User Guide User GuideWelcome to MyStargate for Macintosh. MyStargate is designed to make your connections easy to manage and trouble-free to maintain every time you connect to the Internet. MyStargate manages your critical System and Internet application settings from one location, so you never have to worry about finding the right Control Panel or application preference setting again.
MyStargate works along with your existing networking software to provide a central location for managing your connections. From MyStargate you can:
The Getting Started section gives you the basics on how to troubleshoot connection and configuration errors to give you the best possible Internet connection every time you get online.
Getting up and running with MyStargate for the first time is a snap, because MyStargate has automatically configured your computer for your new account. This group of settings is referred to as a Configuration Set. The Configuration Set stores your settings for connecting, web browsing, e-mail, newsreading and more. If you share your computer with someone, the configuration sets allow you to switch between your setup and theirs, including web, news, e-mail, chat, and connection settings. For mobile computer users, the configuration sets allow you to switch between office settings and home settings, or switch between set-ups for other locations.
To launch MyStargate, double-click the MyStargate icon [See Figure 2-1] in the Stargate folder.
Figure 2-1 The MyStargate Icon
Upon launching MyStargate for the first time, you will find yourself at the MyStargate Main Window [See Figure 2-2]. This is the control center of MyStargate where you are just a mouse click away from editing settings, connecting to Stargate, or reconfiguring your system with another Configuration Set if you have multiple dial-up accounts.
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Figure 2-2 The MyStargate Main Window |
We will cover the main window in depth in this chapter, but briefly, the buttons at the top allow you to launch Internet applications, and Profile and Verify the settings on your computer. The three panels below control the common day-to-day functions: switching configurations (for multiple accounts), dialing up your Internet account, and monitoring the status of your connections. You can make each panel, or the message area, invisible by clicking the triangular toggle button at the left of the panel's title.
To connect to Stargate, click once on the Connect button. Note that the Connect button will change to say Disconnect once you have connected. To disconnect from Stargate, click once on the Disconnect button.
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Figure 2-3 The Button Bar |
Clicking on the top six buttons [See Figure 2-3] gives you quick access to important features. The first four buttons, which look like a globe, a letter, a newspaper, and a word balloon, launch your Internet applications. From left to right the first buttons will launch Internet Explorer and Outlook Express Mail.
You will find information on how to use these programs at the Web address provided.
Finally, the last two buttons access onboard configuration diagnostics. The View button (the magnifying glass) opens the Profile dialog for creating a complete list of your system settings. The Fix button (the first-aid symbol) opens the Verify dialog which tests the integrity of your System's configuration setup and allows you to fix errors found. We will cover these in more detail in the Diagnostics section.
You can also change the program buttons to launch other applications. We will cover this in the Changing the Program Buttons section of this chapter.
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Figure 2-4 The Configuration Panel |
The Configuration panel [See Figure 2-4] displays your active configuration set. Notice that next to the menu displaying the name of the set, there is a short summary of the settings, including your User ID and your Domain.
The Configuration panel gives you the controls to change the Internet settings on your computer system with a single mouse-click. If you have multiple accounts with Stargate, you can switch over all of your settings for a Configuration Set by clicking the pop-up menu and choosing another configuration as your Active Set [See the Advanced User Mode section in this chapter].
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Figure 2-5 The Connect To Panel |
The Connect To panel [See Figure 2-5] provides controls for connecting to the Internet with a modem and is only available when you have a PPP-type Configuration Set active in the Configuration panel. If you have a local network (Ethernet) connection selected, the panel is grayed out and not used. From the drop down menu on the left, choose the location you want to dial. The From menu is used to select your present Dialing Location.
Click the Connect button to connect to Stargate with your modem. You can cancel the connection in progress by clicking on this button. When you are connected, clicking on this button again disconnects you from your service. Note that the Connect button will change to say Disconnect once you have connected.
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Figure 2-6 The Status Panel |
The Status panel [See Figure 2-6] on the main window displays information about your active connection.
The set of meters in the middle are server status lights that tell you which of your servers are up and running. The blue traffic monitor on the right, alerts you to periods of heavy Internet traffic. And finally, if connected via modem, the last meter displays how long you have been connected (not shown if connected via a local network connection).
