Contents

Welcome to Netscape Navigator Personal Edition. Choose one of these topics for more information:

Introduction

Installing and setting up Netscape Navigator Personal Edition

Connecting to the Internet with Netscape Navigator

Tips and techniques


Introduction

Welcome to Netscape Navigator Personal Edition. Netscape Navigator Personal Edition gives you

Access to the Internet using a modem, phone line, and Internet service provider, and

Netscape Navigator, a powerful way to browse the Internet and World Wide Web after you're connected.

Choose one of these topics for more information:

What are the computer requirements?

How do I connect to the Internet?

Internet service providers

How do I find a service provider?

What you need to know for a new service provider account

What you need to know for an existing account

What you need to know for all accounts, new or existing

How do I get help?

About this book

What's next


What are the computer requirements?

Before installing Netscape Personal Edition, you must

1.	Install your modem (if you haven't already)

2.	Have Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 installed

3.	Make sure your hardware meets these requirements:

IBM-compatible 386 or better

Modem 14.4K bps or faster

6 MB free hard-disk space for Netscape Personal Edition (and an additional 5 MB recommended for disk caching)

8 MB RAM

A special note on modems

Before you install Netscape Personal Edition, you must have your modem correctly installed, connected, and turned on. When you install Netscape Personal Edition, you'll need to know some basic information about your modem. It's handy to have your modem's documentation nearby.

See also

How do I connect to the Internet?


How do I connect to the Internet?

With Netscape Personal Edition, connecting to the Internet is an easy, three-step process:

1.	The Install Wizard installs Netscape Personal Edition on your computer.

2.	The Account Setup Wizard helps you choose or set up an Internet service provider (also called an ISP or service provider). Service providers give you access to the Internet using a phone line and modem.

3.	After you connect, Netscape Navigator lets you view information on the Internet and World Wide Web.

See also

How do I find a service provider?


Internet service providers

Internet service providers connect you to the Internet. To understand how service providers work, it helps to get a simplified view of the Internet.

The Internet is a vast collection of computers that are linked together to share information. To connect to the Internet, you first have to connect to a computer on the Internet. An Internet service provider maintains just such a computer. Each time you want to connect to the Internet, your modem dials a phone number for the service provider's computer. When the service provider's modem answers, a connection is established between you and the service provider's computer. Through that computer, you can access the Internet.

See also

How do I connect to the Internet?


How do I find a service provider?

If you're new to the Internet, it's easy and convenient to choose an Internet service provider with Netscape Personal Edition. The Account Setup Wizard gives you a chance to review the services and costs of several service providers. After you choose one, you can immediately sign up, create an account, and connect with the Internet.

If you can already connect to the Internet from your computer using a modem, you already have a service provider. The Account Setup Wizard will ask you for account information, and then configure Netscape Personal Edition to work with your service provider.

See also

What you need to know for a new service provider account

What you need to know for an existing account

What you need to know for all accounts, new or existing


What you need to know for a new service provider account

Service providers charge you for the Internet access they provide. To set up an account with a service provider, you need to provide your name, billing address, and phone number.

Also, you need to provide credit card information so that your service provider can charge you. Your credit card information is encrypted before it's transmitted. 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.

	For more on encryption, see "Identifying Secure Information" in the Navigator Handbook. For more information on using the Handbook, see The online Netscape Navigator Handbook.

See also

What you need to know for an existing account

What you need to know for all accounts, new or existing

What's next


What you need to know for an existing account

With the Account Setup Wizard, you can set up Netscape Personal Edition to use an existing service provider account. You'll be asked to provide the information in the following table. If you don't have all of the information, contact your service provider.

Note: It's possible that you use an online service without full Internet access. Such an online service gives you access to a limited amount of information. However, most online services now offer accounts with access to the entire Internet. If you're unsure about the type of account you have with your online service, contact them and ask about accounts with full Internet access. If you set up such an account, be sure to write down all the information they give you, including the information in the following table. Then set up Netscape Personal Edition as if you already have an existing Internet service provider.

What you need to know	What it is
User name (also called a login name or user ID)	The name you use to log in to the Internet (for example, jdoe).
Password	The password you enter after entering your login name.
Service provider's phone number	The phone number that your modem dials to connect to the Internet.
SMTP and POP server names or addresses	The IP addresses or host names of your service provider's mail servers (for example, 198.0.0.0 or mail.isp.com). Your service provider might use just one mail server, and so the address or name will be the same for both. If you don't have email with your account, you don't need these addresses.
User name for email	To get email, some service providers give you a user name that's different than your login name.
DNS address	The IP address for your service provider's Domain Name System (DNS) server (for example, 198.95.251.30).
NNTP server name or address	The IP address or name for your service provider's news server (for example, news.isp.com). If you don't have access to newsgroups with your account, you don't need this name.
Whether or not you need a TTY login	This is required by some service providers. If you type a login name and password each time you connect to your service provider, you probably have a TTY login account. To be sure, check with your service provider. After you install, you can create a login script so you can log in automatically. See I want to automate my TTY login.

