This page is a summary of settings to be used when accessing internet and related services via HICom.

For the list of phone numbers, please see our main web page.

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Dial-Up-Networking Configuration (For Windows95/98)

(Click here if you have Connection Problems)

Primary DNS Address=	Leave it set to server-assigned (default). If you must specify an address, use 208.245.180.2. The old address of 204.249.216.2 will continue to work but should no longer be used
Secondary DNS Address=	Leave it set to server-assigned (default). If you must specify, use 208.245.180.4. (See discussion above.)
Gateway=	Use Default Gateway (default)
Protocols=	TCP/IP (turn off IPX/SPX and NetBEUI)
PAP/CHAP=	Supported on all ports. If you're running Windows/NT, which does not support PAP or Chap, use the "generic" login script.
Script (for non-PAP/CHAP dial-up)=	Use PAP, but if you have to …. For Windows 95, save the following into your "Accessories" folder under "Program Files" (usually on the C: drive): hicom.scp For Windows/NT, use the "generic" login script supplied with Windows.
IP Address=	use "Server Assigned IP Address" (default)
Login=	your (PPP) userid
Password=	your (PPP) userid's password

E-mail Configuration Settings (Click here for help with E-mail problems)

Note: Some versions of Netscape extract the POP3 setting from the email address setting

Domain Name=	hicom.net
POP3 Server name=	mail.hicom.net
SMTP Server name=	mail.hicom.net
POP3 Account=	your (PPP) userid
POP3 Password=	your (PPP) userid's password
email address	userid@hicom.net but note that some netscape versions need to see: userid@mail.hicom.net

News (Click here for help with News problems)

News Server=	news.hicom.net
News authentication=	(not used) - You got to be a member of the HICom domain.

Other

FTP Server name=	ftp.hicom.net (FTP Problems )
HICom Web Site=	http://www.hicom.net

Domain Name Servers (DNS)

The DNS changes a written internet name, such as www.hicom.net into an internet address, such as 208.245.180.2. Without a working DNS, you can only access internet sites by address, which most folks don't remember. So a DNS is very important to happy surfing.

Dial-UP-Networking

Dial-Up-Networking (DUN) is required to allow your PC to connect to HICom (and therefore the internet) using a modem.

To check whether dial-up networking is installed, do the following:

From your desktop double-click on ->My Computer ->Control Panel ->Add/Remove Programs ->Windows Setup Tab. Check that Communications is checked, if it is, double click on communications and check if dial-up networking is checked. If it is NOT, check it and click OK.
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PAP

PAP allows you to identify yourself to HICom so you are allowed to get onto internet. It is done without the normal login/password sequence you may be familiar with from a terminal sign-in session.

To Enable PAP in Your Windows 95/98 Connection Icon properties do BOTH of the following (remove login script and turn off terminal window) :

Turn OFF "Bring Up Terminal Window after dialing":

double-click My-Computer ->Dial-up-Networking Folder ->Properties for the HICom Connection Icon (double-click with the Right mouse button).

If you see 3 Tabs, click on the General Tab ->Configure button ->Options, then turn off the 2^nd check box, then click OK.

If you see 1 Tab, click on the configure button ->Options, then turn off the 2^nd check box, then click OK.

Remove the log-in script:

If you see 3 Tabs as in 2.1.1, click on the Scripting Tab, then delete the file reference, if it's there, for the script, then click OK.
If you only see 1 Tab, click OK. Then go to the scripter: Start ->Programs ->Accessories ->Dial-up-Scripting Tool. (If you don't see the scripting Tool, you don't have to do this). Click on the HICom Connection entry, then delete the file reference to the script, click apply, then close.
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Script.

A script automates your log-in process. Specifically, it eliminates the "black" terminal screen that (may) comes up after you connect.

Check if scripting is already installed in your Dial-Up-Networking:

My Computer ->Dial-Up-Networking folder ->HICom Connection Icon properties. If you see 3 tabs, you have dial-up-scripting.

If not,

Download the following file into a temporary (c:\temp ?) folder: Scripting Tool
Via Windows Explorer, double click on the file dscrpt.exe in your temporary folder. This will run the self-extract.
With the right mouse button, single-click on the file rnaplus.inf in your temp folder, then, using your left mouse button, click on Install.
You can now remove the files in your temp folder.
Download the HICom login script into your c:\Program Files\Accessories.
Hook Up the log-in script with your scripting tool:

If you previously had the scripting tool installed:

Get Properties on the HICom Connection Icon ->Scripting Tab ->Click the Browse button ->double-click on HICom.scp
Turn off "Bring up Terminal Window After dialing": click on the General Tab ->Configure Button ->Options Tab, turn it off (if its on), click OK, and OK again.

If not:

Start->Programs->Accessories->Dial-Up-Scripting Tool->Click on the HICom connection listed on the left side, click on Browse, then double-click on HICom.scp->click Apply, then OK
Turn off "Bring up Terminal Window After dialing": My Computer ->Dialup Networking ->HICom Connection Properties (double-click with the right mouse button) ->click on the General Tab ->Configure Button ->Options Tab, turn it off (if its on), click OK, and OK again.
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Common Problems:

These are ordered with the most frequently occurring symptom first.

