Tiscali Guide and Tips

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Introduction

Tiscali is large Internet Service and broadband telecoms provider with a major Internet backbone. They, after a series of takeovers own Telinco and it's backbone. It is important for fast Internet connections to have provider on one of the backbones such as Telinco, Energis, BT etc. I still use Telinco as a one of my ISPs but it has been some time since one could sign up directly. Telinco/Tiscali still provide a large portion of the services marketed under many familiar names - Lineone, Freezone, Screaming Net, World On-line, The Mutual and many more. I have recently signed up directly to Tiscali as I hope they will provide a reliable backup service and a large spare web space (50 Mbytes) and I wanted to update my pages covering ISPs and Telinco. I have taken the Tiscali Classic Service which provides the usual free basic service (except for telephone bills) but they also do packages which also provide unlimited completely free access for a monthly payment. Even more recently, in July 2003, I signed up for their broadband access which has proved very satisfactory so far.

Registration: It proved quick and simple to get up signed up and running. Registration is via the Tiscali Web Site at http://www.tiscali.co.ukand requires a full name, address and telephone number and you chose a username and password. Your address for email is of the form username@tiscali.co.uk and web space is http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/username - this is not as flexible as Telinco used to be with an anything@username.telinco.co.uk and http://username.telinco.co.uk/ option but you do get a lot of web space. Once you have signed up you get to screens where you are asked to download and run an Internet Connection configuration file which installs your DUN and accounts in Outlook Express which also looks as if it customises and changes your settings. I am always worried about unknown and unhelpful configuration changes in my carefully set up systems so, as usual, I downloaded but did not run the file and changed it to a .txt file - it contains useful information on accounts etc and also your password for all to read. They also send an email with a restricted set of information on configuration again including your password. I tried their Webmail and forwarded it to my usual account to make sure everything was working.

Initial Setting up: I then set up the Dial Up Network Connection in the usual way and likewise an account in Outlook Express and Service in Outlook 98 with no problem. It was all very easy and quick.The Tiscali Web Site at http://www.tiscali.co.uk has all the information you need but it took a little while to find it although it seems more logical when you have identified the links. Follow My account on the top navigation bar to Internet Services which has then got you to the help and FAQ files. Also see below if you need more detailed instructions on setting up a DUN the first time and my page on Using Multiple ISPs which explains how to set your default Dial Up Network (DUN) Connection for your browser and the principles of how to convert and use Email when there are a number of ISPs and connections.

Tiscali Web Space: You need to go to Personal Web Space to activate the web space by following the Activate link (you need to be using a Tiscali Dial-up connection for this stage). The web space is then enabled but they warn it will lapse if you take more than three months to upload an index file or continue to use it on a similar time scale. They have examples of configuring and uploading using WS_FTP, my prefered free package. The whole process of creating a DUN, activation and uploading took about 15 minutes including making a new account in WS_FTP and modifying my home page slightly to have absolute links. I see no reason why it should not replace Telinco as a basic fast reliable service with direct Internet backbone access - if they have problems so do many others who depend on them.

Detailed Instructions for setting Up

The following instructions assume that one is adding Tiscali to a machine with at least one current working Dial Up Network (DUN) connection. If you have any connection already, meaning the system is configured, it is very easy - I have made such connections using the procedure below from an empty desktop to modem dialing out it 71 seconds and was connected and using the link in under two minutes! Most new machines with Windows 98 will have everything installed even if there is no existing connection. If you are realy stating from scratch and you wants to install and configure Windows 95 for PPP connections and Install Modems and Optimise Modem connections from scratch there are instructions on my web pages in the Howto technical articles pages.

1. Creating your Dial Up Network connection to Tiscali.

Open (Double click) My Computer
Open Dial-Up Networking
Open Make New Connection

Follow the instructions in the Wizard - they may vary slightly in the original Windows 95 from the version here but the information you have to give is obvious. You can change everything latter.

Screen 1 - Call the connection Tiscali and select the modem from the list of those you have installed - it should already be configured if you are using it.

Screen 2 - Add the telephone number for Telinco 0845 661 4681 and check the country code is UK

Screen 3 - Check the name is what you want (Tiscali) and click Finish

2. Configure the Connection

You now need to set the properties by going back to the Dial-Up Network screen as above and RIGHT CLICKING the Tiscali connection and then clicking Properties on the menu. This gives you two or three tabs depending on which version of Windows 95/98 you have.

Scripting Tab - Ignore if you have this option - No Connection script is needed. Just like the OU DUN connection.

General Tab - This is where you can change the telephone number and modem type and configure the modem specifically for this connection. Chances are that it has been already optimised but you may want to set the maximum speed to 115200 with a 28800 or better modem after the connection is working.

Server types - This is the important one

Set the Dial up Server to PPP: Internet Windows etc.......
Clear the top 5 check boxes (first two never seem to matter)
Tick only bottom TCP/IP box (important that only TCP/IP is checked)
Now click on TCP/IP Settings
- Check the Server Assigned IP address button
- Check the Server Assigned Name Server Address button
- Set Use IP header compression
- Tick Use remote gateway on remote network (important)
Close down with a series of OKs

Test your connection

You now have the Tiscali DUN which will be used to log onto the system.

Make a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking your Tiscali Icon and -> Make Shortcut
Double click it:
The User Name you enter is of the form username@tiscali.co.uk
Enter the password you chose as the Password
Tick the save password box
Click OK and the connection should open after 20-30 seconds and that is it!
Open your Browser and confirmit is all working.
Close down the Connection by Double clicking the Icon in the Tooltray

Configuring Email, Using Multiple ISPs and Changing your ISP

These are topics in their own right and there is a new page to cover this called Using Multiple ISPs which explains how to set your default Dial Up Network (DUN) Connection for your browser and the principles of how to convert and use Email when there are a number of ISPs and connections.

The basic information you need for Tiscali is:

Account Name: username@tiscali.co.uk
POP server: pop.tiscali.co.uk
SMTP Server: smtp.tiscali.co.uk (the same)
News Server: news.tiscali.co.uk

The views here are entirely our own and are not endorsed in any way by the Tiscali. What is written on these pages is our own experiences and is not intended to replace in any way the documentation supplied with any of the Tiscali services and software.