FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How to I install 24/7 on my PC?
| DOWNLOAD FROM INTERNET Download the dialer setup program from the Internet by clicking here. If you are given the option to "open" or "save to disk" (or something like that) select "open".
If your computer forces you to save it to disk, then save the setup program on your desktop or someplace where you can easily find it. This setup program requires Microsoft(R) Windows(R) version 98 or higher. If you are not running Windows then you must follow the Manual Installation Instructions found here. The setup program will launch when you select the option to open it, otherwise if you saved it, then go find it and launch it by double clicking on SETUP.EXE (or just "Setup").
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OR Install the dialer from
diskette Insert the disk into your diskette drive. If you do not have a diskette drive call customer support an ask us to send you a CD or download the dialer from the Internet using a different Internet provider. If you do not have a CD drive or a disk drive, then check if your computer is actually a computer and not something else, like a typewriter or pet. Go to your "My Computer" icon on the desktop,
Find the SETUP.EXE (or just "Setup") on the disk
|
| If Outlook
Express (an email program) is currently running on your computer, then
you will see the above message. Close outlook express and click
the Retry button.
You will see this message. Click OK. Then, you will get this screen:
The most important thing you must do here is select a local dial-up number. Click on the "Select" button you see highlighted in this picture (don't click this picture, you have to click on the real thing when it's running). Then you will get this gizmo:
Pull down the "State" selector and pick your state. If you don't know the state you are in, dial "0" and call the operator. Ask her what state you are in. You can also ask the doctor or nurse the next time they come check on you. After you select your State, you can then pick the area code or city for a list of phone numbers to choose from. Sometimes you will wind up with more than one number but usually there will be only one, unless you are in a large area.
Highlight the number you want to use for your dial-up access and click OK. You can also manually enter a number that is not on the list by clicking the New Phone Number button, but you can only use 24/7 Solo numbers. You cannot enter a local AOL or Net-Zero number. Only OUR phone numbers will work here. If there is not a local phone number for your area then you will have to select a long distance number. IMPORTANT: Another reason for manually entering a number is that you might need to put additional digits in the number in order to get it to dial. For instance, if you need to disable call waiting by putting in *71 before the number, you will have to manually enter the *71 followed by a comma followed by the Internet phone number here.
Once you have chosen a dial-up number, you will see this reminder that it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not incur long distance charges when dialing the number that you have selected, unless that is your intention.
Next you will see this screen again. Click on the OK button to install the dialer on your computer. The installation will begin and at this point a number of different things might happen. Be sure to follow any instructions that you are given. You may be required to insert your original Windows CD. This is because certain components of Windows necessary for Internet access may not have been originally installed. In most cases this will probably not happen.
If you have more then one modem you may be asked to select which one you want to use. Many people confuse the word "Modem" or "Hard drive" to mean their actual PC. The modem is actually a tiny device installed inside or on the outside of the PC which connects to the telephone line. We do not provide support for Modem problems. If your computer does not find a modem installed or if any modem errors result while attempting to connect to the Internet, you must pursue technical assistance from your modem's manufacturer. When 24/7 successfully installs you will see this message:
After that, you should see an icon on your desktop or in your Start
menu that looks like this:
Click on the "Connect" button to connect to the Internet. Click the Select button to change your dial-up telephone number. Remember that when you choose a local dial-up number, even if it has the same area code, you MUST make sure that it is not a long distance number that you will be charged for. If you are not sure, contact your local phone number (by calling them on the phone). We don't know their phone number. You can dial 0 and ask the operator, she will be able to tell you if the number is local. You can use the Options button to switch modems and change other simple settings. The Properties button allows you to choose whether you need to dial the area code, dial other special digits, etc. Click on the Help to see our phone number, email address and web site address. Finally, there are periodic updates to the dialer program. After connecting to the Internet, you may be told that there is an update available, and you will be asked whether or not you want to install it. Be sure that you always say Yes! Otherwise you may loose your ability to connect to the Internet and will have to re-install the dialer all over again from scratch. The most common reason for updates is that new phone numbers have been added to the dialer, however occasionally bugs are fixed and new features are added to make connecting to the Internet faster and easier. |
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and find your
diskette 
or CD
drive. Open this drive by double clicking on it, or right click
and select "open". If using the mouse and navigating Windows is
difficult for you, find someone to help. If your computer is not
running Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 98, 2000, ME, XP or higher then you must
follow the 
and launch it
by double clicking. 
