Instructions for configuring Netscape Communicator

Configuring Netscape Communicator is done through the Edit Preferences dialog. To reach this dialog you first activate the Edit menu and then select the Preferences item. Make sure that you move the dialog box out of the way so that you can continue reading! Next, execute the following the steps:

  1. Open the Appearance menu by clicking on the '+' sign in front of the word "Appearance". Then click on the word "Colors".
  2. Make sure the box marked "Use Windows colors" is not checked. (This is the default setting.) Black is the default color for text. If you changed this before, you must change it back to black for this course.
  3. Disregard the colors for links (both unvisited and visited links). The courseware generates its own links so do not be surprised when links do not show up in the colors shown in this dialog box. Also, the courseware generates links that are not underlined, regardless whether you configured the browser to underline links or not.
  4. Make sure you have not checked the "Always use my colors" box. This is the default choice. The courseware will determine the colors, not the browser.
  5. Now open the Advanced menu by clicking on the '+' sign in front of the word "Advanced". Then click on the word "Proxies". There are now two possibilities:
    • If the box "Direct connection to the Internet" is checked then click on the "OK" button. Your browser is now properly configured.
    • If one of the two other boxes is checked (and if this is necessary because you are behind a firewall), then you must disable all caching. Click on the word "Cache" below the word "Advanced". Change the numbers for "Memory Cache" and "Disk Cache" to 0. Then check the box marked "Every time". Then click "OK". Your browser is now properly configured, but it is not an optimal setting for general use. You may wish to check out the possibility of studying this course off-line.