Datasync Internet Services

Frequently Asked Questions Index

Windows 95 Dialup Networking will give this message when it encounters any problem communicating with our modem server. If it happens every time you try to connect you may have an error in your configuration, login, or password. If you have the Internet Setup Wizard, try running it again. If you don't have the Wizard, double check all of your settings against this checklist.

Sometimes Dialup Networking will fail sporadically for no apparent reason. Here is a list of things that might solve the problem.

Reboot: Shutting down your system and bringing it back up can get things working again. If this works reliably, you probably have a buggy version of Dial-Up Networking; see below under Win95 Kernel Update.
Dialup Settings: By turning off unnecessary options on your dialup connection, connect problems can frequently be solved. Go to MyComputer->Dial Up Networking, right click on the Datasync icon, select Properties, then Server Type. Uncheck all of the boxes there except TCP/IP.
Protocols: Occasionally, removing unnecessary Win95 networking components will fix things. In Control Panel->Network, you should have Client for Microsoft Networks, Dial Up Networking, and TCP/IP installed. Unless your computer is on a local area network, you may safely remove the Client for Novell Networks, IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol, and NetBEUI protocol.
USR X2 Problem: Some USR X2 modems need a special setting to be able to make and maintain reliable connections to our commservers. See the instructions under the Disconnects section below.
Win95 Kernel Update: Microsoft released a patch in April 1996 that fixes some bugs in TCP/IP networking. See http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/KRNLUPD.EXE for more information and instructions.
Win95 OSR-2 Dial-Up Networking: The Dial-Up Networking in Win95 Release 2 reportedly fixes even more problems in the original DUN and contains a number of new features. If you want to try this, download http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/MSISDN11.EXE and run it. Our instructions for the new "Get On The Internet" setup wizard are at http://www.datasync.com/techsupport/connect.shtml#win95r2.
Last resort: In MyComputer->Dial Up Networking, right click the Datasync icon, select Configure then Options. Check the box marked Bring Up Terminal Window After Dialing. This will cause a window showing a login prompt to be displayed when connecting to Datasync. When it comes up, just press Continue. The effect of this is improved synchronization of the PPP negotiation between Dialup Networking and our server.
Of course, our Tech Support staff is here to help when all else fails.

My Web browser keeps telling me the server has no DNS entry! What's wrong?

DNS stands for Domain Name Service. This is the system used on the Internet to map host names like www.datasync.com to their numeric Internet addresses. The numeric address is needed by your system software to contact the server. If it can't resolve the hostname part of a URL, you get this error.

There are a number of reasons DNS lookups can fail. Some of the most common are:

There really is no DNS entry for the server you're trying to contact. This happens often. When a Web server is shut down or changes names, all links to that server in other documents become stale. If you are able to connect to well-known sites but not certain others, this is almost surely the case.
Sometimes, DNS queries time out due to system load or nameservers being down or unreachable. Browsers generally will not wait very long for a response. Try opening the URL again; it may work the second time.
Your system doesn't know the DNS servers to contact. In your Winsock or MacTCP configuration you should have 205.216.82.1 listed as the primary nameserver and 205.216.82.2 listed as the alternate nameserver. Unix/Linux users: these go in your /etc/resolv.conf file.
Conflicting WINSOCKs: this problem is unfortunately a lot more common than it should be. At any time you must only have one WINSOCK.DLL in your path. We recommend only having one WINSOCK.DLL on your system, period. Installing software to get a few free hours on some online service can often result in this headache. Your dialer uses one WINSOCK.DLL, which must be in your path, to establish the Internet connection. If another WINSOCK.DLL is prior to this one in the path with respect to your browser, the browser will load it instead and not be able to do anything. Use the Find feature of Windows 95 or File Manager to search your drive for WINSOCK.DLL to see if this may be your problem. Note that with Windows 95, even if you connect OK, indicating that your WSOCK32.DLL is good, you still must have the right WINSOCK.DLL to be able to do DNS lookups.

Why do I keep getting disconnected?

This is one of the toughest problems to diagnose because there are so many potential causes. Noise is a fact of life on analog phone lines; you hear it as static on a voice connection. Any irregularity in the copper lines or switches or even external factors like nearby lightning can cause noise. Modems are designed to filter out noise but this is not foolproof with even the highest quality analog modems. Occasional dropped connections will happen. Frequent disconnections are a sign of other trouble though.

