| Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I configure my computer to connect to Argon?
A: Go to our Tutorials Page, select the operating system you're using and follow the instructions on the guide.
back to top
Q: What are your local access numbers?
back to top
Q: How do I setup my email?
A: Go to our Tutorials Page, select the email program you're using to check email and follow the instructions on the guide.
back to top
Q: Can I access my email when I'm not at home?
A: Yes. to access your email when you're traveling or when you're not near your computer, you can use any computer with a web browser and a connection to the internet.
To check your email using a browser, follow these steps:
-
Open up a web browser and type in webmail.argontech.net in the address bar.
- You'll receive a couple of security warnings. Answer 'yes' or 'ok' to both.
- Once you get to the login screen, enter your email username and password.
Please note that your email username and password are not necessarily the same as your connection username and password.
The email username is always the first part of the email address you're trying to check.
For example:
If your email address is 'yourname@argontech.net'
then your email username is 'yourname.'
- Once you've entered both the email username and password, click on the 'log in' button.
- You can now receive and send email and attachments.
Note: Through our Webmail
interface, you cannot view email you have previously received through your email program. Only new emails will show in your Webmail Inbox.
back to top
Q: What are the DNS numbers for my Argon connection?
A: Your dialup connection should automatically detect DNS. If your computer does not detect DNS automatically, use the following:
Primary: 64.202.224.2
Secondary: 64.202.224.3
back to top
Q: How do I search the Internet?
A: Once you get connected to Argon, visit our links page to view a list of the web's most popular search engines. Just click on any of the Search Engine links, enter the subject of what you would like to search for in the box provided by the engine, and click Enter. The Search Engine will provide you with a list of websites which contain the words which you just entered. Just click on one of the links, and you will be taken to a website which hopefully contains what you are looking for. If not, click the Back button on your browser and try another link. It's easy!
back to top
Q: How do I put a shortcut for my Argon connection on my desktop?
A: To add an Argon shortcut to your desktop:
In Windows 98
. Double click on My Computer and then Dial-up Networking.
. Right click on Argon,
. Click on Create Shortcut. You will be asked to create the shortcut on the desktop. Click OK.
In Windows ME and 2000
. Double click on My Computer and then Control Panel.
. Double click on Dial-up Networking.
. Right click on Argon,
. Click on Create Shortcut. You will be asked to create the shortcut on the desktop. Click OK.
In Windows XP
a.) Double click on My Computer and then Control Panel.
b.) Double click on Network and Internet Connections
c.) Select Network Connections under the 'pick a Control Panel Icon' section.
d.) Right click on Argon,
e.) Then click on Create Shortcut. You will be asked to create the shortcut on the desktop. Click OK.
back to top
Q: How do I set up Argon as my homepage?
A: To setup Argon as your homepage:
Internet Explorer (versions 5.0 and 6.0)
. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools and select Internet Options.
. Select the General tab and type www.argontech.net in the Address box under the Home Page section.
. Click Apply in the bottom of the window and then OK.
Netscape (Versions 6.x and 7.x)
. Open your Netscape browser and click on Edit, then select Preferences
. Select Navigator on the left.
. Type www.argontech.net in the Location box under the Home Page section.
. Click OK.
Safari 1.1
. Open your Safari browser
. Click on the Safari menu and select Preferences
. In 'New Windows open with' select 'Home Page'.
. Type www.argontech.net in the Home Page box
. Save the changes and close.
back to top
Q: How many computers can I connect with my Argon dialup account?
A: You can connect as many computers to the Internet as you would like using your Argon account, but unless your computers form part of a local area network (LAN) and they're using Internet Connection Sharing , only one computer will be able to connect at a time.
If you want to connect multiple computers to the Internet at the same time and you don't have a LAN, then you will need to connect each computer to a different phone line in your building (i.e. 555-1001 and 555-1002), and you will need to obtain separate login accounts from Argon for each computer. Please note that although multiple login accounts can share the same username and password, each login account will be billed as a separate account by Argon.
back to top
Q: When I dial in, it says that my username or password is invalid but I know they are correct. What's going on?
A: Please make sure that the Caps Lock on your keyboard is not on.
