Customer Setup Information

(We recommend you print this entire page and keep it handy for reference.)

This page contains the information you will need in order to properly configure your computer for use with ColusaNET Internet services.  In the past, many ISPs including ColusaNET distributed a disk or CD to new customers so they could quickly configure their PC for use with their new account.  This became unnecessary around the year 2001 since everything you need came with your computer.  We want to help you learn how all this Internet stuff works, and the only way to do that is to show you.

In reality, a little known secret is that you can configure your computer far more quickly doing it manually than you can with a setup disk.  It's not very complicated.  Here's how it works.  You should probably print these instructions and keep them by your computer.  Check back from time to time and keep an up to date copy of this information.

Learning how to setup your computer is easier than you think, and knowing how to do it will save you exponentially more time in the future than you'll have to invest in order to learn this.  How much is your time worth?

(Here are a couple links to some instructions for network changes that occurred during spring of 2005.  Recent Network Changes and Follow-Up.  These two links are left here only for reference.)

Instructions for MS Windows Dial-Up configuration

For Windows XP:

  1. Click START

  2. Choose "Control Panel"

  3. When the Control Panel opens, choose "Network and Internet Connections"

  4. Next, double click on the "Internet Options" icon

  5. Click on the "Connections" tab and then choose "Set-Up"

  6. When the "New Connection Wizard" opens, click "Next" at the bottom

  7. In the next screen the first option is already selected, called "Connect to the Internet" so all you have to do is click "Next" at the bottom

  8. In the next screen you have to manually select the second option called "Setup my connection manually", then click "Next"

  9. Next choose "Connect using a dial-up modem" then click "Next" again

  10. In the next screen it wants you to enter a name for the icon, type the word COLUSANET and click "Next"

  11. The next screen is where you enter the phone number for your closest ColusaNET modem bank, see http://www.colusanet.com/o1numbers3.htm.  (NOTE: This is only a partial list, we have thousands of modems available all over the US, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii.  We can also arrange for toll free service if needed.)  Below are the most common local numbers for the Colusa county area:

  12. Enter your "username" and password in the fields, your username MUST be followed by @colusanet.com such as johndoe@colusanet.com.  The username should be all lower case, no spaces, and end with @colusanet.com otherwise you will be denied access.  Once you enter and confirm the password, click "Next"

  13. In the next box, select the checkbox that says "Create a shortcut on your desktop" then click "Finish"

You can now double click the new shortcut to access ColusaNET, or simply run Internet Explorer or any other Internet software such as Outlook Express; you computer should automatically invoke the dial-up sequence.


That's IT!


For Windows 95/98:

  1. Click "Start" and then click "Settings"

  2. Choose "Control Panel" from the sub-menu

  3. In Control Panel, double click the "Internet Options" icon

  4. Click on the "Connections" tab

  5. When the "New Connection Wizard" opens, choose "I want to set up my connection manually" and then click "Next"

  6. Choose the option "I connect through a phone line and modem" and then click "Next"

  7. Locate and UNcheck the box labeled "dial using the area code and country code" and then enter the phone number from the list above in the XP section

  8. Enter your username (must end with @colusanet.com such as johndoe@colusanet.com) and then enter your password

  9. When asked for the "Connection Name" enter COLUSANET, then click "Next"

  10. Choose "No" regarding setting up an email account

  11. To connect now: select the checkbox and click "Finish"

  12. To connect later: Click on the "Shortcut to ColusaNET" icon which is now on your desktop, click "Dial" and wait for the connection

That's IT!


Dial-Up Settings:

Access Numbers
Inbound mail server:
secure.emailsrvr.com
Outbound mail server: secure.emailsrvr.com
For other options see: www.colusanet.com

 

Broadband Settings for SDSL and Wireless Customers:

Inbound mail server: secure.emailsrvr.com
Outbound mail server: smtp.colusanet.com
For other options see: www.colusanet.com

Email Software Setup:

Outlook Express

NOTE: If you are trying to figure out why you can't receive mail even though your account settings are correct, it's likely to be caused by a rather regularly occurring bug in Outlook Express, the solution being to simply delete the account in OE and create it anew.   (Often times this happens; OE is apparently sending garbage behind the scenes.)

To setup your existing email account with Outlook Express:

  1. Pull down the Tools Menu and choose ACCOUNTS

  2. Click the ADD button, then choose MAIL

  3. In the DISPLAY NAME field, enter your name with correct punctuation, such as John Doe, then click NEXT

  4. In the EMAIL ADDRESS field, enter your email address, all lower case, no spaces, then click NEXT

  5. In the INCOMING MAIL SERVER field, enter secure.emailsrvr.com

  6. In the OUTGOING MAIL SERVER field, enter secure.emailsrvr.com for Broadband customers, or use smtp.safepages.com for Dial-Up.

  7. In the ACCOUNT NAME field enter your full email address again (not just the username portion), then enter your password; all lower case, no spaces.  Click NEXT

  8. Click FINISH

  9. This should leave you back at the Internet Accounts window, where your new account now appears.  Double click on the new account you just made, there is another setting that must be made, and it doesn't show up the first time through.  You need to make changes to the account you just created.

  10. After you've opened the account back up, click on the MORE SETTINGS button and/or the Advanced Tab.

  11. Locate and check both boxes near the top where it says, "This server requires a secure connection."  Check them both, incoming and outgoing.  This is for encryption.

  12. Your account should now work correctly.  The first time you try it or test it you may get an error about a Certificate Mismatch.  Just OK the warning, it's not a problem, and you won't see that message after the first time.

  13. Then click on the OUTGOING SERVER tab and activate the checkbox that says My Outgoing Server Requires Authentication.  OK when you're done.

  14. Be advised, Outlook Express has a known bug that will cause email to fail, but only sometimes.  This can happen if you make changes to an existing account in OE.  So if things were working correctly, but you went into the account settings to make a change, don't be surprised if it stops working.  When this happens, the fix is to simply delete the account in OE and go through these steps again making the account from scratch.  This is a known OE malfunction and is not the result of any problem with the email system.

 

Eudora Pro

  1. Pull down the Tools Menu and choose Options

  2. Select the GETTING STARTED category

  3. Enter the appropriate values for the fields as mentioned above, and check the box that says "Allow Authentication."

  4. Click OK, you're all done