If you have a Configuration Set for Ethernet/LAN selected in the Configuration panel above and are hooked up to a live Ethernet connection, the Status panel will always be active - you should see colored server status indicators lit up. If the currently active Set is configured for a dial-up connection, the meters on the Status panel will only be active if you are connected to your service.
Below these meters are two important items that are activated when first connecting online: the mail alert and the Message of the Day [See Figure 2-7].
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Figure 2-7 The Message of the Day and Mail Alert Section |
Once you connect to Stargate, the mail alert checks your e-mail account and tells you if you have any new messages waiting; click on the small envelope icon to check for mail again. You will need to launch your mail reader application to download and read the e-mail messages.
The Message of the Day section below the mail alert will display updates and messages from Stargate, including maintenance schedules or special offers.
Click the Connect button. The Status indicators will light up when your connection is established and the counter at the right of the Status window will time the length of your connection. You can launch your Internet applications and leave MyStargate running in the background, if you wish; however, MyStargate is not required to remain open in order for you to be connected to the Internet.
MyStargate allows you to control almost every aspect of your Internet connection. You can also modify the program buttons to launch your favorite Internet applications.
You can change the program buttons to launch other applications by taking the following steps:
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Figure 2-8 The Application Section of the Preferences Window |
You can also use the Launch on Connect button to select an application to be launched automatically when you connect to Stargate.
Dialing Locations provide MyStargate with information about where you are dialing from, such as area code and whether you need to dial 9 for an outside line. MyStargate lets you customize Dialing Locations, making it easy to switch between locations. Powerbook users can set up a location for home, work and even different cities. The From menu, located in the Connect panel of the main window, is used to select your present Dialing Location.
Creating
and Using Dialing Locations
Dialing Locations are used by MyStargate to control location-specific dialing properties for modem connections. MyStargate contains only one list of Locations shared by any accounts you may have with Stargate.
At the very least, each location contains the area code you are dialing from. If the area code in the Location you are dialing from matches the area code of the phone number you are dialing, MyStargate usually skips the area code and just dials the seven digit number (unless you specify otherwise as explained in the Managing Locations section of this chapter). Locations may also contain other information, such as dialing prefixes for dialing out from an office or disabling Call Waiting, and suffixes such as special billing or calling card numbers.
The Manage Locations dialog lets you create, adjust and directly edit MyStargate's list of Dialing Locations.
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Figure 2-9 The Manage locations Window |
Note: See Dialing Locations above. Multiple dial locations normally apply only if you have a laptop and travel frequently. You are not required to have more than one dial location (or access number).
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Figure 2-10 The Find Number Window |
To find all of the access numbers in your Phonebook, leave the field blank and click the Find button.
By switching to Advanced User Mode you can control your Configuration Sets. Configuration Sets contain most of the preferences for your Internet applications. These settings include where and how you connect, as well as your e-mail address, starting home page, news server and chat settings.
If, for example, you have more than one account with Stargate, or if you must access a different network from your office, then the Advanced User Mode of MyStargate offers a simple way create and edit multiple Configuration Sets, and switch between them using the Configuration panel on the Main Window.
To switch to Advanced User Mode, take the following steps:
If you click on the Manage menu, you will notice that it has 3 new menu items.
Manage Configuration Sets will give you a list of your available Configuration Sets and allow you to Duplicate, Rename, Edit and Remove your configuration sets.
Edit Phonebook menu item allows you to edit your Stargate access number, in case your local access number changes or new numbers become available.
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Tip: Please be aware that you are responsible for any long distance charges you may incur in reaching our service. We suggest that you verify that the number you connect to is in your local calling area before using it. |
Edit The Active Set. will bring up the Configuration window and allow you to edit the currently active set.
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Tip: MyStargate cannot edit the active set while you are connected to the Internet or when Internet Applications are open. Disconnect from the Internet; you will be prompted to close all Internet applications before proceeding. |
Editing Your Configuration Set
The Edit Configuration Set dialog [See Figure 2-10] gives you access to every essential Internet software setting - all in one location! If you wish to reconfigure the Internet software on your computer, you can simply return to this dialog and edit the settings in the Configuration Set. For instance, when you change your Real Name and User ID in the Account section, applications and PPP software which rely upon this information will be reconfigured to reflect the change.
