Finding Information on the Web

Viewing a Page

When you start Netscape Communicator, you normally see Navigator, your browser. The page that appears automatically is your "home page." Unless you choose a home page yourself, your home page is chosen by your network or Internet service provider, or you see Netscape's home page, Netcenter.

If you're viewing your home page for the first time, explore it. If clicking something takes you to a different page, click Back to retrace your steps.

Some pages are divided into rectangular areas called frames. Each frame can display other pages.

To refresh the current page, or get the most up-to-date version:

• Click Reload.

To view more than one page at a time:

• From the File menu, choose New, then Navigator Window.

At first the new window displays a copy of your home page, but you can use it to view a different page.

Moving to Another Page

You move to a new page by typing its URL--its location (address) on the Web.

1. On Windows and Unix, open the File menu and choose Open Page. Then click the Navigator button.

On Mac OS, open the File menu and choose Open, then Location in Navigator.

2. Type the new URL, then click Open.

Shortcut: Click the Location (or Netsite) field, type the URL, and press Enter.

Don't know a URL? You can type part of a URL, such as "apple" (for www.apple.com); or type a general word, such as "gifts" or "flowers." Navigator guesses what page you want to view, or displays a page with a choice of links related to the word you typed.

If you are new to the Internet, type this URL to view a tutorial for novices: http://home.netscape.com/browsers/using/navtutorial.html.

To move by clicking a link:

1. Move the pointer until it changes to a pointing finger. This happens whenever the pointer is over a link.
2. Click the link once. While the network locates the page the link points to, status messages appear at the bottom of the window.

To move to related pages:

• Click "What's Related" and choose from the list.

If you change your mind and don't want to view a page, click Stop.

Retracing Your Steps

To view the previous page:

• Click Back (or Forward).

To view a page from the current session:

• Open the Go menu and choose the page you want to return to.

To view a page whose URL you recently typed in the Location field:

• (Windows only) Click the down-pointing arrow at the right end of the Location field, and choose from the pop-up menu.

Retracing Your Steps in Detail: The History List

Navigator maintains a history list of pages you have viewed recently, as determined by your preferences.

• Open the Communicator menu, choose Tools, then History. To view a page, double-click its line in the list.

Sorting the History List

Click one of the categories (Title, Location, and so forth). Click again to reverse the order (ascending or descending by date, number, or alphabetical order).

Searching the History List

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Search History List.
2. Click the first pop-up menu and choose a search category.
3. Click the second pop-up menu and choose an option. Choose "is" if you know exactly what you're searching for; "contains" if you know only part. Choose "isn't" or "doesn't contain" to exclude pages.
4. Click the third field and type all or part of the title, location, or other information you want to search for (or exclude).
5. (Optional) To narrow the search further, click More one or more times and enter additional search criteria. To reverse this action, click Fewer.
6. Click Search. Pages matching your search criteria are listed.

To use the search results:

• Double-click a page in the list to go to it.

• Click Save As to save the list as an HTML page.

• Click Clear to delete your search criteria.

Viewing a Page's Information

To view information about the files that compose a page:

1. Open the View menu and choose Page Info.

In the upper portion of the Page Info window, you can see a list of the URLs (addresses) of the web page and files (usually graphics) that make up the page. Some of the URLs are links.

2. Click a link to view the following information in the bottom of the window:

• Netsite: The URL of the page or selected file. Click a link to go to a web page or view a file's contents.

• File MIME type: A code that identifies the file's type to the Web

• Source: "Currently in disk cache" means that your computer has a copy of this file; "Not cached" means that it doesn't.

• Local cache file: The name of the file in the disk cache ("none" if the file is not in a cache)

• Last Modified: The local and GMT dates when the file was last changed

• Content length: Number of characters in the file

• Expires: The date (if any) when the file should be removed from the disk cache; this date is set by the author of the page

• Charset: Code for the type of characters the file uses

• Security: Whether the file is encrypted or not (can be read by other people)

If a page is encrypted, other security information appears.

Viewing a Page's Source Code

To view the HTML and other code that generates a web page:

• From the View menu, choose Page Source.

Searching Within a Page

To find text within the page you are currently viewing:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Find in Page. If the page you are viewing contains frames, you may need to click within a frame first.

2. Type the text you want to find.

3. Select the "Match case" checkbox (Case Sensitive on Mac OS and Unix) if capital letters should be matched.

4. On Windows, select Up or Down to search from the beginning or end of the page. If there is a current selection, the search begins at the selection and does not wrap around to the beginning of the page. On Mac OS and Unix, click Find Backwards to start the search from the end of the page.

