I have PRECEEDED each graphic with a short paragraph, not after it as I probably should have, but hey... Even went next to them on occasion, but thats called creative license....

This is how to open control panels, note that I started on the "start" button, then hit settings, then hit control panels, and there they are! I kinda highlited the 2 we will be working with first, "Network" and "Internet". Don't loose the location of "Internet", we will get back to it. Oh yeah, if you never installed Microsoft Internet Explorer, you don't have "Internet". Go do that NOW.

Here is the opening screen for "Network", note, there is little there, your may see more things, REMOVE THEM. (Click on them, hit the remove button). If you are missing any, ADD THEM, just hit the "Add" button and follow the prompts.

If you hit the little tab on top that says "Identification", this is the screen, you should put your "login" name on the Computer Name, so it stays unique, but anything will do really, just as long as anyone else doesn't use it at the same time you do. Under workgroup, you can leave it at the default, or be fancy and use SYIX. Ignore Access Control, all the defaults are fine for it.

If you double click on "Client for Microsoft Network" (back on the Configuration Tab) you will get this exciting screen! Make it look like this one.

Hit OK and double click on "Dialup Adapter", these are its screen, and once again, just make it look like these. Or actually, leave it alone, it will look like this already, just wanted to be complete here and show you all the screens. Hit "OK" and get back to work.

TCP/IP Properties is where the meat of its all at, and also the most problems come from here. Double Click on TCP/IP and this is what you get. 6 tabs, all having VERY important functions to make your Internet Connection work well. Under the next 6 screen shots, you will see the recommended settings for SYIX members, follow them EXACTLY, and all will be fine and dandy.

Note the "host" name, it should match what you put WAY UP THERE on the "Client for Microsoft Network" stuff as the "computer name" Once you "OK" this screen, you will then OK the next one, then you will be prompted to reboot. Please do so, it does matter, really.

This is one of the screens from "INTERNET" as shown above, its from MSIE 3.0, yours may be different, but the settings should be the same. Especially the blank box on proxy server.

Now we will take a look at the actual dialer, to find it, go to "My Computer", then Dial-Up Networking", then RIGHT CLICK your dialer icon (mine is named "syix") to get the menu, and select Properties.

You get to see this screen, make it look like this one, but of course, it will have YOUR modem settings there. Modem settings follow later on, be patient, and .... Oh yeah, make sure you have cleared the "Use country code..." stuff, you really don't need to dial 916 to call here.

Hit the "Server Type" button, and it should look EXACTLY like this, no variations. Eliminate anything different.

Now hit the "TCP/IP Settings" button, and it should look, once again, EXACTLY this way, no variations.

Hit the "OK" button above, and then still in "Dial-Up Networking" click on "Connections" then "Settings", you will get....

..this small screen, just turn on the redial, just in case....

NOW we need to check your modem settings, I can't show you all of them, but enter "Control Panels" (look way up top again, if you forgot where it was), and then find the "Modem" icon. This is what you should see. If there are any extra modems there, like old ones, remove them now, and if you have added one lately and its not there, add it now. If you do add/remove a modem, you will have to run back to the "control panels"-"internet" icon and reselect the modem there. What we mostly are doing is checking to see if your modem works OK. Select the "diagnostics" tab and...

...you will see this screen...

...select your modem, and click on "more info..." and wait a bit. You will get a screen similar to this! WARNING, if you get ANY error messages, warnings, or problems here, HIT THE F1 key and follow the help screens and fix it! This is what determines you modems performance, and is very important to your connection! The "ERROR" responses after the ATI1 and ATI2 commands are normal, you will see other things, basically you might see almost anything, but as long as SOMETHING appears here, and the information is similar to this, you will be fine. And if anything at all there says "WINRPI" RUN don't walk to a store and get a real modem, they are terrible for Internet Access.

There are other areas you can look at and check for performance problems, one is "control panels" "system" "performance" and make sure all is setup fine, also, you can dig deeper into the modem settings to add things to the modem strings and whatnot, not really recommended, but its available. For lots more information about Win95 and configuration of the Win95 communications subsystem you can take a look at www.windows95.com or www.microsoft.com and find out more.