CompuServe Information Service Member Signup Procedure

Before you can begin using CompuServe, you need to complete a one-time member signup procedure, so that you can obtain a User ID number and Password with which you can access the CompuServe Information Service.  The member signup procedure is free of all connect-time charges and communications surcharges.This window is where you start.

What the icons do:

•	Sign Me Up starts the member signup procedure.

•	Service Agreement Terms displays the terms for using CompuServe.

•	Operating Rules displays the operating rules for CompuServe.

•	Customer Assistance lists the phone numbers for CompuServe Customer Service.

•	Connect Settings enables you to review and modify the communications information that the signup software uses to connect to CompuServe.

•	Help Me displays general information about the member signup procedure.

•	Exit SignUp takes you back to the Program Manager.

Introduction

What Is CompuServe?

Why Should I Become a CompuServe Member?

How To...

Become a CompuServe Member

Get Assistance from Customer Service

Get Online Help While Signing Up

View a Troubleshooting/Startup Checklist


What Is CompuServe?

CompuServe is the largest personal information and communication service in the world, with almost three million members worldwide.

All you need to use CompuServe is a computer, a modem, communications software, and a telephone line.

Once you become a member, you can access CompuServe whenever you like -- any time day or night -- as often as you like.


Service Agreement Terms

These are the terms you must abide by in order to use CompuServe software and services.  When you click the Proceed button, you indicate that you agree with these terms, so please read them carefully.


Operating Rules

These are the rules that govern CompuServe operation.  You should read through them to get a basic understanding.


Customer Service Offices

This is a list of CompuServe Customer Service offices, arranged alphabetically by country (except that the United States appears first because the majority of members live there).  You can use this list to find the phone number, mailing address, and fax machine number for the Customer Service office in your country.


Why Should I Become a CompuServe Member?

As a CompuServe member, you have access to an information and communication resource that can enrich your life in lots of ways.  Here are just a few:

•	CompuServe Mail enables you to communicate not only with other CompuServe members, but also with users of other electronic mail services, such as MCI Mail, AT&T Mail, AT&T Easylink, SprintMail, Internet, and any registered MHS worldwide.  You can even send a Telex or fax message.

•	Personal Computing Forums give you computer software and hardware support from over 300 companies:  Aldus, Borland, Lotus, Microsoft, WordPerfect, and more.

•	Financial Databases enable you to take control of your investments with the same electronic tools and information that experts depend upon daily.

•	News Services keep you informed of news stories as they come over the wires from the Associated Press, Reuters, U.S. Company News Alert, Deutsche Bundespost, Dow Jones, and others.

•	Special Interest Forums let you meet others around the world who share your interests and hobbies.

CompuServe has many other services too.  You can book airline reservations, purchase goods or window shop in electronic stores, learn weather conditions around the world, and more.


Becoming a CompuServe Member

How to:

Obtain a User ID and Password

What you need to provide:

Personal Information

Billing and Country Information

Member Options

Dial Type

Communications Port

Baud Rate

Offer Code


There is no default phone number for the Signup program to use.  To obtain the best phone number, telephone the nearest CompuServe Customer Serviceoffice.


The phone number specified in your signup session settings is not the default phone number for signing up.  Usually, the default number is the best one to use.  You can instruct the Signup program to use the currently specified number or revert to the default number.


Selecting a Dial Type

This dialog is where you choose your dial type:

•	Pulse (Rotary): Pulse dialing sounds like a rotary telephone.

•	Touch Tone: Touch Tone dialing sounds like a touch tone telephone.  Even if you have a rotary telephone, you can generally use Touch Tone dialing through your modem.

Direct Connection

If you are hardwired to another computer which connects to CompuServe for you, you should not use this dialog.  Instead, click the Cancel button to return to the CompuServe Signup window.  There, click the Connect Settings icon.  At the resulting dialog, click the Direct button under Dial Type and then click the OK button.  When you return to the CompuServe Signup window, click the Sign Me Up icon.  This takes you back through the dialogs you have already completed, but all you have to do is click Proceed at each dialog.