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Tip: Be aware that some of Stargate's settings are automatically updated whenever you connect to your service. MyStargate has the built-in ability to check with Stargate to ensure your settings are current. If they aren't, you may be asked by MyStargate to quit open applications so that your account can be automatically updated. |
Choose Edit Active Set under the Manage menu to begin editing your configuration. The Edit Configuration Set window will open [See Figure 2-11].
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Figure 2-11 The Edit Configuration Set Window |
Each tab at the top of the Edit Configuration Set represents a different aspect of Internet configuration stored with this Configuration Set. Click any tab to view and edit your settings.
Because MyStargate lets you edit a comprehensive assortment of settings, there are more tabs than will fit in the tab window at one time. Use the left and right arrows, located on either side of the tabs, to scroll the tabs back and forth [See Figure 2-12].
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Figure 2-12 The Left and Right Arrows |
Each tab belongs to a particular group of settings. There are four settings groups altogether--Personal, Protocol, Dialing and Application--and each group is represented by an icon. You can quickly jump the list to the first tab in each group by clicking on the corresponding buttons in the upper-right-hand corner of the dialog [See Figure 2-13].
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Figure 2-13 The Personal, Connection, Dialing, and Application Settings Buttons. |
The name and account information on this tab serves a dual purpose. They are used to allow you to connect to Stargate and they are used to identify you to people on the Internet. When you first installed MyStargate, the setup application asked you for this information and you should verify here that it is still accurate.
These settings tell your TCP/IP software how to connect to the Internet.
The addresses listed here are required for your TCP software to steer you through the Internet by connecting to Stargate's servers.
These settings help fine tune Remote Access. If you do not have a Remote Access connection specified in Protocol, this tab will be grayed out.
This panel lets you define information regarding modem and serial port settings for a dial-up connection using Remote Access. If you do not have a PPP connection specified on the Protocol page, this tab is grayed out.
NOTE: Click the Use Default Settings button to return the Init String, Port Speed and Flow Control back to the recommended default settings.
You also have the option of choosing tone or pulse dialing, dependent on your phone system, and turning the modem's speaker on or off.
These fields configure e-mail settings in Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Communicator, Newswatcher and Internet Config. The SMTP and POP server are a function of your e-mail address.
This setting is configured in web browser software you have on your computer, such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Internet Config.
These settings are set in news reading applications, such as Outlook Express and Newswatcher. The NNTP server is a function of your e-mail address.
These settings are used for security purposes to set server proxy and firewall settings in your web browser applications.
Use Proxies - Stargate does not use proxies.
Proxy Configuration - Automatic: If you have been given a URL, choose this menu item after clicking Use Proxies and enter a URL. Manual: If you have been given a series of URLs for all your Proxy servers, choose this option after clicking Use Proxies and enter the URLs in the spaces provided.
Saving Changes to Your Configuration
When satisfied with the changes you made to your Configuration Set, click the Save button. Saving your changes causes MyStargate to immediately reconfigure the Internet software on your computer, you may be asked to quit any open applications. But before doing so, MyStargate saves the existing Internet preferences and settings in case you need to restore them later. If you want to quit the Edit Configuration Set window, discarding the changes, simply click Cancel.
If you made any critical mistakes in altering your configuration which prevent you from connecting with Stargate, you can still restore your previous settings which have been backed up "just in case". Use the Restore Previous Settings option to return to a working account [See the Restore Settings section in this chapter].
Once your computer has established an active connection, the Status panel displays pending e-mail messages awaiting delivery, any service message from Stargate, plus information about the speed and quality of your connection.
The Connection meter can be set to measure the amount of data being sent and received deliver useful information about your connection. By clicking on the drop-down menu to the right of the meter, you toggle the display options [See Figure 2-14]:
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Figure 2-14 The Status Panel Options |
The first two options are only available in Advanced User Mode [See the Advanced User Mode section of this chapter].
The set of meters in the middle [See Figure 2-13] tells you whether your servers (DNS, Mail and News) are online.