If your Caps Lock is not on, and you are sure that you are entering your username and password correctly, please check to make sure that your payment was sent on time. The problem may be caused by a temporary suspension of your account due to late payment. Please give us a call if you need to request billing information.
back to top
Q: I have a 56K modem. Why isn't my download speed even close to 56K?
A: There could be several reasons - and most of them aren't your ISP's (that's us) fault.
First of all, static electricity caused by radio signals, power lines, and other sources interfere with most 56K modem signals, forcing them to fall back to 42-50Kbps.
56K modems also require a clean, straight through telephone connection to the telephone company's central office switching center. Phone company line amplifiers that boost a telephone signal over a long distance, PBX switchboard systems, and other phone equipment alter the phone signal and force 56K modems to fall back to speeds of 33.6Kbps and lower. So no 56K modem ever connects at 56K. Most 56K modem users seem to connect at speeds of 28-33Kbps.
If you think that you are only connecting at a very slow speed (around 30,000bps or lower,) make sure your modem has the latest drivers installed. Also, make sure that the cord from your modem to the phone socket is as short as possible. Another thing is to check how many telephones you actually have connected to your line, the more telephones the more likely you are to get a bad or slow connection.
You can also ask your phone company to check the phone lines on your street. As we said above, sometimes noise in the phone line may be causing the problem.
back to top
Q: Why is my connection so slow?
A: The speed of your connection involves many different factors. Not only does it depend on the server into which you have dialed, but also on the speed of any computer from which you are receiving data. If the computer storing the web site you are visiting is slow or heavily loaded, then data transfer to your home PC will be slowed down accordingly. If you find that a site is extremely slow, try again at a less busy time or find an alternate site. If you are having trouble with all web sites being slow, there could also be a configuration problem on your computer.
The telephone lines have a large effect on your dial-up connection -- length, load coils, resistive crosses and taps and other things that do not affect voice quality enough to require repair will adversely affect data speeds. When an analog modem connects that horrid screech/squawk noise is the two modems talking to each other testing the quality of the connection and what maximum speed they can handle over that connection.
back to top
Q: Why do I keep losing my connection to you?
A: There are several reasons why this may be happening, the main of which is noise on the phone lines. If you usually hear crackles, pops, noise and any other kind of interference when you are using your phone line, then this corroborates that your phone line is noisy. Please contact your phone company and ask them to repair the problem. If you tell them you are experiencing noise, they will fix the problem free of charge.
If you checked your phone lines and the problem is not there, then please make sure your modem has the latest drivers. You may need to do a search on the Internet to find out the latest drivers for the modem you are currently using.
If you are still having problems after trying these solutions, try changing the phone number you are connecting to.
Click here for a list of our access numbers.
back to top
Q: I normally get a very good connection speed but downloads from some sites are quite slow. Can you explain why?
A: There are a number of factors that can affect this:.
. The speed of the server hosting the site you are downloading from.
. The location of the site (for example, it tends to take longer to download from overseas sites than from ones in the U.S.).
. The amount of traffic currently on the Internet.
. The amount of people downloading from the same server as you.
back to top
Q: I can log on to the Internet and send e-mail, but I cannot see any web sites. What's wrong?
A: If you receive 'Page cannot be displayed', or 'Server cannot be found,' errors you should first verify that you are connected to the Internet:
In Windows: Check the Windows system tray (the area by the clock) for the connection icon. The connection icon should look like two monitors. These monitors blink when information is sent and received over the connection.
Macintosh OS 8-9: To verify that you are connected, open Remote Access (found in the Control Panels). The status box will show either Connected, or Idle if not connected.
If you have verified that your computer is connected to the Internet, but you are still unable to load any web pages or check your email, try deleting and recreating the connection to Argon in your Dial-up networking folder. If you need help with this step, click here.
If recreating your connection does not resolve the problem, you may check your DNS (domain name server) settings. Windows users should be able to set their dialup to obtain the DNS settings automatically from the Argon servers. If this setting is not working, you can set your DNS servers manually .
Note: Do not set the DNS in the Network Control Panel, TCP/IP properties. Be sure there are no settings in there before setting the DNS in the Dial-up Networking connection. Before you change any settings, disconnect your dialup connection.
back to top
|
