How you connect to Airnews
To access the Airnews servers, you must use a news reader program that runs on your computer. These are widely available, and it is probable that a basic news reader was provided with the operating system that runs on your computer. If a news reader wasn't included or was but isn't suitable for your use, many alternatives exist.

The instructions for how to set up some of the more common news readers are included below. Note that you may have a later or older version than what is described, but the settings usually don't move around very much. The key settings are:

1. Server name, which is library.airnews.net
2. Login name, which was selected or assigned with your account
3. Password, which was also selected when you set up your account

Authentication and its various forms
Once you connect to the Airnews servers, they need to know who you are. There are three ways to tell Airnews that it is you who is connecting:

• Let your news reader authenticate for you. This is the most common method, and all modern news readers support this method, known as NNRP authentication. Instructions on how to set-up popular news readers can be found below.

• Specify a single IP address (see below for a discussion on what IP addresses are) that is always assigned to you, such as the non-DHCP and non-NAT IP address assigned to your DSL line or cable modem. This method can only be used if your IP address never changes. A fixed IP address can be specified for your account by contacting support and give them your account details and the IP address you want to use.
  (Notice: This access method cannot be used by people who want to access Airnews from behind firewalls.)

• Temporarily "Validate" your current IP address. This is much like putting a nickel in a parking meter every now and then, and after a while this validation method is almost as annoying as a parking meter. Subsequently, this method isn't recommended if either of the other two choices will work for you.

  To use the old-style validation, you visit our web site with your web browser, enter your login and password, and the system grants your current IP address access for a few hours. When you change IP addresses or want to connect for longer periods of time you must keep revisiting the web page and re-activate your access. Click here and then click on "Temporary Server Access" each time you are ready to begin using Airnews.
  (Notice:This access method cannot be used by people who want to access Airnews from behind firewalls.)

What are IP addresses?
Each machine on the global Internet has an unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. This is usually written as four numbers separated by dots, and, much like a telephone number, it identifies the computer it is assigned to at this time so that data directed to that computer can be routed across the world to that machine.

Some computers always have the same IP address. For example, the address 207.136.1.10 identifies the computer known as cabal0.airnews.net, which rarely or never changes its IP address. Other computers, usually those that are connected to the Internet through a dial-up facility, may have a different IP address each time they connect to the network.

If your IP address never changes, you can use a static IP address for your Airnews account. Otherwise, give your news reader your login and password settings and let it do the work for you.

Setting up Agent

1. Go to the options menu and select Preferences (in version .55, Preferences will be in the File menu).

2. Click on System Profile tab. Make sure that your news server is library.airnews.net. Click on OK.

3. Go to the Online menu and select Refresh Groups List.

4. When that's finished, go to the Group menu, and select Show All Groups.

5. Press CTRL-F and type "airnews.", (make sure that you put in the period) then click on Find First.

6. You should now see all of the Airnews Local groups. Pick a group you want, then go up to the Group menu and select Subscribe. Do this for all of the groups you want to read.

Setting up Microsoft News

1. Go to the News menu and select Options. Click on the Server tab.

2. In the News Server(s) box click on Add. In News Server Name put library.airnews.net. Click on OK

3. When asked if you would like to Subscribe to and groups, click on Yes.

4. When the News group list comes up, search for airnews.general. You should now see all of the Airnews Local news groups. Click on the Subscribe button to subscribe the a news group.

Setting up News Xpress

1. Go to the file menu and select Options. Click on the Servers and Directory tab.

2. In the News (NNTP) server field put library.airnews.net.

3. Go to the Group menu and select Update Groups Info.

4. Click on the All tab, and press CTRL-F search for "airnews." You should now see all of the Airnews local groups.

5. To subscribe to a group, you hightlight the group you want, go to the Group menu and select Subscribe.

Setting up WinVN

1. Go to the Config menu and select Communications. Make sure that News server is library.airnews.net.

2. Go to the Network menu and select Connect to Server. When asked, go ahead and request the latest groups list.

3. When the groups list comes up, press CTRL-F and search for "airnews.". You should now see the Airnews local groups

4. To subscribe to a group, you just select the group, go to the Group menu and select Subscribe to Selected Groups

Setting up NewsWatcher

1. Open your NewsWatcher program.

2. Go to the File menu and select Preferences. Click on the Server Address.

3. Make sure that Server Address is set to library.airnews.net.

4. Re-start the NewsWatcher program.

5. To subscribe to a group you hightlight the group then go to the Special menu and select Subscribe . When you are done subscribing to your groups, save the set wherever you want. Double click on the groups to retrieve the headers.

Setting up Netscape 2.0

1. Go to the Options menu and select Mail and News Preferences. Click on the Identity tab.

2. Make sure that News Server is set to library.airnews.net. Click on OK.

3. Go to the Window menu and select Netscape News.

4. Go to the Options menu and select Show All Groups.

5. When the groups list comes up, scroll down to the airnews.* folder, and click on the little plus (+) sign next to the folder.

6. To subscribe to a group you check the box to the right of the group. When you are done subscribing to your groups, go to the Options menu and select Show Subscribed Groups.

Setting up News for Windows NT

1. Go to the Server menu if you are connected to your current news server, select disconnect.

2. Go back to the Server menu and select Connect. in the server name field put library.airnews.net.

3. Go to the Newsgroup menu and select List All.

4. When the News Group list comes up, press CTRL-F and search for "airnews." You should now see of the Airnews local groups.

5. To subscribe to a group, just check the box on the far left.