Recently, I have begun to access Qru.com remotely by means of my own ISP account. I learned much about what to do, what not to do and why (or why not) my connection works that way, so to save our loyal readers some headaches of there own in the future, I pass on what I have learned.

Well start with the basics....

First and foremost, learn about your phone line! If you are living on your own, there is no problems. However, those of us who share a phone line with a parent, spouse, roomate, etc. should learn to pick a good time to use your computer, preferably a time when its least inconvenient for others. If you have a seperate phone line for your modem, all the better, if not, then learn to be considerate in terms of usage.

Which brings me to my next point, call waiting. Its great when you're talking with friends, but downright irritating when you're trying to telecommute, surf the net, etc.. Calling your local information line, your phone company, or dialing 411 and ask what is needed to temporarily disable call waiting while using your modem. When you discover what it is, check the properties of the connection you have set up (be it AOL, Compuserve, or another ISP) there's an option to notify your computer that the phone line has call waiting, and a space to tell your computer what it has to dial to temporarily disable call waiting and thus allow many, uninterrupted, modem hours.

Now that we have that taken care of, its time to talk details. Setting up an account with an ISP is necessary to get yourself on the Internet. You can find a few in your local yellow pages, or get a copy of AOL/Compuserve/etc. at your local computer outlet store. I recommend using an Internet service provider for the reason being you can find what you need and want on the Internet directly with out waiting for the network-based functions of AOL/Compuserve/etc. The beauty part of either system is that you're connecting to computer systems around the world while only making a local phone call! While the amount of information provided on the Internet is massive as well as global, the connection made by the user is to the server closest to them. So dont worry about the phone bill, its all local calls! If you live in a remote area, or you are not sure if the number you are given is a local phone call, you can call information, give them your number, give them the number you are calling, and they can verify or deny if it qualifies as a local number.

If you have chosen to use an ISP, then you will be given a phone number and at least two IP addresses. When setting up your connection, the program will ask you for the phone number and TWO IP addresses (one being primary and one secondary). From then on, when you access the connection, the program will ask for your user password, then it will call the server, verify your account, verify your password, and log you on to the network, and away you go!

Whats that? You dont have an Internet browser? Dont even worry, if you do not have this software, your Internet service provider will ship you a copy after your account is set up.

A word to the wise...Get your hands on a good anti-virus program if you do not have one already. While the majority of the sites are clear and clean, there are some manevolent viruses out there, a few of which TechTips has even commented on, and its better to be safe then sorry.

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