Contents

Getting Started

Choosing an Internet Service Provider

Setting up a New Account

Personal Information

About the Online Survey

User Information Card

Sharing Your Information About Yourself

Billing Information

Modem Information

Modem Information Checklist

Detecting Your Modem

Selecting Your Modem

Dialing Information

Where You Are Dialing From

The Modem Wizard Detected Your Modem

Detecting Your Modem

Selecting a Communications Port

The Modem Wizard Could Not Detect Your Modem

Manually Selecting Your Modem Type

Your Modem Is Now Set Up

You and Your Internet Service Provider

Connecting To an Internet Service Provider

Starting the Navigator

Setting up the Dialer

Preparing for Internet Access

Setting up Internet Access

Your Name

Your Login Name

Your Email Name

Phone Number to Dial

DNS Address

Getting Mail and News

Publishing on the World Wide Web

Connecting to the Internet Now

Connecting to the Internet Later

Exploring the Internet


Choosing an Internet Service Provider

How do I know whether I already have an Internet service provider?

Answer the following questions to help you decide whether you already have a service provider:

1.	From the computer where you've installed Personal Edition, do you have dial-up access to email, newsgroups, and the World Wide Web (including graphics and multimedia)?

2.	Do you pay a monthly bill to an Internet service provider such as NETCOM, Concentric Network, Sprint, internetMCI, or AT&T?

3.	Can you place your own documents on the World Wide Web?

Yes

If you answered "yes" to any of the previous questions, click I already have a service provider. When you click Next, you'll be asked to give information about your service provider.

No

If you answered "no" to all of the previous questions, click I need to choose a service provider. When you click Next, Account Setup Wizard will help you choose a service provider.

Note:	You might already have a bulletin board or shell account (also known as a Telnet account) that lets you access other computers. However, such an account doesn't give you full access to the World Wide Web (including graphics and multimedia). For full access, you need an Internet service provider. If you already have a bulletin board or shell account, follow one of these steps:

Either follow the previous instructions under "No" and sign up with an Internet service provider, or

Call your bulletin board or shell account provider and ask whether they offer full Web access accounts. If so, set up such an account and write down all the information they give you. Then follow the previous instructions under "Yes."

If you have a previously installed version of Netscape Personal Edition

If you're upgrading from a previous version to a newer version, you can still use your current service provider. If you installed Netscape Personal Edition version 3.0 in the same directory as your previous version, your email settings, service provider settings, and bookmarks have been retained, and your Dialer icon remains in the Netscape Personal Edition program group.

What's an Internet service provider?

Let's start with the Internet. Think of the Internet as a vast collection of computers that are linked together to share information. In order to share information, these linked computers have to share a common language. To place your computer on the Internet, you'd have to learn a complex computer language, buy expensive hardware, and spend lots of time. Instead, an Internet service provider maintains a computer that's already on the Internet, and you can connect to that computer using your phone line and a modem. Once you connect to your service provider, you have access to the Internet.

A connection with an Internet service provider is called "dial-up" because each time you want to connect to the Internet, your modem dials the service provider's phone number. When the service provider's computer answers, a connection is established between your computer and the service provider's computer. Through that dial-up connection, you can explore the Internet.

How do I put my own documents on the World Wide Web?

While all service providers let you browse the Web, some of them also let you publish your own documents (called pages) on the Web. Publishing a Web page is actually a simple process. First you get permission to use a place on your service provider's computer. Then you copy your page to the service provider's computer, and advertise your page's "address" (called a URL) so that others can find it.

What about my modem?

Your computer uses a phone line to connect to the Internet. But your computer also needs a modem to translate information going back and forth over the phone line. So a modem is just a device (a box, usually, or a card inside your computer) that connects to your computer, and then plugs into the phone line.

Your modem is an important part of your Internet connection, and its important to set it up correctly. You can use a modem checklist in Chapter 1 of Installation and Setup Guide, or you can use this abbreviated version of the checklist:

If you're using an external modem, make sure that the cables are connected, and that the modem is turned on.

If you're using an internal modem, make sure that it has been properly installed and configured according the manufacturer's instructions.

If you haven't already installed your modem, you must do so now. Click Cancel to exit Account Setup Wizard. Install your modem, and make sure it is connected and turned on. Then start Account Setup Wizard again.


