Off-campus connection troubleshooting for FirstClass

Information You Should Know Before Beginning 

Please take a few minutes to note the following information before you follow the troubleshooting steps.

What operating system is your computer running?

Windows: On your Windows desktop, right-click My Computer and choose Properties. At the top of the window under System, you will see which operating system you are using.

Macintosh: Click on the Macintosh Desktop to bring up the Finder menu bar. From the Apple menu, choose About This Computer or About this Mac. An information window will tell you which operating system you are using.

What version of FirstClass have you installed?

Windows: Double-click to open: My Computer, C:\, Program Files, FirstClass. Find the file called fcc32 or fcc32.exe which should have a FirstClass icon next to it. Right-click this file to bring up a menu. Choose Properties from the menu. In the fcc32 properties window click the Version tab to see the File Version number. The current version we are using at Wellesley is 9.022.

Macintosh: On OS X, from the Go menu of the Finder choose Applications. Then click once on the FirstClass icon to select it, then File > Get Info. In the FirstClass info window see the version number. Check the installation page to find the latest available version.

What is your Internet Service Provider?

If you are at home you probably either use a dial-up modem, cable or DSL to connect to your Internet Provider (e.g. Comcast, Verison DSL, AOL or EarthLink).

If you are at another institution or a business you are probably using their local network either by connecting with an Ethernet cable or a wireless connection.

If you see an error message when trying to connect to FirstClass note what the error message says and what was happening when it appeared (e.g. you clicked the Login button or closed a window).

Are you are having problems with your computer other than trouble connecting to FirstClass?

 

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Troubleshooting

1. Try using your Web browser to connect to several Web pages. Click the Refresh or Reload button to be sure you are loading a new copy of the page.

If you can't connect to pages on the Web, be sure your network cable is securely connected at both ends, restart your computer and try again. If you still can't connect, contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance.

2. If you don't have the latest version of FirstClass, upgrade.

Some problems will be corrected by using a current version. Instructions for installing, upgrading and using the latest version of FirstClass can be found by clicking one of the installation buttons at the top of this page.

3. Be sure you have the latest version and updates of your anti-virus software. Scan your computer's hard drive for viruses.

Computer viruses can interfere with FirstClass and other software. If you are using a Wellesley-owned computer or a computer owned by a Wellesley faculty/or staff member, you should be using VirusScan or Virex. Be sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and that you scan for viruses weekly. For more information about viruses see Protecting Your Computer Against Viruses. If you are using anti-virus software provided by Wellesley but can not access the FirstClass conference called Anti-Virus Updates (inside Computing Questions) you may need to check out a disk from the Knapp Center.

4. If you have a Windows computer, install the Windows Critical Updates.

This will give you the latest available security protection and Windows software updates:

http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/WinUpdate/

5. If you have a Windows computer, check for spyware.

Some spyware is relatively harmless but some is quite invasive and causes networking problems. Spyware can be a cause of trouble connecting to FirstClass or of FirstClass running slowly.

Lavasoft's Ad-Aware is recommended for detecting and removing spyware. Wellesley provides this software for computers used by faculty, staff and students. Check this link for more information http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/Ad-aware/. Ad-aware installation information is in the FirstClass conference called Anti-Virus Updates (inside Computing Questions). If you can not access the FirstClass conference you can install a free version for home use from the publisher at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php .

6. Problems with a computer's hardware, operating system or other software can affect the ability to connect to FirstClass. If you suspect such problems, do what you can to correct them.

A computer problem can have a number of causes such as a virus, spyware, fault in the hard drive, accidental deletion of an important file, loss of connection to the Internet, a drive that needs to be defragmented, etc. If your computer is unusually slow, you see error messages or software does not behave as it should, shut down the computer, be sure there are no removable disks in the drives, then restart after about 5 minutes. If this doesn't correct the problem, be sure that you note any error messages. Be sure you have followed the anti-virus and anti-spyware advice above. Run diagnostic/repair software if it is available. Check your network connection instructions.