See also

What you need to know for a new service provider account

What you need to know for all accounts, new or existing

What's next


What you need to know for all accounts, new or existing

To finish setting up Netscape Personal Edition, you need to know the manufacturer name and model of your modem. 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 (such as 9) to get an outside line?

See also

What you need to know for a new service provider account

What you need to know for an existing account

How do I get help?

What's next


How do I get help?

You can get four kinds of additional information.

Account Setup Wizard	You can get online Help in each screen of the Account Setup Wizard. Just click the Help button at the bottom of the screen.
Online Help	In the Navigator, you can click Help on the menu bar to get information about Netscape and the Internet.
The Navigator Handbook	This is an online book. It's installed with Netscape Personal Edition and it's available to you in several ways. See The online Netscape Navigator Handbook.
Printed Getting Started	A printed version of this book is included with Netscape Personal Edition.
See also

About this book

What's next


About this book

The following conventions help you use this book:

This book uses the | character to separate menu commands. Instead of saying "Choose Exit from the File menu," this book shortens it to "Choose File|Exit."

Boldface type is used for button names, menu choices, and any Internet addresses or World Wide Web pages (also known as URLs).

Text in capital letters is used for all file names, directories, folders, or application names.

This book sometimes refers to directories where Netscape Personal Edition is installed. For the sake of simplicity, this book references default installation directories. If you install into directories other than the default, you should know that the default root directory is C:\NETSCAPE, and that other directories (such as DIALER and SYSTEM) are installed off of this directory (for example, C:\NETSCAPE\DIALER and C:\NETSCAPE\SYSTEM). You can apply instructions in this book to your directories as appropriate.

See also

How do I get help?

What's next


What's next

See Installing and setting up Netscape Personal Edition to get installed and set up with Netscape Personal Edition.

See Connecting to the Internet with Netscape Navigator to get up and running Netscape Navigator. It also gives you a brief tour of the Navigator window, and shows how to do some basic tasks.

See Tips and techniques for tips, techniques, and troubleshooting.


Installing and setting up Netscape Navigator Personal Edition

To install and set Netscape Personal Edition, you'll follow these two steps:

Step 1: Use the Install Wizard to install Netscape Personal Edition on your computer.

Step 2: Use the Account Setup Wizard to choose an Internet service provider, or use an existing one. For important information on service providers, see Internet service providers.

Choose one of these topics for more information:

If you're upgrading

Users on a local area network

Is your modem ready?

Installing a modem

Step 1: Installing Netscape Personal Edition

Step 2: Setting up Netscape Personal Edition

If you need to choose a service provider

Connect to Netscape and choose a service provider

If you already have a service provider


Users on a local area network

If you're on a local area network (LAN) with a MSTCP/IP network adapter, you might have conflicts with your DNS configuration. Talk to your network administrator, and see Finding your service provider's DNS address for more information.


Installing a modem

You must install your modem in Windows 95 before you can use it to connect to the Internet. To install a modem, you'll need your Windows 95 disks or CD. Follow these steps:

1.	Physically install the modem according to the manufacturer's directions. Connect the modem to a phone line, and turn it on (if it's external).

2.	Start (or restart) your computer.

3.	In Windows 95, click the Start button and point to Settings.

4.	Click Control panel, and then double-click Modems.

5.	In the dialog box, click Add.

6.	Follow the directions on your screen.


If you're upgrading

Netscape Personal Edition uses Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking to connect to your service provider. If you've never used Dial-Up Networking before, you'll be prompted to insert your Windows 95 disks or CD when you install Netscape Personal Edition. Make sure you have your disks or CD nearby when you start installing.

From Windows 3.1 to Windows 95

If you're upgrading from a Windows 3.1 version of Netscape Personal Edition to a Windows 95 version, the new version will use Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking, rather than the Netscape Dialer, to connect you to the Internet.

Because you previously used a Windows 3.1 version of Netscape Personal Edition, you have some Dialer connection files on your computer. When you run the Account Setup Wizard, you'll have the option of upgrading these connection files. If you upgrade, your service provider account information will be transferred to Dial-Up Networking. This way, you won't have to enter this account information yourself. And just so you know: Your old Dialer connection files will remain in the NETSCAPE\DIALER directory, but won't be used to connect you to the Internet.


Is your modem ready?

Before you can use Netscape Personal Edition, your modem must be installed and ready.

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 in Windows 95, and according to the manufacturer's instructions.

See also

Installing a modem


Step 1: Installing Netscape Personal Edition

When your modem is ready, use the Install Wizard to install Netscape Personal Edition:

1.	Run Windows 95, and close all open applications or programs. Make sure that you have your Windows 95 disks or CD handy.

