PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 98-2249 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: November 6, 1998 FCC ANNOUNCES THE CONDITIONAL GRANT OF 3 LOCAL MULTIPOINT DISTRIBUTION SERVICE LICENSES (Balance of Winning Bids are due by November 23, 1998) Auction Event No. 17 On March 25, 1998, the FCC completed its auction of 986 licenses for the Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) in the 27.5 - 28.35 GHz, 29.1 - 29.25 GHz and 31 GHz frequency bands. After a preliminary review of the FCC long-form applications (FCC Form 601), applications for 864 licenses were accepted for filing. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, under delegated authority, conditionally grants the 3 applications listed in Attachment A. These grants are conditioned upon the full and timely payment of the remaining balance of the applicant's winning bid(s) within ten (10) business days of the date of this Public Notice (i.e., by November 23, 1998). See 47 C.F.R.  101.1105(b). Note that the general competitive bidding rules also provide an additional ten (10) day grace period for applicants who fail to meet the initial ten (10) day payment deadline. 47 C.F.R.  1.2109(a) (as amended). Under Section 1.2109(a), applicants who fail to meet the initial ten (10) day deadline are given an additional ten (10) business days in which to pay, provided they also pay a late fee equal to five percent of the amount due. 47 C.F.R.  1.2109(a). Applicants listed on Attachment A who do not submit the required payment by the late payment deadline of December 8, 1998, will be considered in default and are subject to automatic license cancellation and additional default payments. See 47 C.F.R.  1.2104(g)(2) (as amended), 1.2109, 1.2107(b), 101.1105. Should the applicant default, it will be subject to a payment equal to the difference between the amount bid and the amount of the winning bid the next time the license is offered by the Commission. 47 C.F.R.  1.2104(g)(2). In addition, defaulting applicants will be subject to a default payment of three percent of the subsequent winning bid or three percent of the defaulting bid, whichever is less. These amounts will be deducted from any remaining upfront payments or down payments that the defaulting or disqualified applicant has on deposit with the Commission. See 47 C.F.R.  1.2106(e). If the default occurs within ten (10) business days after the bidding has closed, the Commission retains the discretion to offer the license to the other bidders in descending order of their bid amounts at the final bid levels. See 47 C.F.R.  1.2109(b). Issuance of Individual Licenses Following the timely payment of the balance of the applicant's winning bid amount(s), the Commission will issue individual LMDS license(s) for each market to the applicant(s) listed in Attachment A. PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS Final payments. All applicants identified in Attachment A must submit the balance of their winning bids in lump sum payments to Mellon Bank by November 23, 1998. Method of payment. All payments must be in U.S. dollars and made in the form of a wire transfer. No personal checks, credit card payments, or other forms of payment will be accepted. All payments must be accompanied by a completed FCC Remittance Advice Form (FCC Form 159). A partially completed copy of the FCC Form 159 will be sent to each applicant on November 6, 1998 to facilitate submission of the correct remaining balance of the winning bid(s). Applicants listed on Attachment A who have not received the partially completed FCC Form 159 by November 9, 1998, should contact Gail Glasser at 202-418-1995. However, each applicant is ultimately responsible for the verification and submission of the correct balance due. Wire transfer payments must be received by Mellon Bank by 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on Monday, November 23, 1998. Applicants should coordinate with their bankers ahead of time regarding their wire transfers, and allow sufficient time for the wire transfer to be initiated and completed prior to the deadline. To submit funds by wire transfer, applicants will need the following information: ABA Routing Number: 043000261 Receiving Bank: Mellon Pittsburgh BNF: FCC/AC-9116106 OBI Field: (Skip one space between each information item) "AUCTIONPAY" TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NO. (same as FCC Form 159, Block 26) PAYMENT TYPE CODE (same as FCC Form 159, Block 20A: "AWLD") FCC CODE 1 (same as FCC Form 159, Block 23A: "17") PAYOR NAME (same as FCC Form 159, Block 2) LOCKBOX NO. 358850 Applicants must fax a completed FCC Form 159 to Mellon Bank at 412-236-5702 at least one hour before placing the order for the wire transfer (but on the same business day). Proper completion of the FCC Form 159 is critical to ensuring correct credit of bidder deposits. Applicants must use the same Taxpayer Identification Number used on their FCC Form 175 (as amended). Questions concerning the calculation and submission of down payments should be directed to Linwood Jenkins at 202-418-1995. For further information, contact: News Media: Meribeth McCarrick at 202-418-0654 Technical Support Hotline: