Introduction

Internet access is a three step process. First and foremost, you need a modem. We'll address that first. Secondly, you need software to use in conjunction with your modem to transmit and receive what are known as TCP/IP packets, the behind-the-scenes couriers of information on the Internet. We'll address that after we've covered modems and in this document we will be discussing how to do all of this with a PC running Windows95™. Lastly, you need an Internet Service Provider, a company to provide your modem-software combination with a telephone number to dial and a "pipe" out to the Internet. That's where we come in, Novia Internetworking.

First, let's talk about your modem:

Your Modem's Job

The information your computer sends and receives - whether it originates on a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or online service - is digital in nature. Digital communication is perhaps more appropriately described as binary communication, or the transmission of data entirely through the use of zeros and ones. Because ours is a universe of tens - and has been so ever since our earliest ancestors counted their fingers and toes - it is easy to forget that our most flexible creations, computers, live in a base two - not ten - world.

Satellites, cellular telephones, and fiberoptic communications are just a few of the workhorses of the digital communications revolution. However, there is one corner of the telecommunications world where the zeros and ones of binary communication cannot travel, a place known as the subscriber loop.

The subscriber loop is the pair of copper wire that connects our home telephones to the rest of the telephone network. Subscriber loops congregate in automated "switches," from which out- and in-bound calls are routed by a computer. Subscriber loops, some of which are quite ancient, were designed to convey the human voice through the transmission of analog wave forms, the electrical echoes of the vibrations we create when speaking into a telephone receiver. Since subscriber loops are built to convey this,

… while computers might represent the same information like this,

… we cannot simply run a cable from our computer to the telephone jack and join the online revolution; our computer will need some additional assistance. It will need a device to modulate its binary transmissions into analog waveforms to send data, and it will need a device to demodulate incoming analog transmissions into their original binary form to receive data. One device that performs both jobs is a modem.

Modem Q & A

The growth in recent years of online services, as well as dial-up Internet service providers (ISPs) has generated a parallel growth in modem vendors. What was once an obscure add-on to a computer system is now considered standard equipment.

The speed of a modem is a function of its throughput, a measure of the number of binary digits or bits that can be transmitted in any given second under ideal conditions. The march to contemporary high-speed modems began with a throughput of 2400 bits per second or bps, but thanks to data compression technologies, today modems can be purchased that operate at a throughput rating of 28,800 bits per second, or 28.8 kbps. The next jump appears to be 33,600 or 38,400.

We recommend a 14.4Kbps (or faster) modem. A 9600 bps modem is acceptably fast for the patient user.

There was a time when the answer to this question consisted of three words: "Modems are modems." However, with the arrival of the 28.8Kbps standard in particular, industry-wide problems with different vendors' modems talking to one another appeared for the first time. Tracking down the origin of these problems is complicated by the nature of high-speed telecommunications. Trying to pack nearly 30,000 bits of information every second into a pair of copper wire never built for anything more expansive than the demands of the human voice is a daunting task. What this means in practical terms is that high-speed modems are more prone to experience problems with the hisses, clicks and buzzes we associate with normal telephone conversations (line noise). To compensate for these impurities, modems are designed with error-correction circuitry to detect and eliminate connection problems. The V.n designation after your modem, (V.34 for example), references which form of industry-approved error correction your modem supports. Part of any good error correction scheme is the ability to lower connection speed in the event of line noise much like an airline pilot might lower altitude to avoid turbulence. Modems are somewhat schizophrenic in this regard, however, for while some of the modem's circuitry devotes itself to compensating for line noise - to the point of dropping connection speed - other components of the modem's circuitry work equally hard to speed the transmission of data by compressing it.

Currently the industry is experiencing certain difficulties with a particular kind of modem known as "RPI," an acronym for Rockwell Protocol Interface. Rockwell Inc. manufactures much of the circuitry used in the thousands of modems that are sold every year. RPI modems do not perform error correction or data compression. Instead, these features are located within software that is loaded on the computer to which the RPI modem is attached. While this approach is in theory perfectly sound, many users of RPI modems have reported problems with connecting to various online services such as America Online, Compuserve, Prodigy - and yes - Novia Internetworking. If you have already purchased an RPI modem, we will do our best to get you up and running. However, it may be the case that in the absence of improved software, your modem simply will not work with our service or anyone else's. If you have not yet purchased your modem, we currently recommend against buying an RPI.

