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» FAQ
Internet General Use
What
is the Internet?
What is a Browser?
What is Domain Name?
What is Bandwidth?
What is a modem?
What is DSL?
What is ISDN?
What is a T1?
What is a Fractional T1?
What is Frame Relay?
What is CIR?
How do I search for specific information about
a special topic on the Internet?
What is a Plug-in?
What does a Plug-in do?
How do I install a Plug-in?
What is Web Hosting?
What is HTML?
What is Java?
What is FTP?
What is Chat?
What is SPAM?
What is a Newsgroup?
Browser Error Messages
401
Unauthorized
403 Forbidden
404 Not Found
407 Proxy Authorization Required
500 Server Error
Connection Refused By Host
DNS Lookup Failed (Failed DNS Lookup)
General Protection Fault
Netscape/Internet Explorer is Unable to Locate the
Server
Netscape/Internet Explorer is Unable to Use the
POP Server
Network Error
Not Found
TCP Error Encountered While Sending Request to
server
There Was No Response
There Was No Response… Using Previously Cached
Copy
This Site Has Moved
Too Many Users Are Connected to This Server
Unable to Locate Host
Unknown File Type
Internet General Use
What
is the Internet?
A global network connecting millions of computers. The Internet
was originally a government project, which was developed by computer
scientists. After being released to the general public, the Internet
has experienced an immense explosion in the growth of both users
and content. As of 1998, the Internet has more than 100 million
users worldwide and innumerable documents on a myriad of subjects.
What
is a Browser?
A browser is software that allows you to view pages on the Internet.
It converts text, graphics and formatting codes into pages you
can display and read on your computer.
What
is Domain Name?
This is the actual address of a site. A domain name can also refer
specifically to the portion of an email address which is located to the right
of the "@" sign. In this example, "yourname@fiberpipe.net," fiberpipe.net
is the domain name.
What
is a Modem?
Acronym for modulator-demodulator. A modem is a device or program
that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines.
Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information
transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of
analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
What
is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth indicates the information carrying capacity of a data
transmission line. The higher the bandwidth, the broader the range
of frequencies it is able to receive, and the faster data is able
to travel. DSL, ISDN and Frame Relay can have a large bandwidth,
enabling enhanced multimedia capability and faster Web page load
up.
What
is DSL?
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a "always on" Internet connection.
There are several offerings for line speeds, beginning with 256Kb
ranging up to 1.1 Mb. One feature that is extremely beneficial
is you no longer have to log-on or log-out of the Internet as
you do using a modem. Other benefits range from faster downloads
of graphics, videos and other large data files.
What
is ISDN?
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), an international communications
standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone
lines. ISDN requires conditioned wires and supports data transfer
rates of 64 Kbps (64,000 bits per second). Most ISDN lines offered
by telephone companies give you two lines at once, called B channels.
You can use one line for voice and the other for data, or you
can use both lines for data to give you data rates of 128 Kbps.
What
is a T1?
A dedicated network connection, supporting data rates of 1.544Mb
per second. A T-1 line actually consists of 24 individual channels,
each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each 64Kbit/second
channel can be configured to carry voice or data traffic.
What
is Fractional T-1?
A dedicated network connection using only a specified portion
of the 1.544Mb per second. The circuit is broken down into 24
channels of 64 Kb each. Various combinations of these channels
can be put together by the carrier, ranging from 256Kb to 1024
Kb.
What
is Frame Relay?
Frame Relay is probably the simplest data communications protocol
ever conceived. Designed to run over virtually error-free circuits,
it's a protocol stripped down for speed. Instead of having dedicated
circuits connecting networks, they use Permanent Virtual Circuits
(PVC's) that link any two points across a common Carrier's network.
The IP frames are transmitted intermittently-rather than in a
continuous stream-over digital circuits and reassembled at the
receiving end.
What
is CIR?
