Mozilla Firefox

[Timchick]

Hi guys. I'm trying to get Harry hooked up using Firefox for a browser. He's on a dial-up internet connection and I can't find a section in Firefox for entering in dial-up connection settings. Anyone else using Firefox on a dial-up connection?

 

[LGoodhind]

I'm not sure there is any sort of special dialup dialogs or settings associated with Firefox- you would establish a connection using the PPP (point to point protocol) widget that the ISP provides and once you do that you launch the browser and it uses TCP/IP layer calls.

If the PPP program is set up correctly then any program that tries to open a TCP/IP channel will check to see if a connection is active and if not start one. That should be set up in Network Connections off of the control panels folder.

 

[C. Beaty]

Tim, I’m the very last person that should be giving computer advice but here goes anyhow.

Ask Harry if, when he mashes the big blue e, the telephone automatically starts dialing. Some of the older versions of Explorer had autodial as default setting. It’s an annoyance that I always disabled on the few occasions I’ve used Explorer.

Firefox, as far as I know, does not have autodial as an option which means he’ll need a dialup icon on his desktop.

To do so, click in the following sequence:

Start

Programs

Accessories

Communications

Dialup Networking

Right click “My Connection”

Left click “Create Shortcut”

This will create a telephone logo on the desktop. Click that and the modem will start dialing.

After the connection has been made, Firefox and Explorer can be used interchangeably.

If Harry uses an “accelerator” to speed up his telephone line, then there is a special procedure to get Firefox to log on.

 

[Harry_S.]

I'm very appreciative of Tim C. trying to help this old crony in finding his way thru this EASY TO MASTER 'puter crap.

Larry G., I have not the foggiest of what you said.

Chuck B., I did follow your directions and I now have an icon on my desktop. What good it does...beats me.

I have so much *stuff* with Firefox and my ISP that I don't know what I have. I can still function like as before...with my whatever. I cannot get an inter-connect with Firefox and my CompuServe.

Chuck, I do have the text size increase when I am on Firefox but it does not happen when i'm on my ISP?! :no idea:

I do not have an interconnect with Firefox and CS on my favorites and bookmarks.

I have both on my 'puter now...but they're not workin' in harmony?! :help:


Cheers

 

[C. Beaty]

Harry, I’ve never used an Internet connection other than direct dialup so can’t say for sure whether or not the following will work:

First of all, you should double click the telephone icon to open the telephone line. See if Firefox works when the telephone line is open. If it doesn’t:

(1)Open Firefox

Along the top edge will be a box labeled “Tools”

(2)Click “Tools”

From the drop menu;

(3)Click “Advanced”

(4)Click “Network”

(5)Check the box labeled “Settings”

(6)Check the box labeled: “Auto-detect proxy settings for this network”

Then after double clicking the “Telephone Icon” to go on line, see if Firefox connects.

If it doesn’t, go back to step (5) and check the box labeled: “Manual proxy configuration

In the “HTTP Proxy” window, type; “local host” (don’t type in the parenthesis; just local host)

In the “Port” window; type “8080”

If Firefox still fails to connect call Compuserve. They should have a sheet explaining how to connect with Firefox.

 

[Timchick]

Harry also downloaded a newer version of IE but hasn't installed it yet. I'm going to try talking him through installing that. He doesn't have a seperate icon for his connection, just the compuserve icon which sounds like their version of IE.

 

[LGoodhind]

>Larry G., I have not the foggiest of what you said.

Pretty much what Chuck did but with acronyms and no real suggestions. Sorry about that- occupational hazard.

>I can still function like as before...with my whatever. I cannot get an inter-connect with Firefox and my CompuServe. [...] I do have the text size increase when I am on Firefox but it does not happen when i'm on my ISP?!

Does this mean you can do web browsing (ie enter a "www.__.__" style URL in the box up at the top and then "go" someplace) but that you aren't seeing the stuff you normally do when you open Firefox that you did when you opened the default browser that came with compuserve (IE)? Think of the two programs (internet explorer and firefox) as being like a radio that you use to tune in web pages- they both do the same basic thing but have slightly different knobs.

>I do not have an interconnect with Firefox and CS on my favorites and bookmarks.

Thinking that if the answer to the previous question was "yes" then the remaining issue is that a) you don't have your default home page set to the same one that was in IE, and b) that your bookmarks weren't moved over when Firefox got installed...

To set the home page:

1) open up your old browser (Internet Explorer) and wait for it to fire up.
2) under the "Tools" menu pick the "Internet Options" dialog and select the "General" tab
3) open up Firefox and under "Tools" pick "Options..." dialog and select the "Main" tab
4) highlight the URL for your homepage in IE and press ctrl-C to copy the text
5) put the cursor in the homepage field in the firefox dialog box and press ctrl-V to paste the text
6) click the OK button at the bottom of the firefox dialog and cancel from the IE one

Firefox should now start up to the same place that IE does.

How to import bookmarks from internet explorer into firefox:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Import_bookmarks

Doing this should get your bookmarks moved over...

Info on getting firefox to autoconnect:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Autoconnect

And doing this should get autoconnects working