5. Click Find Next (Find on Mac OS) to begin the search.

To find the same word or phrase again:

• Click Find Next again (Windows only), or open the Edit menu and choose Find Again.

Bookmarking Your Favorite Web Sites

Creating a Bookmark

To bookmark a web page:

1. Go to the web page you want to bookmark.

2. Click Bookmarks. On Mac OS, open the Bookmarks menu--the green bookmark icon to the right of the Go menu.

3. Choose Add Bookmark.

The name of the currently displayed page is added as the last item in the Bookmark menu.

By the way: Some preselected bookmarks came with your Netscape software.

To revisit a bookmarked web page:

1. Click Bookmarks. On Mac OS, open the Bookmarks menu.

2. Choose a bookmarked page.

Creating an Internet Shortcut

An Internet shortcut lets you jump to a web page from your desktop or from folders on your computer. There are three ways to create Internet shortcuts.

To create a shortcut from a link:

• Drag a link in a web page to the desktop.

To create a shortcut for the current web page:

• Drag the bookmark icon to the desktop.

Can't find the bookmark icon? The green bookmark icon is near the word "Location" (or "Netsite").

To create a shortcut using the bookmark list:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks.

2. Drag the bookmark you want to the desktop.

You can drag a shortcut into any folder on your computer.

Organizing Your Bookmarks

Reordering Bookmarks

Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks). Then drag any bookmark, folder, or separator to reposition it. You can also drag and drop bookmarks into folders.

You cannot perform an automatic alphabetic sort, even if you choose By Name from the View menu.

Deleting Bookmarks

Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks). Click to select a bookmark, and press the Delete key.

Adding Folders

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Click the item just above where you want to put a new folder.

3. Open the File menu and choose New Folder.

4. Type a name for the folder and click OK.

Quickly Filing Bookmarks

To file bookmarks as you create them, do one of the following:

• Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks). Select a folder, choose New Bookmark from the File menu, then type a name and URL.

• Drag the bookmark icon to the Bookmarks window. Drop the bookmark where you want it in the list.

• (Windows and Unix) Click Bookmarks and choose File Bookmark. Choose a folder in which to store a bookmark for the current page.

• (Windows and Unix) Drag the bookmark icon (or a highlighted link from a web page) to the Bookmarks button. Drop the bookmark where you want it in the list.

Searching the Bookmark List

To search for specific bookmarks:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Open the Edit menu and choose Find in Bookmarks.

3. Type the text you want to locate among your bookmarks.

4. Click checkboxes to narrow your search. Location refers to URL; Description refers to any text you typed when you created the bookmark (using the New Bookmark dialog box).

5. Click OK.

Keeping Multiple Bookmark Lists

You can have more than one bookmark list, each with its own set of titles linked to favorite pages. Only one bookmark list can be active at a time.

To save a bookmark list:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Open the File menu and choose Save As.

The list is saved as an HTML-formatted file.

To open and use a bookmark list:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Open the File menu and choose Open Bookmarks File.

The file you open determines what you see in the Bookmarks menu.

Checking the Freshness of Your Bookmarks

To find out if a bookmarked page has been modified since your last viewing:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Select one or more bookmarks. If you want to check all bookmarks, don't select any.

3. Open the View menu and choose Update Bookmarks.

4. Click All Bookmarks or Selected Bookmarks.

5. Click Start Checking.

If a page has changed, Navigator puts a special mark on the page's bookmark icon. If Navigator is unable to verify a page, it puts a question mark on the page's icon.

To change information for any current bookmark or bookmark folder:

1. Click Bookmarks and choose Edit Bookmarks. (On Mac OS, open the Communicator menu and choose Bookmarks).

2. Select a bookmark or bookmark folder.

3. From the Edit menu, choose Bookmark Properties.

4. To make a change, type a new name or URL. (The URL field is dimmed if a folder is selected.)

5. (Optional) Type descriptive information in the Description field.

6. Click OK.

Copying, Saving, and Printing Pages

Copying Part of a Page

To copy some text from a page:

1. Select the text.

2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu.

You can paste the text into other files.

To copy a link (URL) from a page:

1. Right-click the link or image to display a pop-up menu. On Mac OS, press and hold the mouse button.

2. Choose Copy Link Location or Copy Image Location. If an image is also a link, you are offered both options.

You can paste the link into other files or into Navigator's Location field.

Saving a Page

To save an entire page:

• Choose Save As from the File menu.

