Macintosh Setup Information

1.0 Initial Macintosh PPP Setup

In order to use your AcroNet connection, you will need to install and configure a few programs that manage your connection to the Internet. The first of these programs is MacPPP.

1.1 What is MacPPP?

MacPPP is a program that allows you to establish a direct connection to the Internet using a modem such that you can run graphical Internet browsers such as Netscape or Mosaic. MacPPP also allows you to run programs for E-mail, file transfer, reading message areas, etc. Installing MacPPP is the first step towards getting on the Internet with your Mac.

Please note that if you do not have a color display on your Macintosh, PPP software will not work.

1.2 I don't have MacPPP. How do I get it?

There are a few ways to get MacPPP -- the one you should choose depends on your level of expertise.

You can get MacPPP simply by calling AcroNet to request our Macintosh installation disk. This disk contains the MacPPP software, and makes installation as easy as inserting the disk and clicking on a file. It may take a day or two for the disk to be delivered. If you are a novice user, and are unfamiliar with the process of downloading software with a communications program, please have us send you a disk. When you get the disk, please skip to Section 1.4.

If you already have MacPPP and the PPP extension installed, you can skip to Section 1.5.

1.3 Downloading MacPPP -- for advanced users only.

If you're an advanced user, you can download MacPPP from most bulletinn boards and online services. It is called free-ppp-104.sea

1.4 Installing MacPPP

If you are using an AcroNet Macintosh setup disk, insert the disk, go into the disk's folder, and double-click on the free-ppp-104.sea file. It will ask you which directory to unstuff in: you can just hit enter to install in the default folder. A new folder will be created named "Free PPP". Inside that folder you'll find an icon labeled ConfigPPP, which you should drag into your Control Panels folder. Next, drag the icon labeled PPP to your Extensions folder.

Figure 1: MacPPP Configuration Screen

1.5 Configuring MacPPP

Double-click on the ConfigPPP icon in your Control Panels. Make sure the following items are set as follows:

Port Name: Modem Port
Idle Timeout: None
Echo Interval: 10

"Hangup on Close" and "Quiet Mode" should be selected.

Then, click on "New..." to start configuring your AcroNet connection. It will prompt you for a server name: put in AcroNet. Click on "Config..", and enter the following information in the various blanks (See Figure 1):

Phone Number: (enter your local AcroNet Phone Number -- See Table 1.)

Table 1: AcroNet Local Dial-In Numbers

Modem Init: this depends on your modem. Please consult Table 2.


Table 2: Common Modem Init Srings

Click on the "LCP Options.." In the MRU size setting, there should be two numbers, 1500 and 1500. Change both of these to 576. Click on OK, then click on Done. You're done configuring MacPPP! Please go on to Section 2.0 to finish configuring your Macintosh.

Click on the Connect Script. The connect script is used to automate your login process, it sends your name and password when asked for it by the AcroNet server. Construct your script as follows, changing the yourusername and yourpassword entries to match your own username and password:

2.0 Configuring TCP/IP support on your Macintosh

Different configurations of Macintoshes get on the Internet in different ways -- these instructions are designed to cover as many Macintosh models as possible. Please consult the instructions below to determine which instructions you will need to follow to get on-line with AcroNet.

If you are using a Macintosh with a system version earlier than System 7.5 (ie, System 7.1), please go to Section 2.1 to continue setting up your Macintosh. If you have a PCI PowerMac, please go to Section 3.0 now.

If you are using a Macintosh which is not a PCI Macintosh, and has System 7.5 or later, check to see if you have an icon in your Control Panels folder (in your System folder) labeled MacTCP. If you have this icon, you can go directly to Section 2.2. If you do not have that icon, check to see if you have an icon labeled TCP/IP. If you have that icon, go to Section 1.5. If you do not have an icon in your Control Panels for either MacTCP or TCP/IP, go to Section 2.1.

2.1 Obtaining the MacTCP Software

If you do not have a PCI Mac, you will need to have a program called MacTCP in order to run Internet software such as MacPPP. If you have System 7.5, you already have this on your system, and can skip to Section 2.2. If you do not have System 7.5, you will need to obtain this software. MacTCP is copyrighted software, so AcroNet can not provide you with it. There are a couple of ways of obtaining MacTCP:

• Upgrade to System 7.5 (or greater).
• Purchase the Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh v3.0. It's available for around $30 at many software retailers and bookstores and comes with a great book as well as all the software you need to get on the Internet.

After you add the MacTCP control panel to your Control Panels folder, you can move on to Section 2.2.

Figure 2: MacTCP Configuration Screen

2.5 Setting up MacTCP

Go into your System Folder, then go into your Control Panels. Double-click on the icon labeled MacTCP (if you do not have a MacTCP icon, please refer to Section 2.0). You should see an icon labeled PPP, and it should be selected (ie, with a black background). If there is not a PPP icon, consult Section 1.1. If the icon is not selected, please select it. Next, click on "More.."

A window will open that gives you many setup options (see Figure 2). In the upper right-hand corner of the display, select the Server option. In the lower-right hand corner of the screen there are blanks for Domain Name Server Information, please fill them out as shown in Table 3.

Don't worry about the other settings: as long as you have "Server" selected these will change to the correct settings when you get on the Internet. Click on OK and you'll be done configuring MacTCP! You can then go on to Section 4.0, which informs you how to connect to the Internet.

3.0 Setting up Open Transport TCP/IP

If you have an icon labeled TCP/IP in your control panels, you will need to set it up in order to use the MacPPP software. If you have already configured MacTCP you can skip these instructions and move on to Section 4.0. Otherwise, please move on to Section 3.1.

