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| Q |
I
click the bookmark or link to my course, but I get (1) a page stating the
server cannot be found or the page I am trying to access is currently unavailable
or (2) a message box saying that my request has "Timed Out." Why
does this happen? |
| A |
If
you receive these errors and you are sure your modem is working correctly,
you must consider a couple of possibilities. First, the Internet
may be experiencing a heavy traffic load. In this case, the servers
that direct your request are designed to read a priority code that is sent
with your request. Your request is sent in the form of "packets,"
which simply means chunks of information. Each of these packets has
a priority assigned to it. When the Internet gets congested, some
of the servers may choose to "drop" these packets if they become overloaded.
Your request or part of the request could be dropped along the way.
Your machine will wait for a reply, but it has a time limit and will display
a message saying your request has ́Timed Out."
The
second possibility is that our server or a part of the Internet itself
is not functioning. We have software in place to monitor the server
in case of such a problem. Faculty are informed if the server is going
to be down for more than one hour. If you believe that our server
has been down for more than one hour, you should contact your instructor
to verify this. |
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|
| Q |
Why
can't I access my course? |
| A |
Two
of the most common reasons students cannot access their courses are due
to logging in incorrectly or to Internet congestion. If you try to log
in and the login box reappears after you have entered the required information,
you are entering either the wrong login name or password. If you
are positive that you have entered the correct login name and password,
check to see that the Caps Lock on the keyboard is not activated.
If it is, turn it off and reenter your login name and password. Your password
is case sensitive. (Note: If you enter an incorrect login name or password,
you may also be directed to a 401 error page. Again, follow the instructions
above to correct the problem.)
Do
not click on the link more than once. Clicking on the link several
times may only make your wait longer, because your request is saved each
time by the server and answered in the order it is received. With several
hundred people doing this, it can become a real problem over a short time
period. In this situation, you have two options: (1) you can be patient
and wait for the connection to resume, or (2) you can log off and try logging
into the course later when Internet traffic is less congested. The busiest
period on the Internet is usually during the middle of the day. Working
on your courses in the evening may be a better option if you experience
this problem frequently. |
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