The best way to connect to Durham.Net

For the most part, there are 3 ways to connect to Durham Net:

1. By clicking on a "Shortcut to Durham Net" on your desktop
2. By clicking on your browser (Internet Explorer or Netsacpe)
3. By clicking on your E-mail program (Outlook, Eudora, etc)

The best way to connect to Durham.Net is via a shortcut on your main desktop (main screen when you first turn on your computer).

The reasons why are as follows: When you connect to Durham Net via a shortcut, you can see what is happening. First you will see the word "dialing" in the CONNECT window on your screen, then you will see the words "Verifying User ID and Password" and if all is well, you will see "Logging on to Network". Then the connect window will quickly "minimize" to the bottom right of your screen and you will see two little computers flashing. At that point you will KNOW that you are indeed connected to Durham Net. Then you can launch the application that you wish to use (your browser if you wish to browse the Internet or your E-mail program if you wish to send or receive E-mail).

It is better to connect to Durham Net via a shortcut on your desktop because you can see what is going on. To better illustrate this, let's use this example: You want to send an E-mail. You turn on your computer and double click on your Outlook Express. All you get is an error back. The question here is: Is the problem caused because you can't "connect" to Durham Net or is it caused by an E-mail issue? (such as your mailbox being plugged by a large E-mail or because you have installed an antivirus software that is conflicting with your incoming mail settings on your Outlook Express). If an E-mail issue was causing the problem, you wouldn't know, you would just assume that the problem was connecting to Durham Net all together. If you were connecting to Durham Net via a shortcut on your desktop, you would know because you would connect and then realize that the problem is with your E-mail, not with your connection (at which point you could launch your browser, go into WEBMAIL and see if something is blocking your mailbox, delete it, and retry your Outlook Express). It's that easy.

Here is how you can create a shortcut to Durham Net on your desktop (in Windows 95/98/ME):

1. Double click on MY COMPUTER
2. Double click on DIAL UP NETWORKING
3. Single RIGHT click on the DURHAM NET CONNECTION
4. Single LEFT click on "CREATE A SHORTCUT"
5. It will tell you that in cannot crate a shortcut..do you want to create it on your desktop?
6. Click YES