Technical Support Personnel at 202-414-1250 Office of the Managing Director (payment, FCC Form 159 and refund questions): Linwood Jenkins at 202-418-1995 Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division (FCC Form 601 questions): Bob James or James Moskowitz at 202-418-0680 This Public Notice contains the following attachments: Attachment A: Conditionally Granted Applications Attachment B: Search Instructions: Auction No. 17 Applications Attachment C: Search Instructions: Licenses Conditionally Granted for Auction No. 17 Attachment D: Accessing the FCC Network Using Windows 95 Attachment E: Accessing the FCC Network Using Windows 3.1 or 3.11 Attachment A Conditionally Granted Applications Market Channel Block Licensee File Number Call Sign BTA245 A BCK\RIVGAM, L.L.C. 0000000126 WPOH999 BTA245 B BCK\RIVGAM, L.L.C. 0000000126 WPOI200 BTA372 A BCK\RIVGAM, L.L.C. 0000000126 WPOI201 Attachment B Search Instructions: Auction No. 17 Applications The following are instructions for electronically searching the FCC Network for a specific application or applications on file with the Commission. The following instructions relate specifically to searching for applications filed in response to Auction 17. To search the FCC Network for an application, you must first connect to the FCC Network. Note the following: Attachment D describes how Windows 95 users can connect to the FCC Network using the Dial-Up Networking features of Windows 95. Attachment E describes how Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 users can connect to the FCC Network using a PPP Dialer application that is available for downloading. Conventions The instructions in this attachment use the following typographical conventions: bold Represents objects on the screen that you click with the mouse pointer, including buttons, Internet links, icon, tabs, menu items (e.g., Cancel button, Auctions link, Save option in the File menu). italic Represents field names or areas of a screen (e.g., Licensee Name field, Applicant Information area of a screen). bold italic Represents characters that you must type exactly as they appear in the instructions. For example, if you are instructed to type http://www.fcc.gov, you should type all of the characters shown in bold italic exactly as they are printed. Small Caps Capital letters (in Roman without italics or bold lettering) inside French quotes indicate specific keys on the keyboard (e.g., ®Enter,¯ ®Ctrl,¯ ®Esc¯). Performing an Application Search Once you have connected to the FCC Network, follow the procedures below to search for an application. You may click the ? (Help) button at anytime for additional information on using Application Search. 1. In the Location field (Netscape 3.x), Netsite field (Netscape 4.x), or Address field (Internet Explorer) of the web browser screen, type http://wtbwww05.fcc.gov. Then press the Enter key. This will access the Universal Licensing System home page. Note: You must have Java and JavaScript enabled in your web browser preferences to use Application Search. Refer to your web browser Help facility for more information. 2. On the Universal Licensing System main page, click the Application Search button, located on the left side of the page. The Application Search screen appears. This screen contains several data entry fields used for specifying search criteria. Note: Application Search utilizes "cookies". If you are receiving a notification message when accepting a cookie, we recommend that you disable this message in your web browser options. Please consult your web browser Help facility for more information. 3. On the Application Search screen, specify the search criteria necessary to locate the desired application. Please refer to the following "Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria" for more information. If you are searching for an application filed for Auction 17, click 17 in the Auction ID field. Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria: You must specify search criteria in at least one field. You do not have to specify search criteria in all of the search fields. Enter search criteria into as many fields as you wish. To specify search criteria in a search field containing a menu of options, click the desired option from the menu. Use the scroll bars to view all options in a menu. You can select multiple options from a menu by holding down ®Ctrl¯ while you click the menu options. Click to undo a menu selection and search for all options in the menu. Click the Reset button to clear entries from all of the search fields. The Universal Licensing System restricts the number of rows returned in an application search to 100. In such instances, you must enter more specific search criteria to reduce the number of rows returned. Click the ? (Help) button for a definition of each search field available on the Application Search screen. 4. After you have specified the desired search criteria, click the Search button. The system will scan the database for any applications matching the search criteria. The matching application files will be listed on the Search Results screen. The Search Results screen will identify the file number, licensee name, application purpose, application status, radio service code, and receipt date for each application returned in the query. A message on the Search Results screen will indicate if no matches were found for the specified search criteria. Click the New Search button and respecify search criteria. 