Setting Up a New Account

Personal and Billing Information

Service providers charge a fee for the Internet access they provide (usually a monthly fee and sometimes by the hour). You can sign up for basic Internet access, which lets you browse the World Wide Web. Or you can sign up for a publishing account. With a publishing account, you can place (or "publish") your own documents on the World Wide Web, as well as browse the documents already out there.

You'll need to provide the following information so that your service provider can charge you:

Your name

Credit card billing address

Credit card number and expiration date

Modem Information

To finish setting up Netscape Personal Edition, you need to know your modem's manufacturer and model.

Dialing Information

You also need to know the following information about your modem's phone line:

What's the phone number?

Does the line have Call Waiting? If so, how do you disable it? Check your phone bill or the phone book, or call the phone company.

Does the line use Tone or Pulse dialing? Most phone systems use Tone, but some older systems use Pulse. If you're not sure, call your phone company.

Do you have to dial a special number or character (such as 9) to get an outside line?

When you have all of the previous information ready, click Next to continue.

If you can already connect to the Internet, you already have a service provider. Click Back to set up your computer with an existing account.


Personal Information

Name: Type your name.

Company: If you've purchased Netscape Personal Edition for a business or for a home business, enter the company name. Including a company name is optional.

Address: Type the address that your monthly credit card statement is mailed to (this is your credit card billing address).

City, State, ZIP/Postal Code: Type the city, state (or province), and ZIP code (or postal code) for your credit card billing address.


About the Online Survey

By filling in the online survey, you help Netscape learn about you. In turn, Netscape can develop better products and services for you. When you're done with the online survey, you'll immediately continue with Account Setup Wizard.

Whether or not you fill out the online survey, your copy of Netscape Personal Edition will be automatically registered when you connect to Netscape at the end of Account Setup Wizard.

Click the checkbox next to statement that describes how you want to continue. Then click Next.


User Information Card

Netscape uses the information you provide here to help us develop the products you want.

When you're done, click Next to continue.


User Information Card

Netscape uses the information you provide here to help us develop the products you want.

When you're done, click Next to continue.


User Information Card

Netscape uses the information you provide here to help us develop the products you want.

When you're done, click Next to continue.


Sharing Information About Yourself

Click Yes if you want us to share your personal information with other companies. We'll provide them with your name and address (but never your credit card information). In turn, you'll receive information about exciting products designed for Netscape Personal Edition users.

Click No if you don't want us to share your personal information.

Click Next to continue.


Billing Information

Service providers need credit card information so that they can charge you for the Internet access they provide. Your credit card information is encoded before it's transmitted, and it will be forwarded only to the service provider you choose. If you don't choose a service provider, your credit card information will be discarded.

Name on card: Type your name as it appears on your credit card.

Type of card: Choose the type of card you're using.

Card number: Type the card number as it appears on the card.

Expiration date: Type the expiration date that appears on the card.

Click Next to continue.


Modem Information Checklist

We're going to need some information about the modem you're using. Take a minute now to write down the modem's manufacturer and model.

Before you continue, make sure that your modem is set up properly. Heres a modem checklist to help you.

Check off this item	Internal modems	External modems
Physically install the modem according to manufacturers instructions.	Either have your modem professionally installed, or do it yourself.	Take your modem out of the box and make sure that you have all the necessary cables.
Connect the modem.	Plug the phone line into the modem jack on the back of your computer.	Follow the manufacturers instructions. First connect the modem to the computer; then plug the phone line into the modem. Finally, plug the modems power cord into a power outlet.
Turn on the modem.	Plug the phone line into the modem jack on the back of your computer.	Flip the "on" switch on the modem.
Install special modem software if it came with your modem. You might need to restart your computer for the new modem settings to take effect.
Keep the modems packaging and literature for future reference.


Detecting Your Modem

Depending on the modem and software you use, the Modem Wizard can usually detect which modem you're using. Occasionally, the Modem Wizard either can't detect your modem, or detects a modem other than yours.

If the Modem Wizard couldn't detect your modem, click Rerun Modem Wizard and try letting the Modem Wizard detect your modem one more time. If it still fails to detect your modem, click Rerun Modem Wizard and choose your modem from a list.