Prefixes

This dialog also offers the option of including prefixes to the phone number that CompuServe 2.5 dials to access CompuServe:

•	If you must reach an outside line to make a telephone connection, include the appropriate prefix number followed by a comma (examples:  9, or 0,).  The comma tells your modem to wait two seconds before sending the rest of the telephone number.

•	If you have call waiting, you should disable it before connecting to CompuServe so that you will not be disconnected by incoming calls.  In most locales, you can disable call waiting by including one of the following prefixes:  *70, (12-button touch tone) or 1170, (10-button touch tone or rotary dial) or 70^# (many GTE systems).  If you cannot disable call waiting, contact your telephone company for instructions.

Error Messages

You will see an error message instead of the dialog in either of two cases:

•	There is no default phone number for the country where you are signing up.  To obtain a signup phone number, call CompuServe Customer Service.

•	The phone number in your signup session settings does not match the default phone number.  The default phone number is almost always the best number to use when signing up.  To change the phone number in your signup session settings, click the Cancel button and then click the Connect Settings icon in the resulting CompuServe Signup window.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.


Selecting a Communications Port

A communications port, sometimes called the COM port or just the port, is the mechanism that provides the channel for data to be transferred between your computer and a modem.

You can specify any communications port, although it must be the proper one for your computer.  Please consult the hardware documentation that came with your computer to learn about the communications port you should use.

If you need additional help, you can contact CompuServe Customer Service.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.

How To...

Get Assistance from Customer Service


Selecting a Baud Rate

Baud rate refers to the number of signals transmitted per second over a communications link.  The baud rate that you select will help determine the CompuServe access phone numbers you are given at the completion of Signup.  NOTE: 9600 or above is recommended.

If you need additional help, you can contact CompuServe Customer Service.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.

How To...

Get Assistance from Customer Service


Providing an Offer Code

During the member signup procedure, you will be asked to type an Offer Code.

You will find your Offer Code on the Quick Setup Instructions card that comes with your CompuServe 2.5 disks.

If you do not have a Quick Setup Instructions card, you can telephone Membership Sales at

1-800-848-8199 to obtain one, or you can simply type NEWMEMBER in the Offer Code box.


Providing Billing and Country Information

Use this dialog to specify your Offer Code and to identify your country and the billing method for your account.

Offer Code:  A valid Offer Code is required to sign up for CompuServe membership.  You will find your Offer Code on the Quick Setup Instructions card that comes with your CompuServe 2.5 disks.  If you do not have a Quick Setup Instructions card, you will need to telephone Membership Sales at 1-800-848-8199 to obtain one, or you can simply type NEWMEMBER in the Offer Code box.

Country: Highlight the country from which you are connecting to CompuServe.  If the country is not on the list, click the radio button below and then type the country name into the blank field.

Billing Method:  You must select one of the payment methods listed in the box.  To select a payment method, click the corresponding radio button.

Usage Type:  You can use your acount in either of two ways:

•	Personal:  Select this if you want to set up a private, non-corporate account.

•	Business:  Select this if you want to set up a corporate account.

To moveon to the next dialog, click the Proceed button.  To close the dialog without recording any of your changes, click Cancel.  You are then prompted to cancel the entire Signup procedure.

More information is available for:

Credit Card Billing

Corporate Billing Account

Direct Debit


Corporate Billing Account Information

If you are a business with established credit in the United States, Canada, or Europe and want to set up separate memberships (User ID numbers) within your organization, you will probably want to open a corporate billing account.  If you select Corporate Billing, you will need to provide bank and trade references, which CompuServe will verify before authorizing access to CompuServe services.

