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When calling an ISP, make sure that it is compatible with the WebTV service
(some ISPs might not know whether they are or not).
To be compatible with the WebTV service, the ISP must:
• Provide at least one local phone number for connecting to their service from
your calling area with a modem speed of at least 28.8 Kbps.
• Support both “PPP” and “PAP”
• Offer a fixed-cost service
• Offer technical support for connecting to the WebTV service
• Support “56K-flex”
When setting up an account with an ISP, get the following information from them:
• The name of the ISP
• The user name you’ll use with your ISP (this may be different from your WebTV
Internet name)
• Your ISP password (may be different from your WebTV password)
• A local dial-up access phone number. A second, alternate dial-up number is
also helpful in case the first number is ever busy.
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USING AN ISP TO CONNECT TO THE WEBTV SERVICE
Most people can connect to the WebTV service using a local phone number. In
some areas, however, local WebTV service access phone numbers are not
available and your receiver must dial a long distance number to connect to the
service (which would result in charges to your phone bill each time your receiver
connects to the WebTV service).
If this is the case for your area, you will see a message on your screen indicating
that it’s about to make a toll call every time you connect to the WebTV service. If
your receiver dials a long distance (“toll”) number to connect to the WebTV
service, you might be able to save money by using a local Internet Service
Provider (ISP) to connect to the WebTV service.
To view detailed on-screen help for using an ISP:
1 From Web Home, select Account, then press OK or RETURN.
2 Select Use an ISP, then press OK or RETURN.
3 Make a choice from the options presented.
Detailed help for signing up with an ISP is presented on these screens.
When you use an ISP, your receiver calls the ISP’s number instead of the WebTV
service number each time you connect. You get the same WebTV experience; the
only differences are:
• The receiver dials a different (local) phone number.
• You are billed for both the WebTV service and the ISP service.
If you do decide to use an ISP, you’ll receive two bills each month — one from
your ISP and one from WebTV Networks (which will be discounted to compensate
for the fact that you are not dialing in directly). You are responsible for both bills in
order to maintain your WebTV service. Despite the fact that you will need to pay
both the WebTV and the ISP service charge, it is likely that it will cost you less than
the long distance telephone charges you would have to pay for dialing in to the
WebTV service directly.
You can find an ISP by looking in your local Yellow Pages under Internet services,
computer online services, or similar listings. During the sign-up process, the
receiver uses an 800-number.