Occasionally, Datasync must replace, upgrade, or repair our equipment which can result in lost connections and services being unavailable. We do our best to announce these things ahead of time on our News & Announcements page, and to schedule them at our least busy time of day: 3-5 AM local time. And, equipment can fail without warning at any time. We try to post announcements when this happens as well.

Otherwise, there is one and ONLY one condition which would cause your connection to be intentionally dropped on our end: if there is no activity on your connection for 30 minutes, our commserver will drop the connection. This is so you'll get logged out properly even if you go away from the computer without remembering to disconnect. It happens even to the most diligent of us! This would not happen in the middle of a download, chat, or Web browsing, but could happen if you are composing or reading a long mail message or post.

Datasync will never arbitrarily disconnect anyone because they've been online too long (and not idle) or because the lines are full and we want to open some up.

Because the telephone circuits in Datasync's V.90 modem pools are often digital all the way from Datasync to your city's telephone switch, these lines are much more resistant to noise-related disconnects. If we have a V.90 dialup number for your area and you're not using it, do so. You do not need a V.90 modem to use these numbers. See our numbers page for a list.

Many of the solutions in the section below involve changing or adding to the init string. This is a string of codes which are sent by the dialup software to the modem before the connection is dialed. These codes are used to alter the operation of the modem in some way. With Windows 95 Dialup Networking, here are the steps to set the init string:

Open the Dial-Up Networking folder from My Computer
Right click on the icon corresponding to your Datasync connection and select Properties
Select Config, then Connections, then Advanced
In the Extra Settings box, enter the init string, without the leading AT.
Click OK all the way out

Here is a checklist of potential disconnect problems:

V.90 incompatibilities: At the time of this writing, modem makers' V.90 implementations are still being revised often. We usually keep our servers at the latest revs provided by our vendors. If your V.90 modem hasn't had a recent flash upgrade, you may have problems. Visit your modem manufacturer's web site to see if a flash upgrade is available.
Excessive retrains: If the initial connect speed negotiated by a pair of modems proves to be unsustainable, they will renegotiate a new speed in mid-connection. This is known as retraining. V.90 modems, especially, seem to be aggressive with retraining, and too many retrains will cause the connection to drop. The solution is to lock your modem at a speed one or two steps below your usual connect speed. Without the retrains, it will feel faster. To accomplish this, consult your modem manual or manufacturer's web site for the proper init string. See above for instructions to enter it in Windows 95 Dialup Networking.
Outdated INF file (Win 95/98): The default init string used by Win95/98 Dialup Networking comes from a .INF file associated with your make and model of modem. You should be sure that the .INF file for your modem is the most recent one released by the manufacturer. There may be one on a floppy or CDROM bundled with the modem. Also check the manufacturer's web site for updates.
USR X2 Modems: There is a known problem with USR X2 modems maintaining reliable connections to our commservers. This can be fixed by adding S15=128 to your modem's init string, using the steps described above.
USR Sportster 33.6 Modems: We have found that the 33.6 support in Sportsters is unreliable on noisy phone lines and can result in frequent dropped connections. If you have disconnect problems with a 33.6 Sportster, disable the 33.6 support by adding S32=18 to your modem init string. See above for how to get to this setting in Windows 95 DUN.
Call waiting: If the line you're using has Call Waiting, the call waiting beep will cause some, but not all, modems to hang up. This can be viewed as a feature. If you have Call Waiting and don't want to be interrupted, add the Disable Call Waiting prefix *70, before the phone number in your Dial Properties.
Guard time too low: Line disturbances can cause disconnects by making the modem think that the remote end has hung up. The "guard time", or length of interruption that your modem will perceive as a hangup, can be increased via the init string. S10=50 works for most models. The Call Waiting beep is a specific case of such an interruption; you won't want to do this if you do want Call Waiting to disconnect you.
Non-error correcting modems: Error correction is essential for modems to recover from noise. Quality modems have this feature built in. Cheap, low end modems unfortunately do not, and require special software to do it for them. These modems are typically labeled "RPI", "Winmodem", "Optimized for Windows 95", etc. To use these modems you must install the driver software that comes with them. This software frequently only works with one operating system, rendering the modem useless for reliable communication if you use it with another operating system.
Outlook Express settings: If you get disconnected after checking email with Outlook Express, try this. Select Tools..Options from the menus then select the Connection tab. There is a box here labeled "Hang up after sending and receiving". This needs to be unchecked. Next press the Change button under Internet Connection Settings. On this dialog, be sure "Never Dial a Connection" is selected.
Advanced Power Management: Check this out if you frequently get cut off during long downloads when you're not sitting at the computer. The power conservation feature of many PCs will shut down parts of your system, like the hard drive, if you go too long without touching the keyboard or mouse.
The modem itself: As a last resort, try another modem. It may be defective or damaged by a line surge.