When you view a page containing frames and a frame is currently selected, the File menu's Save Frame As option is offered in addition to Save As. This lets you save only the page within the selected frame.

Saving a file onto your hard disk lets you view the page (or its HTML code) when you're not connected to the Internet.

To save an image from a page:

1. Right-click the image (on Mac OS, press and hold the mouse button) to display a pop-up menu.

2. Choose Save Image As.

To save a page without displaying it (useful for retrieving a nonformatted page, like a data file, that's not intended for viewing):

1. Right-click the page's link (on Mac OS, press and hold the mouse button) to display a pop-up menu.

2. Choose Save Link As.

Important: Some links automatically download and save files to disk after you click them. The URLs for these links often begin with "ftp" or end with a file-type suffix such as "au" or "mpeg". These links might transmit software, sound, or movie files, and can launch helper applications that support the files.

Printing a Page

To print the current page:

• Click Print.

On Windows, you can choose Print Preview from the File menu to see how the printed page will look.

Note: When you view a page containing frames, the File menu contains Print Frame in place of Print.

To set up the page layout for printing (optional):

1. From the File menu, choose Page Setup.

2. Choose page layout options, including header and footer information.

Important: Navigator formats content according to the size of the printed page, not the size of the onscreen window. Text is word-wrapped and graphics are repositioned to accommodate paper size.

Customizing Your Browser

Customizing the Toolbars

Changing What's Displayed on Toolbar Buttons

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.

2. Click the Appearance category.

3. Select a "Show toolbars as" option and click OK.

4. (Mac OS only) Click Show Tooltips if you want to see explanatory text when your mouse pointer "hovers" over a toolbar button.

Hiding a Toolbar

• Click the vertical tab at the left of the toolbar. When the toolbar is hidden, the tab appears horizontally below any visible toolbars. To show the toolbar, click the tab.

• To completely hide a toolbar, including its tab: Open the View menu and choose Show Navigation Toolbar, Show Location Toolbar, or Show Personal Toolbar to uncheck it.

Moving a Toolbar or Toolbar Button

• Drag a toolbar tab or button to another toolbar position and drop it.

Adding and Deleting Toolbar Buttons

To add a toolbar button for the page you are viewing:

• Drag the bookmark icon to the Personal Toolbar and drop it at the desired position.

To add a toolbar button for a bookmark or bookmark folder:

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Edit Bookmarks.

2. Select a bookmark or bookmark folder.

3. From the File menu, choose Add Selection to Toolbar.

Although each item in the Personal Toolbar folder appears as a toolbar button, you may need to make the window wider to see them all.

To designate a bookmark folder as your Personal Toolbar folder:

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Edit Bookmarks.

2. Select the bookmark folder whose items you want to appear on the toolbar.

3. From the View menu, choose Set as Toolbar Folder.

To add a toolbar button for a mail, discussion group, or address book item:

1. Open the window for mail, discussion groups, or address books.

2. Drag and drop the icon of the mail, discussion group, or address book item onto the Personal Toolbar.

To delete a toolbar button:

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Edit Bookmarks.

2. Drag the toolbar item from the Personal Toolbar folder to another folder. To remove the item entirely, select it and press Delete.

Adjusting the Component Bar

The component bar is a small toolbar normally at the bottom right of the Communicator window (docked position). It contains icons labeled Navigator, Mailbox, Address Book, and Composer.

To expand and move the component bar:

• Click the lines at the left edge of the component bar. Drag the title bar to move the component bar to the desired location.

To dock the component bar:

• On Windows and Mac OS, click the close box.

• On Unix, right-click on the title bar and choose Close from the pop-up menu.

To change the component bar display (Windows and Unix):

1. Right-click on the title bar.

2. Choose one of the following from the pop-up menu:
   • Horizontal or Vertical to set the orientation of the component bar.

   • Always on Top to display the component bar in front of other windows.

   • Show Text or Hide Text to display or hide the icon titles.

To change the component bar display (on Mac OS):

1. Click the zoom box to set the horizontal or vertical orientation.

2. Click the collapse/expand box to display the title bar or full component bar, respectively.

Changing Fonts

You can specify which fonts and font sizes are used to display web pages in your browser. You can also select character-set encodings.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.

2. Open the Appearance group and click the Fonts category.

3. Choose an encoding to tell the computer which types of letters and symbols to use.

4. Choose your default fonts from the Variable Width Font and Fixed Width Font pop-up menus. (Fixed-width fonts are often used for filling in forms.)

