FreePPP Help

FreePPP Help Index

• What is FreePPP?
• What are the Requirements?
• How to Install FreePPP 2.5v3:
• How to Set Up FreePPP:
• How to Use Free PPP:
• Troubleshooting Free PPP:

FreePPP is a modem program capable of connecting your computer to the university network through a dialup service. This program in conjunction with MacTCP or Open Transport can establish and maintain a network connection to the university network and the Internet.

FreePPP and Open Transport PPP are similar programs providing similar functionality. One or the other should be used for connection.

This will allow your computer to run programs like Netscape Navigator, Fetch, and NCSA telnet.

For information on how to verify the requirements, see the Macintosh Requirements Help file.

• Your Macintosh must have a 68020 (or higher) processor or be a PowerMac.

• Your Macintosh must be using Macintosh System Software 7.1 (or higher).

• Your Macintosh must have four (or more) megabytes of RAM. Eight megabytes of RAM is recommended.

• Your Macintosh's modem must have a 9,600 (or higher) bps data transmission speed.

• Your Macintosh must have either Open Transport 1.1.2 or MacTCP 2.0.6 software installed.

• You will need a computer account that provides PPP dial-up services. If you need a computer account with this service, CIRCA provides these type of accounts. Contact the UF Computing Help Desk at 392-HELP for more information on getting accounts.

• FreePPP is only designed to establish a network connection to the university network. You will need other programs like Netscape Navigator, Eudora Lite, and Fetch before you can interact with other computers on the Internet. This software is included in the UF Software CD-ROM.

Note: If you have Mac SLIP on your computer it must be removed for FreePPP to work. See the Mac SLIP file for more information.

This document was written for the novice user. DO NOT skip instructions. If any errors occur during the installation or configuration of the software, take note of where and when the error occurs. Write down the exact error message. Read the Troubleshooting FreePPP section for a solution before contacting the UF Computing Help Desk.

The installation files for FreePPP are located in the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder. To install FreePPP:

1. Open the Hard Drive.

2. Drag and Drop the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder from the CD-ROM to the Hard Drive.

3. Restart your Macintosh while holding down the Shift key. This turns off your Macintosh extensions. You must hold down the Shift key until you see the message "Extensions off."

4. If any programs are running, Quit them.

5. Open the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder. Double-click on the FreePPP 2.5v3 Installer.

6. The installation program is set to perform an Easy Install. Follow the installer's directions.

7. Click the Restart button at the end of the installation process.

8. The preference files inside the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder must be moved to your Macintosh's Preferences folder. To move these files, follow these instructions:
   1. Open the Hard Drive. Inside the Hard Drive window, open the System Folder. Inside the System Folder find and open the Preferences folder.

   2. Open the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder that is in the Hard Drive.

   3. Move the FreePPP 2.5v3 window and Preferences window so that both can be seen. Close any other windows in the way.

   4. Drag and Drop the PPP Preferences file and FreePPP Menu Prefs file into the Preferences window. If you are asked to replace the existing files, answer OK.

   5. Once the files are moved, close all windows and delete the FreePPP 2.5v3 folder from the Hard Drive by placing it in the Trash.

   6. Restart the Macintosh with the OPTION and APPLE keys held down. Release the OPTION and APPLE keys after the Macintosh asks if you want to rebuild the desktop file. Answer OK.

After the installation is complete, two new folders will exist on your Hard Drive. The FreePPP Software folder will contain the program FreePPP. The FreePPP Backup folder will contain any software components that FreePPP replaced. Keep the FreePPP Backup folder for backup purposes until FreePPP is installed and all other programs have been tested.

A telephone icon will be added to the top right corner of the Menu bar. The telephone icon is a pull-down menu that can be used to open and close your dial-up connections and change the settings inside FreePPP.

Next, you will need to adjust FreePPP's settings to match the requirements for your Macintosh.

1. Open FreePPP's telephone icon pull-down menu and select the Open FreePPP Setup... option. The FreePPP Setup window should appear.

2. Press the Connect To: pop-up menu to select your dialup service.

3. Press the From: pop-up menu to select from where you are calling.

4. Press the triangle button in the bottom left corner of the window. The window will increase in size and display additional settings.

5. Press the Modem Setup... button.

   If you know the modem initialization string for your modem, select the Use: option and enter the modem string into the field provided. If the modem initialization string is unknown, then the default settings for this window should suffice. Press the OK button.

6. Depending on which software your Macintosh uses, FreePPP will have an Open MacTCP... button or a Open TCP/IP... button.
   • If you have an Open MacTCP... button, press it.
     1. When the MacTCP window appears, select the FreePPP icon and press the More... button. The MacTCP configuration window should appear.