We recommend you use a V.34 modem from a reputable manufacturer (Hayes, US Robotics, Supra, Zoom, or Practical Peripherals)

Not really, but there are some common problems you can avoid by doing this: run a reasonably short (five to ten foot) length of telephone wire from the line jack on the back of the modem directly to the wall outlet.

Many answering machines and cordless telephone units are equipped with two jacks, allowing you to chain together multiple telephone devices (one length of wire goes to the wall, the other to the next device in the chain). At each device along the chain, there is an opportunity for the signal on the wire to degrade. Making your modem part of such a chain is not recommended.

Hooking up to the Internet with Windows95

One of the truly groundbreaking aspects of the Windows95 operating system is its dial-up networking facility which provides built-in support for the two key software components of modem-based Internet access: a TCP/IP stack and PPP software. TCP/IP, or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, is the workhouse behind all Internet operations. The Point-to-Point Protocol or PPP brings TCP/IP to the home or office computer via a standard telephone line.

You should have your Novia account established and ready-to-go before actually attempting to configure your PC for Internet access.

Call us at our business office between the hours of 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. Monday through Saturday. The number is 895-2633. The following dial-up account types are available:

Account Type	Setup Fee	Monthly Charge	Hours of Monthly Connect Time
Basic	None	$ 9.95	20
Intermediate	None	$14.95	60
Surfer	None	$19.95	200
Extended	None	$29.95	Unlimited

One dollar per each hour over.

No. The rates listed above apply only to connections that utilize Novia's bank of dial-in modems.

All of the above. We also do pay-by-check billing.We do not maintain credit card records on any of our Internet-connected computers, by the way.

No … you would need to change its settings, but the software itself will work fine.

The following twelve-step process details how to connect to Novia Internetworking using Windows95™.

Double Click on The Internet icon on your Windows95 desktop. If the icon is not on your desktop, it will be found in the pop-up menu that appears when clicking the Start button.

You will see a dialog box, Welcome to Internet Setup! You will want to click on the Next> button at the bottom of this dialog.

When prompted for the method you would like to use to connect to the Internet, select I already have an account with a different service provider and click on the Next> button.

The next screen asks you how you would like to handle Internet Mail. If you want to use the Microsoft Exchange software, Windows95's built-in electronic mail software, select that and click on the Next> button. If you would rather use another package (Eudora, for example, or the e-mail facility built-in to Netscape Navigator 2.0), select No and click on the Next> button.

At this point, you may be prompted to insert some Windows95 diskettes or your CD-ROM. Files that are required for networking and, if requested, Microsoft Exchange, will be copied to your computer at this time.

The next dialog box asks you to type in the name of your Internet Service Provider. Type, "Novia Internetworking" and click on the Next> button.

The next dialog box will prompt you for the telephone number your computer will dial to access Novia Internetworking.

Enter in the area code of 402 and Novia's data line, 827-7100. Select the appropriate country and leave the bring up terminal window after dialing option unselected. Click on the Next> button.

The next dialog prompts you to enter your user name and password At this point, you will need to enter the username that you chose for your account name, such as "rsquirrel" (don't enter the "" marks).

Make sure you enter this user name in all lowercase letters. You will also need to enter the password that you selected for your account. Make sure you enter it accurately. When you're done, click on the Next> button.

In the next dialog box, which asks about your IP Address, leave selected the option that says My Internet Service Provider automatically assigns me one even if you have opted to have a static IP address. Click on the Next> button.

This dialog asks you about your DNS Server Addresses. For the DNS Server: field, enter the numbers "204.248.24.2" (without the quote marks; just enter the numbers and periods).

For the Alternate DNS Server: field, enter the numbers "204.248.24.1" (again, leave the quote marks out). Click on the Next> button.

If you opted to use Microsoft Exchange for your electronic mail in step four, you will be prompted for information about your mail service. Leave checked the Use Internet Mail option.

For Your Email Address:, enter the following:

Replace "userid" with the account name you entered in step eight. For example, you might enter rsquirrel@novia.net. You also need to enter "smtp.novia.net" (no quotes) for Internet Mail Server. Click on the Next> button.

That's it! If everything went well, you will be informed that you have finished the Internet Setup application. To begin browsing the World Wide Web, double-click on the Internet icon on your Win95 desktop. To access your e-mail, you can double-click on the "Inbox" icon on the Win95 desktop. Both applications have excellent on-line help that should be able to take you from here.

If you have additional questions, feel free to call us at 895-2633.

Thank you for choosing Novia!