2.	Insert Disk 1 into your floppy drive.

3.	Click the Start button, and then click Run.

4.	Type A:\SETUP in the box, and then click OK.

5.	The Install Wizard appears. Follow the instructions in each of the screens that follow.

6.	If you've never installed Dial-Up Networking, you'll be asked whether you want to install it. Click OK and follow instructions.

7.	You're asked if you want to read the README file. This file contains late-breaking information. It's recommended that you read it.

The Install Wizard creates a Netscape folder and opens it on your desktop. The folder contains icons for the Account Setup Wizard, the Netscape Navigator, the Readme file, and others. The Install Wizard also created a log file of everything it did: C:\NETSCAPE\LOGFILE.NSC. You can use this file to see which system files were backed up and modified.

See also

Step 2: Setting up Netscape Personal Edition


Step 2: Setting up Netscape Personal Edition

After you install, use the Account Setup Wizard to configure Netscape Personal Edition:

Note: If you see an error message about your DNS configuration, see page 67 for more information.

1.	Double-click the Account Setup Wizard icon in the Netscape folder (on the Start|Programs menu).

2.	The Account Setup Wizard appears. In each of the screens that follow, click Help for more information. You can click Cancel at any time to exit, and any information you've entered will be discarded.

3.	The Account Setup Wizard will ask whether you already have a service provider. Click the Help button if you don't know whether you have a service provider. Then click the statement that describes your situation, and click Next.

See also

If you need to choose a service provider

Connect to Netscape and choose a service provider

If you already have a service provider


If you need to choose a service provider

If you indicate that you need to choose a service provider, the Account Setup Wizard gathers the information needed for a new account.

See also

Connect to Netscape and choose a service provider


Connect to Netscape and choose a service provider

When you're done entering information, you can choose a service provider, create a new account, and register your software—all in one phone call. The Account Setup Wizard will tell you that it's about to call a toll-free number and show you a list of service providers:

1.	When you click Connect, you'll connect to Netscape and see the registration main page. (If you don't connect right away, wait a moment and try again.) To find out about a service provider, click its button to go to a page of information. On a service provider's page, click Back to go to the registration main page.

2.	When you find the service provider you want, click the Choose button at the bottom of the page. Then fill out the service provider's form.

3.	Check over the form carefully. If everything is correct, click Create a [your new service provider] Account. Your information is sent to the service provider, and the service provider creates a new account for you.

4.	A confirmation screen appears. Please read the account terms. If you agree to them, click the Confirm Creation of Account button. (Click this button only once.)

5.	In the next screen, write down all of your account information, including your user name and your service provider's support phone number. Then click Configure.

6.	In the Account Setup Wizard, a congratulations screen appears. Click the Finish button to exit the Account Setup Wizard.

When you're done, the Account Setup Wizard configures a connection to your service provider and places a shortcut icon for it on the Windows 95 desktop. Your service provider's icon also appears in the Netscape folder (on the Start|Programs menu), along with the following icons:

You're ready to explore the Internet on your own. For more on starting and using Netscape Personal Edition, see Connecting to the Internet with Netscape Navigator.


If you already have a service provider

If you indicate that you already have a service provider, the Account Setup Wizard gathers information about the existing account, about you, and about your modem and phone line. For a table of the information you'll need, see How do I find a service provider?

1.	When you're done entering information, a congratulations screen appears. You can choose whether to immediately connect to the Internet and register your software, or do it later. Registering helps Netscape improve its products and services. When you've decided how to continue, click Next.

2.	To finish the Account Setup Wizard, follow the instructions on your screen.

When you're done, the Account Setup Wizard creates a connection to your service provider and places a shortcut icon for it on the Windows 95 desktop. Your service provider's icon also appears in the Netscape folder (on the Start|Programs menu), along with the following icons:

You're ready to explore the Internet on your own. For more on starting and using Netscape Personal Edition, see Connecting to the Internet with Netscape Navigator.


Connecting to the Internet with Netscape Navigator

This chapter describes how to get started using Netscape Navigator and the Internet.

First, you learn how to connect to the Internet and start the Navigator.

Secondly, you get a tour of the Navigator window and learn how to work with pages.

Finally, you learn some basic tasks such as sending and receiving email, and participating in newsgroups.

	You can find additional information in the online Navigator Handbook. You'll see references to specific topics in the Handbook identified by an icon to the left. For more information on using the Handbook, see The online Netscape Navigator Handbook.

Choose one of these topics for more information:

Connecting and getting started

Connecting to your service provider

Starting Netscape Navigator

Netscape window

About the Netscape window

Viewing other pages

Page information in the Navigator window

How to see where you've been, and quickly go back

Bookmarks

Toolbar and Directory buttons

Toolbar buttons

Directory buttons

Net Search

Searching for information on the Internet

Email

Sending and receiving email

The Mail window

The Message Composition window

Newsgroups

What's a newsgroup?