If you need help and you are using a Wellesley-owned computer you can call the Faculty/Staff Computing HelpDesk at X3333. If the computer belongs to another institution or business please report the problem to their computer services staff. If the computer is personally owned, check its warranty and visit the appropriate repair service location.

7. Using your Web browser, try to connect to the Web version of FirstClass at https://firstclass.wellesley.edu .

If you can't get to this page, it is possible that the FirstClass server is temporarily down, being backed up or being serviced. Wait an hour or so and try again. If you have access to a different computer or can talk to someone else who can try this from another location, do so.

If you use a dial-up modem to connect with your Internet Service Provider, try using one of the alternate phone numbers.

8. If you can connect to the Web version of FirstClass, but not by using the FirstClass client software, which of the following scenarios is happening?

Click on a link in the list below for suggestions. While you are unable to use the FirstClass client software, you can use the Web browser version.

You launch FirstClass and the splash screen (FirstClass logo) appears but the login window never appears, or takes a very long time.

After you enter your username and password, you see a message saying that you can't connect.

After you enter your username and password, you see a message saying that your ID or password is not valid.

After using FirstClass for a while, it closes.

 

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You launch FirstClass and the splash screen (FirstClass logo) appears but the login window never appears, or takes a very long time.

This is a symptom that some other software, usually spyware, is interfering with FirstClass and will not let it finish launching. Upgrading FirstClass may solve the problem. Check your version number and upgrade (troubleshooting step 2 above).

Sometimes other software interferes with FirstClass launching, especially something that runs in the background such as a complex screen saver, sync software for a handheld device or instant messaging software. Certain multimedia software might be in conflict. Try turning these off to see whether FirstClass will launch.

After you enter your username and password, you see a message saying that you can't connect.

If your Internet Service Provider is AOL, try changing the parental controls to something other than the basic "no parental controls". Then change it back to "no parental controls" (the wording may vary depending on your version of AOL). If possible you can try to upgrade to a newer version of the AOL software.

Reset your FirstClass setup: in the Login window click on Setup. Delete whatever is in the Server field (even if it looks correct) and re-type firstclass.wellesley.edu using all lower-case with no spaces. Then click Save and try again to log in.

Check your network connection instructions. If you are using a wireless connection be sure that your connection is present.

A firewall may be preventing your connection to FirstClass. If you have set up a firewall on a personally-owned computer, try disabling it to see if this makes a difference. If it does, set up the firewall so that it does not block traffic through port 510. If you are at another institution or a business and you suspect that a firewall is blocking FirstClass, check with their network administrator. You may need to use the Web version.

After you enter your username and password, you see a message saying that your ID or password is not valid.

The User ID and Password fields in FirstClass are case sensitive. Be sure you are typing them correctly.

If your password does not work, contact the HelpDesk to have it reset.

 

After using FirstClass for a while, it closes.

If you have a broadband connection (cable, DSL or FiOS Internet), shut down and turn off your computer. Unplug then replug both ends of the network cables to be sure you have a secure, continuous connection. It is possible that your network cable is faulty and needs to be replaced. Unlike Web browsers that only use the Internet connection when moving to a new page, FirstClass requires a continuous connection to the Internet. If you continue to have problems, contact your Internet Service Provider.

If you use a dial-up modem you may have a poor phone connection causing line noise, especially if you are dialing long-distance. Disconnect and try again. Be sure your modem is configured correctly according to the instructions that came with it. Contact your Internet Service Provider if you continue to have trouble.

Some other software may be interfering. Try closing out of other software that you are using. Restart and launch FirstClass again.

If you are using a wireless connection, be sure that your connection is present. If you still have trouble, visit the Web page for the manufacturer of your wireless router and look for firmware upgrades that you can download and install. Firmware upgrades have sometimes improved connection with FirstClass.