. Double
click on it to connect to the 24/7 Solo Internet service. Make
sure your modem is on and plugged in correctly.
I can't get it to work, what am I doing wrong?
Did the dialer program install ok? If not, go through the installation step by step using the instructions you find here.
Is the dialer program crashing with an error? If so, you must report this to us and we'll try to help you through it. Send an email describing the error to Support@247Solo.com or call. If you call, the customer service rep will probably not be able to help you, and will refer the problem to Support@247solo.com, so emailing the problem yourself directly will be faster than calling.
Is the disk damaged or perhaps your diskette drive is broken? Try copying the files from the diskette to your desktop and see if they copy OK. If not, we'll need to send you another diskette or you might need to have someone look at your diskette drive. Try reading another diskette to see if the drive is the problem. You can email us a request for another diskette. You can also download it from http://www.247Solo.com.
Did you have a problem with Windows while installing the dialer? In order to access the Internet you need to have a working modem installed with drivers from the manufacturer (or drivers build into windows might work) and you will need to have certain components of windows, such as TCP/IP (a fancy way of saying "Internet") networking.
Did it install ok but won't dial? Make sure your modem works ok. The simplest way to do this is to find your "control panel" and look for "modems". Open the "Modems" icon (could also be called "Phone and Modem Options" or something like that).
Find your modem listed (if there is more than one driver installed) and double click on it or select "properties".
Under "diagnostics" there should be a button that says "Query Modem". Click this button and you'll see
If all goes well then you should see information under the "Command" and "Response" area.
If there is a problem with your modem, then you will receive an error message. At this point you must contact your modem's manufacturer to pursue assistance. Otherwise, it appears that your modem is working properly and is not the problem.
Here's a silly question - Does your phone work? Is your phone service working, and do you have your phone wire properly connected to the modem? Even the most genius computer geek makes this mistake, so check everything one time over. If you can, plug a phone into the "phone" jack on your modem and listen for a dial tone.
Are you connecting but getting some kind of "Access Denied" error? Make sure that you either have caller-ID enabled (contact your local phone company or dial '0' to ask the operator how to do this) OR that you have placed your home telephone number in the user ID field (i.e. 7275551234@evodialer.com) to let us know who you are. Only registered free trial and paying subscribers may access this Internet service. If we cannot tell who you are then we will not let you in!
Edit your dialer settings - If you cannot show us your caller ID then you must manually set up your Internet service following the instructions on the install page. Where it tells you to put in "0000000000@evodialer.com", replace the zeros with your home telephone number (i.e. 7275551212@evodialer.com).
Can I use 24/7 without installing the dialer?
Yes, you can manually set up your Internet service following the instructions on the install page.
Where can I find the local access numbers?
My computer is acting funny ever since I installed the dialer.
That probably doesn't have anything to do with is. Our dialer and installer program are used by many other major Internet providers and millions of people around the world. We do not embed viruses or spyware or do any other kind of monkey business with your computer other than installing a clean dialer to connect to the Internet. If your computer is suddenly experiencing problems then you either got some kind of infection after connecting to the Internet, or it is just your imagination (believe it or not, that happens!)
Is the Internet evil?
Yes. No. Actually, the Internet is good but it contains a lot of evil things like viruses, popups, and spam.
What is a virus, a popup, and spam?
A Virus is a computer program that tries very hard to run on your computer. It sneaks into emails and pretends it's someone you know. It tries to glom onto web pages and trick you into clicking on it. In most cases you can't actually catch a virus unless you open it, so the virus shows up as an email from your best friend with the message "click here to see my picture" or something like that.