Finding a newsgroup

Subscribing to a newsgroup

Creating and replying to newsgroup messages

Setting preferences

Personalizing Netscape Navigator

Selecting a home page

Online Netscape Navigator Handbook

The online Netscape Navigator Handbook


Connecting to your service provider

When you installed Netscape Personal Edition, the process configured a dial-up connection to your service provider using Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking. A Dialer icon for this connection was placed on your Windows 95 desktop, and also in your Netscape folder (on the Start|Programs menu).

To access the Dialer, double-click its icon. The Dialer contains the settings specific to your account, such as your user name and password, and the service provider’s phone number. You can use the Dialer to:

Dial and connect to your service provider

Change and add phone numbers for calling your service provider from different locations

Enter your user name and password

For more on using the Dialer, highlight different fields in the Connect to dialog box and press F1. You can also enter dial-up on the Find page in Windows 95 Help topics.

If you don’t see a shortcut icon on your desktop, or a Dialer icon in your Netscape folder, you can find it by double-clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop, and then double-clicking the Dial-Up Networking folder.

If you want to change dial-up connection properties (such as the selected modem or your service provider’s phone number), right-click the Dialer icon for your service provider, and select Properties in the menu that appears. To change the DNS address entered for your service provider, right-click the Dialer icon for your service provider, and select Properties in the menu that appears. Click Server Type, and then click TCP\IP Settings. Change or add a DNS address, and then click OK. Close all dialog boxes by clicking OK.

If you have the Microsoft Scripting Tool, you can create a script to automate the login process. Download the scripting tool from this URL:

http://www.windows95.com/connect/dscript.html

Then create a simple script using a text editor. For more information on how to create a script, see the Web page with the following URL:

http://www.windows95.com/connect/scriptxt.html

See also

Starting Netscape Navigator


Starting Netscape Navigator

You can find shortcut icons on your desktop and in the Netscape folder (on the Start|Programs menu).


About the Netscape window

When you first start Netscape Navigator, you see a home page—the page you view each time you start the Navigator. Netscape Personal Edition is preset to display the Netscape home page, but you can change this to any page you want.

Most of the information on the Internet is organized in pages that are linked to one another. Pages are located on different computers throughout the Internet. (Remember, that's all the Internet is—a vast collection of linked computers.)

Near the top of the window, notice the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the location field. Each page on the Internet has its own unique URL to identify it. Like an address, the URL tells the Navigator the location of a page. Once the Navigator knows the URL, it can find the page and display it for you.

You can open multiple Navigator windows to view multiple pages at once. In the Navigator, click File|New Web Browser to open a new Navigator window.

See also

Viewing other pages

Page information in the Navigator window

How to see where you've been, and quickly go back

Bookmarks

Toolbar buttons

Directory buttons


Viewing other pages

To bring other Internet pages to your screen:

Click a navigational link

Type a URL in the location field

Navigational links

Type a URL

In the location field, you can type the URL of a page you want to see. Most often, you won't need to know a page's URL because it's included as part of a link. Behind the scenes, the Navigator already knows a page's URL when you click on highlighted text, click a button, or select a menu item. But increasingly, you see URLs on business cards, in magazine and newspaper articles, and in correspondence. Consequently, you might often have the specific URL of a page you want to view.

See also

About the Netscape window


Page information in the Navigator window

When you bring another page to your screen, the Navigator loads or transfers the page to your computer. The page itself doesn't actually move to your computer, but the Navigator loads the page's information on your screen and maintains a link to it. This way, you can see page information change on your screen when it changes in the actual page. Some pages are constantly changing, such as a page with a "live cam" (a camera that continually transmits its images to a page, and the page then transmits the images on the Internet).

How fast a page loads depends on the speed of your modem, the length of a page, and how many graphics, sounds, or movies the page contains. You can improve a page's loading time by telling the Navigator to load just text and skip the graphics: Click Options|Auto Load Images. If you decide to see images after the page has loaded, click the Images button on the Toolbar.

The Navigator window has several items to help you see page information:

See also

About the Netscape window


How to see where you've been, and quickly go back

Netscape automatically keeps track of which pages you've recently viewed:

To see a list of the pages you've viewed since you started the Navigator (called a history list), click the Go menu. At the bottom of the menu, there's a list of page titles. To return to a specific page, click its title in the list. When you exit the Navigator, this list is discarded.

To see a list of the last ten URLs you've typed into the location field, click the pull-down menu to the right of the location field. If you click one of the URLs on the menu, you'll bring the page to your screen again.

See also

Bookmarks

About the Netscape window


Bookmarks

You can also add bookmarks to your favorite pages. Bookmarks are more permanent ways to mark your pages—they stay on the bookmark list until you remove them. The easiest way to create a bookmark is to go to the page you want to mark, and then click Bookmarks|Add Bookmark.

