surrender and contemplation (lysora) wrote in lj_userdoc,
surrender and contemplation
lysora
lj_userdoc

FAQ 27 (How do I get the Visions client to work through proxies?)

I might be making a bit of an assumption here, but FAQ 27 is primarily used in Support, when dealing with requests about why the client receives the "cannot contact server" error message. I would like to redo this FAQ to include information on changing proxy settings for Semagic and give other reasons why the client can't connect (ie a firewall).

it currently says this:

How do I get the Visions client to work through proxies?

If the Visions client locks up on you when you try to login, you're probably running into a proxy problem. That is, you don't have a direct connection to the Internet (many businesses are setup this way) and the Visions client does not know how to contact the server.

Versions of the Visions client before 1.2.0 had a dialog where you can enter your proxy/firewall settings, but as of 1.2.0 the client uses WININET.DLL, which is a system library for speaking to web servers. The cool thing about that is that it picks up your proxy settings from the system settings (the same settings that Internet Explorer uses) and you don't have to set it in every program. If you don't use Internet Explorer (perhaps your company is standardized on Netscape) then it's possible you've never set your system proxy settings.

Go to Start->Settings->Control Panel and double click Internet Options. In the "Connections" tab there should be a "LAN Settings" button that lets you enter your proxy information. Each version of Windows has it in a slightly different place, but it's in there somewhere.

After that's working, verify that Internet Explorer works, and then the Visions client should work as well. If not, then perhaps LiveJournal.com's actually dead. Try going to www.livejournal.com in your web browser to verify. If everything's working and you're still having problems, then file a Support Request under the Clients category from http://www.livejournal.com/support/ .

proposed change [edited to adhere to further changes proposed in comments]:

Why am I receiving a "cannot contact server" message when I try to log into my client?

If your client locks up on you when you try to login, you're probably running into a proxy problem. That is, you don't have a direct connection to the Internet (many businesses are setup this way) and the client does not know how to contact the server. If you were able to login with your client on a personal computer in the past, it is possible that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has changed its proxy settings recently. You will need to contact your ISP for more information.

As the Visions and Semagic clients take their settings directly from Internet Explorer, you will have to directly input proxy settings into the client if you are using another browser. To do this, go to the login screen and click on File -> Proxy Settings. Proxy information can be entered here.

Another reason why you may not be able to login can be due to a firewall. If you have installed a firewall recently, make sure that you have listed the client under the programs which are allowed to access the Internet. You may have to consult your firewall's documentation to learn how to do this. Note that even if you haven't installed a firewall yourself, some operating systems come with a pre-installed firewall.

If you are still unable to connect to LiveJournal with the client, you should check if LiveJournal.com is actually down. Try going to www.livejournal.com in your web browser to verify. Also, be aware that at peak load times you may receive the "cannot contact server" error, due to the high number of users attempting to contact the servers. The following FAQ will give you more information about this: http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=116

If everything is working and you're still having problems, then file a Support Request under the Clients category from http://www.livejournal.com/support/.
Subscribe

  • Comments, spam, and you

    Because of the recent wave of spam comments I've set the community to require membership before you can comment. Membership is still open, so if you…

  • TEMP: status - pending renamed

    FYI, I've temporarily renamed the "status - pending" or whatever it was to just plain "pending", because of the bug that causes tags starting with…

  • The Wave (new drafting tool)

    Sometimes jai_dit and teshiron and a few others and I wind up in IRC bouncing stuff off each other, sometimes with…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Comments allowed for members only

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

  • 6 comments