MilNetUK Help page.
The questions (and answers!) posted here should be assist you in setting up your computer to access MilNetUK and the rest of the internet. Please click on one of the questions below?
Ques 3. I am using Outlook Express version 5. How do I set it up to send and receive e-mails.
Ques 11. I wish to connect to the internet from an MoD phone. Is this possible using MilNet?
Answer 1. The username/password needed to access our modems are the same for every user. (They are 'guest'/'guest'). These are the words that you should use when setting up dialup networking. By having the same username/password for every body, we do not need to issue separate one to individuals, and therefore do not need to record our users names and addresses. This is a unique feature of MilNetUK, and has been set up specially for servicemen/women with their security in mind.
However, the username/password for accessing your email must be unique to each user to maintain their privacy. The easiest way to do this is for our users to set up their own e-mail accounts and passwords on our web page. Thus our users have two sets of usernames/passwords, the first to access the internet via our modems in Telehouse and which are the same for everyone ('guest'/'guest'), the second is what ever they choose on our e-mail signup page.
Answer 2. You certainly can access the internet via MilNet UK using an Apple Mac, but you must configure the Apple Mac computer mannually. The CD and the milnetuk.exe program only work on Windows 9x/NT based computers. Sorry!
Ques 3. I am using Outlook Express version 5. How do I set it up to send and receive e-mails.
Answer 3. After you have registered your e-mail name and password from the MilNetUK signup pages. Take the following steps in Outlook Express.
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From the top menu bar select 'Tools', then select 'accounts' from the drop down menu, and 'add' from the Internet Accounts window, and then 'mail' from the side window
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In the first window if the Internet Connection Wizard, type your name, then press 'Next'
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In the second window, select the radio button adjacent to ' I already have an e-mail address that I'd like to use', type in the e-mail address you registered with MilNetUK on the signup pages, 'eg jim@milnet.uk.net'. Press 'Next'
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In the third window, in the 'My incoming mail server is a ..' select 'POP3'. In the 'Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server:' box type 'mail.milnet.uk.net' (without the quotes). In the bottom window labeled 'Outgoing mail (SMTP) server', type 'smtp.milnet.uk.net' (again without the quotes). Press the 'Next' button.
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In the forth window, in the 'Account name:' box type your e-mail address as obtained from the MilNetUK signup pages, eg 'jim@milnet.uk.net'. In the 'Password:' box, type in you password you selected on the MilNetUK e-mail signup pages. Press the 'Next' Button.
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In the fifth window, press the 'Finish' button. You're done! Now send yourself a test message!
Answer 4. Yes, you can use your web browser to access our web based e-mail client at http://mail.milnet.uk.net then just eneter your email address and password, and hit the Web Mail button. This facility is useful if/when you are on a different computer to that which your E-mail program is configured, eg visiting another office.
Answer 5. No problem. Our mail server works on standard internet POP3/SMTP protocols. All you need to do is to configure your e-mail client program to receive your POP3 mail from mail.milnet.uk.net, and send outgoing mail to smtp.milnet.uk.net.
Answer 6. Our smtp server (the computer which receives your outgoing mail, and sends it to the computer acting as the mailserver for the recipient's domain) is configured only to accept e-mail messages from computers that are connected to the internet via our own access points (modems). (It does this by looking at the IP number you are using. You cant alter this, as its allocated to you by our modems each time you connect). Most ISPs do this. By doing this, access is denied to anyone outside MilNetUK who tries to send mail via our server. This is a way to limit the amount of SPAM, also known as unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE) on the internet, as people generating SPAM generally use smtp servers which are not protected in this way to forward their e-mail. If you have difficulty in sending email via your own ISP, you can sign up for an 'extra' level account, and use our mail server to send your email as well as to receive it.
Answer 7. Dont panic. The CD assumes that you are connecting to the internet via a modem, and Windows is trying to load Dial Up Networking. You can simply follow the on screen instructions, and install dialup networking, but a neater way to overcome the problem is to run the Internet Connection Wizard (ICW) to tell your computer that you are connecting via a LAN. The ICW can be started from the Start/Programs/Accessories/Communications/Internet Connection Wizard. In the first window that appears, select the bottom option "I want to set my Internet connection mannually, or I want to connect through a local area network (LAN)". In the second window, select, "I connect through a local area network (LAN). Complete the Wizard choosing the appropriate options.
Ques 8. When I run the CD set up program, or use the CD autorun feature, I get a box which says "Set up has detected that you already have the latest version of Internet Explorer". I click 'OK', and the program stops. My copy of IE is not updated. Whats wrong?
Answer 8. You need to revert to your previous version of IE. Do this by starting the control panel (Start/Control Panel), then double click on 'Add/Remove programs'. In the resultant window, select 'Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools', then press the 'Add/Remove' button. In the next window, select the 'Restore the previous Windows configuration', then press the 'OK' button. After asking for confirmation that you want to do this, the computer will now go away and restore your previous version. It will take a few minutes (coffee time?), and you will be prompted to reboot the computer. After the computer has rebooted, Put the MilNetUK disc back in the disk drive, and all should be well.
Answer 9. Click on 'Start', then click on 'Settings'. In control panel, double click 'Add/Remove programs'. In the window highlight ' Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools', the click on the 'Add/Remove' button. In the 'Internet Explorer and Internet Tools' window that appears, click on the 'Add a component button', the click 'OK'. If prompted, put the MilNetUK CD in the CD ROM drive of your computer. You can now select those new components you wish to install. Restart your computer if/when prompted. There are several Microsoft Internet tools on the MilNetUK CD including NetMeeting, Chat, etc.
Answer 10. Sometimes, particularly on slower computer (eg with a CPU speed of 100MHz) it take take quite along time for the new setting for the software to be setup - typically it can take up to 5 minutes on these slower computers. Watch the hard disk activity light and you will see occasional activity, maybe once every 10-20 secs. The answer is to be patient at this stage in the installation. (In Windows 98, a 'drum roll' animated icon appears).
Ques 11. I wish to connect to the internet from an MoD phone. Is this possible using MilNet?
Answer 11. In a word, 'yes'. If you already have BT access from you phone (typically by dialling 0), just modify the number to be dialled by putting a zero in front of our normal number (0845-6389845). If you havnt got outside access (the majority of cases), you will need to set up an 'SAB', abreviated dialling, code for 0845-6389845 on your military exchange. This must be done through the MoD telecoms contractor, INCA. You should contact you local Authourised Telephone Officer (ATO), and ask him to arrange this for you, INCA will charge his/your UIN a one off fee of about £26. If you do not know who your ATO is, phone the INCA helpline on 0800-7314122 who should be able to tell you. Note that MilNet is one of the few (only?) ISPs which does not require a Calling Line Identifier (CLI), which MoD exchanges do not originate, and so is tailored for access from military exchanges.
Ques 12. I wish to connect at 128k ISDN, and I am having difficulties (I can connect OK at 64K - single channel), but not at 128, dual channel.
Answer 12. You CAN connect at 128K, BUT you need a 'special' password, you cannot use guest/guest. To obtain the special password, phone our dialin help line on 0870-0632222. Tell them you are a MilNet customer, and that you want to connect at 128k. They can make the neccessary arrangements, and tell you your new password. (Answer added 19 Mar 2002)