If the Modem Wizard detected a modem other than yours, it's probably OK to continue without rerunning the Modem Wizard. Different modem manufacturers often use the same chip in their modems. The Modem Wizard detects the modem's chip rather than detecting the specific manufacturer. For example, you might have a US Robotics modem, and the Modem Wizard might detect it as "Rockwell based WinRPI." In this case, the Modem Wizard detected the Rockwell chip in a US Robotics modem, and it's fine to finish the Modem Wizard without making a change. If you're uncertain about whether your modem was detected correctly, click Rerun Modem Wizard and choose your modem from a list.

If the Modem Wizard detected your modem correctly, click Next to continue.


Selecting Your Modem

Follow these steps to select your modem from a list:

1.	Choose the name of your modem's manufacturer from the Manufacturer list on the left. If you don't see the manufacturer's name, choose Hayes Compatible. Account Setup Wizard can use this choice as its "best guess" to configure your modem.

2.	Next, choose the model number for your modem from the Models list on the right. If your model number isn't in the list, choose a basic setting for your modem speed.

Click Next to continue.

If your modem fails to work (or "initialize") after following the previous steps, either click the Back button in Account Setup Wizard until you reach the Modem Wizard, or run Account Setup Wizard again. This time, select Generic Modem in the Manufacturer list, and then click a model with your modem's speed in the Model list.


Dialing Information

Call Waiting

Because Call Waiting can disrupt modem connections, you must temporarily disable it when you connect to your service provider. When you disconnect from your service provider, Call Waiting is automatically turned back on.

Netscape Personal Edition will disable Call Waiting for you. If your modem's phone line has Call Waiting, click the arrow next to Disable call waiting with, and select the code your phone company uses to disable Call Waiting. (You can type 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.

Outside lines

If you have to dial a number or a special character (such as 9) to get an outside line, enter it here.

Tone or Pulse?

Indicate whether your phone system is Tone or Pulse. Most phone systems use Tone, but some older systems use Pulse. If you're not sure, call your phone company.

Click Next to continue.


Where Youre Dialing From
Where You Are Dialing From

Enter the area code and phone number of your modem's phone line. Don't include any additional numbers or characters you dial to get an outside line (such as 9). Account Setup Wizard needs this phone number so it can provide you with a list of service providers for your area.

Click Next to continue.


Connecting to an Internet Service Provider

Now you're ready to get information about some of the service providers for your area. When you click Connect, Account Setup Wizard dials a toll-free number that connects you to a list of service providers. Once you connect, you can read about each service provider before making a choice.

Think about the following when choosing a service provider:

What are the costs? Is there an account setup fee (usually a one-time charge)? Do you get unlimited access for a flat monthly fee? Do you pay a monthly fee and also an hourly rate for connection time? Different service providers offer different plans, and you should read carefully before you decide on a service provider.

Do you want to place your own documents on the World Wide Web, as well as browse what's already out there? Netscape Navigator Gold makes it easy for you to create your own Web documents (called "pages") and place (or "publish") them on the Web. If you want to publish on the Web, look for service providers that let you publish your own pages for an additional fee. For more on creating and publishing pages, see the Introduction and Chapter 2 in User's Guide.

Is the service provider's phone number a local one? A toll-free number? When you connect to your service provider, the phone call tends to be long. You're on the phone as long as you stay connected to your service provider. The phone company charges you for the phone call like any other phone call. And on top of the phone call's cost, you also pay your service provider for Internet access. However, if you choose a toll-free number for your service provider, you might pay higher fees. Toll-free numbers are a good option if you travel frequently and need to connect to your service provider while on the road.

What kind of technical support does the service provider offer? Is it available only during certain hours? Are you charged when you call for technical support?

Account Setup Wizard automatically registers your copy of Netscape Personal Edition when you create an account with a service provider.

Click Connect to connect and select a service provider.


Starting the Navigator

When you're ready to connect to your service provider again, open the Netscape Personal Edition group in Program Manager. Then double-click the Netscape Navigator Gold icon to connect to your service provider and start Navigator Gold.

You've completed Account Setup Wizard. Click Finish to exit and save your setup information.


Setting up the Dialer

Account Setup Wizard places a Dialer icon in the Netscape Personal Edition program group.

What's a Dialer?