5. To view an application, click its file number link. To navigate through the data on the Application screen, use the scroll bar or click the links at the top of the screen. Click the ? (Help) button for information regarding specific functions available on this screen. To re-access the Search Results screen, click the down arrow end of the Other Options field to obtain the drop-down menu of options. Click Search Results from the Other Options menu and then click the Go button. To begin a new search, click the down arrow end of the Other Options field to obtain the drop-down menu of options. Click New Search and then click the Go button. Technical Support For technical assistance in searching the ULS for applications, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. The FCC Technical Support Hotline generally will be available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded. Attachment C SEARCH INSTRUCTIONS: LICENSES CONDITIONALLY GRANTED FOR AUCTION NO. 17 Following are instructions for electronically searching the FCC Network for a specific license or licenses on file with the Commission. The following instructions relate specifically to searching for conditionally granted licenses associated with Auction 17. To search the FCC Network for a license, you must first connect to the FCC Network. Note the following: Attachment D describes how Windows 95 users can connect to the FCC Network using the Dial-Up Networking features of Windows 95. Attachment E describes how Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 users can connect to the FCC Network using a PPP Dialer application that is available for downloading. Conventions The instructions in this attachment use the following typographic conventions: bold Represents objects on the screen that you click with the mouse pointer, including buttons, Internet links, icon, tabs, menu items (e.g., Cancel button, Auctions link, Save option in the File menu). italic Represents field names or areas of a screen (e.g., Licensee Name field, Applicant Information area of a screen). bold italic Represents characters that you must type exactly as they appear in the instructions. For example, if you are instructed to type http://www.fcc.gov, you should type all of the characters shown in bold italic exactly as they are printed. Small Caps Capital letters (in Roman without italics or bold lettering) inside French quotes indicate specific keys on the keyboard (e.g., ®Enter,¯ ®Ctrl,¯ ®Esc¯). Performing a License Search Once you have connected to the FCC Network, follow the procedures below to search for a license. You may click the ? (Help) button at anytime for additional information on using License Search. 1. In the Location field (Netscape 3.x), Netsite field (Netscape 4.x), or Address field (Internet Explorer) of the web browser screen, type http://wtbwww05.fcc.gov. Then press the ®Enter,¯ key. This will access the Universal Licensing System home page. Note: You must have Java and JavaScript enabled in your web browser preferences to use License Search. Refer to your web browser Help facility for more information. 2. On the Universal Licensing System main page, click the License Search button, located on the left side of the page. Note: License Search utilizes "cookies". If you are receiving a notification message when accepting a cookie, we recommend that you disable this message in your web browser options. Please consult your web browser Help facility for more information. 3. Select the type of search by clicking the down arrow in the Select Search Type field to obtain a menu containing the following options: Select General to search for all licenses Select Market Based to search only for market-based licenses Select Site Based to search only for site-based licenses (use this search type when searching for Paging licenses) Click the desired option from the menu and click the Continue button. 4. The License Search screen appears. This screen contains several data entry fields used for specifying the criteria for your license search. On the License Search screen, specify the search criteria necessary to locate the desired license. Please refer to the following "Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria" for more information. Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria: You must specify search criteria in at least one field. You do not have to specify search criteria in all of the search fields. Enter search criteria in as many fields as you wish. To specify search criteria in a search field containing a menu of options, click the desired option from the menu. Use the scroll bars to view all options in a menu. You can select multiple options from a menu by pressing the Ctrl key while you click the menu options. Click to undo a menu selection and search for all options in the menu. Click the Reset button to clear entries from all of the search fields. The Universal Licensing System restricts the number of rows returned in a license search to 100. In such instances, you must enter more specific search criteria to reduce the number of rows returned. Click the ? (Help) button for a definition of each search field available on the License Search screen. 