windows dialer and browser question

[EJFan]

i was finally able to get out of AOL... or what i've affectionately called "FREE-O-L"... after 7 months. now, thankfully, i'm with netzero.

is there any way to configure the windows dialer to connect to netzero? i found this on a site... "Since it is not a TRUE ISP, you cannot dial in using Windows' Dial Up Connection. " so i'm assuming it's not possible but i'd like to confirm this with the local brain-trust.

also, is there ANY way to configure netzero's dialer to either NOT open a browser or to open a browser OTHER THAN internet explorer. if i can't use the windows dialer, i'd at least like to have it not open IE when it connects.

thanks folks... i appreciate it.

 

[Weird Harold]

is there any way to configure the windows dialer to connect to netzero? i found this on a site... "Since it is not a TRUE ISP, you cannot dial in using Windows' Dial Up Connection. " so i'm assuming it's not possible but i'd like to confirm this with the local brain-trust.

also, is there ANY way to configure netzero's dialer to either NOT open a browser or to open a browser OTHER THAN internet explorer. if i can't use the windows dialer, i'd at least like to have it not open IE when it connects.

I've never used NetZero, but I still have a Juno e-mail address and NetZero and Juno merged about a year ago, so I suspect that the two services work very similar.

You should be able to go to your control panel and set NetZero as your default internet connection so that programs will connect through NetZero when there is no internet connection active.

No, there is no way to stop NetZero from opening it's version of IE when you connect -- however, you should be ale to open the browser of your choice once NetZero is connected and use that instead.

Note, the above is based on my experience with both Juno and Prodigy and assumes a basic similarity in the way "Gateway" providers work.

 

[Eritz]

I fail to see how you can have an internet connection which isn't a dialup account. I hardly think an ISP is going to bugger off and write their own TCP/IP stack handler when the windows one works perfectly fine. Even always on broadband accounts use the dialup properties just with specific escape sequences in the number. It's more likely that they've taken the AOL approach of locking down the browsing environment so they can fire malware onto your PC.

It might be worth having a look at their dialer and having a look at any .ini or .cfg files which are kicking about to see if there is something you can change (always make backups first) or play about with your registry but from the sounds of it thats something you want to avoid.

 

[londonaberdeen]

Reading this wrong

I can only guess I'm reading this wrong is it appears too simple to me.

Are you asking for a means of connecting to your ISP without opening a browser?

If so, surely either open your dial up Networking connection and double click your chosen connection, or paste a shortcut on your desk top or short cut bar, pointing to your chosen connection.

As for your question about opening a browser other than IE. Yes. Open your chosen browser and check its settings. It may already ask you if it should be the default browser. if not look in the browser settings and make it your default browser. Also check the connections tab of your browser and make sure it connects using your chosen ISP or connection. This way when you open your prefered browser it will connect using your prefered connection.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Reading this wrong

As for your question about opening a browser other than IE. Yes. Open your chosen browser and check its settings.

The problem is that Juno/NetZero connects using a proprietary interface that is both an e-mail client and customized version of IE combined.

Double-clicking on the connection listed in the DUN list starts the proprietary interface and browser -- regrardless of what the default browser is set to.

Double-clicking on a URL shortcut or a check-updates link in Adaware or AVS will open the proprietary interface and broswer to connect. Only when the connection is already established, will double-clicking a URL shortcut open the designated default browser.

(AOL and Prodigy -- before SBC YAhoo! bought them out -- work the same way; they use proprietary interface software to establish and maintain the connection.)

 

[EJFan]

Re: Re: windows dialer and browser question

You should be able to go to your control panel and set NetZero as your default internet connection so that programs will connect through NetZero when there is no internet connection active.

No, there is no way to stop NetZero from opening it's version of IE when you connect -- however, you should be ale to open the browser of your choice once NetZero is connected and use that instead.

thanks WH. somehow i knew you'd be the first one in the pool on this.

i'm not having a problem connecting (if i'm reading your response correctly) but i wasnted to find a way to bypass the netzero dialer and use the windows one in its place.

 

[EJFan]

I fail to see how you can have an internet connection which isn't a dialup account. I hardly think an ISP is going to bugger off and write their own TCP/IP stack handler when the windows one works perfectly fine. Even always on broadband accounts use the dialup properties just with specific escape sequences in the number. It's more likely that they've taken the AOL approach of locking down the browsing environment so they can fire malware onto your PC.

