If the problem began after a storm, please click here.
The first thing to be considered is, have you (or
has anyone else with access to your computer) made any changes in your computer
recently? Have you deleted any files? Have you installed a new program? Have
you made any configuration changes?
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," you could have the answer to
your connection problem. Hopefully one of the ideas below will fix the
problem. If not and you need technical support or computer service, make sure
to tell the technicians what happened that may have caused the problem.
(Remember, nobody was born knowing all about computers. Since one of the
best ways to learn how a computer works is to "fiddle" with it, chances are good
that the "Computer Genius" you may end up talking to has done the same thing or
worse to their own computer while they were learning.) Telling the
technician about any self-inflicted computer problems will help them narrow down
and fix the problem faster and, if the computer ends up needing service,
narrowing down the causes of the problem can reduce the amount of repair time
and save you money!
Quick Fix
The easiest way to correct many connection problems is to remove your connection
altogether and start all over. It takes less than five minutes and is much less
time consuming than looking for the error in many cases.
Please visit this page
and click on the correct Windows version for set-up directions. (You should
print out the directions before deleting your connection!)
Not Able to Connect
Password Errors
If you are not able to connect to the internet at all, you will receive an error
message during sign-up attempts. If the error message says anything
about your password, you are either entering your username or password
incorrectly or your service has been disconnected.
Many times deleting out the username and password listed (especially if the
username is listed as "default") and typing them back in will correct this
problem. Make sure that your caps-locks isn't engaged, that there is not
a space before the first letter of the username or password, that you're not
typing "@mwsi.net" after your username and that you're not capitalizing any of
the letters or putting spaces between any of the characters.
If you've not received any late or disconnection notices in your e-mail (remember,
if you're not using your @mwsi.net e-mail account and you've not
reported
your e-mail address to us, you are forfeiting important account information and
will be responsible for late/reconnection fees if your account isn't current)
and if you've not requested disconnection of your account, your account is
enabled in our server. If re-typing the username and password doesn't work,
contact us to
make sure you are using the correct username and password.
"Extra" E-Mail Usernames & Passwords Won't Work
Another thing to keep in mind is that only the primary username and
password combination of an account has internet privileges. This means if you
have several different e-mail accounts with us, the usernames and passwords for
the additional e-mail accounts will not work to log into the internet
connection. They will only work for sending & receiving e-mail. The primary
username and password will work for logging onto our internet server and to send
& receive e-mail.
More Than One Connection, Only One Username
Do you have a second computer or have you given your username and password
information to someone else? Our internet server is set up such that each
username is able to be logged on for only one connection at a time. So,
if more than one computer is trying to connect using the same username, the
first person that logs on will be the only one able to connect. If you've given
this information to someone (or if you have this information written down
somewhere that someone could have seen it), you should ask them not to use the
connection.
If you suspect that someone is using your username and password without your
permission, contact us and we will be happy to change your password.
You should be aware that anyone with access to your username and password
also has access to your primary e-mail account and can not only intercept
your personal e-mail so that you never receive it, but can also send messages
using your identity. Also, if someone logs onto the internet with your
username and password and uses that connection to commit an illegal act, guess
who the F.B.I. is going to be paying a visit to? After all, your
information is tied to that account, not the other person's.
"Timed Out" Errors
If you get one of these errors, you should double-click the My Computer icon on
your desktop screen then double-click "Dial-Up Networking." Right-click the
MWSI icon and choose Properties. Open the Server Types tab. Make sure that
"Enable Software Compression" and "TCP/IP" are the only boxes checked.
Click "Okay" and close out of the open windows until you are back at your
desktop screen. Having checks in any of the other boxes can
dramatically prolong the time it takes for a connection to be established, can
prevent you from connecting at all, and cause a host of other problems even if
you are able to connect.
"No Dial Tone" & "Modem Not Detected" Errors
If you receive a "no dial tone" error, check the jack your modem is plugged into
by plugging a phone into it. If there is a dial tone present, there may be a
problem with your modem. See the next section for help.
If you receive a "modem not detected" message, there may be a problem with your
modem. See the next section for help.
What to Do About Modem Problems
For "no dial tone" errors, you should first check the phone jack your modem
is plugged into by plugging a phone into the jack and checking for a dial tone.
If you are using a dual phone jack (a receptor for a phone plus a receptor for a
modem or fax machine), you should still check the jack by plugging the phone
into the same receptor your modem is plugged into. If you get a dial
tone, unplug the phone cord running from your modem to the jack and replace the
cord running from your phone to the jack with the modem cord and check for a
dial tone. If you get a dial tone after testing the jack and the cord, continue
with the below steps.
Click the "Start" button and choose "Settings" then click on "Control Panel."
(Some Windows version have the Control Panel listed in the Start Menu without
the "Settings" option).
From the Control Panel, click "Add/Remove Hardware." This will open a Wizard
program. Follow the directions given to find your modem and troubleshoot it.
If you are unable to troubleshoot it, or if the troubleshooter is negative, go
ahead and uninstall the modem. Once you have uninstalled it, restart your
computer and follow the above directions, only this time install your modem
instead of uninstalling it.
If your computer does not detect the modem during the uninstall and/or
installation process, your next step will be to find out exactly what kind of
modem you have. You will need to know the manufacturer and the model number.
The serial number is helpful if the modem is under warranty.
Using the modem information, you can either use the internet connection of a
friend to visit the manufacturer's website and download the modem drivers or
MWSI internet customers can
contact us with this information and we
will search for and download the drivers for a small charge. You can either
pick the disc up from our office or we will mail them to you. Device drivers
are usually created so they will either fit onto one floppy disc or, if the
files are too large for one floppy disc, the files will be divided so that they
will fit onto two floppy discs in case a CD burner is not available to you. If
the drivers require more than one floppy disc, make sure to number the discs as
instructed by the manufacturer. You will also need to print off any directions
given by the manufacturer on their website for installing the drivers.
If un-installing and re-installing the modem and/or updating the modem drivers
doesn't work, you can be almost certain that your modem will need to be
replaced. Micro Wise offers modems and modem installation at a discount to our
internet service customers. You may
contact us for more information.
Other Error Messages
If you receive any other error message, please write down the exact message and
report it to us for technical support.