5. Click one of the following:

   • To specify that your default fonts are always used instead of the fonts chosen by a document's author, click "Use my default fonts, overriding document-specified fonts."

   • To specify that page fonts are used only when they are available without downloading (saves time), click "Use document-specified fonts, but disable Dynamic Fonts."

   • To specify that page fonts are always used, click "Use document-specified fonts, including Dynamic Fonts."

If you view web pages in more than one encoding scheme (for instance, Western and Chinese), you can choose fonts and font sizes for each encoding.

Changing Colors or Backgrounds

To set the color of page text and background:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.

2. Open the Appearance group and click the Colors category.

3. Click a color button to change colors of text, background, unvisited links, or visited links.

4. (Optional) Click other checkboxes as desired:
   • "Use Windows colors" ("Use default colors" on Mac OS and Unix) to restore the original colors.
   • "Underline links" to make links easier to find.
   • "Always use my colors, overriding document" to override the color and background settings specified by the author of the page.

Specifying the Components That Appear at Startup

Normally, Navigator starts automatically when you open Communicator.

To specify different starting components:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.

2. Click the Appearance category.

3. Check each component you want to be launched at startup.

Note: For information on other items in the Appearance preferences, see Changing What's Displayed on Toolbar Buttons.

Specifying the Starting Page

The home page is displayed when you click the Home button. The home page is normally your starting page, the first page displayed when Navigator starts.

To choose a new home page:

1. Open the page that you want to use as your home page.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

3. Click the Navigator category.

4. Click Use Current Page to select the current page as your home page.

To choose a starting page other than your home page:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Select the Navigator category.

3. Select a "Navigator starts with" option.

Specifying How Long to Track History

You can specify when the color of a visited link reverts to the color of an unvisited link, and how long page-visit information is tracked in the History window.

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Navigator category.

3. Type a number of days in the field labeled "Pages in history expire after" ("Visited links expire" on Mac OS). When the specified number of days elapses, the color of a visited link reverts to the color of an unvisited link.

On Windows and Unix, page visits are recorded in the History window for the specified number of days.

On Mac OS, page visits are recorded in the History window only for the current session (until you exit from the application).

To clear the History window:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Navigator category.

3. Click Clear History (Expire Now on Mac OS).

Clearing the History window helps protect privacy, but makes it harder for you to retrace your steps.

Setting Language Priorities

Web pages are sometimes available in several languages. Navigator presents pages in the language you prefer, if it is available. You can specify the languages you wish to see, in order of preference.

To set language priorities:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Open the Navigator category; then click Languages.
3. Click Add.
4. Select a language and its code. If you wish to add a code not on the list, type the language and its code in the Others field (see Note, below).
5. If you want to reorder the languages in the list, select a language and use the up and down arrows.

Note: Two-letter codes enclosed in brackets appear next to each language in the list. These are standard abbreviations for languages. For a complete list, go to this web site:

http://www.ics.uci.edu/pub/ietf/http/related/iso639.txt

Handling Different File Types

Navigator can handle many types of files. However, for some files, such as movies, Navigator launches a "helper" application that can handle the file, or it saves the file for you to view later.

The settings in the Applications preferences panel tell Navigator which helper applications to use on your computer. You probably don't need to change them because they come preconfigured. Also, if Navigator doesn't know which helper application to use, it guides you in finding one.

For experienced users to fine-tune the Applications preferences:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Navigator category; then click Applications.

3. To add a new helper application to the list, click New Type (New on Mac OS and Unix).
   • Type a description of the type of files the application works with; for instance, "movies" or "sound files."

   • Type the file extension (suffix) used by this file type. If this type of file uses more than one suffix, type them all, separated by spaces. Examples: text documents often have the suffix "txt"; some image files have the suffix "gif"; and HTML documents have the suffix "htm" or "html."

   • Type the MIME type. MIME types consist of two words separated by a slash (/). For instance, a TIFF image file's MIME type is "image/tiff". If you don't know the MIME type, leave the field blank.

   • On Windows, click Browse and select an application that handles files of this type. On Mac OS and Unix, click Application, then click Choose.

   • Click OK.

4. You can specify how Navigator should handle downloaded files. Select a file type from the list and click Edit.
   • Choose a "Handled By" option to have downloaded files opened in a Navigator window, saved on your hard disk, or opened in a application that you specify. Click Browse (Choose on Mac OS) to specify the application.

   • Check "Ask me before opening downloaded files of this type" if you want to be notified before downloading files that are handled by applications other than Navigator.

   • Click OK.

