Frequently Asked Questions:
Internet Service
The CoreComm FAQ (list of Frequently Asked Questions) answers questions that are frequently asked of
CoreComm's technical support department.
Part Seven: World Wide Web Questions
7.01: Why do I get a "DNS" or "Host not found" error?
A DNS error indicates that your web browser could not look up the numeric equivalent (IP address) of the text address
(Domain or URL) that was entered into the location box or in the link you clicked on. This could be for several
reasons:
- The address of the site was misspelled by the person entering it in the Location blank, or by the person who set
up the link.
- You are actually not connected to the Internet, and so the address couldn't be found. Some dialers, especially
the Windows 95/98 are particularly prone to not dialing in automatically. If this happens, try dialing in with your
dialer utility before running Netscape.
- You have the DNS server addresses entered incorrectly in your dialer configuration. Check the configuration of
your dialer (the program you use to connect to the Internet) and make sure the DNS information is correct. You can
find your server information here.
- A DNS error in Internet software is also commonly caused by having more than one file named wsock32.dll on a
Windows 95/98 system. If you are in Windows95/98, click on Start, then Find, then Find Files or Folders. Type
wsock32.dll in the "Named:" field, and click on "Find Now". If there are wsock32.dll files that are NOT in the
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ directory (note: files in just \WINDOWS\ are not in the correct location), rename them wsock32.bak,
and try your connection again after restarting the computer. If you find that renaming a wsock32.dll affects the use
of other Internet software on your system, you can name it back after your Internet session on our system.
If you are in Windows 3.1, you'll want to look for extra winsock.dll files by going into the File Manager, selecting
File -> Search, searching for winsock.dll from C:\ and click Ok. Select File then Rename to rename any winsock.dll
files not found in the directory appropriate for the software you're using.
7.02: What is a "cookie"?
A cookie is a small piece of information sent to your browser which contains information about preferences you've set
on a web site. For example, if you go to an on-line bookstore and put 3 books in your cart but then decide that you
want to purchase those books later, the web site will send a cookie to your browser with information on what books
you selected. When you visit that site again, the cookie will be sent back to the site, and the site will display
"where you left off."
While some have theorized that cookies may be being used to track information on your actions on a web site for
advertisement or monitoring purposes, cookies can be considered a valuable and harmless tool for web sites to use
for "saving your settings" for a particular page. A good source of information on cookies is the
Cookie Central web site.
7.03: Is it safe to send my credit card number over the web?
If the merchant that you are sending your credit card to is running a secure web server (also known as an SSL secure
server), any information sent to that server is encrypted, or scrambled, so that it cannot be intercepted along the
way. You can tell, in Netscape, if the page you are on is secure by noting the key or lock in the lower-left hand
corner of the browser -- the key will be solid with a blue background, or the lock will be "closed" if the page is
secure. Sites can contain a mix of secure and "non-secure" pages. For example, our start page at
does not require this type of security, the page you can use to sign
up for a Zoo Society membership is secure.
If the page you're on is not secure, it is not recommended to submit your credit card or personal information in a form
on that page.
7.04: How do I keep my kids from going to undesirable sites?
CoreComm offers the Family Filter to block potentially harmful web sites for customers
who choose to have it enabled. The Family Filter is a quick, safe and easy way to get connected to family-friendly content. You also receive five E-Mail accounts and 15MB of disk space for personal web pages.
Each night, the latest list of blocked sites and keywords are uploaded to our filtering server and automatically put into action. You do not
have to worry about whether or not you have "the latest list" -- it's filtered on our server and taken care of for you.
Please visit the Family Filter page for more information, or call customer service at 1-888-747-4638.
7.05: When I visit a web site, new information doesn't show even though I know it's been changed.
Netscape and Internet Explorer both cache (pronounced "cash") the web pages you visit; meaning that they store the pages
on your hard drive so that if you visit the page again later, the program will be able to load the page quickly off of
your hard drive instead of slowly through your modem. However, you may find that there is a case where you'll see the
cached copy of the web site even though the page has changed: click on the reload button in your browser, and the
newer version of the page will appear.
If that does not work, you should be able to clear the disk and memory cache or remove the temporary internet files
by going into the preferences of your web browser. Restart the web browser and try going to the page again.
7.06: What are all these files in the cache directory?
In section 7.04 above, we describe the cache feature of Netscape and Internet Explorer. In the
cache directory, you will find elements of the web pages you previously visited. While it is safe to delete the
contents of the cache directory, it is recommended that you leave the cache files there as having cached files will
typically result in faster performance when visiting your favorite sites.
7.07: Why can't I print information from the World-Wide Web from Netscape?
The most common cause of printing problems from Netscape's web browsers is incompatibility with the printer driver you're
using on your system. If you are having difficulty printing, we recommend you visit your printer manufacturer's web site
to download drivers, or to search their tech support databases for similar problem reports. The most common printer
manufacturers are:
- http://www.hp.com
- http://www.usa.canon.com
- http://www.epson.com
7.08: I downloaded the new version of Netscape, and now I can't find my mail?
Within a period of time, the Netscape corporation released two very similar products: Netscape Communicator 4.xx and
Netscape Navigator 4.xx. While the Netscape Navigator 3.x products included the ability to read Internet mail, Netscape
Navigator 4.xx does not. In order to have the ability to read mail in Netscape's 4.xx browser, you would want to
download the Communicator package from Netscape's web site.
7.09: What is Java and JavaScript?
Java is a language developed by Sun Microsystems which allows World Wide Web pages to contain code that is executed in
the browser. Because Java is based on a single "virtual machine" that all implementations of Java emulate, it is
possible for Java programs to run on any system, which has a version of Java. It is also possible for the "virtual
machine" emulator to make sure that Java programs downloaded through the web do not attempt to do unauthorized things.
Actually, Java can be used in the absence of the World Wide Web, but the application that has sparked so much
interest in Java is HotJava, a web browser written in the Java language. You can learn more about Java and HotJava
from Sun's HotJava home page.
JavaScript is a programming language developed by Netscape Communications Corp. and Sun Microsystems. Originally called
LiveScript (and still called LiveWire by Netscape in its compiled, server-side incarnation), JavaScript is affiliated with
Sun's object-oriented programming language Java primarily as a marketing convenience. They inter-operate well but are
technically, functionally and behaviorally very different.
JavaScript is useful for adding interactivity to the World Wide Web because scripts can be embedded in HTML files
(i.e., web pages) simply by enclosing code in a <SCRIPT></SCRIPT> tag pair. All modern browsers can interpret JavaScript
-- albeit with some irritating caveats.
In principle, though, JavaScript is a fairly universal extension to HTML that can enhance the user experience through
event handling and client-side execution, while extending a web developer's control over the client's browser.
7.10: Does CoreComm support the Microsoft FrontPage extensions?
Yes we do! Business customers that use CoreComm to host their web site can use FrontPage extensions.
For more information, please see our Web Hosting pages.