After you create bookmarks, you can view a list of them in the Bookmarks window. To open this window, click Bookmarks|Go to Bookmarks.

Because bookmarks are such a powerful feature, the Navigator offers many ways to create and organize a bookmark list.

	For more on bookmarks, see "Bookmarks window" in the Navigator Handbook.
See also

About the Netscape window


Toolbar buttons

Click a button to display its definition.

See also

About the Netscape window


Back

Displays the previous page in the history list. A history list contains pages you've viewed since you opened a Navigator window; when you close the window, the history list is discarded.


Forward

Displays the next page in the history list. Forward is only available after you click Back or click a page in the history list.


Home

Displays your home page.


Reload

Redisplays the current page. Netscape Navigator checks the network server to see if any change to the page has occurred since you first loaded it. If there's no change, the same page is loaded again. If there has been a change, the updated page is loaded.


Images

Loads images into pages. Available when the Options|Auto Load Images menu item is unchecked (you've opted to load just a page's text and skip the graphics). If you decide to see images after the page has loaded, click Images.


Open

Lets you enter a URL to display the specified page in the content area.


Print

Displays a dialog box so you can print the content area of the current Navigator window.


Find

Lets you search for a word or phrase in the current page.


Stop

Halts any ongoing transfer of page information.


Directory buttons

Click a button to display its definition.

See also

About the Netscape window


What's New!

Displays a page of links to new pages on the Internet.


What's Cool!

Displays a page of links to cool pages on the Internet.


Handbook

Displays an introductory page for the Navigator Handbook and a list of supplementary information (accessed remotely from Netscape's server).


Net Search

Displays a directory of Internet search engines.


Net Directory

Displays a master directory of other Internet directories.


Software

Displays information on Netscape Navigator software upgrades.


Searching for information on the Internet

To look for information on a specific subject, or for a specific page, you can use a search engine (sometimes called a search utility).

Click the Net Search directory button to see a page of available search engines. You can read descriptions of how they search (some search just page titles, headers or indexes, while others search entire pages). When you select a search engine, you can immediately link to it. Most search engines give you instructions and advice on how to perform an effective search.

See also

About the Netscape window


Sending and receiving email

Before you can use email, you have to set up Netscape Personal Edition to work with your service provider's mail server. Most likely, you've already done this in the Account Setup Wizard.

	For more information, see "Setting up email and news" in the Navigator Handbook.
The mail icon in the Netscape window's lower-right corner tells you the status of your mail:

See also

The Mail window

The Message Composition window


The Mail window

To use email, first click the mail icon to open the Mail window. You can also open the Mail window by clicking Window|Netscape Mail.

Resizing panes in the Mail window

As with other windows, you can resize the Mail window. You can also resize the panes within the window.


The Message Composition window

To display the Message Composition window, click File|New Mail Message or File|Mail Document, or one of several Toolbar buttons and menu items in the Mail and News windows. In a page, you can also display the Message Composition window by clicking on a page link or a button designed to initiate email.

	For more information, see "Using the Message Composition window" and "Message Composition window" in the Navigator Handbook.


What's a newsgroup?

Many service providers automatically provide access to newsgroups on their news servers. Newsgroups are online discussions about an amazing range of topics. In fact, the range is so wide that you can probably find a newsgroup on any subject that has ever interested you. The discussions aren't necessarily "news;" they are participants' opinions, focused information, or some combination of both. Often this enormous collection of newsgroups is referred to as Usenet.

Newsgroups follow a bulletin board format. Just as with a bulletin board, you write an article or message, and post it to the newsgroup. You can look over the postings “on the board” (in the group) and choose which ones to read. After you read a message, you can post a reply for others to read. Participants can then reply to yours and others’ messages, and so on. The discussion that ensues is called a thread. (Throughout Usenet, you’ll see the terms “message,” “article,” and “posting” used interchangeably.) Some newsgroups are moderated, which means that someone reads and edits messages before posting them to the group.

Within a newsgroup, discussions are organized by topics. Each newsgroup has a name (sometimes called an address) intended to reflect the topic of discussion. For example, to find general pet-owner information about cats, you might look at the newsgroup rec.pets.cats. This newsgroup’s name, rec.pets.cats, reflects the way that Usenet organizes newsgroup topics. Rec.pets.cats is part of the general category rec (topics about recreation), and part of the sub-topic pets, and specifically about cats.

If you’re new to the Internet, you can get help finding out about newsgroups. You can actually use a newsgroup to help you—there are some that publish lists of newsgroups (such as news.announce.newsgroups and news.announce.newusers). You can also get books about newsgroups in a library or bookstore.

