Ed wrote: >Long ago, I recall there was a "command" -- like "PING" or something -- >with which one could test whether an address hen was about to send to >actually existed. >> Yes, the ping command still exists and I find it very useful. Press Windows key + r, and in the run window type cmd. Then when you get the command window, type ping google.com or whatever site you want to check. This will then tell you whether you have a connection to that site. You don't need to type the www bit. It's the easiest way to check whether or not you have an internet connection. If you don't have a connection, you can type ipconfig in the command window to see if the computer is talking to the modem. Don Penlington Curious about the people moderating your messages? Visit our staff web site: http://freepctech.com/staff.shtml