Why am I getting a Server Too Busy error when I try to do a search?

The default search page for Microsoft Internet Explorer often returns this message, which probably means exactly what it says. The server that is too busy is not at Datasync. You may want to use another search page if this happens too often. First load another search page of your choice. Then select View..Options in the Internet Explorer menus, bring up the Navigation tab, select "Search Page" in the Page box, and press Use Current. Now, the Search icon will take you to that page instead.

The only way I can connect is to bring up a terminal. How I can fix this?

Use a dialup networking script.

Get the script by pointing your browser to: ftp://ftp.datasync.com/pub/datasync/Datasync.scp
(You may have to hold the shift key and click this link in order to download.)
Save the file to disk where you will be able to find it again.
Go into My Computer/Dial Up Networking
Right click on the connection, then left click properties on the menu that appears.
Click the Scripting tab at the top of the dialog.
Click Browse
Select the Datasync.scp script that you previously downloaded.
Then click Ok.

I have a 56k modem. Why can't I connect at 56k?

Unfortunately for consumers, the modem manufacturers have concentrated their message on hype, not reality. You must read the fine print for the facts. 56k is a theoretical maximum for the this technology. Nobody gets 56k modem connections in practice. The highest we've seen is 54666 and that's very rare. In general, connect speed diminishes with distance from the telephone company central office (CO) which services your line. This is not absolute, though. The average connect speed for those who can make 56k connections at all is around 42-44K.

Many phone lines cannot break the 28800 barrier at all. Certain devices in the telephone network such as multiplexers or extra analog-digital conversions will cause this. The Line Test Utility from 3Com is very helpful in diagnosing impeded phone lines.

I have a 28.8 modem but I hardly ever connect at 28800. Usually it is 26400 or 24000. Why?

This is a function of the phone line quality in your area and the number of analog-digital conversions on the route between your location and our modem pool. Rural areas in particular have problems reaching 28800. Your connection speed can vary by the time of day too, as the load on the neighborhood junction box goes up and down. Generally, 24000 and up should not be a cause for alarm. You can try asking the telephone company to check your line quality.

Extremely slow connect speeds can be caused by your lines being on a so-called "slick interface". This is a way for the telephone company to install more phone lines in an area than they have copper pairs. The phone company will tell you if your line is on a slick if you ask. Getting them to change it is another story, as they are under no obligation to provide a copper pair for every dial tone, but it has been done.

I'm connecting at a good speed, but my downloads are moving way too slow!

With a 28.8 modem, around 2.5-3.5 KBytes/second is normal for binary, zipped, or compressed files. Figure about half that for 14.4 modems. Text files will move quite a bit faster if your modem supports compression as most all do.

If your downloads are nowhere near that, the first step is to determine where the bottleneck is. While our connection to the Internet backbone is quite fast, the site you're downloading from may be on a slow line or there may be other bottlenecks or router problems between here and there. Connections to remote sites typically pass through 10 or more other routers and circuits on the way. For this reason we cannot guarantee any level of download speed from servers outside our network.

If you are getting slow downloads even from servers here at Datasync, here are some things to check:

Frequent retraining: Retraining occurs when, in mid-session, your connect speed cannot be maintained. This causes the two modems to negotiate a new connect speed. This is especially common with V.90 modems which often negotiate an connect speed near the limits of what is physically possible over the telephone wire. Each retrain causes your session to pause for several seconds. Too many of these can result in disconnection. Retrains can be avoided by locking the modem at a speed 1 or 2 steps lower than where your typically connect. This is done via an init string. Consult your modem manual for the proper init string. It may be set in Windows 95 Dialup Networking as follows:
1. Open the Dial-Up Networking folder from My Computer
2. Right click on the icon corresponding to your Datasync connection and select Properties
3. Select Config, then Connections, then Advanced
4. In the Extra Settings box, enter the init string, without the leading AT.
5. Click OK all the way out
Serial port hardware: Older computers may have obsolete serial port hardware that cannot keep up with today's high speed modems. In Trumpet Winsock, these will show up as "Comm Errors" in the Trumpet window. Check the UART type on the COM port that your modem is on. With DOS or Windows 3.1, run MSD.EXE. With Windows 95, bring up Control Panel->Modems->Diagnostics->More Info. If the UART type is 8250 or 16450, you may need new serial port hardware.
Win95 FIFO Buffers: If large downloads slow down as they continue, try disabling or lowering the FIFO buffer settings. This dialog box is found under Control Panel->Modems->General->Properties->Connection->Port Settings. We have frequently found that lowering the Receive Buffer setting can improve performance.

