Overview of Internet Options' Connection Features:

Microsoft has built in a connection feature to it's Internet based programs: Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.  Other programs can use this feature as well.  This means you no longer need to first get connected and then open up Internet Explorer.  You can simply click on Internet Explorer, which then automatically opens the Connect screen with your username and password to dial up to the Internet.

From the Connect screen you can switch between the various connections you may have set up on your computer.  The first one in the list is the one you have defined as the default connection.  The username and password change to reflect the specific settings for each connection.

If everything is correct, but you cannot get connected, you will need to check the rest of your Dial-Up Networking Settings, by clicking the Settings button.

Accessing the Configuration Options:

There are two ways to access the DUN configuration in Internet Options:

1.  Click the Settings button to get to the Connections tab of Internet Options, shown in the next section.

2.  Alternate Route:  You can also go to Start->Settings->Control Panel -> Internet Options

Click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Note:  For WinXP, it is just Start, then Control Panel.
Once in the Control Panel, click on Internet Options.
Either route brings you to the Connections tab of Internet Options.

Connections Tab of Internet Options:

Here you can check or change the username, password, and redial/disconnect options.  This is the same on all versions of windows:  95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, and XP.  As long as you have Internet Explorer (which all pc's come with now), setting up or changing your dial-up connection both start with the same basic steps on all versions of Windows.  You can also gain access to the rest of the DUN properties, such as phone number, modem settings, and DNS, for each version of Windows.

Dial-up Settings Box of the Connection Tab:

In the big white box of the Connections tab, you'll see all of the dial-up connections already setup on your pc.  It's a good idea to remove any that you are no longer using.  Simply highlight the connection, and click the Remove button.

New Connections:

The Setup button at the top right of the Connections tab leads to the Internet Connection Wizard (inetwiz), except in Windows XP, which uses the New Connection Wizard for Windows XP.  This is the easiest way to create a new DUN connection.

You can also click the Add button to access the normal "Make New Connection" feature built in to DUN.  This looks different for each version of Windows, which is why we recommend the inetwiz above.

Existing Connections:

Still on the Connection tab, the three options under the white box determine whether the "Connect" box will be opened when Internet Explorer is launched.  "Never dial a connection" means you'll have to get connected first, and then open IE. "Dial whenever a network connection is not present" means that launching IE will bring up the "Connect" box only if there is no other Internet connection already established.  "Always dial my default connection" means that launching IE will bring up the "Connect" box every time, unless the default connection is already connected.

Remove any that you are no longer using.  Simply highlight the connection, and click the Remove button.

There are three key settings that must be correct in order for you to get connected: Username, Password, and Phone number.  There are a few extra settings within the DUN Connection that may or may not cause some problems in getting connected to the Internet.  Highlight the connection you want to modify, and click the Settings button on the right.

Settings Button of the Connection Tab:

On the Connections tab, highlight the connection you want to modify, and click the Settings button.

The bottom portion of the Settings Screen deals with Dial-up Settings. 

At the very bottom, you can access the following settings:

1. Username/Password info.
   
2. Redial/Disconnect options through the Advanced Button.
   
3. All DUN settings (phone number, modem settings, dns, etc.) through the Properties button.

The Advanced button gives you more options.  The first two lines deal with redial preferences.  The last two lines deal with disconnect features.  Click OK to return to the Settings screen.

Clicking the Properties button leads to the DUN properties (phone number, modem settings, dns, etc.).  All versions of Windows have the Phone number on the General tab.  However, the other tabs across the top are different on each version of Windows.