Answers to Frequently Asked
Questions About the Internet Courses on our Site
BACK
- I am using wireless and/or a router at home
and cannot play the multimedia..
- Why does my RealPlayer give the message "Invalid Socket,"
"no DNS Entry for server," "cannot connect to the server," "net congestion"
and/or is frequently re-buffering, having timeouts or disconnecting?
- I am using the RealPlayer 10 to play the
multimedia lectures and the lecture stops with this message in a
window: "Connection to server has timed-out..."
- My RealPlayer does not play the presentations
properly.
- When I try to access interactive components on
the course website, such as the discussion boards, I receive an error
message from Internet Explorer, or I cannot enter anything into a
posting window.
- Pop-up windows on the course site do not work or
I cannot print my CE certificate.
- I cannot paste my submission into the Discussion
Board posting windows after preparing it in a word processing program.
- I was able to log in to my course previously,
but I am now not able to?
- I don't have my confirmation code which I
need to obtain my Username and Password from the registration site.
- What do I do if the RealPlayer does not
appear when I click on a link to the audio on this Web site (or others)?
- When I click on a multimedia link, there is
no sound from the RealPlayer.
- I cannot log on to the course with my PC or
Mac computer, or remain logged on with my Mac.
- When I submit my answers to the progress
quizzes, my browser shows an error and I don't get the details of my
results.
- When I try to access an Adobe PDF document, I
cannot view or download it, or I am asked for a password.
- I am using a Mac with the Safari browser and I am having
difficulties accessing all the features of the course.
1. I am using wireless and/or a router at home and cannot
play the multimedia.
We are finding that routers and especially consumer-grade wireless routers
can block the multimedia presentations or cause a "General Error." Please try to
connect to the Internet without using wireless. If you are not using wireless,
but are connecting through a router at home, then try to make a direct
connection to the modem. If that resolves your problem, then the router is
causing your difficulties.
2. Why does my RealPlayer give the message "Invalid Socket,"
"no DNS Entry for server," "cannot connect to the server," "net congestion"
and/or is frequently re-buffering, having timeouts or disconnecting?
The Captus Press web and multimedia servers have a capacity well in
excess of the requirements for streaming our multimedia and our
connection to the Internet backbone has a dedicated, T-3 bandwidth
which substantially exceeds our current demand. Therefore, unless our
system is down (typically, less than one hour per month, the
difficulty that you are experiencing in receiving the multimedia
presentation without interruption may be due to one of the following:
- If you cannot connect to the multimedia lecture with the player
or if you can connect and begin playing, but then it stops and you need
to reconnect or re-enter your password, you are likely being blocked by
a local firewall or router. Try reconfiguring the RealPlayer to use
http protocol as follows:
Real Player Configuration - Detailed Instructions
1. Open the RealPlayer program and select Tools from the top menu and
then Preferences.
2. Under Connection in the Category window, select Network Transports.
3. Click on Manually Configure Connection Settings on the right hand
side to put a check in that box.
4. Click on the RTSP settings button to open the RTSP Transport
Settings Window.
5. Check the box "Attempt to Use HTTP for all Content" and leave the
other boxes unchecked.
6. Click OK to save and close the RTSP Transport Settings Window, then
click OK again to save and close the Preferences window.
7. Close the RealPlayer and then try to access the lectures again
Note that using http to play the multimedia lectures will generally
avoid the problem of restrictive firewalls and routers, but it may not
always provide a smooth playback..When using http mode, you will not be able to
use the slider bar to navigate to a different part of the multimedia
presentation.You can use bookmarks, jf they appear on the left hand side of
the player window.
- If you are able to access the multimedia, but playing is erratic
or it frequently is re-buffering, try disabling TurboPlay as follows:
1. Open the RealPlayer program and select Tools from the top menu and
then Preferences.
2. Under General in the Category window, select Playback Settings.
3. Click to ensure the "Enable TurboPlay" check box is NOT
checked. (It is checked by default.)
4. Click OK to Save and close the Preferences window.I
5. Close the RealPlayer and then try to access the lectures again.
- Your computer's CPU and/or RAM memory is not sufficient. Check
http://www.real.com for computer
requirements.) Try to play other RealMedia sites on the Internet to
verify this. (Available through http://www.real.com.)
If this seems to be your problem, first try to close all unnecessary
programs when playing the presentations. If this does not help, the
only solution may be to upgrade your equipment.
- Your hardware or software setup is not optimal causing the
RealPlayer to play erratically or not at all. Download and try to play
a RealMedia file on your computer (not from the Internet) to see if
your RealPlayer can work with a local file. If you cannot play the file
you have downloaded, the solution may be to reinstall the RealPlayer.