5. To remove an item from the list:
   • Select the item and click Remove.
   • Click Yes.

6. (Mac OS and Unix only) Communicator temporarily stores downloaded files on your disk. You can select a new default folder if, for example, your disk is short on space and you want to store temporary files elsewhere.
   • Click Choose.

   • Find the folder you want and double-click to select it.

Finding the Pages You Want (Smart Browsing)

The Smart Browsing feature helps you quickly find what you want on the Internet (and filter out what you don't want). It includes:

• What's Related: A list of URLs (addresses) for web sites related to the page you're currently viewing. To view related sites, click the What's Related button and select from the list.

• Internet Keywords: A shorthand way of typing addresses into the Location field.

• NetWatch: A protection feature that lets you control the type of web pages that can be viewed on your computer. To use NetWatch, open the Help menu and choose NetWatch.

To set up Smart Browsing:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Open the Navigator category and click Smart Browsing.

3. Select Enable "What's Related."

4. Select an option under "Automatically load 'What's Related' information." This option determines when Navigator fetches the related sites' URLs.
   • Never: Navigator waits until you click the What's Related button to fetch related sites' URLs.

   • Always: Navigator fetches the related sites' URLs automatically as soon as you visit a web page, whether or not you click the What's Related button. (Pages load more slowly, but the button responds more quickly.)

   • After first use: Once you've clicked What's Related while visiting a page, Navigator fetches the information automatically whenever you return to that page. If you've never clicked What's Related while visiting a particular page, Navigator doesn't fetch the related sites' URLs.

5. (Optional) List any domains for which you don't want related information. Domain names are the part of a URL that contains the name of an organization, business, or school--such as netscape.com or washington.org.

6. Select Enable Internet Keywords if you want to type common words or brand names (instead of full URLs) in the Location field.

Improving Speed, Efficiency, and Privacy

Automatic Loading

When you bring a web page to your screen, Communicator automatically loads (starts up) several features that help interpret web pages. These features can make web pages more lively, but they take time to load.

To turn off automatic loading:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced category.

3. To speed things up, deselect one or more of the following:
   • Automatically load images. Automatically displays images in a web page when you view the page. If unselected, images are replaced by small icons, and you click the Images button in the toolbar to view the images.

   • Enable Java. Allows Java applets (small programs that add functionality to pages) to run automatically.

   • Enable JavaScript. Allows JavaScript (commands that add functionality to pages) to run automatically.

   • Enable style sheets. Displays pages formatted by style sheets as the author intended. If unselected, author's formats aren't included.

   • Enable Autoinstall. Allows Communicator software to be automatically updated over your office or organization's network. (In some organizations, this is predetermined by a system administrator.)

   • Send email address as anonymous FTP password. Transmits your email address automatically when you log on to a public FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site. FTP sites are used for transferring files.

Handling Cookies

A "cookie" is a small amount of information that a web site copies to your hard disk. A cookie can help a web site identify you the next time you visit. For instance, if you shop for books online, the bookstore's web site might use a cookie to store information about your favorite subjects, and later use that information to recommend particular books.

To control your computer's behavior with respect to cookies:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced category.

3. Click one of the radio buttons.

   Important: In most cases, "Accept all cookies" is the best choice. The second button means that your computer will not send a cookie to a server that did not originate it.

4. If you want to be notified when Communicator accepts a cookie, check "Warn me before accepting a cookie."

Changing Cache Settings

Your computer stores copies of frequently accessed pages in the memory cache or disk cache. This way, the computer doesn't have to retrieve the page from the network each time you view it.

To set the size of the memory cache or to clear it (Windows and Unix only):

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Open the Advanced category; then click Cache.

3. Enter a number in the Memory Cache field to specify the size of the memory cache. 1024K to 2000K is a good size.

4. To clear the Memory Cache immediately, click Clear Memory Cache.

Important: A larger memory cache allows more data to be quickly retrieved. But unless you have a lot of extra memory on your computer, 1024K is large enough.

To set the size of the disk cache or to clear it:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Open the Advanced category; then click Cache.

3. Enter a number in the Disk Cache field to specify the size of the disk cache. 7680K (5000K on Unix) is a good size.

4. (Optional) To specify where the disk cache should be stored, click Choose Folder, find the folder you want, and double-click to select it.

5. To clear the Disk Cache immediately, click Clear Disk Cache.

Important: A larger disk cache allows more pages to be quickly retrieved, but more of your hard disk space is used.

When you quit Communicator, it performs cache maintenance. If maintenance takes longer than you wish, try reducing the size of the disk cache.