It might be worth having a look at their dialer and having a look at any .ini or .cfg files which are kicking about to see if there is something you can change (always make backups first) or play about with your registry but from the sounds of it thats something you want to avoid.

thanks eritz. it seems a number of ISP's have proprietary dialers (from what i can determine with the little bit of pc knowledge i have) and you have to use THEIR dialer. sux, don't it. i guess they try to minimize username/password sharing so as not to have their revenues cut into.

oh well. at least it's better than dealing with the AOL drama and their giant desktop suite.

 

[EJFan]

Re: Reading this wrong

I can only guess I'm reading this wrong is it appears too simple to me.

Are you asking for a means of connecting to your ISP without opening a browser?

If so, surely either open your dial up Networking connection and double click your chosen connection, or paste a shortcut on your desk top or short cut bar, pointing to your chosen connection.

As for your question about opening a browser other than IE. Yes. Open your chosen browser and check its settings. It may already ask you if it should be the default browser. if not look in the browser settings and make it your default browser. Also check the connections tab of your browser and make sure it connects using your chosen ISP or connection. This way when you open your prefered browser it will connect using your prefered connection.

yeah... you aren't quite interpreting it right but i wrote it vaguely. sorry 'bout that. i know i can open another browser... i was just trying to eliminate the step of netzero opening IE on its own.

maybe i should start my own ISP so i don't have to deal with this kinda mess. let's all chip in and start an ISP consortium.

 

[Ezzy]

I fail to see how you can have an internet connection which isn't a dialup account.

Well you could have a cable modem, DSL, or even a T1 connection, none of which are dialup accounts.

 

[Eritz]

i guess they try to minimize username/password sharing so as not to have their revenues cut into.

Thats not true in the slightest, when you register you should have to provide your telephone number and the ISP and they will deny your usename unless it comes from a certain phone number. If yuo move your pc ino another house you won't be able to connect.

Personaly I would advie steering clear of any ISP that requires a properietry system to connect to the internet. I don't know what it's like where you are but in the UK only AOL offer such a package and are generaly frowned upon as offering an awful service.

 

[EJFan]

Personaly I would advie steering clear of any ISP that requires a properietry system to connect to the internet. I don't know what it's like where you are but in the UK only AOL offer such a package and are generaly frowned upon as offering an awful service.

i think AOL is frowned upon here too... except that it's a great product for the novice internet user. as i've said before, i kept aol because they kept givin' it to me for free. i'm a cheap SOB.

i don't believe there are too many ISP's (nationally available ISP's) that DON'T have proprietary dialers... at least that's what i'm noticing. but what do i know.

 

[Weird Harold]

i don't believe there are too many ISP's (nationally available ISP's) that DON'T have proprietary dialers... at least that's what i'm noticing. but what do i know.

Check out www.ispfinder.com to see if there is a company local to you that just offers internet access without a proprietary interface.

The ISP I found is a local company and the connection is done completely with Windows Dial-up Networking and the cost is comparable to most of the national ISPs -- an dthey have a local office where I can go to resolve problems face to face if necessary. (not that I've had any problems with them.)

 

[ReadyOne]

Haven't installed NZ recently, so I can't swear, but it's not too hard for them to write a windows dial-up connection provider which actually connects to anything (not just dialup networking). There's an example in the SDK they can easily customize....

The resulant object looks like a dialup connection and is listed in the "Connections" tab of "Internet Settings" and can be set as the default connection.

Then when you start anything which requests windows to dial in, the object is started by windows to perforn the connection. It starts the ISP propritary dialer, and then drives it same as the propritory brower does.

In fact, if the ISP wants to support FTP, SMTP, IE, and all the other services (instead of reproducing them as it did its prorpitary browser) then it has to provide this bridge object.

Now in theory, the object should NOT start the browser automatically. The program associated with the icon on the desktop (or running in the task tray) provided by the ISP normally starts the ISP dialer AND starts the propritory browser when the connection is established.

So look around for a dialer from NZ (start by looking at the connection tab) and set it as the default dialer. In some cases, you may have to run an install program provided by the ISP. For example, in the case of AOL, you stop the AOL browser, left click the task tray icon, select system info, and then something else in the system info list, and then you see a button to (re) install the AOL dialer.

FIanlly, look at "Set Program Access and Defaults" icon and change IE to Firefox or what ever. NZ should at least honor the setting and lanuch YOUR browser if it insists one must be launched.