How can I connect to America Online through Datasync?

From AOL: Connect to the Internet as you normally would (it must be a SLIP or PPP connection for AOL to work). Start AOL and click SET-UP on the Sign-on screen, then click CREATE LOCATION. Call the location TCP/IP, then skip down to the NETWORK box. Select TCP/IP and then click SAVE and exit Set-up. You can dial up the Internet connection number, establish a connection, then launch AOL and have it use that connection.

If you have a WINSOCK.DLL in the AOL directory on your hard disk though, you will have a problem. You must rename the AOL WINSOCK.DLL to WINSOCK.AOL (or anything other than WINSOCK.DLL) so the system will not try to load it.

AOL may also complain that it can't find WINSOCK.DLL. This will happen if you are using our Windows 3.1 ICC software to connect. The best way to fix this is to add C:\DATASYNC\TRUMPET to the DOS PATH in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then reboot. Alternatively you may copy the WINSOCK.DLL from C:\DATASYNC\TRUMPET into the AOL directory.

How can I connect to Compuserve through Datasync?

WinCIM pre-1.4: Forget it.

WinCIM 1.4: In the Special..Session Settings dialog, set the following:

Connector: WINSOCK
Baud Rate: 115200
Network: Internet
Dial Type: Manual

and press the LAN button and enter compuserve.com for Host Name.

WinCIM 2.0.1: Instructions from Compuserve tech support are as follows (thanks Charles Bratt for relaying this):

Copy the WINSOCK.DLL you are using (from Trumpet directory, or wherever) onto CSERVE\WINCIM\WINSOCK.DLL.
In the Special..Settings menu:
- Set Connect to the COM port your modem is on
- Set Baud Rate to 115200
- Set Network to Internet
- Set Dial Type to Tone
- Make sure the Use Winsock Connection box is checked
- Click on Configure and set Host Name to gateway.compuserve.com
Exit the Session Settings

Now, you should be able to connect to Datasync using your usual dialup software, then bring up WinCIM, and click on Connect to make an Internet connection to Compuserve.

You can also access Compuserve's raw text-based interface via telnet. From the bbs, select (I)nternet/(T)elnet and enter open compuserve.com at the telnet> prompt, or enter telnet compuserve.com at the Linux shell prompt. First enter CISAGREE, then your Compuserve logon and password at those prompts.

How do I find out what my dynamically assigned IP address is?

To participate in certain online games and talk facilities, you'll need to know the IP address assigned to your computer when you connect. Because we have far too few addresses to assign one to each customer, they are dynamically allocated from a pool and change each time you connect.

If you use Windows 95 Dialup Networking, determining your IP address is simple (thanks Rob John for the tip):

Go to your Windows 95 start button
Click Run
Type winipcfg
Your current IP address is: 38.103.63.61
NOTE: This may not be accurate if you are using a cache or proxy server!

May I get a static IP address?

Yes, for an extra $10/month we will assign you a static IP and hostname of your choice. Contact us for more information. Be aware that the static IP will be specific to one Datasync dialup location (POP); you will need to use a different login, and receive a dynamic IP, if you need to connect to a different POP.

How do I register/update a Domain with Datasync?

In order for us to host or reserve a domain you must fill out an Extended Services Registration form (available in our Registration packet). If you are registering a new domain you will need to register your domain with a Registrar before submitting the registration form. If you are updating a domain, you will need to make sure that you have our name servers listed for the domain, otherwise, we will have no control over the DNS information for your domain.

How can I see how many hours I've been online so far this month?

Go to the Account Control Section and follow the "Dial-Up Usage" icon. You may also view usage history for previous months.

How do I change my service do a different usage level?