More information is available for:

Administrator Account Information

Credit References


 Administrator Account Information

The administrator of a corporate billing account is the contact person for all administrative and billing information, including information related to new accounts, monthly invoicing, and changes to any existing accounts.


 Credit References

Please make sure that the information you provide is up to date and accurate.  Credit references must be verified before you will be able to access CompuServe services.


Credit Card Billing Information

If you want to bill your CompuServe charges directly to your credit card, select a credit card billing option.  The name and address you use during the member signup procedure must be identical to those used by your credit card for billing.  Members outside the United States must use an international card.


Direct Debit Information

If you want CompuServe to automatically debit your checking account one a month for the charges you accumulate, select Direct Debit.  Direct debit billing is only available in the United States and some European countries.  If you select this option, CompuServe debits your checking account monthly for accumulated charges. If you select this option, CompuServe may need to call you within 24 hours of your signup to verify your bank information.


 Providing Personal Information

Use this dialog to provide your name, address, phone number, and other personal and corporate information at this dialog.  You must also provide billing information, which varies according to the payment method you selected in the preceding Signup - Billing/Country dialog.

Be sure to Include the area code in all phone numbers.

The company name is required only if you selected business as your account usage type in the preceding Signup - Billing/Country dialog.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.

Payment Methods

Corporate Billing Account

Credit Card Billing

Direct Debit


Selecting Member Options

Use this dialog to tell CompuServe whether or not you want certain membership options:

•	CompuServe Magazine:  Mark this to receive CompuServes member magazine free each month.  CompuServe Magazine is written exclusively for CompuServe members and keeps you up-to-date on service changes, tips, and how other members are getting the most out of CompuServe.

•	Member Directory:  Mark this to be included in the CompuServe Member Directory.  The Member Directory contains names, addresses (city and state), and User ID numbers of CompuServe members.  Once included in the Member Directory, you can always have your own entry excluded, or re-included if you have excluded it.

•	Promotional Mail:  Mark this to receive mail sent by CompuServe explaining new services, special offers, and other valuable information.

•	External Mailings:  Mark this to receive promotional materials from organizations other than CompuServe, explaining their products and services.

The status line at the bottom of the dialog provides a brief description of the currently selected option.  Selecting an option automatically unmarks it if it is marked, or vice versa.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.


Obtaining a User ID and Password

This dialog is where you receive your permanent CompuServe User ID number and a temporary Password, so that you can start accessing the CompuServe Information Service as soon as you are finished signing up

•	User ID:  Your User ID number is your electronic identification, or address, on CompuServe.  You should make a note of it, because you will be asked to type it in the next dialog.

•	Password:  This is your temporary Password.  You should make a note of it, because you will be asked to type it in the next dialog.  Keep your Password in a secure place.  Do not share your Password with anyone!  For security reasons, CompuServe sends your permanent Password by postal mail (within 10 days).  Some services on CompuServe will not be available until you receive your permanent Password.

You are asked to retype your new User ID number and Password for confirmation purposes.

Usage Credit:  Some offers from CompuServe give you a usage credit, which is applied automatically to your account.

Local Access Phone No:  This is the telephone number that CompuServe 2.5 will dial to connect to CompuServe.  Not Available means you signed up from a location that does not have a local access telephone number, such as a country not included in the list of countries provided in the Billing/Country dialog.  If you see Not Available, you can telephone CompuServe Customer Service for assistance.

Network: If there is a local telephone number for the CompuServe network, it will always be the best and least expensive network.  If there is no local telephone  number for the CompuServe network, however, you can connect to CompuServe through a variety of other networks.  There are always surcharges for using other communications networks, and sometimes surcharges for using the CompuServe network.

Click the Proceed button when you are ready to move on.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel the signup procedure and return to the initial CompuServe Signup window.


Getting Online Help While Signing Up

If you want help completing the signup procedure, press F1.  This displays information about the current dialog.  Often you can also click on words or phrases in the help display to display further information.

