Pulaski Technical College: two year community college in central Arkansas

Troubleshooting Database Access

• Only currently enrolled students and current faculty and staff can access the databases remotely. Student information is added at the beginning of each semester, if you registered late, you may have to wait a day or two to access the databases.
• Are you using the correct login and password?  Students: Your ID will be the same Student Identification number that you use for Campus Connect.  It is also printed on your schedule, college invoice, etc.  Your PIN is your 8-digit birth date; example: If your birth date is February 9, 1973, then you would type in 02091973.  Faculty/Staff:  Your ID will be your first initial and last name all in lower case.  The PIN for faculty and staff is your SSN. 
• Are you using AOL?  There are known problems with using the AOL browser.  You can use AOL for Internet access, but once connected, launch Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator to connect to the databases.
• Are you using the latest Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator browser?  You may need to update your browser.  To download the latest versions go to www.microsoft.com for Internet Explorer or www.netscape.com for Netscape Navigator.

If Ezproxy accepts your user ID and PIN, but you still can not get any further, refer to the suggestions below.  All configurations are for the most common browsers and for Windows computers.

Firewall Issues

• From work, you might check with your IT staff.  Most places of employment have firewalls or other security features, which prevent access to our databases. 
• From home, do you have firewall software, such as Norton Internet Security, Norton Personal Firewall, or Symantec Desktop Firewall, on your personal computer?  Such software can prevent access to our databases.  You will need to consult your software manual and/or contact their technical support for help in changing settings or disabling your software so that you can access our proxy server.

Browser Issues

• Enabling cookies - Another possibility is that you need to enable cookies on your browser. Enabling cookies involves some risk in terms of privacy and security. You may wish to re-adjust your settings after completing your search.  The procedure is as follows:

Internet Explorer 5.x: Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click on the Security tab. Click on Custom Level. Scroll down to the Cookies section and select Enable. Click OK.

Internet Explorer 6.x: Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click on the Privacy tab. Click Advanced. Scroll down to the Cookies section and select Always Allow Session Cookies. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 6.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Double click on Privacy & Security. Select Cookies from the drop-down menu. Click in the Enable All Cookies radio button. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 7.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Double-click on Privacy & Security. Click on Cookies. Click in the Enable all cookies radio button. Click OK.

• Enabling JavaScript - A second possibility is that JavaScript needs to be enabled in your browser:

Internet Explorer 5.x: Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click on the Security tab. Click on Internet. If there is a slider bar, move the bar to Medium, otherwise click on the Custom Level button. Scroll down to the Scripting section. Click Enable if this is not selected. Click OK.

Internet Explorer 6.x: Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Option. Click on the Security tab. Click on Internet. Click on the Custom Level button. Scroll down to the Scripting section. Click in the Enable radio button under Active Scripting if this is not selected. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 6.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Select Advanced. Click in the check box next to Enable JavaScript for Navigator. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 7.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Click on Advanced. Click on Scripts & Plugins. Under Enable JavaScript, click the checkbox next to Navigator. Click OK.

• Deleting the cache - Your browser might be caching a previous failed access attempt. If so, you need to delete the offline content stored by your browser. The steps are as follows:

Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x: Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click on the Delete Files button. Click OK. Click on Settings. Click in the Every visit to page radio button. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 6.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Click Advanced. Click Cache. Click on the Clear Memory Cache button. Click OK. Click on Clear Disk Cache button. Click OK. Click in the Every time I view the page radio button below the words Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator 7.x: Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Click Advanced. Click Cache. Click on the Clear Memory Cache button. Click OK. Click on Clear Disk Cache button. Click OK. Click in the Every Time I view the page radio button below the words Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network. Click OK.

If, after following these steps, you are not able to connect to the databases call the Library at (501) 812-2272, (501) 812-2273, or (501) 812-2274.