Dialer software is installed with Netscape Personal Edition. The Dialer controls the connection to your service provider. To connect to your service provider, the Dialer first tells your modem to dial the service provider's phone number. When the service provider's modem answers, the Dialer provides some identifying information (such as your user or login name), and establishes a connection between you and your service provider's computer. For more on how your service provider connection works, see the Introduction in User's Guide.

Later in Account Setup Wizard, you'll enter connection information, such as the service provider's phone number, your user or login name, and modem information. Account Setup Wizard places this connection information in the Dialer so the Dialer can properly connect you.

How do I use a Dialer icon?

After you complete Account Setup Wizard, double-click the Dialer icon to open the Dialer. There you can change your connection information, or connect to your service provider without starting Netscape Navigator Gold.

You can name the Dialer icon anything you want, but we suggest the name of your service provider. For example, if your service provider is Netcom, you might want the icon to be named Netcom.


Preparing for Internet Access

Account information includes the name of your service provider, your login name (also called a user ID or user name), and your password.

Modem information includes the manufacturer and model of your modem.

Dialing information includes the following information:

The number your modem dials to connect to your service provider.

Whether your modem's phone line has Call Waiting. If so, you also need to know the code necessary to disable Call Waiting. If you don't know the code, look on your phone bill, check the phone book, or call your local phone company.

Whether you dial a special character or number (such as 9) to get an outside line.

Whether you phone uses a Tone or Pulse system. Most phone systems use Tone, but some older systems use Pulse. If you're not sure, call your phone company.

When you have all of this information ready, click Next to continue.


Setting up Internet Access

If you already have a service provider, you'll need to provide the following information. If you don't have all of the information, get it from your service provider before you click Next.

Your account login name (also called a user ID or user name) and your password.

The phone number your modem dials to connect to your service provider.

Domain Name System (DNS) server address. This is a four-part number separated by dots (for example, 198.95.251.30).

News (NNTP) server name or address (for example, news.isp.com or a multi-part number separated by dots). To provide newsgroup information, your service provider probably has a separate news server.

Mail (SMTP and POP) server names or addresses (for example, mail.isp.com or a multi-part number separated by dots). These are the servers that send out and bring in your email. Your service provider might use just one mail server for both functions, so the address might be the same for both SMTP and POP.

Optional: Publishing location URL and password. If you have the ability to publish pages on the World Wide Web, your service provider has given you the URL for a place to publish your pages, and a special password for that place. Here are some examples of publishing location URLs:

ftp://ftp.aol.com/docs/yourname/index.html

http://commericalweb.com/docs/yourname/index.html

When you have all of this information ready, click Next to continue.


Your Name

Type your full name. Optionally, you can also enter the name of the company you work for.

Click Next to continue.


Your Login Name

Type the login name (also called a user ID or user name) and password you use to connect to your service provider. If you don't know your login name and password, call your service provider. Netscape Personal Edition will use this information to automatically log in to your service provider when you connect.

However, you might not be able to log in automatically. Some service providers require you to enter all of your login information each time you connect. If you enter a user name and password each time you connect, you probably need a login window (also called a TTY window). If you're unsure, check with your service provider. If you need a login window, click the box next to I will need a login window.

After you complete Account Setup Wizard, you can create a login script so you can log in automatically. See Chapter 4, "Tips and techniques," in User's Guide.

Click Next to continue.


Your Email Name

For email, some service providers give you a different user name (also called a user ID, login name, or POP name) and password. If you have a separate name and password for email, enter them here. If you don't enter a separate name and password for email, just click Next; Account Setup Wizard will automatically use your account user name and password for email.

If you don't know whether you have a separate login name and password for email, call your service provider.

Click Next to continue.


Phone Number to Dial0
Phone Number to Dial

Type the telephone number your modem dials to connect with your service provider. Don't include any additional numbers or characters that you dial to get an outside line (such as 9). If you don't know this phone number, contact your service provider.

Click Next to continue.


DNS Address

Your service provider has at least one Domain Name System (DNS) server. Enter the IP address of that server (a four-part number separated by dots; for example, 198.95.251.30). Optionally, you can enter a secondary DNS server address to use when the first DNS server is busy. You also need to enter the domain name of your service provider's server.

When you set up an account with your service provider, you were given the previous information. If you don't have the previous information, contact your service provider.

Click Next to continue.


