This page is intended to help you get inside Out In Dallas Chat.

	Why do I get an "Unable to connect" message?
	How do I clear my cache?
	Which web browsers enable me to access the chat rooms?
	What about WebTV?
	What should I be seeing?

Seeing an Unable to connect to Out In Dallas Chat message could mean one of several things. In most cases, if you wait a minute or two you will see a page that further explains why you are unable to connect.

• Out In Dallas Chat may be full. The server may be so busy that it cannot handle any more connections at the moment. If this is the case then you will see a page telling you so. Try again in a few minutes.
  
  
• You may have a down-level version of the chat client (the applet). If this is the case then you will see a page telling you so. This can be easily rectified by configuring your browser to get an updated copy when there is one.
  
  
• If you are connecting through a proxy server or firewall it might mean that your proxy server or firewall won't allow the connection. First check that your browser is properly configured to talk to the proxy server. If it is, then work with your network administrator to determine if it's possible to get the connection allowed. One indication that a proxy server or firewall will not allow the connection is seeing a message like this in the status area of your browser (usually near the bottom left hand corner). (Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 now works through firewalls.)


applet COM.volano.VolanoChat can't start: security violation: socket...


• If you are connecting via a commercial ISP then it could mean that the ISP does not allow connections over the network port the chat server listens on, in which case you need to work with the ISP to rectify the situation.

This table contains instructions for clearing the browser cache for the more popular browsers and computer platforms. If your browser, browser release, or computer platform is not listed here it is very likely that your browser uses options similar to these to clear its cache; please consult the product documentation or online help for detailed instructions.

Netscape Navigator 3.x
Macintosh	Windows 95 and NT
Close all browser windows From the "Options" pull-down menu, select "Network Preferences..." A window with several tabs will open, select "Cache" Ensure you have either "Once per session" or "Every Time" selected Click on "Clear Disk Cache Now" (click "OK when you're asked if you're sure) Click "OK" Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page	Bookmark this page Quit out of the browser Restart the browser Come back to this page From the "Options" pull-down menu, select "Network Preferences..." A window with several tabs will open; select "Cache" Click on "Clear Memory Cache Now" (click "OK" when you're asked if you're sure) Click on "Clear Disk Cache Now" (click "OK" when you're asked if you're sure) Ensure you have either "Once per Session" or "Every Time" selected Click "OK" Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page
Netscape Navigator 4.x
Macintosh	Windows 95 and NT
Close all browser windows From the "Edit" pull-down menu, select "Preferences..." Expand the "Advanced" options by clicking on the arrow pointing to "Advanced" Select "Cache" Ensure you have either "Once per session" or "Every Time" selected Click on "Clear Disk Cache Now" (click "OK when you're asked if you're sure) Click "OK" Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page	Bookmark this page Quit out of the browser Restart the browser Come back to this page From the "Edit" pull-down menu, select "Preferences..." Expand the "Advanced" options by double-clicking on it Select "Cache" Ensure you have either "Once per session" or "Every Time" selected Click on "Clear Memory Cache" (click "OK when you're asked if you're sure) Click on "Clear Disk Cache" (click "OK when you're asked if you're sure) Click "OK" Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page
Internet Explorer 3.0 or later
Macintosh	Windows 95 and NT
Close all browser windows From the "Edit" pull-down menu, select "Preferences..." A window with several tabs will open, select "Advanced" Ensure you have either "Once per session" or "Always" selected Click on "Empty" Click "OK" Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page	Bookmark this page Quit out of the browser Restart the browser Come back to this page From the "View" pull-down menu, select "Options..." A window with several tabs will open; select "Advanced" Click on "Settings" in the square labeled "Temporary Internet files" Ensure you have either "Every visit to the page" or "Every time you start internet Explorer" selected Click on "Empty Folder" (click "Yes" when you're asked if you're sure) Click "OK" Click "OK" again Quit out of the browser Launch the browser again Go to the Out In Dallas chat page

Although you can use any web browser to view the Out In Dallas website, you need a Java-compatible browser to access our chat rooms. The WebTV browser does not currently support Java (just JavaScript which is different than Java); please visit the WebTV website for additional information or to provide feedback.

Download the latest version of either browser.

This table summarizes the Java-compatible web browsers that can be used to access Out In Dallas chat rooms. This information is not all inclusive so let us know if you have additional information on these or other web browsers and/or operating environments.

Environment	Vendor	Release
Windows 95	Netscape Microsoft AOL	Navigator 3.0 or later Internet Explorer 3.0 or later AOL 3.0
Windows NT	Netscape Microsoft AOL	Navigator 3.0 or later Internet Explorer 3.0 or later Unavailable
Macintosh For Communicator 4.0 and AOL 3.0 or later, you must be on a PowerMac/PowerPC.	Netscape Microsoft AOL	Navigator 3.0 or later Internet Explorer 3.0 or later AOL 3.0 or later
Unix	Netscape Microsoft AOL	Navigator 3.0 or later Unavailable Unavailable
OS/2 Warp	Netscape IBM Microsoft AOL	Navigator 2.02 Netscape Navigator 2.02 Unavailable Unavailable
Windows 3.1	Netscape Microsoft AOL	Navigator 3.01 (Beta) Virtual Machine for Java (Beta) Unavailable
WebTV	WebTV	Unavailable

Here are some suggestions to help get you started.

• Ensure you have a Java-compatible web browser.
• Check our list of Java-compatible web browsers to ensure you have what you need.
• Ensure your Java-compatible web browser is configured properly.
• For Netscape Navigator users this means ensuring that the appropriate items have been checked under the [Options][Network Preferences...]Languages menu item.
• For Internet Explorer users this means ensuring that the appropriate items have been checked under the [Edit][Preferences...]Web Content menu item.
• If your browser is configured incorrectly you may see an "Unable to Connect" message.
• Ensure you have the latest copy of the chat client (and other web documents).
• For Netscape Navigator users this means having either Once Per Session or Always selected under the [Options][Network Preferences...]Cache menu item.
• For Internet Explorer users this means having either Once per session or Always selected under the [Edit][Preferences...]Advanced menu item.
• If you have a back-level version of the chat client you will see an "Unable to Connect" message, you need to clear your cache.
• Give yourself a little time.
• The Out In Dallas Chat client (applet) is either 35 or 94 kilobytes in size, depending on your browser. Your download time will vary depending on your browser type and your network connection speed. Allow yourself enough time to download the entire page, graphics and applet included.

The Enter button is labeled "Out In Dallas Chat", and when you move your mouse over it changes to "ENTER".

If you don't see the Enter button then that means you don't have a Java-compatible browser; in that case you might see this message:

Sorry, but your Web browser is not Java-compatible. Please see our getting started page for more information. After you've upgraded your software, come back to Out In Dallas. There's a party going on inside!

After you have clicked on the Enter button you will see a message that you are "Entering Out In Dallas..." and then the main chat window will open. Among other things, the main chat window lists the rooms available and includes an area for you to enter your name and an optional profile, and a button to press to enter the room you have selected.

If you're not seeing what you expect to be seeing, please let us know. And please include your operating system, web browser vendor, release of the web browser, and a detailed description of your problem.

We'd like to hear from you. Let us know if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.