Accelerator

               

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Customer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

               How does the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature work?
Click here for more details.

What types of Web content are accelerated?
Accelerated content includes Web page text (including plain text, HTML, markup and javascript) and the most common forms of graphics: Gif, animated Gif, and JPEG images, Flash and File downloads. Content that is not accelerated includes streaming media, such as video and audio streams; secure pages, such as those used for online banking and credit card forms.

How do I qualify for the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature?
The AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature is available, at no additional cost, to all members who are enrolled in a dial-up price plan that has a monthly fee of $14.95 or higher. If I don't qualify for the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature, what can I do?
If you are currently on a dial-up price plan that has a monthly fee less than $14.95 and you cannot currently download the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature at https://memberservices.att.net/msws/Accelerator , please contact AT&T Worldnet Customer Care at 1 800- 400-1447 for more information on how to change to a price plan that will allow you to get the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature. What are the system requirements for AT&T Worldnet Accelerator?
Click here for details. Where do I go to download the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator software?
If you are already on a qualified AT&T Worldnet price plan, you can go to the following URL in order to download the software: https://memberservices.att.net/msws/Accelerator

               Note: If you are not on a qualified AT&T Worldnet price plan and you download the software, the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature will not work unless you switch to a qualified price plan.

Is AT&T Worldnet Accelerator compatible with other software that I currently have on my PC?
Click here for more information. Is my AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature active?
Click on the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator image (black and white arrow pointing in opposite directions) in the lower right hand corner of your screen near your system clock. If one of the pop-up menu items reads "Subscription Info..." it means that your AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature is active. How do I know if the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature is working?
The AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon in your system tray on the lower right hand corner of your screen will display black and white arrows that appear to be moving back and forth. Will AT&T Worldnet Accelerator work in a LAN configuration?
The AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature will work best if you are dialed into your AT&T Worldnet account. If you access it via a LAN configuration, your account may not be properly verified and the feature may not work. If I cancel my account, will the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature still work?
No, it will not since the feature is activated when you connect through our service. Will deleting my browser's temporary Internet files (cache) adversely affect my browsing performance?
Yes. Deleting your browser's temporary files -- often refered to as "cache" can potentially impact your browser performance, since you will be removing any existing static cached pages. There should be no reason to delete your cache on a regular basis. I was already using another web accelerator product but want to use the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator instead. Do I need to do anything before installing the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator?
If you qualify for the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator feature, you should uninstall your former web accelerator product by using the following steps:
  1. Choose "Start" in the lower left hand corner of your screen.
  2. Choose "settings" and then select the "control panel".
  3. Select "add/remove programs" and then select the name of your existing software from the list. Click on the "add/remove program" key to remove the program from your computer.
  4. If necessary, contact the company that you used to subscribe to the web accelerator product and find out how to stop any further billing.
  5. Now you can install the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator using directions that should be provided to you. See "Where do I go to download the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator software?" for more details.
Why can't I open the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator installation file after I download it?
It is possible that the file extension ".exe" was somehow lost from the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator installation file. You can easily check and, if necessary, remedy this situation. Here's how:
  1. First, find the installation file you downloaded. Unless you changed the name during the installation process, search for "AT&T Worldnetsetup". Use the Window's Start menu: Start –> Search –> For Files and Folders...
  2. When you find the file, select it. The full name of the file should be visible.
  3. If the ".exe" extension (without quotation marks) is missing, add it. Click on the filename and add the extension ".exe"
  4. You should be able to double-click on the file right in the Search Results window to start the install.
How can I tell if the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator has been installed?
You should notice a small AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon in the taskbar near your system clock. You can also use the following steps: Click on your Start button in the lower left hand corner of your screen and then select "Programs". AT&T Worldnet Accelerator will appear in the menu if it is installed. What should I do if I downloaded the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator but it did not install.
When you clicked the Download Now button, you were prompted to open or save the file. If you saved the file, after the download completes, you need to locate the file AT&T Worldnetsetup.exe and open it to begin the installation. If you cannot locate the file, download it again. How can I further improve Acceleration performance?
Web page performance can be significantly influenced by a number of factors including:

               

  • Amount of data required to display a Web page. If you haven't already done so, try a higher Graphics Acceleration setting such as Level 4 or 5. Move your mouse over the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon in your system tray (lower right hand corner of your screen) and right click. Choose "options" and make a selection that is appropriate for you.
  • Connection speed, which can vary significantly even when you are dialing in to the same phone number.
  • Available memory (RAM), which can vary depending on the number of applications you are running. Even though AT&T Worldnet Accelerator can run with very little available RAM, acceleration benefits can be further optimized if you have plenty of free RAM available.