Servers for mail and news
Getting mail and news

Your service provider uses specific servers for mail and newsgroups.

To provide newsgroup information, your service provider probably has a separate news server. Enter the news (NNTP) server name or address (for example, news.isp.com or a multi-part number separated by dots).

SMTP and POP servers send out and bring in your email. Enter the SMTP and POP names or addresses (for example, mail.isp.com or a multi-part number separated by dots). Your service provider might use just one mail server for both functions, so the name or address might be the same for both SMTP and POP.

If you don't know the names or addresses of these servers, call your service provider. You can also enter this information later using the Options menu in Netscape Navigator Gold. For more information, see Choosing the screen look and Chapter 7, Preferences Panels, in the Navigator Handbook.


Publishing on the World Wide Web

If you can publish pages on the World Wide Web, your service provider has given you the following information. If you don't have the following information, call your service provider. You can also add or change this information later in Navigator Gold.

Publishing location URL is a URL for the place where you publish Web pages. Here are some examples of publishing location URLs:

ftp://ftp.aol.com/docs/yourname/index.html

http://commericalweb.com/docs/yourname/index.html

Account password is a special password for accessing the place where you publish Web pages.

View URL is the URL for your Web page. You give out this URL so that others can browse your page. In some cases, your view URL is the same as your publishing location.

Important

Some URLs use abbreviated paths Such URLs might have a tilde character (~) and look like this:

ftp://commericalweb.com/~username/

For Navigator Gold publishing, the publishing and view URLs must use full path names. The full path name for the previous example would look like this:

ftp://commericalweb.com/userdocs/username/


Connecting to the Internet Now

You can quickly and easily connect to the Internet and register your copy of Netscape Personal Edition. When you do so, you're eligible to get information about new Netscape products and upgrades. Just click Connect and register now, and then click Next.

If you don't want to register your copy of Netscape Personal Edition now, click Connect later. This tells Account Setup Wizard not to connect you now. Then click Next to continue.

You can register your copy of Netscape Personal Edition the next time you connect to your service provider and start Navigator Gold. Just click Help | Registration Information in Netscape Navigator Gold.


Connecting to the Internet Later

To connect to the Internet later, open the Netscape Personal Edition group in Program Manager. Then double-click the Netscape Navigator Gold icon.

You can register your copy of Netscape Personal Edition the next time you connect to your service provider and start Navigator Gold. Just click Help | Registration Information in Netscape Navigator Gold.

Click Finish to exit Account Setup Wizard.


Exploring the Internet

When you click Connect, you'll automatically exit Account Setup Wizard and connect to your service provider. When you want to connect on your own, open the Netscape Personal Edition group in Program Manager. Then double-click the Netscape Navigator Gold icon.


The Modem Wizard Detected Your Modem

The Modem Wizard detected the modem you're using.

Click Next to continue.


Detecting Your Modem

Depending on the modem and software you use, the Modem Wizard can usually determine which modem you're using. When you click Next, we'll automatically detect your modem.

If you'd rather choose your modem yourself, click the box next to Don't detect my modem; I want to select it from a list.

Click Next to continue.


Selecting a Communications Port

Now that you've identified your modem, you need to select a communications port to use with it. A communications port is a place where a communications device (such as a modem, mouse or joystick) plugs in. A communications device gives the computer information from outside the computer, such as information over the phone line that comes in through a modem.

Most modems are connected to communications port COM2. If you don't know which communications port your modem is connected to, the easiest way to find out is to ask the person who installed your modem. Or, you can try setting your modem to COM2, and change this setting later if your modem doesn't seem to work.

After you've selected a port, click Next to continue.


The Modem Wizard Could Not Detect Your Modem

The Modem Wizard couldn't automatically detect your modem. Before you continue, make sure your modem is connected and turned on. For a modem checklist, see Chapter 1 in Installation and Setup Guide.

Then click Next to select your modem from a list of modem types.


Manually Selecting Your Modem Type

The Modem Wizard detected that you have a modem, but wasn't able to determine the modem's type. You need to manually select the type of modem you're using. Before you continue, you need to know your modem's manufacturer and model.

Click Next to select your modem from a list.


Your Modem is Now Set Up

Your modem is set up and you're ready to exit the Modem Wizard. If you want to change any of the modem information you just verified, click Back and you'll rerun the Modem Wizard.