5. After you have specified the desired search criteria, click the Search button. The system will scan the database for any licenses matching the search criteria. The matching license files will be listed on the Search Results screen. The Search Results screen will identify the call sign, licensee name, radio service code, market, and licensee ID for each license returned in the query. A message on the Search Results screen will indicate if no matches were found for the specified search criteria. Click the New Search button and respecify search criteria. 6. To view a license, click its call sign underlined link. To navigate through the data on the License screen, use the scroll bar or click the links at the top of the screen. Click the ? (Help) button for information regarding specific functions available on this screen. To re-access the Search Results screen, click the down arrow in the Other Options field to obtain the drop-down menu of options. Click Search Results from the Other Options menu and then click the Go button. To access additional information about the license (such as special conditions, associated applications, and locations), click the down arrow in the License Options field to obtain the drop-down menu of options. Click the desired selection from the menu then click the Go button. To begin a new search, click the down arrow in the Other Options field to obtain the drop-down menu of options. Click New Search from the Other Options menu and then click the Go button. Technical Support For technical assistance in searching the ULS for applications and licenses, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. The FCC Technical Support Hotline generally will be available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded. Attachment D ACCESSING THE FCC NETWORK USING WINDOWS 95 This attachment describes how to access the FCC Network from a system that is running the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system. This involves configuring dial-up network access and then performing the dial-up procedure. Conventions The instructions in this attachment use the following typographical conventions: bold Represents objects on the screen that you click with the mouse pointer, including buttons, Internet links, icons, tabs, menu items (e.g., Cancel button, Auctions link, Save option in the File menu). italic Represents field names or areas of a screen (e.g., Licensee Name field, Applicant Information area of a screen). bold italic Represents characters that you must type exactly as they appear in the instructions. For example, if you are instructed to type http://www.fcc.gov, you should type all of the characters shown in bold italic exactly as they are printed. Small Caps Represents keys on the keyboard (e.g., Enter, Ctrl, Esc). Hardware and Software Requirements Applicants who want to connect to the FCC Network using the Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking will need the following hardware and software. Hardware Requirements CPU: Intel 80486 or above RAM: 8 MB RAM (more recommended if you intend to open multiple applications) Hard Disk: 10 MB available disk space Modem: v.32bis 14.4-kbps Hayes compatible modem Monitor: VGA or above Mouse or other pointing device Software Requirements Internet Web Browser software (Netscape Communicator 4.05 with JDK 1.1, Netscape Navigator 3.01, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 with the file upload patch were used during FCC internal testing) Microsoft Windows 95 Note: If you are running Windows in a networked environment, check with your local network administrator for any potential conflicts with the Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking. This usually includes any TCP/IP installed network protocol. The Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking will establish a direct connection from your PC to the FCC Network. This point-to-point connection is not routed through the Internet. Configuring Dial-Up Network Access 1. To start dial-up networking: a. Click the Windows 95 Start button. b. Click the Programs option to display the Programs menu. c. Click the Accessories option to display the Accessories menu. d. From the Accessories menu, click Dial-Up Networking. 2. When the Dial-Up Networking window appears, double-click the Make New Connection icon. 3. The Make New Connection window appears. In the field entitled Type a name for the computer you are dialing, type ULS at FCC. 4. Click the down arrow at the right of the Select a modem field and select your modem from the menu of available modems. If your modem does not appear on this list, you must install your modem driver according to the modem manufacturer installation procedures, which are usually described in your modem's user manual. 5. Click the Configure button. Click the Options tab at the top of the Properties window. 