Send your request for a new service level by e-mail to support@datasync.com. Remember that you are charged for each monthly billing period at the beginning of the period, so for a change to be effective for the current billing period we will charge or credit the difference in rates at the time of the change. If you want it effective starting with next billing period, let us know, and no charge/credit will be made at that time; you'll see the new rate reflected on your next bill.

May I have my monthly bill automatically charged to my credit card?

Yes! If you prefer, your monthly bill can be charged to your Visa MasterCard, or American Express. We will still send a statement to you via e-mail or US Mail so you are aware of the charges.

We have a secure form for entering credit card information. Go to the Account Control Section and follow the "Billing Info" link. Be sure you check the box labeled "Enable Autobilling". You may also update your billing address, phone, and invoicing method on the same form.

How do I change my login ID?

You may send a request for change of login ID to support@datasync.com. Since all of our records are keyed by login ID and must be changed, there is a $10 setup charge for login ID changes. We will let you know if your new login ID is available and that the change will be made. Please allow a few days for the change to occur. When your old login ID stops working, reconfigure your dialup and e-mail software to use the new one. Your password will not change.

How do I change my password?

There is a form for changing passwords in our multifunction Account Control Section. Be sure you read the caveats about changing your password.

I lost my password! Help!

If you lose your password, there is no way for us to retrieve it. It is stored only in encrypted form on the server. Tech support can reset your password to a new value, however. For security reasons you must call in a password reset request from the telephone number we have on file for you. We cannot issue a new password via e-mail under any circumstances, or if you call from any phone other than the one in our records. For this reason is is important that you update your phone number in our records whenever it changes.

How do I find out what dial up numbers are local for my exchange area?

Due to the numerous types of phone services available on the market, Datasync has no way of knowing what numbers will be considered local in your exchange area. You can consult your phonebook, phone bill, or phone service provider for this information.

Is there any way to reduce the amount of junk mail I keep receiving?

Yes! You may set up a list of addresses or entire domains from which you do not wish to receive mail. You may also have your mail filtered through a list of known "spam" sites that is frequently updated by our staff. For more information, see the Account Control Section

Why do I keep getting junk mail that has someone else's e-mail address in the To: field?

This is a trick bulk mailers use to hide the list of people they have sent the spam to. The list of real e-mail addresses has been hidden in the blind carbon copy (BCC:) field which is not typically included in the header information. The Datasync Mail Filter is capable of catching these types of e-mails and filtering them out from your normal mail. See the Mail Filter page for more information.

How do I make a home page? Upload it? Add a counter or guestbook?

You'll find all these answers in our Home Page How-To.

Where can I learn more about using the shell?

It's far from complete, but the Datasync Shell Tutorial covers some of the Linux operating system and shell basics. It will be expanded over time to cover more topics.

May I put my account on hold while I'm out of town for an extended period of time?

Yes! Just let us know what day you're leaving, and we'll suspend your service until you return. A pro-rated credit will be issued for any time remaining in your current billing period. While suspended, you'll be billed $2.00 per month to keep the account active and store any mail that arrives. When you return, contact us by phone and we'll reactivate your account and restart your billing period.

While away, please unsubscribe from any mailing lists you're on to keep from having a huge mailbox to download upon your return. Many lists will let you stop receiving mail without actually unsubscribing.

How do I remove typed URLs from Navigator's Location Address box list?

The location address box is located below the menu in Netscape Navigator, this is where you would type in the address (URL) of a website to go directly to it.

Current versions of Netscape allow you to clear the location bar by selecting the "Clear Location Bar" option under the preference settings for Navigator (Edit->Preferences).

Older versions of Netscape do not provide this ability and you must manually remove the information from the Windows System Registry. The procedure listed below takes you into a very sensitive part of your Windows95/NT system. If you mess something up in the registry you run the risk of losing you computer setup and will have to reinstall if you do so.

Datasync provides this information for your benefit, but is not responsible for anything that may happen to your system if you use it.

These addresses are stored in the system registry. To edit the registry you need to run a program called regedit.exe, you can run this program by going to the start button and selecting run, then typing regedit.exe in the box that appears.
The location for these entries is:

/HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Netscape/Netscape Navigator/URL History

You will find within this location a group of entries that are labled something like URL_x where x will be a number.
If you want to remove one of these entries just highlight it, and hit the delete key on your keyboard.


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