Committed Information Rate (CIR) is a committed rate in bits-per-second
at which the carrier agrees to accept packets from the client
over a virtual circuit. The packets that are sent in excess of
the CIR rate, become eligible to be discarded and not delivered
if the frame relay network becomes congested, and it would then
be necessary to resend these discarded packets.
How
do I search for information about a specific topic on the Internet?
Click on the search button built into your browser and type the
word or phrase that you are looking for. Sometimes the more specific
you are, the better results you'll get. If you're not satisfied
with the search engine that may be built into your browser, you
can find another search engine on the web, such as these popular
engines: Yahoo, Lycos, Search.com, Excite, and WebCrawler.
What
is a Plug-in?
A Plug-in is a program that extends the capabilities of your web
browser. A good example of a Plug-in is a program that adds the
ability to view 3D scenes into your web browser.
What
does a Plug-in do?
A Plug-in allows you to view new and exciting web pages.
How
do I install a Plug-in?
A Plug-in is a program and it must be installed by running its
setup.exe. Note, this must be done with your web browser closed,
otherwise the Plug-in will not be completely installed or it will
not work until the browser reloads.
What
is Web Hosting?
In order to publish a site, maintain links and transmit data on
the World Wide Web your computer needs access to a "host." A host
is a computer that literally connects your computer to the rest
of the Web by serving as the starting and ending point of all
transferred data. Consequently, a company that provides Web Hosting
services, like Fiberpipe is granting access to a host computer
and server (a host computer on a network).
What
is HTML?
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), is the authoring language used
to create documents (a.k.a. "web pages") on the World Wide Web.
What
is Java?
Java is a general purpose programming language with a number of
features that make the language well suited for use on the World
Wide Web. Small Java applications are called Java applets and
can be downloaded from a Web server and run on your computer by
a Java compatible Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft
Internet Explorer.
What
is FTP?
File Transfer Protocol (FTP), the protocol used on the Internet
for sending files.
What
is Chat?
Real-time communication between two or more users via computer.
Once a chat has been initiated, any user can enter text by typing
on the keyboard and the entered text will appear on the other
users' monitors. Most networks and online services offer a chat
feature (the Internet has thousands upon thousands of them).
What
is SPAM?
Better known as junk email, Spam is unsolicited email that is
usually sent to a mailing list or newsgroup. The message contained
in this type of mail is usually commercial and most likely has
nothing to do with the group's specific interests or activities.
What
is a Newsgroup?
An on-line discussion group. On the Internet, there are literally
thousands of newsgroups covering every conceivable interest. To
view and post messages to a newsgroup, you need a newsreader,
a program that runs on your computer and connects you to a news
server on the Internet. This area of the Internet is usually frequented
by professionals who specialize in the subject of discussion for
that particular newsgroup. Newsgroups are highly focused and those
who frequent them are wary of users who may SPAM the group or
post questions, which aren't relevant to the subject of discussion.
Browser
Error Messages
Responding
to Error messages…Occasionally the browser gives you an error
message. Don't panic; it's a common occurrence on the Internet.
If you receive an error message, check the following:
- Did you
type the address (URL)? If so, ensure there are no typing mistakes.
Remember, URLs are case-sensitive.
- Are you
sending your request at a busy time? Some servers cannot handle
a large amount of network traffic. If the server gets flooded
with requests and is unable to handle them, you may get an error
message. Try again later.
401
Unauthorized indicates that the address you requested has
limited access and you don't have the required permission. Check
your address (URL); make sure you've entered it correctly. If
the address is correct, this error was not caused by you or your
Web browser.
403
Forbidden is a standard error message stating that you don't
have permission to contact the address (URL) entered. You may
want to try again later, as it may be a temporary situation. Additionally,
make sure you entered the URL correctly. If the address is correct,
this error was not caused by you or your Web browser.
404
Not Found indicates that the address (URL) specified in your
location bar doesn't correspond with a known Web page. Be sure
to check that the address (URL) you entered is correct. Web pages
are stored on computers called servers. These servers have programs
that organize these Web pages. The Web page you have requested
may have been renamed or refiled, creating a new address.