6. In the Connection control area of the Options tab, verify that neither option is selected. If either option is selected, click the check box at the left of the option to deselect it. Then click the OK button. 7. Click the Next button. 8. Type 800 in the Area Code field and 844-2784 in the Telephone Number field. Verify that the correct country is selected in the Country code field. If not, click the down arrow at the right of the Country code field and select the appropriate country from the menu of available countries. 9. Click the Next button. 10. Click the Finish button. An icon titled ULS at FCC appears in the Dial-Up Networking window. 11. Verify that properties are configured correctly before attempting a dial-up session. Position the mouse pointer on the ULS at FCC icon and click the right mouse button to display a menu. Select Properties from the menu. 12. Click the Server Type button at the bottom of the ULS at FCC screen. 13. In the Advanced Options area of the Server Type window, verify that only Enable software compression is selected. If it is not selected, click the check box at the left of the option to select it. If either of the other options is selected, click the check box to deselect it. 14. In the Allowed Network Protocols area of the Server Type window, verify that only TCP/IP is selected. If it is not selected, click the check box at the left of the option to select it. If either of the other options is selected, click the check box to deselect it. 15. Click OK on the Server Type window, then click OK on the Properties window. 16. To configure the TCP/IP protocol: a. Click the Windows 95 Start button. b. Click the Settings option to display the Settings menu. c. Click the Control Panel option to display the Control Panel. d. Double-click the Network icon. e. Highlight the TCP/IP protocol and click Properties. If multiple TCP/IP protocols are displayed, select TCP/IP --> Dial-Up Adapter. If TCP/IP is not installed, click the Add button, then click Protocol and click Add. Select Microsoft from the list of Manufacturers, then select TCP/IP from the list of Network protocols. Click OK to add it, then highlight TCP/IP and click Properties. f. Click the DNS Configuration tab. g. Click Enable DNS. h. If there is no Host, type bidder in the Host field. i. Type 192.104.54.1 in the DNS Server Search order field and click the Add button. j. Click OK on the TCP/IP Properties window, then click OK on the Network window. Dial-Up Procedure 1. If your PC is connected to a Local Area Network (LAN), perform the steps below before dialing into the FCC Network. Otherwise, proceed to step 2. a. Start up your PC without logging into the network. b. Click the Windows95 Start button and select Run. c. Type winipcfg in the Run window and click on OK. d. Click the Release All button to reset the IP address to "0.0.0.0." 2. If the Dial-Up Networking window is not currently open, do the following: a. Click the Windows 95 Start button. b. Click the Programs option to display the Programs menu. c. Click the Accessories option to display the Accessories menu. d. From the Accessories menu, click Dial-Up Networking. The Dial-Up Networking window appears. 3. Double-click the ULS at FCC icon in the Dial-Up Networking window. 4. Click the Connect button on the ULS at FCC window. Do not enter User name and Password. The Connecting to ULS at FCC window appears, indicating the status of your connection as your modem dials into the system. This window must remain running during your dial-up session. You may minimize the window, if you wish. 5. Once the connection is established, open your web browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer). 6. In the Location field (Netscape 3.x), Netsite field (Netscape 4.x), or Address field (Internet Explorer) of the web browser screen, type the desired Universal Resource Locator (URL). Then press the Enter key. 7. When you have finished, exit the web browser, then click the Disconnect button on the ULS at FCC window to end your dial-up session. Troubleshooting Following are resolutions of problems you may encounter when accessing the FCC Network. Modem does not respond 1. Confirm that the correct modem driver is installed for your modem. 2. Confirm that all physical connections for the modem are present. 3. Confirm that the phone line is active by connecting the modem cable to a telephone. Modem dials but does not connect 1. Confirm that the modem is dialing the correct number. 2. Confirm that the modem prefix (if any) is correct. Modem dials and connects, but nothing appears when you enter the location in the web browser 1. Check the settings in your dial-up networking icon, particularly that the Primary DNS is 192.104.54.1 and that TCP/IP is the only selected protocol. 2. Confirm that your web browser is using no proxies. 