Navigational Buttons

These buttons at the top of the Signup Help window help you find information quickly.

Contents: Displays the major help topics.

Search: Finds information about a topic you specify.

Back: Displays the previous help page.

History: Displays the titles of all the help pages you have viewed, so that by double-clicking on any listed title you can go directly to that help page.


Getting Assistance from Customer Service

CompuServe Customer Service is available worldwide.  Most members can contact Customer Service through a local telephone call.  You can also communicate with Customer Service by sending a fax or an electronic mail message.

For an alphabetical list of Customer Service phone numbers, click the Customer Assistance icon in the CompuServe Signup window.  If there is no Customer Service office in your country, please try contacting the Customer Service office nearest you or calling CompuServe Customer Service in the United States for further assistance.


Other

If there is no local Customer Service listing in your country, please try contacting the Customer Service office nearest you or calling CompuServe Customer Service in the United States for further assistance.


Fax: To ensure prompt delivery of a faxed letter, be sure to include a cover page clearly stating your name, User ID number, and the name of the department (and/or person) to whom the letter is being sent.


Reviewing Communication Setttings
Reviewing Communication Settings

To review communication settings:

Click the Connect Settings icon in the CompuServe Signup window.

Network:   is the communications network through which your computer connects to CompuServe.  The default selection is CompuServe, in any location where you can access the CompuServe network through a local phone call, it is the most cost-effective option.  Other networks simply serve as gateways to the CompuServe network, and they apply surcharges for supplying the connection.

Baud Rate:   is the speed at which data is transferred through the connection.  Your modem must support the selected baud rate.

Primary Network   is the general term for the information that the Signup program needs to establish a connection with a communications network:  the name of the network, the speed (baud rate) of information exchange, and the telephone number to dial.

Access Phone:   is the telephone number that the Signup program will use to connect to CompuServe.  Normally, Signup selects the best available number and automatically includes any prefixes that you supply.  If you substitute a different number, you will receive a warning message during the signup process.  At that point, you can instruct Signup to use the substitute number or revert to the default number.

Connector:   is the communications port that your modem is configured to use.

Modem...:   Takes you to a dialog where you can review and modify modem settings.

Dial Type:   Defines the type of phone connection to the communications network:  pulse, tone, or direct.

•	Pulse dialing sounds like a rotary telephone.

•	Touch Tone dialing sounds like a touch tone telephone.  Even if you have a rotary telephone, you can generally use Touch Tone dialing through your modem.  Touch Tone dialing is faster than Pulse dialing.

•	Direct means that your computer is hard-wired to another computer system which provides the connection for you.

Click the OK button when you are satisfied with the settings.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel any changes you have made and exit the dialog.


Viewing a Troubleshooting/Startup Checklist

Connections

If Signup is unable to dial your modem and connect properly, please check to ensure that all the cable connections, modem connections, and power supply connections are correct.

Modem Settings

If Signup is able to dial your modem, but is unable to complete the member signup procedure, please review your modem settings to make sure they are accurate.

Windows Control Panel

If you are unable to find the appropriate COM port setting for the member signup procedure, please check to ensure that the Ports setting in the Windows Control Panel is set correctly.

Connection Settings

If Signup is unable to connect you to CompuServe, it could be because the wrong COM port has been specified.  Please check your connection settings and modem settings.

Secondary Communications Programs

If you receive a Device Contention message from Windows during the member signup procedure -- such as COM 1 not available, try COM2 -- please close any other communications programs that you may be running concurrently.

Communication Port

If you encounter a Windows error message during the member signup procedure, such as a General Protection Fault or Unrecoverable Application Error, please close all applications, exit Windows, and then reboot your computer to reset all available COM ports.

User ID Number and Password

If you are able to complete the member signup procedure, but are unable to connect to CompuServe again, please check your connection information to make sure you are using the permanent User ID number and new temporary Password -- the ones you were given during the signup procedure.

