This error may be caused if either your login or password are typed incorrectly. Here are some different items you can check:

• Make sure you are typing your PPP login in with a capital "P" and is eight characters or less in length.
• Make sure you don't have the CAPS LOCK on - all logins and passwords are case sensitive.

It is possible to access AOL through Excel.Net and the Internet. The following are the steps which need to be taken to configure the AOL software to work this way. Once it has been configured you will need to follow the remaining steps to get online and once you are in the AOL system you will be able to fully use all of the areas that they offer. The instructions below are for version 3.0 and above, but may also work with version 2.5 with slight changes in the options.

Setting Up the Connection:

1. Start the AOL software as if you were going to login.
2. At the "Welcome" window press click the Setup button.
3. On the "Network and Modem Setup" window select your location (Home by default) and click the Edit Location button.
4. You will then be presented with the "Network Setup" window. Under the Network item select TCP/IP from the drop down list.
5. Click the Save button, then the OK button to return to the "Welcome" screen.
6. Close down the AOL software, the configuration is complete

Accessing AOL through the Internet:

1. Dial into Excel.Net as you normally would to access the Internet. In Windows95 you will use the Dial-Up Networking, Windows 3.1 will use Internet Explorer or Trumpet Winsock, and Macintosh will use the PPP.
2. After you have established your connection with Excel.Net, start the AOL software.
3. Click the Sign On button and you should get logged in over the Internet.

Those are the only steps necessary to get the connection established. Their Internet gateway has given us many problems in the past. It will work fine one day and stop working the next. We have run multiple tests (pings, traceroutes,...) and believe that the problem has been on their side in every instance. However, if you call their support numbers they will tell you it is the local provider but have never provided us with any information or test results. Therefore we will not be offering any support beyond these steps for accessing AOL.

• PPP is not selected in the MacTCP window. If it is, click on Local Talk button and then switch back to the PPP button. Then restart.
• Zap the PRAM by simultaneously holding down the option-command-P-R keys while restarting. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts 3 times, then release keys. Configure MacTCP for PPP.
• Restart your Mac with the shift key down to disable extensions. Trash the MacTCP DNR file in System Folder and the MacTCP Prep file in the Preferences Folder. Restart.

• Wrong Port Speed. Usually it should be:
  • 14.4 uses 38400
  • 28.8 uses 57600
  • 33.6 uses 115200
• Turn off all FAX software in the extension's manager and restart.

• Usually it means and address is wrong.
• Check settings in Config PPP, MacTCP, TCP/IP or PPP depending upon which ones are being used.

• If you are using a modem other than a Global Village, it may need an INIT string if using ConfigPPP, or the wrong modem is selected in the Modem Control Panel, if OT/PPP is being used
• Open the Teleport Control Panel if a Global Village and make sure the "init settings" box is checked. Also click on reset modem button.

The following instructions can be used to change Trumpet Winsock so that it is no longer necessary to type your login and password each time.

1. Start Trumpet and select the Dialer/Edit Scripts menu
2. Select the 'login.cmd' file from the list and press OK.
3. This will bring up an editor. Find the lines which begin with:
   username "Enter...
   password "Enter...
4. Add the following two lines after the password line:
   save $username
   save $password
5. From the file menu select Save and then Exit.
6. Run the script and carefully key in the username and password
7. Disconnect
8. Select the Dialler/Edit Scripts menu
9. Select the 'login.cmd' file from the list and press OK.
10. Go back to the same area as before
11. Delete the lines which say:
    username "Enter...
    password "Enter...
12. Change the 'save' on the next two lines to 'load'
13. From the file menu select Save and then Exit.

You should now be able to login into Excel.Net simply by selecting the Dialer/Login option. This can be automated one step further if you would like. Select the Dialer/Options menu and change the top option to 'Automatic login on start up only'. Now whenever you start the Trumpet program it will automatically begin dialing!

We would suggest making the following changes to the system and seeing if it helps the problems at all. First you will need to go into the Dial-Up Networking folder and press the right mouse button on the Excel.Net icon. Then select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. This will bring up the settings window and there should be a General tab. Unless you have configured Win95 to work with area codes we suggest that you make sure this field is not filled in. Next, press the Server Type button. This will bring up another window. Make sure that it is setup with the following values:

Dial-Up Server:
    PPP: Windows95, Win NT 3.5, Internet

Advanced Options:
    Log Onto Network   Unchecked
    Enable Soft Compress   Checked
    Require Encrypted Pass   Unchecked

Allowed Network Protocols:
    NetBEUI   Unchecked
    IPX/SPX Compatible    Unchecked
    TCP/IP   Checked

Press the TCP/IP Settings button and make sure the following values are filled in:
    Server Assigned IP Address
    Server Assigned Name Server addresses
    Use IP Headed Compression   Checked
    Use default gateway   Checked

Press the OK button on this Window and the Server Types window. This should get you back to the General tab. Press the Configure button which should bring up the setup window for the Modem. On the General tab, make sure that the Maximum speed is set properly. This value can be set to 4x the modem speed (ie. 14,400 = 57,600, 28,800 = 115,200), unless you have a 2400 baud modem. Do not check the button which says 'Only connect at this speed'. Next, press the Connection tab and then the Port Settings... button. Set the Receive buffer to the second notch from the left and the Send buffer to the third notch from the left. Press the OK button. Press the Advanced button and make sure that Flow control is checked and the Hardware (RTS/CTS) option is selected. Press the OK button. Finally, select the Options tab. Make sure that neither of the options under the Connection control are filled in. Press the OK button, and then press the OK button again on the General page.

This should set the dialer up to its optimal settings. Try the login process a few more times and see if this helps the problem.