3. It is recommended that you do not log into a TCP/IP Local Area Network (LAN). If you do log into a TCP/IP LAN, confirm that your LAN network IP address is being released. To do so, connect to the FCC Network using dial-up networking, then click the Start button in Windows95 and select Run. Type winipcfg and press OK. If your IP address does not begin with "192.104.", then your LAN IP address is not being released. Click the Release All button, or consult you LAN administrator. Technical Support For technical assistance in accessing the FCC Network using Windows95, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. This hotline is generally available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded. Attachment E ACCESSING THE FCC NETWORK USING WINDOWS 3.1 OR 3.11 This attachment describes how to access the FCC Network from a system that is running the Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 operating system. This involves using the FCC-supplied Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Dialer. This attachment summarizes the hardware and software required for the PPP Dialer, then describes the procedures for performing the following tasks: Downloading the Dialer files from the Internet or the FCC Bulletin Board Extracting the Dialer from the downloaded files Installing the Dialer application Configuring PPP Establishing a PPP connection The attachment also describes how to troubleshoot and uninstall the PPP Dialer application, and tells how to get help from the FCC. Conventions The instructions in this attachment use the following typographical conventions: bold Represents objects on the screen that you click with the mouse pointer, including buttons, Internet links, icons, tabs, menu items (e.g., Cancel button, Auctions link, Save option in the File menu). italic Represents field names or areas of a screen (e.g., Licensee Name field, Applicant Information area of a screen). bold italic Represents characters that you must type exactly as they appear in the instructions. For example, if you are instructed to type http://www.fcc.gov, you should type all of the characters shown in bold italic exactly as they are printed. Small Caps Represents keys on the keyboard (e.g., Enter, Ctrl, Esc). Hardware and Software Requirements Applicants who want to connect to the FCC Network using the FCC PPP Dialer will need the following hardware and software. Hardware Requirements CPU: Intel 80486 or above RAM: 8 MB RAM (more recommended if you intend to open multiple applications) Hard Disk: 10 MB available disk space Modem: v.32bis 14.4-kbps Hayes compatible modem Monitor: VGA or above Mouse or other pointing device Software Requirements Internet Web Browser software (Netscape Communicator 4.05 with JDK 1.1, Netscape Navigator 3.01, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 with the file upload patch were used during FCC internal testing) Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Note: If you are running Windows in a networked environment, check with your local network administrator for any potential conflicts with the FCC PPP Dialer. This usually includes any TCP/IP installed network protocol. The FCC PPP Dialer will establish a point-to-point connection from your PC to the FCC Network. This point-to-point connection is not routed through the Internet. Downloading the Dialer Software Applicants who wish to use the FCC PPP Dialer must first download the dialer software from either the Internet or the FCC Bulletin Board System. Applicants must download the following compressed files to install the software: fccdial1.exe fccdial2.exe fccdial3.exe Download Method 1: Internet Access You may use your Internet browser to download the compressed files from www.fcc.gov or wtbwww01.fcc.gov, as described in the following sections. Downloading from www.fcc.gov 1. Connect to your Internet Service Provider and start your web browser. 2. In the Location (Netscape) or Address (Internet Explorer) field of the web browser screen, enter the following location: http://www.fcc.gov. Then press the Enter key. 3. Click the Electronic Filing link. 4. Click Universal Licensing System at the bottom of the screen. 5. Click the FCC PPP Dialer button, located on the left side of the page. 6. Scroll down to the Download the Dialer section of the page. Download the following files by clicking their respective filename links: fccdial1.exe, fccdial2.exe, fccdial3.exe Downloading from wtbwww01.fcc.gov 1. Connect to your Internet Service Provider and start your web browser. 2. In the Location (Netscape) or Address (Internet Explorer) field of the web browser screen, enter the following location: http://wtbwww01.fcc.gov. Then press the Enter key. 3. Click the Dialer link. 4. Download the following files by clicking each of the corresponding icons: fccdial1.exe, fccdial2.exe, fccdial3.exe Download Method 2: Dial-In Access to the FCC Auction Bulletin Board System (BBS) The FCC Auction Bulletin Board System (BBS) provides dial-in access for the FCC PPP Dialer. To access the FCC Auction BBS, use a communications package that can handle at least Xmodem protocol (such as PcAnyWhere, Procomm, or Microsoft Terminal in Windows 3.x) to dial in to (202) 682-5851. Use the settings of 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit (8,N,1). Once your computer is connected to the Auction BBS, do the following: 1. To create an account: a. Enter your first name. b. Enter your last name. c. When asked whether you want to create an account, enter Y. d. When prompted, enter a password. The password can be from four to ten characters long, where the characters can be either letters or numbers. e. To confirm the password, enter it again. f. When prompted for contact information, enter your voice phone number, including area code. For example, you might enter 202-555-1234. g. Enter your company name. 2. On the Welcome screen, enter C for Continue. (You may also enter c, the program accepts either uppercase or lowercase.) Since C is the default (automatic) selection, you can also just press Enter to continue. 