Reviewing Communication Settings

Reviewing Modem Settings

Overview of the Member Signup Procedure


Overview of the Member Signup Procedure
Overview of the Member Signup Process

In order to sign up for CompuServe membership, you will need to provide certain information and perform related procedures.

1.	To start the procedure, click the Sign Me Up icon in the CompuServe Signup window.  You can use the other icons in this window to review various kinds of information about CompuServe.

2.	At the opening Country/Billing dialog, provide the country from which you will be connecting to CompuServe and your preferred billing method, such as credit card, direct debit, or corporate business account.

3.	At the next dialog you are asked to provide more specific billing information, such as your name, address and phone number, and a credit card number or bank address.  If you are opening a corporate business account, you will be asked to provide administrator information, as well as credit references, at ensuing dialogs.

4.	At a Membership Options dialog, you can select from the available options.  By default, all the options are selected.

5.	During the member signup procedure you will see the CompuServe service agreement terms and operating rules.

6.	At a Dial Type dialog you will be asked to specify how your modem dials (Touch Tone or Pulse).  Here you can also specify any dialing prefixes (e.g., the number you use to dial an outside line).  When you finish with this dialog, the Signup program attempts to connect you to CompuServe.

7.	Upon connecting to CompuServe successfully, you are immediately asked to agree to the stated pricing plan conditions.  You will be asked to type AGREE to show acceptance.

8.	Once you agree to the pricing plan conditions, unless you selected a corporate billing account as your billing option, you will be assigned a permanent User ID number and a Password.  You will be asked to retype this information at the next dialog for confirmation purposes.


Modem Control Settings

The Modem Control Settings dialog displays your current modem parameters so that you can review or modify them.

Modem:  To change the default modem type, click the arrow at the right, and then click the correct modem type in the list provided.  If your modem type is not in the list and is Hayes-compatible, click Hayes.  If this does not work, click Other.

The strings in the other boxes in this dialog are the standard ones for the selected modem type.  You can edit them as necessary.  To determine the correct strings, check your modem manual.

Initialize:  Make sure this is the initialization command string for your modem.

Prefix:  Make sure that this is the correct prefix string.  Also known as the attention command.

Dial Tone:  Make sure that this is the correct string to initiate touch tone dialing.

Reset:  Make sure that this is the correct string to reset the modem.

Escape:  Make sure that this is the correct string to issue an Escape command.

Connect:  Make sure that this is the correct string or phrase displayed when connection is established.

Speaker Off:  Mark this if you desire a silent operation (no dial tone, dialing, and connection sounds during logon) of a Hayes-compatible modem.

Suffix:  Make sure that this is the correct string to terminate a command.

Dial Pulse:  Make sure that this is the correct string to initiate pulse dialing.

Hang Up:  Make sure that this is the correct string to free the telephone line.

Acknowledge:  Make sure that this is the correct string or phrase displayed when a command is successfully received by the modem.

Failure:  Make sure that this is the correct string to or phrase to be displayed when there is no connection or the signal stops.

Reset:  Restores the settings for the modem highlighted to those defined in the modem database.

Data Compression:  Mark this if you want to employ data compression.  The appropriate data compression command for the currently selected modem will be displayed in the adjacent box.  If no caommand appears in the box, consult your modem manual to determine what to type in.

Error Correction:  Mark this if you want to employ error correction.  The appropriate error correction command for the currently selected modem will be displayed in the adjacent text box.  If no command appears in the box, consult your modem manual to determine what to type in.

User ID:  If your modem is password-protected to guard against unauthorized access, type your modem user ID here.  (If you do not know the modem user ID, this probably does not apply.)

Password: If your modem is password-protected to guard against unauthorized access, type the modem password here.  (If you do not know the password, this probably does not apply.)

Click the OK button when you are satisfied with the settings.  Click the Cancel button if you want to cancel any changes you have made and exit the dialog.