Issues with the Internet

Q: I have just got broadband, but every time I go to view webpages, my computer still tries to use the dial up connection. How can I change this?

A: Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel and then double-click 'Internet Options' (or right-click 'Internet Explorer' on your desktop and choose Properties either of these ways take you to the Internet Properties boxes
One of the tabs says 'Connection'. On that page, put the dot next to 'Never dial a connection' (and not next to 'always dial my default connection') click Apply and OK

 

Q: When I go to my little internet icon it now goes straight to a Microsoft website, rather than the Devonport directory…. And I can't work out how to search from there…. So I have internet access, but would like the Devonport page back to welcome me and so I can get to Google easily!

A: Go to www.devonportdirectory.co.nz and click on the word 'here' (in the same row as the date) - where it says: "Click here to make the Devonport Directory your internet home page" Click OK when the message comes up, and then the Devonport Directory will be the page that gets opened each time you start Internet Explorer

Q: I want to get a domain name for myself. What is the best way to go about this - who do I contact?

A: A domain name is a unique identifier for your presence on the internet - eg www.red-dragon.net.nz, which beats having a web address such as http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~reddragon !! To register a domain name, the best place to go is FreeParking, the cheapest domain name registrar in New Zealand at $45 per year. Go to www.freeparking.biz to register

Q: When I download files from the internet, it often gives me the choice to 'open file in current location' or to 'save the file to disc'. However, when I try to save the file to disc, it won't fit onto the floppy disc. How do I save such download files?

A: Don't save them to your floppy disc drive - save them to your hard disc drive! In other words, save them on C:\ rather than on A:\. The term 'disc' applies equally to the main hard drive as it does to the floppy disc drive. Both consist of rotating metal discs, it's just that one of them can store much less data than the other

Q: How do I change my Internet start page?

A: You can change the internet start page to anything you like!
Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel and then double click on 'Internet Options'
In Internet Options, the first page has a space for the home page web address. Put in: http://www.google.co.nz and then click Apply & OK (you must type in the http://)
And then Google will be set as your home page.

Q: Is there an easy way to block access to pornographic websites? I want to make my computer safe for children to use and have tried enabling Internet Explorer's Content Advisor - but this appears to block just about every site we use. Is there another way of doing this so as to just block out pornography?

A: This is a tricky question and one I am often asked. The short answer is there is no really easy way to do it. Content Advisor works to an extent - but is difficult and time-consuming to configure and even then cannot be guaranteed to give the desired result. Far too often sites you want to go to end up being blocked whilst sites you don't want are still accessible. You can buy software such as 'Net Nanny' etc - but in cases where these have been used, the kids work out how to disable or remove the software and so get round it.

The only 100% effective way to stop porn coming in to your computer is to have it blocked at the server end from the ISP. However, there is only one ISP in New Zealand that provides that service, which is Watchdog. Watchdog are the Internet Service Provider that the schools use and they block all inappropriate content at the server level, making it impossible for anyone to get anything that they shouldn't be. However, to change to Watchdog will involve cancelling your Xtra account and getting a whole new email address (or paying for two services simultaneously, which obviously is not such a good idea). This is all quite inconvenient.

The bottom line is this: what children can access on the internet comes down to the same parental management skills as with television. I always recommend that a family computer be in the living room or in some other public place where its use can easily be monitored.

Q: I need "Cookies" back on my laptop. I can't access my internet banking sites without them. What can I do?

A: Cookies are issued by a website when you need them - eg for internet banking, booking flights online etc. You can - and should - delete them on a regular basis, and when you need one, the site will issue you a new one - UNLESS some setting has been changed in Internet Explorer. You can check this as follows:
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel and double click 'Internet Options'
On the 'Privacy' tab, make sure the slider is set to 'Medium'
On the 'Security' tab, click the button that says 'Default level'
Click apply & OK and then try visting the bank site again.

Q: Sometimes I get disconnected from the internet when I least expect it. I have been told this is due to the Telecom services I have - Call Waiting and the Telecom answering service. How can I stop this from happening?

A: You need to temporarily disable call-waiting when your modem dials up, otherwise incoming calls attended to by the Call Waiting service will indeed disconnect your internet connection. To do this, add *52, (star-five-two-comma) before your ISP's telephone number eg for Xtra, change 087303030 to *52,087303030.
If you have Telecom's Answering Service, you need to make sure that you have cleared all messages before you even try to get online. If there are messages waiting to be heard, the modem will not be able to find a dial tone and will not be able to dialup to the Internet. My advice is to cancel this service and buy yourself a proper answering machine instead - they don't cost very much these days, from about $80.

Q: After being on the Internet my computer always used to show a box saying "Do you want to close the connection?" but suddenly it doesn't do this any more and I have to shut down the computer and start it up again so that the telephone will function.

A: When you are connected to the internet, look in the corner of your screen beside/below the clock in the bottom right hand corner. You will notice that there is a little icon of two little computers blinking/flashing. If you click on this icon, a little box pops up with a button on it which allows you to disconnect the internet connection.
You certainly don't have to turn the computer off to release the telephone!!

Q: After performing Disk Clean up on C:\ Drive of Temporary Internet Files, I find that there are still large numbers of 'cookies' remaining. Can one safely clear these from the system?

A: Yes. You will just get more of these next time you go to the websites that issue these (eg Hotmail, online banks, Xtra etc). Cookies contain all sorts of tracking information and should be deleted regularly. Make sure you also go to the C:\Windows\Cookies folder and delete them from here also. If you have Internet Explorer 6, from Control Panel, double-click Internet Options and press the 'Delete Cookies' button on the General tab.

Q: I want to look something up on the internet - what is the best way of going about doing this?

A: You need a search engine - www.google.co.nz is the best search engine in the world, so use this one! Enter your search term in the field and hit the 'Enter' key. If you are looking up something with more than one word, you should put it in quotation marks to get more relevant results, eg: "history of devonport". To refine your search further, add +NZ so your search entry looks like this: "history of devonport" +NZ This will only turn up sites relevant to Devonport, New Zealand and not Devonport anywhere else! For New Zealand specific searches, also try www.searchnz.co.nz

 

Q: I am thinking of getting broadband and I am currently with Paradise. We have two computers at our house - can they both connect to the broadband?

A: Yes you can get the broadband service with Paradise - Telecom wholesale it to Paradise and then they retail it to you. You can go with Xtra, of course, but then you would be changing your email address etc. Its a bit trickier to get it all set up with Paradise - after all they are owned by ClearNet / TelstraClear who are Telecom's phone company rivals - but you could phone their helpdesk and see what they can offer. Personally, I would recommend going with Xtra - if changing your email address is ok with you. With broadband, both computers can be connected to the internet at the same time; the phone line is never tied up whilst one of you are on the internet; and its VERY much faster/better than dial-up.

Q: I have just changed ISP's from ClearNet to Xtra. What do I have to do to change it so that it will always dial-up Xtra and not go to Clearnet anymore?

A: Congratulations on moving away from ClearNet - possibly the most troublesome ISP in New Zealand! All you need to do is click on the dial-up icon as usual. When it comes up with the 'Connect' box, then you need to change the phone number. To dial to Xtra, the number there should be 087303030. Type this in and when it asks you if you want to make this change of number permanent, click 'Yes'. Then type in your new Xtra username and password - and then you should be away!