Connecting to a Palace

There are a number of different ways to access Palace sites. This section explains the options available to you: * If you already have a Palace User Software client running * From your web browser * Returning to a recently-visited Palace * Using other online services

If you already have a Palace User Software client running

If you are already running the Palace User Software client, there are several ways to connect to different Palace sites:

• Click the Connect To a Palace button in the Toolbox, or select Connect to a Palace from the File menu. This displays the Connect window. In the Palace Server Address field, either select from a drop-down list of Palaces, or type the address of a new Palace (for example, test.communities.com), or the machine's IP address (such as 205.999.99.99). If the port number of your destination is not the default (9998), enter the correct port.

  If you want to connect to your own Palace server that is on the same machine as your client, enter 127.0.0.1 or localhost in the Connect window. This is the Palace local host address, and lets you connect to your local server without having to go through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

• Use the Bookmarks menu to choose from a list of Palaces. You can also select the Palace Directory option to access the Palace Site Directory (a list of publicly available Palaces on the Palace website)

• If you have already bookmarked the Palace you want to visit, you can return there via the Bookmark window. To open this window, select Bookmarks... from the Bookmarks menu (see Returning to a recently-visited Palace).

• The Edit:Preferences window lets you set a "Home Palace" where your Palace travels will always begin (like a "Home Page" on the world wide web). For more information on the Preferences window, see Preferences.

• Some Palace sites have "hot spots" in their rooms that link to other Palaces. If you know about one of these hotspots, you can click it to go directly to that Palace.

From your web browser

You can access Palace sites directly from the web if you know the address. You do not need to have your client running before entering a Palace site; it is launched automatically.

 

• In your web browser, enter the address of the Palace you want to visit in the format test.communities.com), or the machine's IP address (such as 205.999.99.99).

• A Palace site operator might even give you an address to access a specific room in that Palace. This address includes the Palace server address, room ID, and optional port number (if the port number is not specified, your Palace client will assume it to be 9998). To go to that room, enter the address in your Web browser.

  This example illustrates the extended URL specification, where 89 is the room ID on the Palace server located at mansion.thepalace.com (port 9998).

  Palace://mansion.thepalace.com:9998/89

• The Palace website (www.thepalace.com) has several links that take you to Palace sites.
  • Periodically, certain Palaces are spotlighted in a Featured Palaces area.

  • You can browse the list of the Top 100 Palaces.

  • The Palace Site Directory lists all registered Palace sites (if they choose to be listed), even those which are not up and running. You can search for a specific Palace, choose one alphabetically, or browse Palaces by category (such as business or recreational).

    You can also access the Palace Directory from your private Palace Portal (see Logging on for the first time), or by selecting Palace Directory from your client's Bookmarks menu.

    If the Palace User Software icon appears next to the Palace listing (the red P), you can click it to go to that Palace. Or, click the Palace link itself to bring up its site page. From the site page, click Go using The Palace Software.

  • Users might include Palace links on their profile pages; you can then click these links to go to that Palace. For information on accessing a user's profile page, see To see somebody else's profile page.

     

Returning to a recently-visited Palace

The Palace client keeps a list of the last eight Palaces you've visited. To return to a site, select its address from the Connect window. To access this window, click on the Toolbox's Connect To a Palace button (or select Connect from the File menu), and then click on the dropdown list button under Palace Server Address. To connect to one of the Palace sites shown on this dropdown list, select its name from the list and click OK.

You can also bookmark a Palace site to return to it quickly. When you are visiting a Palace site you wish to bookmark, select Add Bookmark from the Palace menu. Later, you can open your bookmark list by selecting Bookmarks from the Bookmarks menu.

Using other online services

If you don't have a direct connection to the Internet, a number of online services provide a level of access suitable for running the Palace software. These services include America Online, CompuServe, and The Microsoft Network.

America Online

 

1. Download and install the latest version of AOL.

2. Connect to AOL and start the Palace software using the instructions in Logging on for the first time.

    

CompuServe

 

1. Download and install the latest version of Wincim (GO WINCIM).

2. Start up the CompuServe Dialer, then launch the Palace software using the instructions in Logging on for the first time.

    

The Microsoft Network

 

1. Download and install MSN version 1.2 or later.

2. Double click on the MSN icon and choose Settings. In the Settings window, click Access Numbers; select Internet and The Microsoft Network for the Service Type.

3. Connect to MSN and start the Palace software using the instructions in Logging on for the first time.