3. When asked whether you want to view the bulletin menu, enter Y for Yes. Then press Enter to obtain the FCC Auction BBS Main Menu. 4. Enter A (for Auction Menu) to obtain the Auction Library Menu. The top options on this menu provide a range of numbers to represent the available auctions. 5. To select Dialer, enter D. The list of available files appears. These files are sorted by date, with the most recent files at the beginning of the list. 6. To scroll downward to the next screen of file names, either press Enter or enter C for Continue. To scroll upward to the preceding screen of file names, enter P for Previous. Note that on each screen, file names are numbered separately, starting with 1. 7. To select one or more files for downloading or viewing, mark the files you want. The program marks a file by preceding its name with an asterisk (*). You can do the following: To mark an individual file, enter its line number. To mark a range of files, enter M (for Mark) and then enter the range of files in response to the prompt. For example, to mark files 1 through 3, enter 1-3 at the prompt. To unmark a file, enter its number again. You can also use Mark to unmark a range of files. Use any of these techniques to mark the following files: fccdial1.exe, fccdial2.exe, fccdial3.exe 8. When you have finished marking files, download them as follows: a. Enter D for Download. The program displays a list that summarizes the download operation. The Time column lists the download time for each file; the Total Time column lists a running total of the download times. b. Enter D to proceed. c. Select the file transfer protocol that has been specified in your terminal emulation software (e.g., Xmodem or Zmodem). When the download operation has finished, the list of files reappears. 9. Enter X to leave the BBS. Extracting the FCC PPP Dialer The FCC PPP Dialer files are downloaded in a self-extracting, compressed file format. When you have downloaded the compressed files, you must extract the FCC PPP Dialer from each file. To extract the software, start File Manager in the Main Program group, open the file folder where you downloaded the files, and double-click each file (fccdial1.exe, fccdial2.exe, fccdial3.exe). A message will appear listing the default directory to which the software will extract. If this directory does not exist, it will be created automatically. Click Unzip to begin extracting the software from the compressed files. When the extraction is complete, a message will appear listing the number of files that were unzipped. Click OK to automatically start the setup program. Installing the FCC PPP Dialer After you extract the software from all of the compressed files, go to File Manager, locate the directory to which you extracted the software, and double-click setup.exe. To begin, the setup program shows a screen listing the default directory to which the software will install. Click the Install button, then click OK to install to the specified directory. If the directory does not exist, the setup program will create it automatically. When the installation is complete, a message may appear asking you to restart Windows so that the changes made by the installation can take effect. Click Restart to restart Windows or click Stay Here to restart at a later time. Do not use the FCC PPP Dialer until you have restarted Windows. You will now have a new Program Manager group called FCC PPP Dialer with icons labeled Configure PPP, PPP Dialer, and Uninstall. Running the Configure PPP Program Before establishing a PPP connection, you must run the Configure PPP program. If desired, you may also adjust the configuration settings. To start the Configure PPP program: 1. Double-click the Configure PPP icon. The communications setup window appears. 2. From the Modem menu, select the COM port to which your modem is connected. 3. From the Speed menu, select the maximum DTE rate of your modem. For 14.4-kbps and 28.8-kbps modems, you can generally select a speed of 38400 or 57600. 4. In most cases, carrier detect should not be checked and flow control should be checked. If you experience problems getting the modem to respond, experimenting with these settings may help. 5. The DNS should be set to 192.104.54.1. The remainder of the screen has default values which should provide optimal performance. 6. Click the Script button to bring up the Script Setup screen. This screen gives you the ability to issue specific commands to the modem. 7. Click the down arrow in the Selected Modem field and choose the entry from the list that most closely matches the modem installed on your PC. If your modem does not appear in the list, select a generic modem string by entering either ATZ (for 14.4-kbps modems) or AT&F (for 28.8-kbps modems) in the Reset Modem String box. 8. It may be necessary to change the command in the Modem Dial Prefix field to accommodate how you make calls. For example: Add a 1 before dialing the 800 number: ATDT1 Dialing prefix of 9 used, add a 1 before dialing the 800 number: ATDT91 Turn off call waiting, add a 1 before dialing the 800 number: ATDT*70,1 9. If you use a dialing suffix, enter it in the Dial Suffix field. 