Failure of Mail and News servers may hamper your ability to send and receive e-mail, and read newsgroups. Failure with your DNS servers usually means that you will not be able to use your Internet service at all.
Note: Stargate maintains backup systems to reduce downtime.
The meter (located on the far right of the Status window) measures traffic congestion through your connection--an empty meter indicates traffic is heavy and it may take longer to transmit large files or view web sites.
Finally, if you connected with a modem, a fourth meter displays the amount of time in hours/minutes/seconds that you have been connected once you are online.
One of the more powerful features built into MyStargate is the ability for Stargate to automatically update your account configuration to keep it current. Each time you connect to Stargate, MyStargate checks to make sure information such as your server addresses, dial-up access numbers are up-to-date. This process takes few seconds.
If there are critical changes to your account configuration, MyStargate will download the update and close your connection so that the next time you connect, you will have the most current configuration setup for connecting through Stargate. Most of this updating activity is done in the background, so all you have to do is click OK to have your account reconfigured with the most accurate settings!
MyStargate provides tools for resolving configuration and connection errors. Some of the tools are automatic--you may not notice them working until a problem is found! This section explains the tools that let you discover, prevent and fix configuration problems on your machine--the Diagnostics.
Figure 2-15 The Verify Settings Icon
The Verify Settings dialog checks the settings in your System and application software and compares them to the settings in the currently active Configuration Set. If settings on your computer are different from what MyStargate remembers, you can reconfigure them with your current set or ignore the discrepancy. Verify also checks your Internet preferences files for evidence of corruption. To use Verify, click the Verify Settings icon [See Figure 2-15] on the main window, or choose Verify Current Settings from the Diagnostics menu.
MyStargate will begin checking your system. If it finds no differences or corruption, a message is displayed telling you there are no conflicts. If Verify finds conflicts, it gives you a chance to fix them. For each field in which MyStargate finds a difference, it displays the value found on your computer and the value as stored in MyStargate.
Reconfigure System with MyStargate Settings - This corrects mismatched settings using the values in MyStargate. With the current version of MyStargate, this is your only option unless you wish to ignore the errors. Click on OK to complete the operation.
You can also click Ignore to ignore the conflicts and continue to use MyStargate. However, until you edit and save the Active Set to reflect the discrepancies, or switch to another Configuration Set, the settings in MyStargate will not match the settings on your computer.
MyStargate can verify your settings every time it starts up. Open the MyStargate Preferences dialog and make sure the Run diagnostics on startup box is selected. This is a sure way to consistently guard against corruption and mismatched settings. This option is selected by default, since it is preferable to have MyStargate protect against any corruption or changes which may occur on your System. The startup diagnostic check only takes a few seconds and is good preventive maintenance.
Figure 2-16
The Profile Icon
Profile reads Internet settings on your system and displays a list of how your computer is configured at that time. These are not necessarily the settings in your Configuration Set. Profile is helpful when tracking down problems and for technical support. You can compile a settings inventory in seconds. To use the same settings on another computer, just print a profile and take it with you for reference!
To use Profile, click the magnifying glass icon [See Figure 2-15] on the main window or choose Profile Current Settings from the Diagnostics menu.
When Profile starts, it takes a few seconds to read the settings from your computer. When finished, it displays a list of applications and their settings. You can scroll down to review, Print a copy or Save the information as a text file.
The Restore Settings dialog contains snapshots of your system's Internet preferences at a given time, as well as your active Configuration Set. When you switch or modify Configuration Sets, MyStargate saves the state of all your settings before the change. If your settings are destroyed, or you accidentally make a change causing your connection to malfunction, you can use this dialog to return to a Configuration Set, and system settings that previously worked for you to get online.
To access the Restore Settings dialog, select Restore Previous Settings from the Diagnostics menu. The dialog displays the original backup and the date and time of the last backup.
To use Restore, simply click on which backup you would like to restore from, then click the Restore button.
Choosing Reapply Active Settings from the Diagnostics menu rewrites the settings from your active Configuration Set back to your system. If your Active Set worked previously, and now no longer work, chances are a setting was changed or was corrupted on your system without MyStargate knowing about it. Just choose this menu item and your MyStargate Configuration Set is reapplied to your System and supported Internet applications.
