Overview:

In order to use our Intranet Communications System, you will need:

• a PC or Macintosh Power PC with at least a 56kbps modem (DSL, or Cable modem recommended)
• Windows NT, 2000, ME, XP or Mac OS 8 or greater
• at least 64 megabytes of RAM (additional RAM recommended for AOL users)
• access to the Internet using an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or an online service (i.e. AOL or CompuServe)
• a major web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or FireFox
• a browser plug-in called Acrobat Reader that allows you to view PDF (Portable Document Format) documents

Web Browser Requirements:

You can use either of the following web browsers.  The version you are currently using to view this Intranet Test Site is indicated in red. 

FireFox: 1.0, 1.5 Microsoft Internet Explorer: 5.5, 6.0

If you do not have an appropriate web browser, you can download a copy without charge from Microsoft's web site or FireFox's web site.  You may also be able to obtain a copy on CD-ROM from our Intranet System Administrator.

Note:  If you plan on accessing the Internet using an online service such as AOL or Compuserve, please make sure you read the section for AOL or Compuserve Users below.

Plug-in Requirements:

In order to view certain documents on our Intranet Communications System, you will need a program called Acrobat Reader. This program installs a "plug-in" into your browser's plug-in folder so that your browser will automatically open up PDF (Portable Document Format) documents for you to view and/or print. To test if you already have the Acrobat Reader plug-in installed on your computer, click on the sample PDF document below.

Test PDF Document

If the above sample PDF document opened, you are ready to access our Intranet Communications System.  If it did not open, it is likely that you do not have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.  Fortunately, you can download a free copy of Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site. If you already have Adobe Acrobat installed, please verify that you have version 4.0 or 5.0. Older versions may have some problems opening newer documents.  Just click the "Get Acrobat Reader" button below and follow the instructions on Adobe's web site to download Acrobat Reader's installation program to your computer.  Then, double-click on the installation program icon to install Acrobat Reader onto your computer (which will include installing the Acrobat Reader plug-in into your web browser's plug-in folder).  Once you have installed Acrobat Reader onto your computer, you can return to this Intranet Test Site and try to open the above sample PDF document again.

Note:  Make sure that you install the proper web browser before you install Acrobat Reader.  This is because Acrobat Reader needs be able to place the Acrobat Reader plug-in inside of your browser's plug-in folder.

AOL or CompuServe Users:

If you are planning on using an online service such as AOL or Compuserve, you will still need a separate browser application meeting the above specifications, as well as the Acrobat Reader plug-in.  This is because the web browser that comes with AOL or Compuserve is not a "full" browser.  Rather, it is a reduced version that will not allow you to take full advantage of all of our Intranet Communications System's features.

If you do not have a separate web browser application, you can download a free copy at either Microsoft's web site or FireFox's web site.  Or, if you have a slow modem connection and do not want to wait a long time to download a separate web browser application, contact our Intranet System Administrator to obtain a copy on CD-ROM.

Once you have obtained and installed a separate web browser application, make sure that you obtain and install Acrobat Reader as well, so that you can view PDF documents.  See the instructions above on how to obtain and install Acrobat Reader.

Once you have installed a separate web browser and Acrobat Reader onto you computer, here is what you need to do to access our Intranet Communications System:

1. Log on to AOL or CompuServe as you normally would.
2. Once you've connected, minimize all open windows so that only your desktop is visible.
3. Open up your separate web browser application (Firefox or Internet Explorer).
4. Enter the proper web address for our Intranet Communications System.
5. Click on the "Visit our Intranet Test Site" link to test your web browser and Acrobat Reader plug-in.
6. If everything works OK, go ahead and click on the "Begin" button and log-on to our Intranet Communications System.

When you are done using our Intranet Communications System, click on the "Log Out" button and then exit your web browser.  You can then exit AOL or Compuserve to go off-line.

If you encounter any problems, please contact our Intranet System Administrator.