Internet Disconnection Problems |
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The following are troubleshooting ideas to find out what kind of Internet connection problems
could be causing the connection to drop off. You may want to print this out. A. Email Causing Disconnections - Using Outlook Express: B. Auto-Disconnect Feature is Turned ON - Configured through Outlook Express. C. Auto-Disconnect Feature is Turned ON - Configured through Control Panel. D. Configuring the DNS: E. Configuring the DNS under Network Adapter: F. Call Waiting - Causing Internet Disconnections. G. Changing the Dial-up Phone Number A. Email Causing Disconnections - Using Outlook Express: 1. Go to TOOLS > ACCOUNTS > select the MAIL tab > double click on your mail account (ie. Incentre, or depending on what you called it). 2. Your are now in PROPERTIES under the General Tab. Check your email address. Ensure that the check mark is clicked on for "Include this account when receiving mail or synchronizing". 3. Under the Servers Tab. - My incoming mail server is: POP3 - Incoming mail server: pop.incentre.net - Outgoing mail server: smtp.incentre.net - Check for correct Account name / Password 4. Under the Advanced Tab, check the "Server Timeouts" setting. If you require a longer timeout period simply increase the time. The default time is usually around 1 minute which is usually adequate for most situations. But experiment to see whether this will improve your connection. 5. Click APPLY > OK > CLOSE. 6. Back to the Outlook Express mainpage, click TOOLS > OPTIONS > CONNECTION tab. - Ask before switching connection: checked - Hang up after sending and receiving: remove check mark - Under Internet Connection Settings, click on CHANGE (or whatever it is). 7. Click on CONNECTIONS tab > select "always dial my default connection". Make sure the correct connection is selected. Make sure the default connection is the correct one, if not simply highlight the correct connection and click on "SET DEFAULT". 8. Click OK and OK. Your connection should improve, if not go to the next step B. [Back to the top] B. Auto-Disconnect Feature is Turned ON - Configured through Outlook Express. This modifies the Internet connection itself on time and auto-disconnect features. 1. Click TOOLS > OPTIONS. 2. Click on CONNECTIONS tab > select "always dial my default connection". Make sure the correct connection is selected. 3. Click on SETTINGS > ADVANCED. - Disconnect if idle for more than so many minutes: choose as you please (20 minutes is the norm). - Disconnect when connection may no longer be needed: remove check mark if checked. Click OK > OK > APPLY > OK > and OK. 4. If the connection improves, then you are finished. If not go to step D. [Back to the top] C. Auto-Disconnect Feature is Turned ON - Configured through Control Panel. This modifies the Internet connection itself on time and auto-disconnect features. 1. Click START menu > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > INTERNET OPTIONS. 2. Click on CONNECTIONS tab > select "always dial my default connection". Make sure the correct connection is selected. 3. Click on SETTINGS > ADVANCED. - Disconnect if idle for more than so many minutes: choose as you please (20 minutes is the norm). - Disconnect when connection may no longer be needed: remove check mark if checked. Click OK > OK > APPLY > OK > and OK. 4. If the connection improves, then you are finished. If not go to step D. [Back to the top] D. Configuring the DNS: This is one area that may make the most significance, and may be the source of your main disconnection issues. Unfortunately all computers work differently, some requiring DNS and some that fail miserably with the DNS. 1. Go to MY COMPUTER > DIAL UP NETWORKING > right click on MY CONNECTION (or whatever you labeled it as) > select PROPERTIES > SERVER TYPES tab > TCP/IP SETTINGS. 2. Select "SERVER ASSIGNED IP ADDRESS". 3. OPTIONAL: choose the option that is not already checked and see which works better in your situation. - Select "SERVER ASSIGNED NAME SERVER ADDRESSES" if not already selected, otherwise - Select "SPECIFY NAME SERVER ADDRESSES" if not already selected and Enter the following: - Primary DNS: 198.161.96.1 - Secondary DNS: 204.209.46.1 - Click OK and OK. 4. Try it out and see if your connection improves. If the connection works okay, then you are finished. If not then go to the next step E. [Back to the top] E. Configuring the DNS under Network Adapter: Some Microsoft Operating Systems have a certain DNS issue which may be resolved by adding the DNS in the Network TCP/IP Dial Up Adapter. 1. Go to START menu > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > NETWORK. 2. Select the TCP/IP Dial-up Adapter and click on PROPERTIES. 3. Enter the following under each Tab: a). IP Address: - Select: Automatically assign an IP address b). DNS Configuration: - Select: Enable DNS - Enter Host: (username) - Enter Domain: incentre.net - Enter DNS Server Search Order: 198.161.96.1 and 204.209.46.1, and click ADD for each. - Enter Domain Suffix Search Order: incentre.net - click ADD. 4. Click OK and OK. The computer will prompt you to restart. Do so now. (Some computers may require a Windows operating disk to update the changes - do so if requested). 5. If the connection improves, then you are finished. If not, then continue with step F. [Back to the top] F. Call Waiting - causing Internet disconnections. To prevent the call waiting feature from activating during your Internet session, you will need to disable it as follows: 1. Go to START menu > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > MODEMS > DIALING PROPERTIES. OR: Go to MY COMPUTER > DIALUP NETWORKING > double click on your Internet "Connection" > and click on DIALING PROPERTIES. OR: Double click on the shortcut to your Internet "Connection" > and click on DIALING PROPERTIES. 2. Place a check mark beside "To disable call waiting" dial *70, 3. Click APPLY > OK > CLOSE. [Back to the top] G. As a last resort, you can change the dial-up phone number to see if the connection improves. But most likely this is not the problem and is only a band-aid solution. 1. To change the dial-up number: double click MY COMPUTER > DIAL UP NETWORKING > right click on MY CONNECTION > select PROPERTIES > and change the corresponding phone number. Always remove the check mark for "use area code and country code". 2. Dial-up phone numbers to use in Edmonton area only: 421-4222, 702-4222, 702-0369 3. For dial-up phone numbers for any of our affiliates across Alberta, please call your local ISP, or view them under Affiliates on our web site at www.incentre.net. 4. If the connection does not improve, please call The Internet Centre. [Back to the top] |