Windows NT 4.0 comes with components that will let you dial Panix and establish a PPP connection. The following instructions will show you how to set these components up on your computer.
There are two parts of NT you need to install (or verify that they've been installed): Remote Access Service (RAS) and Dial-Up Networking (DUN). We'll take these one at a time.
You can find this out by going to the Control Panel (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel) and double-clicking on 'Network'.
From the 'Network' dialog, click on the 'Protocols' index tab, and look for TCP/IP. If it's there, terrific. If not, you'll need to click 'Add', select 'TCP/IP', and click 'OK'. This will install TCP/IP.
Once you've verified that TCP/IP is installed, click on the 'Services' index tab, and look for Remote Access Service.
If Remote Access Service is listed, select it by clicking on it once, then click the 'Properties' button, which will put you in the 'Remote Access Setup' dialog. Now go to Section 1c.
If Remote Access Service is not listed, continue with Section 1b.
1b. Adding RAS to your system:
Click the 'Add' button. This will pull up a dialog called 'Select Network Service'. Scroll down until you see Remote Access Service, select it (by clicking on it once), and click 'OK'. Windows NT may ask you for the disk; give it what it wants and let it install. When it's installed, RAS will prompt you for a COM port and modem type, and suggest one. If the suggestion is correct, just click 'OK'. This will drop you into the 'Remote Access Setup' dialog.
1c. Remote Access Setup:
Select your modem (it will probably be the only device listed) and click the 'Configure...' button. Set it for 'Dial Out Only' and click 'OK' to go back to 'Remote Access Setup'.
Now click the 'Network...' button. Make sure 'TCP/IP' is the only box checked, and click 'OK' to return to 'Remote Access Setup'.
Now click 'Continue' to return to 'Network', and click 'Close' when you get there. You'll probably be prompted to restart your computer. RAS is now installed and configured properly.
You can find this out by opening the 'My Computer' icon, or looking in Start -> Programs -> Accessories. If you see Dial-Up Networking in either of these places, it's already installed.
If it is, just open it. If you're running DUN for the first time, you'll be greeted with a message that "The phonebook is empty." Just click 'OK' to add a new one, and proceed to Section 2b.
If Dial-Up Networking is not installed, you'll need to install it by running Windows NT Setup from the CD or diskettes again.
2b. Configuring your first DUN Phonebook entry:
You should be in the DUN Wizard, with a 'Next' button at the bottom of the dialog and a prompt to 'Name the new phonebook entry.' If you see a dialog with 5 index tabs instead, just go to the Appendix. (This just means DUN has been run on your system once already.)
Enter a descriptive name (such as "Panix NYC") where it says 'Name the new phonebook entry.' Click 'Next'.
Check the box next to 'I am calling the Internet.' Click 'Next'.
Enter the Panix dial-up number for your location. Click 'Next'.
Click 'Finish'.
Now your Dial-Up Networking phonebook should contain the entry you just created.
2c. Modifying the Panix entry
Now that your phonebook has an entry, we need to make a couple of changes before your connection will work. Click the 'More...' button, and select 'Edit entry and modem properties'.
This will bring up a dialog with several index tabs. Here are the items you need to change.
Click the 'Server' index tab. Make sure there's a check next to "Enable PPP LCP extensions".
Click the 'Security' index tab. Make sure this is set to 'Accept any authentication, including cleartext'.
Click 'OK'. Now your phonebook entry is ready to dial Panix.
3a. Go back into Dial-Up Networking (again, this is inside the 'My Computer' window), check that your phonebook entry is selected, and click 'Dial'. A little 'Connect To' dialog should pop up.
3b. Enter your Panix username under 'User name', and your Panix password under 'Password'. 'Domain' can stay blank. If you're the only one with access to your computer, you can check the box next to 'Save password', but we don't recommend this. (It's generally a good idea to keep your password to yourself.) Now click 'OK'.
3c. DUN should dial and log in by itself, leaving you with a brief message that it's connected and an icon on the taskbar next to the clock. (This icon looks like two computers hooked together.)
Now you can run whatever Internet applications you like. To hang up, just right-click (or double-click) the icon on the taskbar, and choose 'Disconnect'.
This section explains how to modify the Dial-Up Networking phonebook, add new entries, and edit existing entries. To start, just double-click on 'Dial-Up Networking' in the 'My Computer' window.
If you don't have any phonebook entries already, Dial-Up Networking should drop you right into the 'New Phonebook Entry' dialog; you can start there.
If you want to add another entry to an existing phonebook, just click the 'New...' button on the 'Dial-Up Networking' dialog. This will drop you into the 'New Phonebook Entry' dialog.
If you want to edit an existing phonebook entry, just choose the entry you want, and click the 'More' button. Then choose 'Edit entry and modem properties' from the pop-up menu. This will drop you into the 'Edit Phonebook Entry' dialog.
From the 'New Phonebook Entry' or 'Edit Phonebook Entry' dialog, just do the following:
Now click the 'Server' index tab.
This will put you in the 'PPP TCP/IP Settings' dialog.
Now click 'OK' to return to the Phonebook Entry, and click the 'Script' tab.
Select 'None', and click the 'Security' tab.
Check 'Accept any authentication, including cleartext'.
(The 'X.25' tab is largely irrelevant; under normal circumstances, you should leave 'Network' on "None", and everything else blank.
Now click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog, and you should be dropped back into the 'Dial-Up Networking' dialog with your just-created (or just-edited) phonebook entry listed.
You don't need to reboot at this point; just click 'Dial' and test your entry.
© Copyright 1999 Public Access Networks Corporation
[ Panix Home ] [ Panix Help System Index ] [ Software-Specific Help Index ] [ Top of This Page ]