What does a virus do? The reason it's called a virus is that it acts just like a natural virus. The virus has 2 goals. The first goal is to infect your computer. The second goal is to use your computer to make more viruses and try to infect as many other computers as they can. If your computer gets infected, it might start sending emails to all of your friends seemingly from you or seemingly from your other friends with the message "Hi! Click here to see my picture!" or some thing like that. Since they think it's a message from you, they unknowingly click on it and get infected. There are many other ways viruses spread too. They can hide inside a Word document or spreadsheet, or game. When you send it to someone else, the virus jumps out and infects their computer too. Some viruses can jump from computer to computer on their own without you having to do anything. The virus doesn't want to kill your computer because then it would not be able to spread, but unfortunately viruses are such badly designed programs that they can ruin the performance of your computer. Some viruses are designed to purposely be very annoying.
Where do viruses come from? Mostly they come from young students with too much time on their hands. They can't get a date and they have no sense of right and wrong. They think that since you have a computer you are rich and evil and deserve to get hurt. This is actually a good thing, however, because If it wasn't for these bitter little scabs sitting up all night with their Mountain Dew and Rage Against the Machine albums, the Internet would be so vulnerable it could be wiped out by terrorists whenever they please. Because of the "People of the Sun" sitting around, snickering, trying to find ways to make your computer act up, the Internet in general is an extremely tough cookie. Kind of ironic.
Popups are web pages that open themselves up in a new browser window. Popups can be useful if the web site author wanted to be able to tell you something without making you leave the current web page (this can be especially useful while you are shopping or filling out a long form). However, there is this group of idiots out there who thought that this might be a good way to present advertising to you, so what they did was this: When the unshaven pot smokers who sat around in college trying to find ways to "stick it to the man" writing viruses got out of college, they suddenly realized that the world was a real place where people have to have real jobs and sometimes have to pay real bills and fight real wars, so they went looking for jobs in the IT field. Nobody would hire them because they were all idiots but then one day these other idiots paid them to design these quasi-viruses that not only infected people's computers and spread like wildfire, they also had a third purpose: Advertising!
Because the idiots who came up with this idea, and the idiots who made it work, and the idiots who paid them to pop up their advertisements didn't want to go to jail, they came up with another name besides "Virus". They called it "Ad-Ware". Adware is a virus that also pops up advertisements in browser windows.
The reason why these people are all idiots is that they haven't figured out that if someone ran you down with their car, hog tied your hands and feet together, set your hair on fire and then tattood "Nike" on your ass with a hot branding iron, the LAST thing you would want to do is spend your money on a pair of Nikes.
Spam is the email equivalent of Popups. The people who send out spam are not as smart as the people who created the popups, but equally idiotic in the "Nike"-on-the-ass department. The word "Spam" comes from the old Monty Python skip where the Vikings are eating Spam in the Spam restaurant and everytime someone says "Spam" they all start singing the "Spam" song. Before the creepy little idiots who created the viruses and the ad-ware went to college, they were at home with their little DOS computers playing their geeky little roll playing games and every once in a while they would decide to annoy everybody else by typing the word "Spam" over and over again. (This is why they never got any dates later on and started writing viruses). Soon the word "Spam" became synonymous with the most annoying thing anyone can do with a computer: Send people advertisements.
How can I protect my computer from viruses, popups and spam?
All plans provide availability of web accelerator, web email, web page hosting, instant messenger, spam and popup blocking, and PC firewall protection (See Programs and Tools).
How can I tell if my computer has a virus?
Click Here to scan your PC for viruses.
Here is more information on PC viruses and what you can do about them.
How do I get rid of a virus?
Click Here to dis-infect your PC.
Click here to dis-infect your pet.
Can you see what websites I visit?
No. We only know when you connect and disconnect. The traffic you generate on the Internet is strictly between you and the websites you interact with. Logging any other details would take up more space then space itself. That doesn't mean your spouse can't figure out where you've been. That stuff stays in your computer for years. Trust me. I found out the hard way!
How do I cancel my service?
Click Here. OR call 866 700 SOLO and ask to be cancelled.
What did, or what will your Internet Installer put on my computer?
Our Internet dialer is just a very simple way of getting you connected to the Internet as quickly as possible. Unlike just about everyone else, our software absolutely does NOT include anything evil or malicious. We do not cause you to experience extra banner ads, pop ups, or effect your computer or browser in any other way. We do not include any "Spyware" or "Adware" that subverts your PC or collects any information on you. We do NOT monitor your Internet activity in any way. (For more information, see the FAQ page section entitled "Is the Internet Evil?")
