Getting Online

Using the Internet

    The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide information to users everywhere. You can access this global network by connecting your computer to a normal phone line and signing up with an Internet service provider. Internet services include e-mail and the World Wide Web.

    E-mail (electronic mail) lets you send messages to anyone in the world, as long as you and the recipient both have an Internet connection and an e-mail address.

    The World Wide Web is a user-friendly interface to the Internet that gives you point-and-click access to millions of sources of information. Almost everything is available for download, including pictures, sounds, and programs.

    To begin your journey through the Internet you need:

A modem -- a device installed in the computer that connects the computer to a phone line. Your Solo 3100 notebook has a built-in 56K data/fax modem.
An Internet service provider (ISP) -- a connection between the modem and the Internet, such as gateway.net.
A Web browser -- an application that translates information from the Internet service provider to the computer. The Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser is installed on the computer.

    To understand Internet functions, you should know the following terms:

E-mail (electronic mail) -- messages transmitted by telephone lines.
E-mail address -- an Internet address to which e-mail can be sent. This address designates a location on the Internet that messages and files can be sent to.

Downloading -- transferring a copy of a file from a remote server or computer to your computer's hard drive.
Link -- a word or image within a Web page on which you can click to access another Web page or additional information.
Home page -- a file that appears after connection has been made to a Web site address. This page contains links that will guide you throughout the Web site and may link you to other Web sites.
Server -- a computer or computer program that saves data in a storage area. This data can be downloaded to your computer for manipulation or printing purposes.
Web browser -- software that allows you to access and navigate Web sites found on the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are two popular Web browsers.

E-mail

    E-mail is an electronic mail service that lets you communicate with others around the globe. You need an internet connection and an e-mail address to send or retrieve e-mail.

World Wide Web

    After you have your Internet service set up, you are ready to explore the Internet. To do this, you need to use a Web browser. In our example below we use Microsoft Internet Explorer to visit the Gateway Web site.

To browse the World Wide Web

    1. Connect to the Internet service. Depending upon your Internet service provider, you may be prompted to provide your user ID and password.
    2. Double-click the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop to start Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Web browser opens.
    3. Go to a Web site by typing its address in the browser's Address Bar (for example, http://www.gateway.com ), then press Enter .
      The Web browser locates the site, downloads the text and graphics to the computer, and displays the site in the browser window. In the following illustration, the Gateway Web site appears in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

    Refer to the Web browser's online help to learn more about using the Web browser, exploring the Web, printing, and saving information.

Using Microsoft Fax

    To fax documents from your multimedia notebook with Windows 98 and Windows 95, we recommend using Microsoft Fax, which is available in both operating systems. You must set up Microsoft Fax so that you can send and receive faxes.

Setting up Microsoft Fax

    Although Windows 95 and Windows 98 look very similar, the setup required for Microsoft Fax is different for each operating system.

To set up Microsoft Fax in Windows 95

    1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, then click Control Panel . The Control Panel appears.
    2. Click Add/Remove Programs , then click the Windows Setup tab.
    3. Click to select the Microsoft Fax check box if it is not already selected. If the check box is already selected, exit Add/Remove Programs and you can stop here. If a message asks you to include all required components, click Yes and continue to step 4.
    4. Click OK at the bottom of the Add/Remove Programs window. If the Inbox Setup Wizard appears, go to step 5. If the Inbox Setup Wizard does not appear, follow the instructions on the screen.
    5. In the Inbox Setup Wizard, click the Properties button and make sure your active modem is selected. If the wizard prompts you for mail information you do not have, click Cancel to exit the wizard, then restart the wizard and clear the check boxes for Microsoft Mail and Internet Mail .
    6. The default Answer mode is Don't Answer . If another program uses the same COM port as your modem, keep the default setting. Otherwise, change the Answer mode to either Manual or Answer After . Choose Manual if you will use your phone line for voice calls or other programs. Choose Answer After if you will use your modem only for faxing. Click OK to save changes.
    7. Click the checkbox to indicate whether you want Microsoft Fax to answer all incoming calls, then click Next .
    8. Fill in your personal and phone line information, then click Next .
    9. If you chose to install Microsoft Mail, enter the path to your Post Office, which you can get from a server administrator.
    10. If you chose to install Internet Mail, enter the information requested in the next few windows.
    11. If this is your first Microsoft Fax installation, choose the default path for Personal Address Book by clicking Next .
    12. If this is your first installation, choose the default path for Personal folder file by clicking Next .
    13. Choose whether you want Microsoft Exchange to automatically run when you start Windows 95. Remember that you need to have Microsoft Exchange running to receive faxes. Click Next .
    14. Click Finish . Microsoft Exchange opens. If the Mail logon shows and you do not have a Post Office set up, click Offline . You will still be able to use Microsoft Fax.