407
Proxy Authorization Required means that the address you entered
is to a server that cannot respond. This location may require
a password or authorization. If you've entered a password, it
hasn't been understood. Or, if you've entered an address manually,
double-check it, and try sending it again.
500
Server Error indicates that the requested address (URL) is
correct, but the server you contacted isn't responding. The good
news is that your request has been received; the bad news is that
the server can't send you what you want. Try re-sending the address
(URL). If the contact still isn't successful, wait awhile and
try again.
Connection
Refused by Host indicates that your request has been received,
but the site where you've sent it - the host - is unable to process
your request. Most likely this is temporary, perhaps because of
maintenance on the site. Wait and try again.
DNS
Lookup Failed (Failed DNS Lookup) It's the server that takes
the domain name and reformats it as a number - called the IP address.
This message tells you that a problem has occurred during this
procedure. Before trying again, check the spelling and format
of the address and try sending your request again.
General
Protection Fault This error message is generated by the Windows
operating system. Your browser has momentarily stopped working.
Exit the browser and restart your computer.
Netscape/Internet
Explorer Is Unable to Locate the Server This message appears
when the browser cannot find the server you specified. The server
may be busy, temporarily not working, or may not exist. Check
the address in the location bar. Are you sure it's correct? If
it is correct, try reaching it later. You may be attempting to
contact the server at an especially busy time...
Netscape/Internet
Explorer Is Unable to Use the POP Server This message indicates
that your e-mail software is not configured correctly to reach
the mail server, or the mail server is not responding. Try accessing
your mail again, as it may be a temporary problem.
Network
Error This message indicates that your transmission has encountered
a network error condition. Try again to see if the problem is
temporary (as is often the case). Additionally, check to see if
the browser is still working and whether your modem and transmission
lines are functioning properly.
Not
Found This short message tells you that the address (URL)
you're trying to contact cannot be found. If you're sure you typed
the address correctly, then it's possible the site no longer exists.
TCP
Error Encountered While Sending Request to Server This is
also called a system-level protocol error. There's not much you
can do when this message occurs. It's a problem involving the
communications protocol governing your Internet transmissions.
It indicates that the network cannot transmit your message. Try
sending the address (URL) request again. The problem may disappear.
There
Was No Response This message appears when your Web browser
cannot find the server you specified. The server may be busy or
temporarily not working or may not exist. Try checking the address
in the location bar.
There
Was No Response . . . Using Previously Cached Copy The Web
server you queried is not responding. However, there is already
a copy of the Web page you wanted in your computer's memory in
the cache folder. This copy is being displayed, although it may
not contain the most current information. Be patient and try connecting
again. Your browser and computer are fine; there may be a problem
with the network or the server you want.
This
Site has Moved The Web page has moved to another address (a
different URL). Often you'll see a link to the new address. If
there's not a link but the new address is displayed, copy the
address into your location bar or into the Open button's dialog
box and press Return.
Too
Many Users Are Connected to This Server There are more address
(URL) requests going to the server than it can handle. Wait and
try later. You'll probably succeed the second time. Note that
servers vary in the number of requests they can handle. Often
new servers, or those created without an idea of how large their
audience will be, cannot handle many simultaneous requests.
Unable
to Locate Host If this message appears, ensure the address
(URL) is typed correctly. If it's correct, the problem may be
one of the following:
The site
can't be found. Maybe it's moved or no longer exists.
The connection between your computer and the network is broken.
Check to see if the browser is still working; can you access two
or three different Web sites? If you can, your connection is not
the problem.
Unknown
File Type This message appears when an address (URL) goes
to a location containing a file in a format that cannot be read
by the browser. Nothing is wrong with the browser, but you may
need to enhance it. If the file you want is a type of graphic,
or a sound or video clip in a new format, you may need to get
additional software that allows your browser to read it. This
software is generally referred to as a plug-in or a helper application.
Often you will be prompted to download the plug-in software or
helper application. See the plug-ins section of this manual for
more details.
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