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Browsing offline
Composing e-mail offline
Configuring your software so it does not connect to the Internet
Connecting to the Internet

Normally when you start your browser, your dialer automatically dials into the Sympatico service and connects you to the Internet. However, you can still use some features of your Sympatico software to compose e-mail and browse Web pages while you are not connected to the Internet. This is called "working offline" or being in "offline mode," and can be useful if you don't want to use your monthly allotment of hours. (Here's how to find out how many hours you've already used this month.)

While you are offline, you can browse Web pages in your Go menu with Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer.

While you are offline, you can browse compose e-mail, and read any e-mail or news you have downloaded with Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer. With Netscape Navigator 3, you can compose e-mail and read any e-mail you have downloaded.

You can configure your software so that it does not connect to the Internet when you start your browser. This way, you can start your browser, compose your e-mail offline, then connect only when you are ready to send it. The following instructions explain how to configure the Sympatico software not to connect to the Internet when you start the browser, and how to connect to the Internet when you are ready to send mail.

Internet Explorer

1. Click the Tools menu, then click Internet Options.
2. Click Use Blank.
3. When you want to connect to the Internet, look at our instructions for connecting to the Internet.

Netscape Communicator 4

1. Click the Edit menu, then click Preferences.
2. In the left-hand column, click Navigator.
3. Under Navigator starts with, click Blank page.
4. Click OK. The next time you start Communicator, it will not connect to the Internet.
5. When you want to connect to the Internet, look at our instructions for connecting to the Internet.

Netscape Navigator 3

1. Click the Options menu, then click General Preferences.
2. Click the Appearance tab.
3. Beside Browser Starts With, click Blank Page.
4. Click OK. The next time you start Navigator, it will not connect to the Internet.
5. When you want to connect to the Internet, look at our instructions for connecting to the Internet.

If you want to connect to the Internet after you have been working offline, follow these steps.

1. With the right mouse button, click the Dial xxx's Sympatico account icon on your desktop (where xxx is your name), then click Connect.

1. Double-click the Sympatico Dialer icon in the Sympatico program group.
2. Click Dial.

1. Click the Apple menu, then click Control Panels, then click FreePPP Dialer (or FreePPP Setup or Remote Access).
2. Click Connect.