UIUC 800 Numbers: Mac OS X Dialing Instructions

What you'll need in order to connect

• A Macintosh OS X computer with a modem
• Your personal access number (provided to you with the paperwork for the UIUC 800 number application)
• The UIUC 800 number: 1-800-782-4800
• The UIUC dialup modem numbers:
  • 239-7252 for Premier users (designed not to have busy signals)
    or
  • 333-3700 for free dialup (busy signals likely at high-demand times)
• A working dialup configuration which allows you to connect to either Premier or free dialup from within the 217 area code (see the note below for more information).
  

Note: If you haven't yet configured your system for regular dial-up networking to campus (without the 800 number), you should make sure that part of your configuration is working first. See Macintosh OS X Dialup Networking for instructions.

Configuring your system to connect to campus modems through an 800 number

For most users, 800 number access to campus dialup pools is a special case rather than the everyday method of making a network connection.

After you've created your regular dialup configuration as noted above, you can add your "UIUC 800" location and create a custom instance for your 800-number access.

Network Preferences

Unlike most other operating systems, Macintosh OS X doesn't make a distinction between local dialing, long-distance dialing, and calling-card dialing. It also doesn't provide any built-in assistance with working out the configuration for calling from unusual area codes or with calling cards. Therefore, on Mac OS X, instead of treating the UIUC 800 number as a specialized calling card to add to the UIUC phone numbers you already use, it is treated as a different location with a different phone number.

Under the Apple menu, select System Preferences:

Next, select the Network globe (the gray circle in the third row of icons). A window like the following will appear, although the UIUC 800 location won't have been created yet.

In order to keep the UIUC 800 dialing number different from your regular dialing number, you'll need to make a new dialing location.

1. Look at the lock in the lower left hand corner of the screen. If the lock is closed and fields are grayed out, your current login identity might not have permission to edit these fields. Make sure the lock is open. (If it is closed, click on it and provide an administrator login and password in order to unlock it).
   
   
2. If your Network window is not yet showing your modem's configuration (for example, if your default network connection is Ethernet or wireless), click on the selection list beside Show and choose Internal Modem.

   (The network window should display a layout similar to the screen shot above, although the particular numbers will be different.)

3. Next, under the Location selection list, select New Location.
   
   
4. Create a new location called UIUC 800. You can use the same connection settings as for your regular UIUCnet Premier or Dialup connection; the only difference between your regular location and the UIUC 800 location is the phone number.
   
   Account name: Use your Network ID
   Telephone number: Substitute your personal access number for 555555555 in the examples below.
   For UIUCnet Premier access: 18007824800W555555555W9,2397252
   For UIUCnet Dialup access: 18007824800W555555555W9,3333700
   
   
• Note: If you're testing from an office, a UIUC on-campus location, or a hotel, you may need to add 9 or another number before the 1-800 string.
  
  

Checking your new location

After you've created your new location, test it by clicking the Dial Now button in the Network window. This will produce the connection window:

 

Click Connect.

If everything is configured correctly, you should be able to dial in to the UIUC modem pools with your 800 number. If not, you may need to check the troubleshooting steps in the Macintosh section of the Calling Cards page.

Returning from the trip and customizing for other locations

To return to your regular home configuration, return to the Network window or the dialing window. Click on the list which shows the UIUC 800 number location, and select your regular location instead. The phone number will be dialed as usual.

Similarly, you can later turn the UIUC 800 number back on by selecting the UIUC 800 location from this list.

Other options

The descriptions presented above assume that you will begin your dialing string either directly with the UIUC 1-800 number or with 9-1-800. However, some locations require other calling sequences -- for example, some hotels require you to dial 8 before the 1-800 number; others use 109 or a different number entirely.

Check with the hotel or office you're calling from in order to determine the correct sequence of numbers to be dialed before the UIUC 1-800 number at that particular location.

Note also that the UIUC 1-800 number is only useful within the United States; if calling from a foreign country, you'll need to dial a different sequence of numbers, and your modem may or may not be able to communicate with their phone lines. For more information about modem dialup from international locations, see Network Access for Travelers.