     2. Set the Obtain Address: section to: Manually, and set the Gateway Address: to: 0.0.0.0

     3. Reset the Obtain Address: section to: Server.

     4. Set the Class: to: B.

     5. Set the Subnet Mask: to: 255.255.255.0 by moving the pointer on the scale below the Subnet Mask number.

     6. The Domain fields are stacked in a column formation under the title Domain.
        • Enter into the top Domain field: ufl.edu

        • Enter into the next Domain field: nostromo.clas.ufl.edu

     7. The IP Address fields are stacked in a column formation under the title IP Address.
        • Enter into the top IP Address field: 128.227.128.24

        • Enter into the next IP Address field: 128.227.148.253

     8. Click the top Default button so that it is selected.

     9. No other settings need to be changed. Press the OK button to close the configuration window and select the File pull-down menu and Close Window to close MacTCP. If you are asked to save the changes, press the Save button.

     10. MacTCP is configured

   • If you have an Open TCP/IP... button, press it.
     1. Select FreePPP from the Connect via: pop-up menu.

     2. Select Using PPP Server from the Configure: pop-up menu.

     3. Enter 128.227.128.24 and 128.227.148.253 into the Name server addr.: field.

     4. Enter ufl.edu into the Search domains: field.

     5. After entering the information, select the File pull-down menu and Close to close the TCP/IP window. If you are asked to save your changes, press the Save button.

     6. Open Transport's TCP/IP is configured.

7. Press the Triangle button to hide the settings and close the window.

8. Restart your Macintosh and FreePPP will be ready to use.

Once FreePPP is installed properly, connecting to your dial-up service is accomplished by using the FreePPP telephone icon. A brief example of how to use FreePPP is described below:

1. To connect to your dial-up service, open the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu and select Open PPP Connection.

   A notification window will appear displaying FreePPP's progress during its attempt to connect to the dialup service. It will inform you of the modem's initialization and then will prompt you for information.

2. A dialog window will appear requesting your username and password. Enter your username and password into the appropriate fields and press the OK button.

   Remember to include a /i beside your username if you have a CIRCA Internet Dialup account or a /n beside your username if you have a NERDC Basic Access account.

   The notification window will continue to inform you of FreePPP's progress. Watch the window carefully. If the connection fails, note where the failure occurs.

3. Once the connection is established, open and close your Internet programs like Netscape, Eudora, Telnet, tn3270, or Fetch as you have need of them.

4. When you are ready to close your connection to your dialup service, make sure that all of the Internet programs are closed, then open the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu and select the Close PPP Connection option. FreePPP will close your connection.

This section addresses common errors encountered when using FreePPP.

If you encounter the error message,

The connection script encountered an error. It expected a ">" and it did not come.

while dialing into your dialup service, then you may have to change your password.

All new CIRCA Individual Dialup accounts and NERDC Basic Access accounts have expired passwords. The passwords on these accounts also expire every 180 days. If your account is new or your password has expired, you must change your password before you can make a connection using FreePPP. To change your CIRCA Individual Dialup account password or NERDC Basic Access account password, follow these instructions:

1. Open the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu and select the Open FreePPP Setup... option. The FreePPP Setup window should appear.

2. Press the Connect To: pop-up menu and select the NERDC & CIRCA Password Change option.

3. Press the Connect button from the FreePPP Setup window or select Open PPP Connection from the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu.

4. At the Username: prompt, enter the word: 'password'. This will start the password changing program.

5. At this point, read the screens carefully and follow their instructions. If you enter everything correctly, the program will inform you that your account's password has been changed and will close the connection between your computer and the dialup service. However, if anything was entered incorrectly, the password changing program will announce that it has failed and will close the connection between your computer and the dialup service.

   If you fail to change your password, dial into the dialup service and try again.

   If you successfully change your password, then:

   1. Open the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu and select the Open FreePPP Setup... option. The FreePPP Setup window should appear.

   2. Press the Connect To: pop-up menu to select your dialup service.

   3. Attempt to get connected following the instructions above.

If the FreePPP Setup window stops appearing after selecting the Open FreePPP Setup... option from the FreePPP telephone icon pull-down menu, then restart the computer with the OPTION and APPLE keys held down. Release the OPTION and APPLE keys after the Macintosh asks if you want to rebuild the desktop file. Answer OK. The Setup window will always open from the FreePPP Software folder.

If you have Open Transport and FreePPP will not work properly on your computer, then an alternative program is available to you. Open Transport provides a program called Open Transport PPP that can be used in place of FreePPP. Open Transport PPP is included in the UF Software CD-ROM. See the Open Transport PPP Help file for more information.