I'm using this service for free as a part of a promotion or test program. Are you going to bill me?
We will not (and Cannot) bill you without express permission from you recorded on tape. All users are entitled to a 30 day free trial and if your promotion or beta test program comes to an end you may sign up for the 30 day free trial at that time. Please email us and request that we notify you of any change in your status as a promotional or beta test user.
How long can I stay connected?
Each dial-up session is limited to about two and a half hours. This is to prevent certain kinds of abuses of this service and helps keep the costs down.
How many hours am I limited to per day or per month?
We do not limit the number of hours you can access this service with the one restriction described above.
How does the Long Distance work?
It works just like a calling card except that you don't have to enter a calling card number because we recognize your caller ID. Your minutes get used up each time you place a call unless you are on the unlimited program. To place a call, you dial a toll free number. You are told how many minutes you have remaining each time you call, then you hear a dial-tone and you can place a call. Long Distance services are provided by Nationwide Professional Teleservices, LLC. NPT is a fully licensed and tarriffed national and international long distance carrier located in Clearwater, Florida.
I seem to connect at slower speeds sometimes. What causes this?
24/7 SoLo does not operate it's own network. We resell the services of a wholesale carrier called Qwest, which has one of the largest and most sophisticated communications networks on the planet. Therefore it his highly unlikely that any connection problems you may be having are being caused by problems with the Qwest network or equipment. There are a ton of other possible causes, the most common of which is a simple bad phone connection. Your modem dials into the network, and then for a few seconds both sides of the line talk to each other and figure out what is the highest speed they can talk. Sometimes they over-reach and negotiate a speed that is just a little bit too high for the quality of the phone line you are on. Other times they don't hear each other quite so well at first and they pick a speed that is slower than you usually get. This can be caused by rain storms, lightening, sun spots, airport radar, squirrels, solar flares, call phones, dogs barking, loose wires, defective equipment, and even rayon stalkings which can rub together while you walk producing an electrical field that can destroy wrist watches and electronic calculators.
Can you help me figure out what is causing my connection problems?
We do not have a technical support staff that can help solve anything other than getting your Internet dialer installed and getting you connected to the Internet in the first place. Anything more serious then that you must take to a "Computer Guy" or "Geek Squad" service which is available in most areas.
That "connection monitor" is annoying. How can I get rid of it?
Just close it. Your Internet connection will persist until you close it from your lower right hand toolbar.
How can I set up email for myself?
We do not provide email services. There are many free email services out there that are far better than anything we could provide. Our favorite is Yahoo. Go to http://www.Yahoo.com. There are many others too.
Can I set up my own web server or my own mail server?
That is the only other major restriction on our service. To prevent illegal activity and to help keep our costs down we do not allow our users to set up their own web or mail servers. You can still have email and you can still create your own web pages, you simply cannot use this particular dial-up connection to host them. If you want to create your own web or email services, we recommend Prohosting. Go to http://www.ProHosting.com for more info. There are many other services like this available too.
Why can't I connect on a different phone line?
Basic internet services are available from your home phone only, or from a single phone line. In order to access the internet from multiple locations you must either purchase a second basic package or upgrade to one of the premium services.
Are you going to cut me off if I use up too many minutes?
We would probably get into trouble if we did that however we will terminate the agreement if certain violations are discovered. Those violations include (but are not limited to):
1) Non payment (of course)
2) Overlapping calls (more than 1 call at a time i.e. using 2 phones with
the same caller ID to access the service)
3) Non-residential use (i.e. we call you and you answer your phone with a
business name, or we find that your phone number is a business number)
4) Using the service as a conference bridge to connect 2 third parties (i.e.
running a "phone home" service on the street)
5) Being connected or associated with a previously terminated account (i.e.
Hey! You Again!)
6) Using the unlimited long distance service for data (i.e. dial-up
internet)
7) Placing the service on a payphone, DID exchange, or any other type of
phone system that is not an ordinary single residential phone or cell phone.
8) Illegal activity of any kind (not too sure how we'd figure that out tho)
9) Harassing people who then call us and report you