If this does not help, seek professional assistance.
- If you are using a phone modem, your hardware or telephone connection
may be inadequate or is not performing adequately. You must have at
least a 28.8 modem. Try to download any data or program files from the
Internet. If your downloading rate is slow (typically less than 20
kilobits per second or 2.5 kilobytes (characters) per second), you will
have difficulty playing the RealMedia presentations.
- If you are using a phone modem your telephone line may not support the required data rates.
(This problem occurs in some rural areas.) Try to download any data or
program files from the Internet. If your downloading rate is slow
(typically less than 20 kilobits per second or 2.5 kilobytes per
second), you will have difficulty playing the RealMedia presentations.
- If you also notice that web pages are slow to load, then your local
network (for users within organizations) or your local Internet Service Provider (ISP) may be congested due to
heavy demand. Try to access very early in the morning when ISPs are not
busy or there are few other people accessing from your organization. If you are able to connect then, that is probably an indication
that your ISP is overloaded during peak periods. Accessing during off
peak hours or switching to another ISP are the possible solutions.
- The Internet or your local network or connection may suffer breakdowns and
become slow or non responsive. This will happen once in a while and the
solution is to wait for a few hours and try again.
3. I am using the RealPlayer
version 10 to play the multimedia lectures and the lecture stops with
this message in a window: "Connection to server has timed-out..."
If you are not using the latest release, Version 11, please upgrade to the3
latest version. If this does not resolve the problem, then it may be due to your
local network. You can then try to make a minor configuration change. Under the
"Tools" menu, select "Preferences" and click on "Connection" on the left hand
side under "Category." In the Connection Window, set the "Server" box in the
"Network Time-out" window to 300. This may resolve the problem. If this does not
help, try reconfiguring the RealPlayer to use http protocol as described above
in FAQ #2. If the problem is resolved by using http protocol then it is a local
firewall or router that is preventing proper access to the multimedia.
4. My RealPlayer does not play the presentations
properly.
If the presentations do not always show the graphics correctly
or the sound is distorted, your system requirements may be inadequate
for the RealPlayer that you are using. Check the system requirements
for the latest version, the RealPlayer Version 11, at http://www.real.com. If you do not
have the system requirements for the RealPlayer Version 11, you may try
the Real Player Version 10.5. Free downloads and the system
requirements of earlier versions of the RealPlayer are available from
the RealNetworks software
archive website). Please do not try to use a version older than the
RealOne Player for any Captus Press multi-media Internet course.
5. I can obtain access to the course website, but
when I try to access interactive components, such as the discussion
boards, I receive an error message from Internet Explorer.
The course websites work best with Internet Explorer 7 or the Firefox Version
3. If you are using IE 7 but are still experiencing
difficulties, try adding the course website to the trusted sites list
in Internet Explorer.
To add the website as a trusted site:
1. Open Internet explorer.
2. Click on "Tools", and then "Internet Options" from the menu bar.
3. Click on the second tab "Security " in the Internet Options.
4. Click on "Trusted Sites"
5. Set the security level for trusted sites at the "Default" level.
6. Click on the button "Sites". Uncheck the box "Required server
verification (https)...."
7. Type the following in "add this web site": http://*.captus.com , then
click on the "Add" button. Click on the OK button twice.
8. Close your browser and re-open it before connecting to the course
website.
If the above procedure does not resolve the problem, you may have a
local firewall set up on your home system or perhaps you are trying to
access from an organization that has a firewall. These firewalls can
prevent you from accessing the course properly and generate such an
error. In our experience this is the most common cause of the problem
you are describing. If you are accessing from your home computer, and
you have installed a software firewall, you may be able to configure it
to allow access to the interactive course components. However, in some
cases we have found that the firewall needed to be totally removed from
the computer. Even disabling it does not help.
6. Pop-up windows on the course site do not work or
I cannot print my CE certificate.
If you are using Internet Explorer 7 that
includes a pop-up blocker, you must set this feature to medium in order
to fully access the course features. Access Tools > Pop-up Blocker
> Pop-up Blocker Settings. In the "Filter Level" window, select
"Medium..." In Firefox, choose "Options" under the Tools menu and the click on
"Content" to enable pop-up windows.
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7. I cannot paste my submission into the
Discussion Board posting windows after preparing it in a wordprocessing
program.
1. Open your
word processor and type up your posting.
2. Highlight the answer and then click on "Edit" and then "Copy" from
the menu bar.
3. Open Internet Explorer. Log on to the course and click on the
appropriate discussion board.