Before you can access newsgroups, you have to set up Netscape Personal Edition to work with your service provider's news server. Most likely, you've already done this in the Account Setup Wizard.

	For more information, see "Setting up email and news" in the Navigator Handbook.
See also

Finding a newsgroup

Subscribing to a newsgroup

Creating and replying to newsgroup messages


Finding a newsgroup

Sometimes you'll know the exact name of a newsgroup you want to see, and other times you'll want to browse a list. If you know an exact name:

1.	In the Navigator window, highlight all the text in the Location field by clicking the text once.

2.	Type news: followed by the complete newsgroup name. For example, you could type news:misc.jobs.offered in the location field.

3.	Press Enter.

To easily find and display this newsgroup again, you can subscribe to it. See Subscribing to a newsgroup for more information.

If you don't know the exact name of a newsgroup, or if you want to browse a list, you can use the News window. To display the News window, click Window|Netscape News.

	For more information, see "Using the News window" and "News window" in the Navigator Handbook.
See also

Subscribing to a newsgroup

Creating and replying to newsgroup messages

Whats a newsgroup?


Subscribing to a newsgroup

Subscribing to newsgroups lets you limit the newsgroups visible in the News window. Subscribing to a newsgroup is very different from subscribing to a newspaper or magazine; subscribing to a newsgroup just means that you select it for display in the News window. Usually it’s a group that you want to keep track of and possibly participate in. To subscribe to newsgroups:

1.	Scan the newsgroup pane. Resize the pane or use the scroll bars if you need to.

2.	When you find a newsgroup you want to subscribe to, click the Subscribe box. A checkmark appears to mark the newsgroup as subscribed. (To unsubscribe, just click this box again.)

3.	After you've subscribed to the newsgroups you want, you can change settings on the Options menu that control which newsgroups are displayed.

See also

Finding a newsgroup

Creating and replying to newsgroup messages

Whats a newsgroup?


Creating and replying to newsgroup messages

You create and send newsgroup messages (also called "postings" or "articles") in the same window you use for email, the Message Composition window. See The Message Composition window for more information.

	For more information, you can also see "Message Composition window" in the Navigator Handbook.
See also

Finding a newsgroup

Subscribing to a newsgroup

Whats a newsgroup?


Personalizing Netscape Navigator

Although Netscape Navigator is preconfigured for easy use, you can customize it. Different selections on the Options menu control these items:

Appearance of the Navigator window and the way it displays links

Fonts used in the Navigator window and the way encoded information looks

Colors used in the Navigator window

Location of your mail and news servers

Size and location of memory and disk caching, and the maximum size and number of network connections

Location of supporting applications, such as TELNET, and your temporary and bookmark directories

Display of images, and when you want to see security alerts

Proxies you use

Applications associated with different types of files

	For more information, see “Choosing the screen look” and Chapter 7, “Preferences Panels,” in the Navigator Handbook.


Selecting a home page

You can designate your own home page (the page you view each time you start Netscape Navigator). The home page initially designated with Netscape Navigator (the default) has this URL:

http://home.netscape.com/index.html

To change your home page (or change back to the default):

1.	Click Options|General.

2.	Click the Appearance tab.

3.	Click the radio button next to Home Page Location.

4.	Then type the URL of the new home page you want. Alternatively, click the radio button Blank Page if you want your home page to be empty.

5.	Click OK.

You can designate a page from a remote computer on the Internet (for example, a page of stock quotes), or a page on your hard disk (for example, your bookmarks file is a page stored on your hard disk).

To get the URL of a page on your hard disk:

1.	In the Navigator, click File|Open.

2.	Select the name of the file (page) on your hard disk.

3.	Click OK.

4.	After the page opens, you'll see its URL in the location field. Select and copy the URL.

5.	Click Options|General, and click Appearances.

6.	Click the radio button Home Page Location, and then paste the URL into the text field.

7.	Click OK.


The online Netscape Navigator Handbook

You can access the Navigator Handbook in two basic ways:

Remotely, from Netscape's web site. With the Navigator window open, click the Handbook toolbar button.

Locally, from the files installed on your hard drive with Netscape Personal Edition. You can access the Handbook locally either before or after you open the Navigator window:

Before you open the Navigator window, double-click the Navigator Handbook icon in the Netscape Personal Edition folder or program group.

After you open the Navigator window, click File|Open File. Select the Navigator Handbook file in your Netscape Personal Edition folder (or directory), and click OK.

Using your local copy of the Handbook has advantages over a remote connection. A local copy is much faster because you don't have to wait for the Handbook to transmit over the Internet. You can also add bookmarks to your local Handbook. After you open your local copy and see a place you want to mark, click Bookmark|Add Bookmark. Then use the Bookmarks window to view and organize your bookmarks. See Bookmarks for more information.


