Check for one of the following instances:
§ Is the password you entered valid? If not, check your case-sensitive password and try again.
§ Did your request to sign on get denied? If so, you have signed on too many times in a short period. Wait a few minutes and try again. Additional attempts to sign on now will extend the period you need to wait.
§ Are you currently connected to the Internet? If not, and you have been able to connect before, check the following:
Ø Is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) connection operating properly? If not, contact the company supplying your connection and be prepared to change your connection configuration.
Ø Is your LAN connection operating properly? If not, contact your LAN network administrator and be prepared to change your connection configuration.
You might not be able to sign on if:
§ Your Internet connection is only 16-bit. AIM needs a 32-bit connection. Contact your ISP if you are not sure.
§ There is a DNS problem with your ISP or network. Contact your ISP or system administrator, or try again later.
§ Your network is using a firewall. If this is the case, contact your system administrator for information about setting up a proxy server. After you obtain this information, you must enter it in your Connection preferences.
§ The AIM service is temporarily unavailable. Try to sign on again later.
If none of the above conditions is true, there is either a temporary problem somewhere in the network that is preventing the connection from completing or the AOL Instant Messenger (SM) server is down. In either case, you simply need to wait and try again later.
Copyright (C) 1997-2001, America Online, Inc. All rights reserved.