To specify how often Navigator checks the network for page revisions (so that you don't keep "stale" pages in the cache too long):

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced category; then click Cache.

3. Select Once Per Session, Every Time, or Never. "Every Time" assures that the page you see is always the latest, at the cost of slower performance. "Never" is fastest, but the page you see might be stale.

To refresh a page at any time:

• Click Reload. The computer checks the network to make sure you have the latest version of the page. To retrieve a fresh copy of a page regardless of what's in the cache, hold down the Shift key (Option key on Mac OS) and click Reload.

If pages that should be in the cache are taking longer to appear than they should, make sure the preference is not set to Every Time, because the verification requires a network connection that takes time.

Getting the Latest Software Automatically

SmartUpdate allows software to be automatically and securely installed on your machine in one step.

To turn SmartUpdate on or off:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Open the Advanced group and click SmartUpdate.
• Select Enable SmartUpdate to turn it on.
• Select "Require manual confirmation of each install" if you want to be notified each time SmartUpdate tries to install a program or file on your computer.
• To uninstall a SmartUpdate item, select one of the SmartUpdates on the left side and click the Uninstall button.

Setting Proxy Values

Many organizations block access from the Internet to their networks. This prevents outside parties from gaining access to sensitive information. The protection is called a firewall.

If your organization has a firewall, Communicator may need to go through a proxy server before connecting you to the Internet. The proxy server prevents outsiders from breaking into your organization's private network.

Before you start:

• If there's a proxy configuration file at your workplace, ask the system administrator for its URL.

• If there's no proxy configuration file, ask your system administrator for the names and port numbers of the servers running proxy software for each network service.

To set Communicator to work with the proxy:

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced category and choose Proxies.

3. Select one of the following:
   • "Direct Connection to the Internet" if you don't have to go through a proxy.

   • "Automatic proxy configuration" if you have a proxy configuration file. Type the file's URL in the field and click Reload.

   • "Manual proxy configuration" if you don't have a proxy configuration file. Click View (Configure on Mac OS), and type your settings and any exceptions (see Details below).

Details: Your computer may connect to several different servers (computers that handle networking matters). Each server handles a specific type of network service, such as communicating with HTTP sites or dealing with security. For each server, your manual configuration must specify which server runs the proxy software.

Under "Address of proxy server to use," type the name or numeric IP address of the proxy server for each type of server (HTTP, Security, FTP, Socks, Gopher, and WAIS). Often a single proxy server handles the three major types of server: HTTP, FTP, and Gopher. Under "Port" type each proxy server's port number.

Under Exceptions, type the names of any domains that you can connect to directly, bypassing the proxy. For example, if you type "netscape.com," then the proxy is bypassed each time you view a web page from netscape.com. Domain names are the part of a URL that contains the name of an organization, business, or school--such as netscape.com or washington.org. If you use local host names without the domain name, list them the same way. Use commas to separate multiple hostnames. The wildcard character [*] cannot be used.

Connecting from Anywhere

Setting Up Roaming Access

Roaming Access lets you connect to Communicator--with the same preferences, bookmarks, cookies, and other items that you normally use--when you are away from your desk, using a shared computer, or working from home. If your network administrator has not set up Roaming Access, this panel does not appear.

To set up Roaming Access:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Click Roaming Access.
• Select "Enable Roaming Access for this profile."
• Type your user name.
• Select "Remember my roaming password" to avoid typing your password each time you "roam."

To access your email from anywhere, you must be using IMAP to retrieve your mail. For more information on IMAP, see Using the Mail Server Property Panel - General.

Specifying Where Your Roaming Profile Is Located

Communicator needs to know which server your roaming profile is on. Your network administrator usually provides this information. Your roaming profile contains your preferences, bookmarks, cookies, and other items you use in Communicator.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Open the Roaming Access category and click Server Information.
• If your roaming access profile is on an LDAP Directory Server, specify the server's location under Address.
• If your roaming access profile is on an HTTP server, specify the profile's location under Base URL.

Specifying Files to Be Transferred at Startup and Shutdown

You can choose which files should be updated when you start and exit Communicator. You can update your bookmarks, cookies, mail filters, address books, preferences, history, Java security, and certificates. If you have a slow connection, larger files (such as certificates and history) take longer to transfer. The most useful files to transfer are preferences, bookmarks, cookies and your Address Book.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.

2. Open the Roaming Access group and click File Selection.

3. Choose the files you want transferred at startup and shutdown.