Mac OS 9 Dialup Networking

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What you'll need to know

Some things you'll need to know to configure your Mac OS 9 machine to connect to campus dialup services include:

• Do you know your Network ID and Network ID password?
  You use your NetID and NetID password to connect to UIUCnet Premier and/or UIUCnet Dialup. For more information about your NetID, see Your Network ID.
  
  
• Do you have an internal modem or an external modem?
  An internal modem is built into the machine; you plug the phone cord directly into the computer. An external modem is a box that connects to the machine, and you plug the phone cord into the box.
  
  
• What type of modem do you have?
  If your modem is internal, you can guess "Apple Internal 56K modem" to start with. If that option doesn't work, you'll need to find your system documentation to get more information about your make and model of modem.
  
  
• Which service are you using?
  You'll need to choose which phone number you dial based on which dialup service you're using.

Dialup phone numbers

The following numbers are used for dialup access to the UIUC network:

239-7252	Premier subscribers only
333-3700	All authorized users
244-4976	All users, 15 minutes per call

On campus users: If you’re calling from on campus, add a 9 before the telephone number.

If all the restricted-use phone lines are busy, they will redirect automatically into the 333-3700 (all users) pool. If all 333-3700 lines are also busy, you may receive a busy signal. (The exception is the Premier service, which is designed not to have busy signals. If you receive a busy signal from the Premier line, contact the Operations Center.)

Configuring Mac OS 9 to connect to UIUCnet Dialup services

Under the Apple menu, choose Control Panels, then TCP/IP. A window like the following will appear.

TCP/IP panel

There are several options to edit in this window. From top to bottom, they include:

Connect via: Choose the PPP option here.

Configure: Choose the Using PPP server option.
The IP address, subnet mask, and router address will be supplied by the server.

Under Name Server Addresses, you can enter the dotted number forms of the DNS server IP address.

130.126.2.131

DNS server

Search Domains: This area tells your computer what domain names to search for other computers. Enter cites.uiuc.edu, cso.uiuc.edu and uiuc.edu.

Close the TCP/IP panel, and save the changes when prompted.

Remote Access panel

Next, under the Apple menu, choose Control Panels, then Remote Access. The screen will look like this:

Again, there are several options to edit, including:

Registered User: If this is your own machine, make sure this option is selected. (Guest users can create temporary dialup accounts.)

Name: Enter your NetID in this field.

Password: Leave this line blank, and enter your password each time you connect. Similarly, do NOT check the "save password" box. (This prevents the possibility that someone else could use your system to connect to your account when you're not present.)

Number: (Select your preferred number from the list below.) If you are dialing from a location on campus, or somewhere else which requires 9 to get to an outside line, you will want to place 9 and a comma before your dialup number.

239-7252	Premier subscribers only
333-3700	All authorized users
244-4976	All users, 15 minutes per call

Close the Remote Access panel, and save the changes when prompted.

Note for traveling users: If you frequently dial in from more than one location and/or more than one area code, the Dial Assist and Location Manager control panels (found under Apple -> Control Panels) can be used to define your alternate locations. Some additional information about using Dial Assist is available in the Calling Cards page.

Modem panel

Next, under the Apple menu, choose Control Panels, then Modem. The screen will look like this:

The Modem drop list includes many models of modems. Select your modem type from this list. If your modem came built-in, "Apple Internal 56K modem" is a safe first guess.

Note: This list is generated from the drivers that are installed; if you do not see your modem on this list, find the installation software that came with your modem and install it.

Sound: If you want to hear the modem dialing and negotiating with the other end, select the On option. (If you don't want to hear the modem dialing, select the Off option. However, the dialing tones can help with troubleshooting.)

Dialing: Choose whether you want to use tone or pulse dialing. (Most modern phones use tone dialing. Only use pulse dialing if your phone line won't support tone dialing.)

You've now finished initial configuration of your modem. When you close the control panel windows, you may be prompted to decide whether to save or discard your changes; make sure you choose Save Changes.

Starting a dialup session

After you've done the initial configuration, connection is a simple process:

Plug a phone line into your modem and into an analog phone jack in the wall.

Under the Apple menu, select Control Panels, then Remote Access.

In the Remote Access window, enter your NetID password in the Password field and click the Connect button.

The Status line at the bottom of the window will display various messages about the connection process. If all goes well, you will see a message saying "Connected." From this point you can run a Web browser, check email, or anything else that requires an active Internet connection.

Mac OS 9 modem troubleshooting

As of this writing, the most frequently reported problems with Mac OS 9 dialup configuration include:

• I can't use a calling card with my modem. For more information on this problem, see the Calling Card troubleshooting page.