Connection Problems:

"Unable to Negotiate Compatible Network Protocols"

Make sure TCP/IP is enabled in the connection Icon. If not, enable it.
Make sure TCP/IP is an option (pointing to the dial-up adapter) in the Start ->Settings ->Control Panel ->Networking ->Configuration Tab. If not, Add it (Add, protocols, add, Microsoft TCP/IP), OK a couple of times, probably will cause a reboot).
If you use a script, make sure your script is set up:
1. Scripter pointing to script AND terminal window turned off, OR
2. Start->Programs->Accessories->DialUpNetwork->Properties of the HICom Icon (Click with right mouse button)->Scripting Tab->Filename is set to the HICom dialup script. AND the terminal window is turned off

Can not get to HICom home page.

Default Gateway is not working:

Connection Icon -> Server Types ->TCP/IP settings, turn it ON

DNS is not working:

Connection Icon ->Server Types ->TCP/IP settings, check the name server addresses or re-set them to "server assigned name server addresses".

Still not working:

Enable DNS in the Network Icon (Start ->Settings ->Control Panel ->Network Icon ->TCP/IP Properties). This also needs you to provide a host name (set it to your log-in unless you are on a LAN) and a network name (set it to hicom.net, unless you are on a LAN). (If you don't know what a LAN is you are not on one.)

Can not get to web sites outside of HICom.

Could be that the DNS is not working. You can verify this by specifying an IP address in the URL.

Connection Drops (get disconnected)

You were not doing anything for 30 minutes or more. Scrolling down a web page that has loaded on your computer does NOT count as doing something. Reconnect.
The phone line you use has CALL-Waiting and you did not disable call waiting: In your connection Window (where you click on the Connect button), click on the Dialing Properties button, select Call Waiting disable, disable it using *70.
You have a noisy telephone line. Plug a regular telephone into the "phone" jack portion of your modem (if it has one) or into the wall jack that your modem is normally plugged into and listen closely to the dial-tone for any tone variation or crackling. If you hear it, either your phone is bad, your line in your house, or the phone line into your house - repair this problem (or have it repaired).
A problem occurred on your computer or modem. Shut down, turn off, wait 20 seconds, and reboot.

Modem fails to negotiate a connection.

(In this case, (assuming your have the speaker turned on for your modem), you hear the modem dial, you hear HICom answer and you hear the modems negotiate for a long time and never establish a connection.)
This problem seems limited to modems that support both x2 and v.90 and to "Winmodems" that support v.90.
To overcome the modem negotiation problem, turn off v.90: My Computer-> DialUp Networking -> HICom Connection Icon properties (right click, then left click)> Configure button -> connection tab -> advanced button. Type into Extra Settings: s32=66
(The above s32=66 seems to work ok for USR/3COM modems.)
You also need to update your modem's driver and/or firmware. See: 56k modem upgrades or www.v90.com or 3COM/USR's Modem upgrades
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E-Mail Problems:

"Authentication failed" message:

You typed your password for your e-mail account incorrectly. (for Microsoft Exchange: Control Panel ->Mail and Fax ->internet mail properties ->connection tab ->password)
You were downloading mail and the download did not complete before the next check-mail cycle: Increase the mail-check interval. (for Microsoft Exchange: Control Panel ->Mail and Fax ->internet mail properties ->connection tab ->schedule)
Your TCP/IP stack is messed up. Shutdown, turn your computer off and wait at least 20 seconds, and reboot.

You can't send mail out.

Make sure your mail is set to use HICom's SMTP server. (Note: All outbound mail must go through HICom's SMTP server, mail.hicom.net)

News Problems:

Authentication failed:

You must be part of HICom's domain to access HICom's news server.
You selected "log-on" to the news server. Do not select this option. Authority to access HICom's news server is based on originating IP address so you must not log-on to it.

Maximum concurrent users exceeded.

The news server limits the number of concurrent connections from HICom to a certain number. You tried to connect to HICom's news server and caused the concurrent connection limit to be exceeded (because other people we already connected). Please advise HICom staff of this. Notify HICom of News limit exceeded.

FTP Problems:

You can upload/download files using FTP from your Windows 95/98/NT/MS-DOS window. On a Mac, you must use the Fetch software. Use this to install files for your web page.
In order to upload to the HICom FTP server you must have a valid ftp/shell login and password. This type of login is different from your normal PPP login. Frequently, this login is used as your alternate E-mail address. You can not ftp into your PPP account. To login to your ftp account, specify your ftp/shell user-id (login) and your password.
When you ftp, make sure you set the binary mode, especially when you transfer non-textual data such as pictures (.gif or .jpg or .jpeg), zip'd files, or .exe files.

When you ftp from Windows 95/98/NT, be careful of the filenames sent to the server - sometimes the short, 8-character file names are used which results in reference problems within your web pages.
There is a limit to the number of concurrent ftp sessions in progress. If you run into this limit, your earlier attempt or another user's attempted ftp hung a ftp session. Please call HICom at 973-227-5455 so we can free this up.
If you are uploading a web page for your web site, make sure you upload it into your public_html folder. Otherwise it will not display. Cgi programs must go into your cgi-bin folder. To select the public_html folder, use the command "cd public_html" after you login - to select the cgi-bin folder, the command is "cd cgi-bin".
If your on-page links don't work after you uploaded the page file, make sure that you did not design the page using the Windows95 long file names and you used the short DOS file names when you uploaded the page.

The page last updated 05/28/03 by admin@hicom.net