3.1 Obtaining Open Transport 1.0.8

In order to check which version of Open Transport you have, you will need to select the icon labeled TCP/IP and hit Open-Apple-I. If it displays that you have v1.0.6 you will need to upgrade Open Transport. If you have v1.0.8 or later please move on to Section 3.3.

3.2 Downloading and upgrading Open Transport

If you don't have the Open Transport Installer you can download it from most bulletin boards. (The filename is OTInstall.sea). When you have the file on your machine, proceed to section 3.3.

3.3 Installing Open Transport

Once you have downloaded the Open Transport Installer, you can double click on it to expand the file. It will ask you the name of the folder that you want to extract everything to, the default is fine. Once the program is finished, go to the new folder, and find the extracted files. There will be 6 files in this directory, including MungeImage and the Open Transport Installer disks. Click on the OT Disk Images, and drag them to the MungeImage icon. Your Macintosh will be busy for a while, and when it is done, you should see a window titled "Installing Open Transport". Double click on the "Installer" icon. You will be presented with Macintosh's standard installer screen. Click on the Install button. The installer will install OT 1.0.8, and then ask you to reboot your machine. Once your machine is back up and running, proceed to section 3.4.

3.4 Configuring Open Transport

When you double-click on your TCP/IP icon, as settings window will open. Please fill in the blanks as shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Mac TCP/IP Settings

Close the Open Transport window and move on to Section 4.0: using your Internet connection.

4.0 Using your Internet connection

First, test the connection by going into the ConfigPPP control panel. Click on the "Open" button (if it is "greyed out", please see troubleshooting Section 5.1) and you should hear your modem dial and connect.

If you do not hear your modem pick up and connect, but instead get a "PPP Wait Timout" or "Modem Not Responding" error, please consult troubleshooting Section 5.2. If a box comes up and asks for your name and password again, please see troubleshooting Section 5.3. If a box says "Link Dead", please see troubleshooting Section 5.4.

If everything's configured correctly, the little "frowny" faces will suddenly start smiling and the message will be "PPP Up" instead of "PPP Down". That's your indication that you've logged into the Internet successfully!

What you do next depends on what Internet software you have. If you have a Mac Installation disk from us, go to Section 4.1 to learn how to download Netscape. If you're an advanced user, and have already downloaded and installed Netscape, just go to the Netscape icon and start it up: you'll be browsing the net in no time!

4.1 Setting up MacWeb to download Netscape

Mac Web is a small Internet browser that allows you to access various sites on the Internet as well as download the award-winning Netscape browser! In the folder for the Macintosh Installation disk there is an icon for MacWeb 1.00A. Double-click on it, and it will install itself on your hard drive. If you'd like to download Netscape, enter the address http://home.netscape.com/. Click on the icon labeled "Netscape Now! 2.0" and the screens will prompt you through the process of downloading Netscape. After downloading Netscape you can use the UnStuffIt Expander icon on the Mac Installation disk to decompress the Netscape program and install it.

5.0 Troubleshooting

The following are problems typically encountered with Macintosh Internet software, please check through this section if you are having difficulties with your connection.

5.1 Open box is greyed out / Nothing happens when open is clicked on in ConfigPPP.

If nothing happens when you click on the open box in the ConfigPPP control panel, it means means one of three things:

• The PPP extension has not been placed in the extensions folder. Please see Section 1.4 for information on how to do this.
• In the MacTCP Control Panel, PPP is not selected.
• There is an extension in your extensions folder that is conflicting: remove any Internet-related extensions other than the PPP extension, reboot, and try again.

5.2 PPP Wait Timeout error after clicking on Open

This is usually caused by using an incorrect initialization string. Please consult the list in Section 1.5, and make sure that the one you are using is correct. If your modem is not listed in Section 1.5, please check in your modem's documentation to see if there is a manufacturer's recommended string. If there is not, try using atz.

If that does not help, make sure that your port speed in the Config PPP control panel is set to 38400 or 57600. Except on some Powerbook models, the port speed should not be set to 14400 or 28800.

Make sure that your modem is plugged in and turned on.

5.3 Password box comes up after dialing asking for name and password.

Check in the ConfigPPP Control Panel, in the "Config.." options under "Authenticate.." to make sure that your login name and password are entered correctly. Be sure that you have a PPP account with us, and that you're using the login name you received that begins with a capital P.

If it comes up repeatedly, either your name or password are misspelled, or that your account on AcroNet is not yet set up.

5.4 Link Dead

See Section 5.2. Typically, a link dead message is caused by the use of an incorrect initialization string.

5.5 Server does not have a DNS entry.

If Netscape, or another program, reports the above message, the Domain Name Server information in your MacTCP or TCP/IP control panel is incorrect. Consult with Section 2.2 if you're using MacTCP, or Section 3.0 if you're using Open Transport.

If none of the above work, you are welcome to call for technical support. Please be sure you've read through this entire document before you ask for technical assistance.

Important Info for other programs

To find many programs that you can use with your AcroNet connection you can go to the following FTP site: ftp://mirrors.aol.com/pub/info-mac/comm/tcp.

For technical support

Please be sure you've read through this entire document before you ask for technical assistance.

You can write us E-mail at support@acronet.net. Please be sure that you give us the software you're using, the modem you're using, and a clear description of the problem. We should be able to get back to you within 24 hours.

You can also call us at (414) 697-2220 for technical support during our business hours (9-9 CST, 7 Days a Week).