10. The default settings provided in Configure PPP should be compatible with most systems. If you experience problems connecting to the FCC Network, refer to the Troubleshooting section for possible solutions. 11. When you have finished using the Configure PPP program, click the OK button. You may now start the FCC PPP Dialer. Establishing a PPP Connection Once you have run the Configure PPP program, you can establish a PPP connection. If your PC is connected to a TCP/IP Local Area Network (LAN), disconnect your network connection before establishing a PPP connection. You can disconnect your network connection by restarting your PC without logging into the network. 1. To start the PPP Dialer, double-click the PPP Dialer icon in the FCC PPP Dialer program group. The dialer will attempt to dial the toll-free 800 number automatically. 2. When the PPP Dialer establishes a connection, you will gain access to the PPP Dial Up screen. You may switch to the PPP Dial Up screen by pressing Ctrl+Esc and double-clicking PPP Dial Up in the Task List. The screen will display the current status of the PPP connection. 3. To refresh the status of the PPP connection, select the Refresh Status option from the Dial menu. 4. Select the Minimize option from the Window menu to minimize the PPP Dial Up screen. 5. To test the status of the PPP connection, select the Test Connection from the Dial menu. This option allows you to ping the FCC Network. The ping process sends a signal to the FCC Network; if the signal returns, you have established a good connection. The Hostname box will show 192.104.54.1. 6. From the Number menu, choose the number of pings you wish to send (one, continuous, or a user-specified number). From the Specifications menu, you can customize the type of request (e.g., icmp echo request), the interval between pings, and the timeout setting; the default settings should suffice. If you change any of the settings and would like to save them, select the Save option from the File menu. 7. Click the Start button. The status and packets boxes will display information concerning whether the pings were returned. 8. If necessary, click the Stop button, to end the ping process. Click the Exit button to exit the Ping program. Disconnecting the PPP Connection To disconnect from the FCC Network, switch to the PPP Dial Up screen and select the Disconnect option from the Dial menu. Troubleshooting Following are problems you may encounter and possible solutions for resolving or isolating them. Modem does not respond 1. Check the COM port setting. 2. Make sure that you have selected the appropriate modem in the Selected Modem list. If your modem does not appear in the list, select a generic modem string by entering either ATZ (for 14.4-kbps modems) or AT&F (for 28.8-kbps modems) in the Reset Modem String field. 3. Check your modem for IRQ conflicts. 4. Check the physical connections. 5. Change Carrier Detect. 6. Change Flow Control. Modem connects but does not return an IP address 1. Check that you have selected the appropriate modem in the Selected Modem list. 2. Verify the DNS is set to 192.104.54.1. 3. Verify the MRU and MTU are set to 1500. 4. Turn off VJ Compression. 5. Change timeout to 15. This is found on the Script Setup screen in Configure PPP. 6. Check your modem for IRQ conflicts. 7. Unload network drivers. SQLSERVER errors 1. Turn off VJ Compression. 2. Unload network drivers. 3. Check for the existence of multiple winsock.dll files on your PC. 4. Test the PPP connection with the Ping program. Errors may be caused by having multiple winsock.dll files on your PC. To search for conflicting winsock.dll files, start File Manager, open the directory for the root of the hard drive you want to search (usually c:\) and select the Search option from the File menu. In the search for: box, enter winsock.dll. Verify that the select all subdirectories option is selected, then click OK. Make sure that any other winsock files are not in your path. To check this, go to the DOS prompt and type path. If any directory containing another winsock.dll file appears in the path, do either of the following: Edit the autoexec.bat file to remove the reference to that directory, then save and reboot the PC. If you need to use the other PPP software package, reinsert the appropriate directory reference, save, and reboot. Temporarily rename the conflicting winsock. Uninstalling the FCC PPP Dialer Application To uninstall the FCC PPP Dialer, double-click the Uninstall icon in the FCC PPP Dialer program group. Click Start to uninstall the software. Technical Support For technical assistance in installing or using the FCC PPP Dialer, contact the FCC Technical Support Hotline at (202) 414-1250. This hotline is generally available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. All calls to the FCC Technical Support Hotline are recorded.