Tips and techniques

This chapter answers common questions about Netscape Personal Edition, and offers some tips on how to get the most out of Netscape Navigator and the Internet. This chapter also lists error messages that might appear on your screen.

Please read this chapter before contacting Netscape Technical Support. In the Navigator window, you can also click Help|Frequently Asked Questions and Help|Release Notes to see the latest available information. To find out what other support is available, click Help|How to Get Support.

Click one of these topics for more information:

Before you connect

After you connect


Before you connect

Scroll to see additional information.

I can't connect to the Registration server.

The Registration server might be busy or temporarily not accepting calls. Wait a moment and try again.

I want to automate my TTY login.

Many Internet service providers require a TTY login—they require you to enter your user name and password each time you connect.

If you have the Microsoft Scripting Tool, you can create a script to automate the login process. Download the scripting tool from this URL:

http://www.windows95.com/connect/dscript.html

Then create a simple script using a text editor. For more information on how to create a script, see the Web page with the following URL:

http://www.windows95.com/connect/scriptxt.html

The Dial-Up Networking connection doesn't save my password.

Windows 95 automatically saves your password if you are connected to a local area network. If your computer is not part of a network, you can set your computer to save your password. To save your password, click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. Double-click the Passwords icon, click Users can customize their preferences and desktop settings, and click OK. You'll need to restart your computer before this change takes effect.

"A required .DLL file c:\windows\system\svrapi.dll was not found."

You don't have Dial-Up Networking set up before trying to use the Account Setup Wizard. To set up Dial-Up Networking:

1.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2.	Double-click the Network icon.

3.	Click Add.

4.	Select Adapter in the list, and then click Add.

5.	Select Microsoft in the Manufacturers list. Select Dial-Up Adapter in the Network Adapters list, and then click OK.

6.	You return to the Control Panel. You must restart your computer before the new settings will take effect. After you restart, try using the Account Setup Wizard again.

"ERROR_PPP_NO_PROTOCOL."

You have not selected TCP/IP as the network protocol for your dial-up adapter (a way to connect to your service provider). You can reinstall Netscape Personal Edition (TCP/IP should be installed automatically). With your Windows 95 CD or diskettes in hand, you can also install TCP/IP yourself:

1.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

2.	Double-click the Network icon, click Add, select Protocol, and click Add.

3.	Select Microsoft as the manufacturer and TCP/IP as the protocol.

4.	Click OK.

"Internal Authentication error."

You haven't selected a dial-up adapter (a way to connect to your service provider). You can reinstall Netscape Personal Edition (Dial-Up Networking is installed automatically).

"Netscape is unable to locate the server reggie.netscape.com."

You probably have a pre-existing DNS server configured in Windows 95. This happens if you are connected to a local area network, if you previously set up Netscape Personal Edition with a different service provider, or if you configured another dial-up connection through your Network control panel. You might have conflicting configurations. You can manually reconfigure your system, and either disable your DNS configuration or modify it.

Important: If you're on a local area network, ask your network administrator how to handle a previous DNS configuration.

See also

Disabling your DNS configuration

Modifying a previous DNS configuration

"Netscape is unable to locate the server: home.netscape.com. The server does not have a DNS entry. Check the server name in the Location (URL) and try again."

You'll see this message when you have a pre-existing DNS address configured in Windows 95 or if you incorrectly entered your existing service provider's DNS address in the Account Setup Wizard. (You can have a pre-existing DNS address if you're on a local area network, or if you've previously used a different service provider.) In any case, you can manually enter the DNS server address of the service provider you want to use.

Important: If you're on a local area network, ask your network administrator how to handle a previous DNS configuration.

See also

Finding your service provider's DNS address

Entering your service provider's DNS address

"The modem is not plugged in or is out of service."

First, make sure your modem is connected to your computer, plugged in, and turned on. You'll also see this message when you haven't selected the correct modem in the Account Setup Wizard. To select the correct modem:

1.	Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2.	Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon. (You might have to scroll the window.)

3.	Right-click the dial-up connection for your Internet service provider, and choose Properties on the menu.

4.	Check that the modem has been configured for that connection. If it isn't the right modem

1.	Click Server Type and write down the settings in this panel.

2.	Click Cancel.

3.	Then, choose a different modem under Connect using.

4.	Click Server Type again, and enter your server settings.

5.	Click OK, and click OK again to exit the dialog box.

"Unable to negotiate dial-in connection."

Try connecting again in a few minutes. If you continue to get this error, contact your service provider. You are unable to connect to the remote modem. This might be caused by excessive noise on the phone line. You might want to redial later or see if your service provider has a second phone number you can try.

"Your system is configured for another Domain Name System (DNS) server. Read your Personal Edition Getting Started manual before you set up your account."

If you've already modified your DNS configuration and see this message, continue with the Account Setup Wizard. If you see this message and haven't modified your DNS configuration, see:

Finding your service provider's DNS address

Entering your service provider's DNS address


After you connect

Scroll to see additional information.