The Connection Log window provides details about the dial-up process once you click Connect as well as details about Stargate's DNS, mail, and News Servers once you're online. This information is especially important for Stargate's Technical Support representatives if you require help, since you can instantly provide them with a history of any errors MyStargate encountered when trying to connect.
Choose Open Connection Log under the Diagnostics menu. Stargate's tech support folks may ask you to Print the log and fax it to them or Save the log to send over electronically. Otherwise, click Close to close the log--the most current statistics will be retained in case you need to refer to the log again.
In the event you encounter an error message while using MyStargate, the following problem list is designed to walk you through the path to recovery.
MyStargate Resources and Support
If you have problems using MyStargate or have experienced an error you believe is related to Stargate, there are several sources of information to help you. However, first make sure you have first run through the onboard MyStargate diagnostics:
See the Verify Settings and Restore Settings sections in this chapter for further information.
Support for Connection
Problems
If you are experiencing problems connecting to the Internet, and your MyStargate settings appear to be correct, the problem may be with your modem or settings.
If you upgrade your modem, and you don't see your model in the list of supported modems on the Modem page when editing your Configuration Set, you can download and update the list automatically. Simply choose Update Modem List under the Diagnostics menu and MyStargate will look online for the latest update.
Chances are you have a problem with your modem if:
Often these problems can be corrected by using a different init string on the Modem page of the Edit Configuration Set window. Look in your modem's documentation for answers, if you cannot find them there, contact your modem's manufacturer for support since these are modem-related issues that may be unfamiliar to Stargate.
If your modem seems to connect, but you are unable to log on to Stargate's servers--or if you can log on but are unable to read and send e-mail, browse the Web, and so on--chances are your modem settings are OK, but something is wrong with the settings for MyStargate.
Double-check the settings in your Configuration Set to see if you altered anything incorrectly. If you continue experiencing problems, try Restore Settings to ensure you have correct information. See the Restore Settings section in this chapter for further information.
If you accidentally make changes to your Configuration Sets, or if MyStargate initializes your settings improperly, you can restore your active Internet settings to a previously saved state as previously mentioned. See the Restore Settings section in this chapter for further information.
Supported Software
MyStargate manages settings and preferences for popular Internet system software and application software (such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express). So after you configure an important setting inside MyStargate, MyStargate does the rest by managing the Internet software on your machine and reconfiguring application files with the new info--on the fly!
System Software Configured by MyStargate
MyStargate manages preference files for the following System software:
MyStargate configures Internet Config, which is supported by many other Internet applications--for instance, Microsoft Internet Explorer. You can set any application which supports Internet Config to work with MyStargate. Most Internet Config-enabled applications have a preferences setting you must select for the application to read its settings from Internet Config. Select this option in your Internet software and these programs will be reconfigured along with your other MyStargate-supported software.
Application Software Configured by MyStargate
MyStargate reconfigures the following Internet applications. Changing a configuration setting in MyStargate affects some or all of these applications, depending on the type of setting:
Getting More Help with MyStargate
In addition to this User's Guide, there are extensive help resources within the program to guide you through the dialogs and processes. Help is available from the following sources:
Active Help - When holding the mouse pointer over a field or button within MyStargate, an explanation of the item's function is displayed in the gray bar at the bottom of the window. When you become comfortable with the features of MyStargate, you can turn off active help in Preferences under the Edit Menu.
MyStargate User Guide - This MyStargate User Guide gives you additional information about MyStargate. Select MyStargate User Guide from the Help Menu in MyStargate to launch this guide within your web browser.
MyStargate Help Menu - MyStargate Help Menu provides one-click access to important resources online.
Stargate Online Support - Stargate's online resource for help with your Internet software. http://help.stargate.net
Contact Stargate Technical Support - Stargate can
assist you with any serious problems you may have regarding your
system configuration, connection integrity or other critical issues.
However, please note that if you are experiencing defective hardware
issues (such as a bad modem), you may have to contact your hardware
vendor for support.
CONTACT STARGATE
~ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ~
Online Form
To use the form, you must be connected to the Internet.
Phone [Toll Free]
1-877-570-STAR (7827)