4. Click on "New Discussion". Type the "Subject" of the posting. (You
may also reply to a previous posting.)
5. Click inside the "Text" window and press <CTRL> + V to paste
your text,
Or
Click inside the "Text" window and then press the
Enter key. Click on "Edit" and then "Paste" from the menu bar.
8. I was able to log in to my course
previously, but I am now not able to.
First note
that all courses have a specified access period and check
whether your access has expired. Typically you can determine this from
your invoice or by entering your confirmation code on the registration
page where you obtain your Username and Password.
If your access has not expired and you are using Internet Explorer 6.0,
then that older version of the browser may not be making the transition
to a more secure form of logging in that we have recently introduced. We
recommend that you upgrade your browser to Internet Explorer 7. If you
are unable to do that, then by deleting the saved Username and Password
for the course website in the browser program. you will be able to log
in again.
9. I don't have my confirmation code which I need
to obtain my Username and Password from the registration site.
If you have registered in an online that requires you to obtain your
Username and Password by entering your confirmation code on a form,
then check the form for a link to have your confirmation code emailed
to the address your provided when you registered for the course.
10. What do I do if the RealPlayer does not appear
when I click on a link to the audio on this Web site (or others)?
First check that you have installed the RealPlayer. Downloading the
software does not automatically install it. Execute (double-click) the
downloaded file to install it. Secondly, you may not have installed
your RealPlayer as an application to be used automatically by your
browser. The RealAudio installation program will typically ask you
whether it is to be installed on your browser(s). The simplest solution
may be to reinstall the RealPlayer with your browser program(s) closed.
11. When I click on an multimedia link, there is no
sound from the RealPlayer.
First, check the functioning of your computer's audio by playing audio
locally with previously existing software. Then, access the RealPlayer folder
and double click on any .ra or.rm file which was
supplied with your player. If you hear nothing, then your player
installation may be non-functioning. You can try to reinstall it. If
that does not help, you should obtain technical assistance. If your
player works with local files, but does not play audio from Internet
sites, then see FAQ 1. above for a likely remedy.
12. I cannot log on to the course with my PC or Mac
computer, or remain logged on with my MAC.
First, be certain that you entered your password in lower case (the
Caps Lock must be off) and that you have waited sufficient time (up to
one minute) for your username and password to be validated. If that
isn't the problem, then it may be that your browser is outdated or not
supported. We
have found that certain versions of Internet Explorer exhibit this
problem. The preferred browser to use for the course sites is Internet
Explorer, Version 7, or later, or Firefox 3. Internet Explorer Version 6.5 and Firefox
2 will
also work correctly with the course sites.
For Mac users, some versions of the Safari browser may not enable you to log on to
the course and remain logged on without disconnecting. Please download and install the free Firefox browser from
http://www.mozilla.com/ to enable you to maintain your logon.
13. When I submit my answers to the progress
quizzes, my browser shows an error and I don't get the details of my
results.
Recent changes to the JavaScript were made so that there would
be
better feedback to users of the progress quizzes. Unfortunately, the
older versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer
seem not to be able to handle the new Java. Upgrade to the latest
version
of Internet Explorer or Firefox as stated in FAQ 11. These upgrades
are free and will help you to browse some of
the other Web sites that are also using Java script.
14. When I try to access an Adobe PDF document, I
cannot view or download it or I am asked for a password.
In order to download and/or view an Adobe PDF document from our
website, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later installed
in your computer. We suggest that you open the Acrobat Reader prior to
clicking on the link for downloading the participant's manual.
If you don't have the Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or later installed,
please download the latest version from their web site. The URL is: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html
If you have the Acrobat Reader installed , but left clicking on the
file does not open it, or you are asked for a password and receive an
error message when entering it, then try the following:
If you are using Firefox Browser:
1. Right click on the link for the slides.
2. Select "Save Link As..." or "Save Link Target As..."
3. A window will come up and ask you where do you want to save the
file. If not, it will be automatically saved to a default location,
probably your desktop.
4. After saving the file, open the file with Acrobat Reader.
If you are using Internet Explorer:
1. Right click on the link for the slide.
2. Select "Save Target As...".
3. A window will come up and ask you where do you want to save the
file. If not, it will be automatically saved to a default location,
probably your desktop.
4. After saving the file, open the file with Acrobat Reader.
15. I am using a Mac with the Safari browser and I am
having difficulties accessing all the features of the course.
The problem is with the Safari browser. Please download and install the
latest version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.com and use it to access the
site. This will resolve the issue.
Copyright © Captus Press Inc.. All rights reserved.
Revised:
October 30, 2008