To set up Microsoft Fax in Windows 98

    1. Insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD drive, then on the CD open the folder \tools\oldwin95\message\us\ .
    2. Run the file wms.exe by double-clicking on it, then follow the instructions to install Windows Messaging.
    3. After Windows Messaging is installed, run the file awfax.exe in the same folder and follow the instructions to install Microsoft Fax.

Sending and receiving faxes

To send a fax

    Microsoft Fax lets you send faxes in the following ways:

Using the Start button
      1. Click the Start button, then click Programs , then click Accessories .
      2. Click Fax , then click Compose New Fax . The Compose New Fax Wizard opens to guide you in preparing your fax. Follow the instructions on the screen.
Using Microsoft Exchange
      1. Double-click the Inbox icon to run Microsoft Exchange.
      2. Click the Compose menu, then click New Fax . Follow the instructions in the Compose New Fax Wizard.
Printing to Microsoft Fax
      1. Open the document that you want to fax (for example, a Microsoft Word document).
      2. Select the File menu and click Print .
      3. Select Microsoft Fax from the list of printers, then click OK . Follow the instructions in the Compose New Fax Wizard.

To receive, view, and print a fax

    1. Double-click the Inbox icon to open Microsoft Exchange.
    2. Go to Step 8 if you have already changed the Answer Mode to Answer After or Manual .
    3. Click the Tools menu, click Microsoft Fax Tools , then click Options .
    4. Click the Modem tab in the Microsoft Fax Properties window.
    5. Click the Properties button and make sure your active modem is selected. The default Answer mode is Don't Answer . If another program uses the same COM port as your modem, keep the default setting. Otherwise, you must change the Answer mode to be able to receive faxes.
    6. Select Manual if you will use your phone line for voice calls or other programs. Select Answer After if you will use your modem only for faxing. Click OK to save changes.
    7. Close the Microsoft Fax Properties window, but leave Microsoft Exchange open in order to receive faxes.
    8. You are notified when a fax arrives. After a fax is received, click the Inbox folder in the Personal Folders window, then double-click the first fax in the list. The fax document opens in the FaxViewer.
    9. Click Print to print the fax.

Manually answering with your modem

    If you set the modem's answer mode to Manual, you must manually answer the phone when it rings. To manually answer the phone, double-click the modem icon in the taskbar's status area, then click the Answer Now button in the dialog box that appears.

Installing Your PC Modem

    You may want to use a separate PC Card modem instead of the built-in modem. PC Card modems include basic data/fax modems using regular telephone lines, cellular modems, and network modems. Network modems can use network-only connections or use a combination of network and telephone connections.

To install the modem

    1. Plug the connector end of the modem cable into the modem. Connectors are either the 4-pin (shown below), 15-pin, or RJ11 connector type.
      Plug the RJ11 connector into the XJACK connector as shown below:
    1. Insert the modem face up, 68-pin connector first, into the PC Card slot. Press the modem gently but firmly into the PC Card slot until it will go no farther. Do not force the modem.
    2. Plug the telephone jack end of the modem cable into the wall jack. Use an extension telephone cable if you need a longer cord.

