    If your mailbox has been jammed by a large or corrupted message which you are unable to download and delete because it locks up your mail reader software, you can remove it by following these steps:

    Note: Our experience has been that usually all messages must be deleted from the mailbox to un-jam it. 

    • Using your browser, go to www.westal.net and click on the yellow "Check e-mail" link.

    • Login to your mailbox.

    • Click the "Summary" button.

    • Messages may be viewed before deleting by clicking on the Subject of a message.  The message may then also be printed as you would print any web page.  (Click the "Summary" button to return to the list of messages.)

    • To delete all messages, click the "Delete All" button at the bottom of the list of messages.

    You should now be able to receive email once again. For more information about using web-based email, go to our Web Messaging page.

    If the problem persists or if you're unable to delete all the messages from your mailbox, contact us.

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

    How to transfer large files or binary attachments

    If you need to transfer a large message or binary attachment then you can use one of the following methods:

    Use FTP and Avoid Email Problems Altogether.

    If the recipient of your email has an ftp server that accepts incoming files then use an ftp client like Cute FTP (for Windows95/NT) or Fetch (for Macs) to upload your file to his server. Not only does this avoid the problems of email transfers but it's also faster and avoids any potential corruption caused by mail servers with incompatible MIME type protocols.

    Zip or Stuff the File to Make it Smaller

    Using zip software like Winzip (for Windows) or other compression software like Stuffit (for Macs) you can compress the file you want to transfer and often make it considerably smaller. This is particularly true for things like Word files or spreadsheets. However, some graphic formats like .gif and .jpeg are already compressed and can't be shrunk any further.

    It's a good habit to always compress large attachments simply to save time in sending and receiving the file. To compress a file just follow the instructions that came with your compression software. If you make the compressed file self-extracting then the recipient won't even have to own a copy of the compression software to open it up.

    Zip or Stuff the File and Segment it Into Smaller Pieces

    If, after you've compressed a file, you find it's still too large to send reliably, some compression software will allow you to segment it into several smaller pieces that can then be sent by two or more email messages and reassembled by the receiver. A number of small messages will have a far better chance of getting through than one really big message. These segmented files can also be made self-extracting which makes reassembling them at the receiving end a simple matter of double clicking on the first segment.

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    "Undeliverable mail"

    The most common cause for this is incorrect user or host name in the email address you're sending to.  The "user" is what comes before the @, the "host" is what comes after the @.

    Back to Email

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    "Local configuration error"

    This indicates a problem with the recipient's mail account.  Contact the recipient to see if they're aware of any possible problems.  You can also try emailing the recipient's email administrator, being sure to forward a copy of the returned mail.  (e.g., if you're having trouble sending a message to jdoe@westal.net, try forwarding the returned mail to postmaster@westal.net) 

    Back to Email

     

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