               If you are not seeing a very noticeable increase in surfing speed with AT&T Worldnet Accelerator, you need to make sure that AT&T Worldnet Accelerator is working properly. When you browse a typical Web site you should see the black and white arrows in your system tray moving back and forth. If you are not seeing the moving arrows or are getting little to no acceleration consider the following:

  • The mouse-over. The quickest/fastest way to determine the amount of acceleration you are getting is to move your mouse over the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon. A small pop-up will appear telling you that AT&T Worldnet Accelerator is enabled and reporting the average speed up you are getting.
  • Performance meter. Click on the AT&T Worldnet menu and choose Performance Meter and Test Page. In addition to displaying your average speed-up, you'll also see your effective speed in kbps (kilobits/second) based on the compression of text and graphics.
  • Enable/Disable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator. You can use the Disable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator menu command to turn off AT&T Worldnet Accelerator for an hour or two of surfing, then turn it back on and use it for a similar amount of time. This command is also accessible from the system tray.
  • Independent verification. Numion provides a "stopwatch" for timing page loads as well as many other interesting timing tools:
  • To use the Numion stopwatch to test AT&T Worldnet Accelerator:
    1. Choose Disable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator from the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator menu
    2. Go to the Numion StopWatch page
    3. Enter the URL of your choice to be measured
    4. Click Start StopWatch
    5. Write down the results
    6. Enable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator
    7. Time the same URL
    8. Compare the results

               Try the test several times. You can also experiment with clearing your browser cache and the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator cache.

               Numion has another interesting test involving popular Web sites:

  1. First, disable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator
  2. Go to the Numion home page
  3. Click on the Yourspeed button
  4. Choose a location (or the world)
  5. Click Start!
  6. Write down your results
  7. Enable AT&T Worldnet Accelerator
  8. Run through steps 2-6
  9. Compare the results
How do I see the original graphic quality of specific image or Web page?
If you are using Internet Explorer, simply move your mouse over an image on a Web page and right-click. You'll see that two new options are available:

               

  1. Refresh Page with Full Quality
  2. Refresh Picture with Full Quality
If you select one of these options, AT&T Worldnet Accelerator will replace the compressed graphic image with an original quality version. When the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon arrows stop moving, the new image is in place.

               Note:

               

  • When you first install AT&T Worldnet Accelerator, it is necessary to close and then restart Internet Explorer in order to have the Refresh Page and Refresh Picture right-click menu options available.
  • If you want to save the original quality of an image to your hard drive you will first need to refresh the original quality.
  • If you wish to change the graphics quality setting, click on the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon located near your system clock and select options.
If you have specific Web pages you do not want accelerated and therefore always see original image quality follow these instructions.
  1. Go to the specific Web page. Right-click on the Web URL in the browser address bar and select copy.
  2. From Internet Explorer select Tools –> Internet Options. Then click on the Connections tab. Select the connection you are using. Click Settings.
  3. Click the Advanced button.
  4. Click in the Exceptions box, right-click and select paste.
  5. Click OK
  6. Clear your Browser and Cache.
My performance was great, but has slowed down recently. What can I do?
If you have not seen any performance improvements since installing AT&T Worldnet Accelerator, consider the following steps:
  1. Is AT&T Worldnet Accelerator active on your computer? If AT&T Worldnet Accelerator is installed and active on your computer, a small icon that looks like a white and black arrow facing in opposite directions will be visible in the Windows taskbar area near the system clock. As you surf Web pages, these arrows will appear to move back and forth as AT&T Worldnet Accelerator accelerates the content.
  2. Other applications may be taking CPU or network resources from your dial-up connection. Please confirm that you are not downloading files, and that you do not have unnecessary browser windows open, as well as any unnecessary applications, streaming media, email, or chat windows open. Ensure that your computer is free of viruses. Any of these things can cause slow CPU and network performance, which in turns impacts acceleration performance.
  3. Run AT&T Worldnet Accelerator Diagnostics. Click the AT&T Worldnet Accelerator icon in the system tray near the system clock and select the Diagnostics option. Click Run Test. Do not run this test while downloading files.
Connection speeds will vary depending on your:

               

  • Modem speed
  • ISP modem speed
  • Distance from central office
  • Quality of phone line from the phone company
  • Internal phone wiring