Specifying Connection and Disconnection Options
To specify connection and disconnection options, select Workgroup Internet Gateway from the Services dialog box in MS Exchange and press Properties. Then select the Connection Tab. The Connection Property sheet will be displayed.
Connection property sheet
This property sheet lets you specify when a connection to the Internet is made. If you wish to connect when MS Exchange starts then select the Connect to the Internet on Exchange startup check box.
Sometimes other services inside MS Exchange require exclusive access to certain resources (such as modems) during the MS Exchange initialisation process. For example the MS Fax service requires exclusivity to attached modems for about 5 seconds after MS Exchange starts. This property sheet lets you choose a delay prior to the WIG attempting a dial up connection. In the example property sheet above, the delay is set to 5 seconds.
You may also specify how often you connect to the Internet in order to send and receive mail to and from your workgroup. In the example property sheet above, the connection frequency is set to 30 minutes.
You can ask WIG to disconnect after a certain period of time. You can do this by checking the Disconnect automatically after n minutes check box. If you do this, WIG will disconnect after n minutes or after it has completely finished sending and receiving mail from the Internet, whichever is the later. If you want WIG to prompt you prior to disconnecting then ensure that the Prompt before disconnection check box is selected. You can force WIG to disconnect even if it is the middle of transferring mail. Mail messages will never be lost since if disconnection is made part way through a mail message arriving or being sent, WIG will not confirm receipt or transmission of the message and so it will be resent on subsequent connection. To force disconnection, press the Advanced… button.
Advanced dialog box
This will pop up the Advanced dialog box. There are three options to choose from: You can choose either not to force disconnection (the default), or to force disconnection after prompting with a message box, or to force disconnection regardless. Select the required option and press OK.
If you wish WIG to connect to the Internet silently then ensure that you un-check the Prompt before connection check box.
Note that if you wish to have a completely automated process for logging onto the Internet then you need some form of Dial-up networking. Dial-up Networking is available on the Microsoft Plus CD.