Enabling the modem

    Some modems have software drivers that need to be installed to enable the modem after the modem card is installed. The drivers are usually on a separate diskette or CD-ROM, not preloaded on the Windows® 95 or Windows® 98 CD-ROM.

To install drivers for Windows 95

    1. Make sure the external diskette drive is installed.
    2. Insert the modem into the PC Card slot.
    3. The New Hardware Found window appears. Click the Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer button, then click OK .
    4. The Install From Disk window appears. Insert the driver diskette into the diskette drive.
    5. On the command line provided, type A: then click OK .
    6. The Select Device window appears. Select your modem and click OK . Dual-toned beeps indicate that the modem is now enabled.

To install drivers for Windows 98

    1. Make sure the external diskette drive is installed, then insert the modem into the PC Card slot.
    2. The Add New Hardware Wizard appears. Select Search for the best driver for your device , then click Next .
    3. Select Floppy disk drives , insert the driver diskette into the diskette drive, then click Next .
    4. Click Finish . Dual-toned beeps indicate that the modem is enabled.

Installing Your Network Modem

    The network PC Card modem has a 64-pin connector on one end and an RJ45 (Ethernet) connector on the other end.

    The combo PC Card modem (A) shown below has the 68-pin connector on one end and two ports (B, D) on the other end. The two ports include:

A 15-pin connector port that can be used with a 10BASE-T Ethernet cable with a 15-pin connector (B) on one end and a RJ45 connector (C) on the other end.
A 15-pin connector (D) on one end and an RJ11 connector (E) on the other end for regular telephone lines.

To install the modem

    1. Plug the connector from your existing network bus into the RJ45 connector at the end of the 10BASE-T cable, and plug the 15-pin connector from the 10BASE-T cable into the modem. Plug the other end of the telephone cable into the wall jack.

    - OR -

    1. If your network PC Card has the XJACK connector, gently push on the end of the XJACK to release it, then plug one end of the telephone cable (RJ11) into the XJACK connector.
    1. Plug the other end of the phone cable into the wall jack.

Configuring the modem

    After the modem card is installed in your system, you need to install the drivers and configure the modem. See the appropriate section for the operating system and cable connection you are using.

Windows 98

To configure the modem using 10BASE-T cable

    1. Make sure the external diskette drive is installed.
    2. Insert the modem face up, 68-pin connector first, into the PC Card slot.
    3. Start up your notebook. The Add New Hardware Wizard opens.
    4. Select Search for the best driver for your device , then click Next .
    5. Select Floppy disk drives , insert the driver diskette into the drive, then click Next . The system finds the modem driver.
    6. Click Finish . Dual-toned beeps indicate that the modem is enabled.

Windows 95

To configure the modem using 10BASE-T cable

    1. Make sure the external diskette drive is installed.
    2. Insert the modem face up, 68-pin connector first, into the PCMCIA slot.
    3. Start up your notebook. The Add New Hardware Wizard opens.
    4. Select Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer , then click OK . The Install From Disk dialog box opens.
    5. Insert the driver diskette into the diskette drive.
    6. In the Copy manufacturer's files from text box, type A: then click OK . The Select Device dialog box opens.
    7. Select the make and model that matches your modem, then click OK . Dual-toned beeps indicate that the modem is enabled.
    8. Click Start , Settings , Control Panel , then double-click the Network icon. The Network dialog box opens.
    9. Make sure the Primary Network Logon command line shows your network type, then click OK .
    10. Restart your system.

Locating the COM port address

    Some modem applications require you to know the COM port address that Windows assigned to your modem.

To locate the COM port address and verify settings

    1. Click Start , Settings , and Control Panel , then double-click the Modems icon. The Modems Properties dialog box appears.
    2. Click the Diagnostics tab. The assigned COM port appears.
    3. Click the COM port, then click More Info . The More Info dialog box appears.
      The Command and Response section of the dialog box shows several command and response selections.
    1. Click OK twice.