FAQ - Connections

Document number: faqC
Copyright (c) 2001-2003 1stWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.

Connecting to the 1stWorks Network
      Ways to Connect
      Opening Ports

Connecting to a Room
      Why am I redirected?

Connecting to the 1stWorks Network

Before you can join a room or session, hotComm must connect to the 1stWorks VNS Network.

While you are connecting, you see this message. The message disappears when you connect successfully, or when the message times out.

Am I connected yet?

You are connected when you see that the earphones on the hotComm icon in your Windows taskbar have changed from white/gray to red and blue.
Another indicator is that the message on the right-side of your hotComm window has changed from Signed Out to Online.

I can't connect!

If you cannot connect to the 1stWorks VNS Network:

Wait: Allow several minutes for the connection. Most connections are quick, but some can take several minutes.
Firewall test: Exit hotComm, temporarily disable your personal firewall product (if any) and try again. If that works, then see FAQ - Firewalls for more information.
hotComm Proxy Settings: Click on the Signed Out message on the bottom line of your hotComm window, select Directly, and click OK. Exit hotComm, wait 20 seconds, and try again.

Also see FAQ - Firewalls.

Ways to Connect

When you are connected to the 1stWorks Network, a connection type is displayed in the bottom-right of your hotComm window.

Connection	Explanation
Online-Proxied	Online-Proxied is excellent for connecting to Rooms. It means that the port hotComm needs is open for outgoing TCP connections to other computers, but not for incoming connections. This is a typical setting for routers, and is usually a Medium setting in personal firewalls. When joining a room, there is no advantage to Online-Direct over Online-Proxied.
Online-Direct	Online-Direct is strongly recommended or required for hosting rooms or sessions on your computer. Online-Direct means that the port hotComm needs is open for both incoming and outgoing TCP connections with other computers. For most routers and firewalls, this requires opening ports. See Opening Ports. Online-Direct is required for: WebCam in peer-to-peer connections Content Relay Manager Call Group Manager Service Agent TreeCast Moderator and strongly recommended for accepting IM-Live, ezPeer, hotComm Lite or hotComm CL connections into your computer. When joining a room, there is no advantage to Online-Direct over Online-Proxied.
Online-Tunnelled	If you are going through a proxy server or restrictive firewall, Online-Tunnelled might be the best you can do. You can join rooms, but you may not be able to see all participants or their postings. Online-Tunnelled means that neither incoming nor outgoing ports are open for TCP connections. hotComm connections will be made through open web ports as HTTP (web) connections. You may be able to convert to Online-Proxied. Click on the Online-Tunnelled message on the bottom line of your hotComm window, write down the information in the proxy server address and webport, select Directly, and click OK. Exit hotComm, wait 20 seconds, and try again. If you are then Online-Proxied, great! If you remain Signed Out, then click the Signed Out message, enter the proxy server address and webport, select Thru an HTTP Proxy and click OK. Exit hotComm, wait 20 seconds, and restart hotComm. You should then return to Online-Tunnelled.

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Opening Ports

hotComm needs to be able to connect through only one port. You can designate which port.

The ports hotComm checks are: 80, 8080, 8180, or 443.

If you want to connect through a different port, add: -pw=port_number to your hotComm desktop startup icon.

If you are joining rooms, for best performance, make sure that your firewall allows at least outgoing TCP connections through the port you choose.

If you are hosting incoming connections, make sure that your firewall allows both incoming and outgoing TCP connections through the port you choose.

See FAQ - Firewalls.

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Connecting to a Room

When you click a hotLink to connect to a room, hotComm launches a Java applet that then makes the connection into your hotComm software. You may briefly see a flash of intermediary windows before the connection occurs.

Before you click the hotLink make sure that your hotComm software is running and connected to the 1stWorks Network.

If you click the hotLink, you arrive at a page that you do not expect, ususally:

"Attention! You should not see this notice!" In this case, follow directions on that page.
A completely different page. In this case, click here for Why am I redirected?.

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