I can't get my mail.

Make sure that you have the correct mail server addresses or host names. First call your service provider's technical support and verify the following:

Your SMTP and POP server addresses and host names

Your email user name and password

Then, start Netscape Navigator and click Options. Click Mail and News Preferences, and then click the Servers page tab. Check the SMTP and POP server information entered there. Change the information if it isn't correct, and click OK.

While connected to the Internet, I'm suddenly cut off.

Your phone line probably has a service, such as Call Waiting, that interrupts your phone line. Make sure you disable Call Waiting. You'll get the same results if someone in your home picks up the phone while you're connected.

"The server does not have a DNS entry."

The possible causes for this message include the following:

The URL you are trying to reach is busy. Wait a moment and try again. If this happens repeatedly, try connecting during off-peak hours. Also, inform your Internet service provider of this problem.

If you are on a network, you might need to set up a Netscape proxy to reach the Internet at large. Contact your system administration for more information.

The server you're looking for doesn't exist. Check the URL for typos and try again.

The server you are trying to reach is temporarily out of service. Try again later.

Try another URL. If you keep getting this message when you try other URLs, you might have problems with your DNS configuration. See "Netscape is unable to locate the server: home.netscape.com" for more information.


Disabling your DNS configuration

To disable DNS:

1.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

2.	Double-click the Network icon, select TCP/IP->Dial-Up Adapter in the list (you might have to scroll), and then click Properties.

3.	Select DNS Configuration.

4.	Click Disable DNS, and then click OK.

5.	Close all the open dialog boxes by clicking OK.

6.	Restart your computer and try connecting again.


Modifying a previous DNS configuration

You can keep your previous DNS configuration and also create an account with a new service provider. First, fix your DNS configuration so you can connect to the Netscape Registration server:

1.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

2.	Double-click the Network icon, select TCP/IP->Dial-Up Adapter in the list (you might have to scroll), and then click Properties.

3.	Select DNS Configuration.

Note: You're limited to three DNS server addresses in Windows 95. Look at the list of addresses under DNS Search Order. If there are already three, you'll have to remove one. Before you do, make sure you write the address down so that you can add it back later. Then click the DNS address you want to remove, and click Remove.

4.	In the DNS Server Search Order field, type the DNS address of the Netscape Registration server:

205.217.225.10   or   	205.217.225.20

5.	Click Add. Make sure that the address you just added is first in the list. Then click OK.

6.	Restart your computer.

7.	Run the Account Setup Wizard by double-clicking its icon in the Netscape folder. Indicate that you need to choose a service provider, and follow the instructions in each screen. You should be able to connect to the Registration server and create a new account. Write down all of your account information.

After you set up a new account and disconnect from the Registration server, you need to find the DNS address for your service provider's server:

1.	Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2.	Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon (you might have to scroll down) and right-click the dial-up connection for your service provider.

3.	In the menu, choose Properties, and then click the Server Type button in the dialog box that appears.

4.	Write down the DNS address for your service provider. Close all of the open dialog boxes.

5.	After you find the DNS address, you need to enter it into your DNS configuration:

6.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

7.	Double-click the Network icon, select TCP/IP and click Properties.

8.	Select DNS Configuration.
Note: You're limited to three DNS server addresses in Windows 95. Look at the list of addresses under DNS Search Order. If there are already three, you can click the Registration server's DNS address (205.217.225.20 or 205.217.225.10), and then click Remove.

9.	In the DNS Search Order field, type the DNS address for your service provider, and then click Add. Make sure that the address you just added is first in the list.

10.	Click OK.

11.	Close Windows, and restart your computer. Try connecting again.


Finding your service provider's DNS address

To find the DNS address for your service provider's server:

1.	Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2.	Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon (you might have to scroll down) and right-click the dial-up connection for your service provider.

3.	In the menu, choose Properties, and then click the Server Type button in the dialog box that appears.

4.	Click the TCP/IP Settings button. Write down the DNS address for your service provider. Close all of the open dialog boxes.

See also

Entering your service provider's DNS address


Entering your service provider's DNS address

After you have the correct DNS address, you can enter it into your DNS configuration:

1.	Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

2.	Double-click the Network icon, select TCP/IP->Dial-Up Adapter and click Properties.

3.	Select DNS Configuration.
Note: You're limited to three DNS server addresses in Windows 95. Look at the list of addresses under DNS Search Order. If there are already three, you'll have to remove one. (You can remove the DNS address for Netscape you entered in the previous section.) Before you do, make sure you write the address down so that you can add it back later. Then click the DNS address you want to remove, and click Remove.

4.	In the DNS Search Order field, type the DNS address for your service provider, and then click Add.

5.	Click OK.

6.	Close Windows, and restart your computer.

See also

Finding your service provider's DNS address