Dave, can I use America Online (AOL) as my Internet Service Provider, but actually use a different web browser — Firefox — rather than the browser that’s included with the AOL software suite? Also, how about email programs?
In the old days, AOL used to force you to use their own tools, but somewhere along the way, a few years ago, they changed their configuration and you can now use any Internet applications you want, from instant message clients to the iTunes store, Firefox to Thunderbird.
The key is to log in to your AOL account and stay logged in. Some configurations might require that you do something within the AOL framework every hour or so, to keep the connection alive, but my experimentation suggests that if you’re using the Internet at all through the AOL wire, that’s good enough for it to keep you online.
To browse the Web with Firefox, for example, connect to your AOL account as you normally do — and this works with their free 1000 hour accounts too, by the way — then leave that program running and launch Firefox. It’ll automatically use the AOL account as your dialup Internet access and you’re good to go.
The only wrinkle here is that it appears that AOL still sporadically blocks outbound mail connections from other mail programs (us tech types call this “SMTP” for the simple mail transfer protocol). I get around the problem by using an SSH Tunnel but if you’re persistent on your send attempts it eventually seems to work without any fuss.
Oh, you can’t use the AOL Address Book or other AOL features in these third party programs, so if you want to have user@aol.com as your email address, you’re in a bit of a tricky situation. I believe that there are third-party email programs that can access your AOL mailbox, but I’m not sure. Perhaps someone else can comment on that?
Dear Dave,
I have read all that you have written about using Firefox with AOL. It’s now August 2012. Are the problems re emails still present ? It is safe to download firefox as I understand they have produced a version just for AOL.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Sophia
I recently got Verizon wifi and today I switched from aol dialup with a monthly service fee to free aol, which means I can no longer use the AOL browser. That’s ok but I have a question. On Feb 1st when the switch takes place and I can no longer sign on to AOL with their browser, will I lose the AOL dialer too? Is there such a thing as switching to free AOL but keeping the AOL dialer? My concern is that when the dialer is turned off I lose my wifi connection also. Should I uninstall AOL after the switch to free service or just leave it alone and ignore it?
I’m sure my laptop could have accessed wifi had AOL not been installed already. However, since it was installed prior to obtaining wifi, will I have to change any settings on my laptop when the AOL program no longer works in order to access wifi from either Firefox or IE? Thanks in advance for your time.
I use Firefox with AOL and my paper clip icon does not show up to send attachments and also the toolbar is blank boxes? Is there anything I can do to get these features back?
I use aol with Mozilla Firefox and up until today, it’s been great, no problems like when I used Explorer. However, while I was making an email address list, all of a sudden ALL the text went to tiny. How do I get it back to a more readable size. I’ve looked everywhere and can’t figure it out. I can change the font for my outgoing emails but, that doesn’t help with the incoming messages and everything else.
Please HELP!
Thanks…
I use Firefox as my browser. I have AOL free email. For the past few days I have been getting this message when I try to log into my email:
Bad Request
Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.
Size of a request header field exceeds server limit.
Followed by some insanely long number labeled cookie.
At first I could log out and back in and access my email. Sometimes I got an error code that required me to empty my cache, close my browser and reopen it, then I could get into my email.
I even reinstalled AOL 9.1.
I’m still getting that stupid bad request message.
What do I do now?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
hi, i got a new imac, using firefox as a browser. When i go to aol to play backgammon, it is not opening. I got the latest java but still, it dosn’t open the game. On the pc it works. What is the solution, since i want to use the mac only?
I have an always-on, cable modem connection, but have continued to use AOL for convenience and e-mail. When I first installed Firefox, when I began to access a website through AOL’s ‘CTRL-K’ link, I would get a message something like, ‘Would you like to access this site through Firefox’ with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ boxes. I liked this and used it all the time, but my son turned it off while logged into my AOL account. AOL is unable to tell me how to turn it back on again. Can you help? Thanks.
I’m not sure what “PS Guard” is, so I can’t speak on that, but in general, Windows XP has a pretty nice “Security Center” that you can reach by going to Start -> Settings -> Control Panels -> Security Center. That’ll tell you if you have a firewall running, etc.
SOMEHOW PS GUARD HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON MY COMPUTER AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF IT. ALSO HOW CAN I CHECK TO SEE IF I ACTUALLY HAVE A FIREWALL ON MY COMPUTER I AM USING XP PRO AS MY OPERATING SYSTEM. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE WILL BE GREATLY APPRICIATED.
THANKS
RUSS
Hi, well iv got some more jucy info lol!
I’m using a router to connect to aol, WITHOUT THE NASTY AOL SOFTWARE!!!! (with Firefox)
Aswer; All you have to do is setup your router for:
PPPoE connection
then
enter your username & password
e.g: screenname@aol.com
and your password for that screenname
BUT THEN, you might notice that some web-sites don’t work!
The answer is simple: Just set your MTU to 1400 instead of the original number!
And your good to go
I hope iv been some use to someone out there
if you have anymore problems just contact me at kyle2bed@aol.com
For AOL 9.0 users, you can use the AOL dialer to connect instead of launching the main AOL software:
Go here for details:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=1014752#1014752
It says that I am connected with the internal modem. The TCP/IP configuration, “IPv4” is set to AOL dialup, instead of manual or PPP. It says the IP adress is 172.145.90.158. The router is 4.54.246.194. The box next to “DNS servers” is blank. The Proxies and Modem sections of the network preferences is grayed and cannot be altered. Firefox still doesn’t work.
Thanks anyway.
Jalk, so let me get this straight: you’re logged in to AOL, and you can use the AOL Web browser to surf the Web. If you launch Safari, however, or Firefox, wihle still logged in, you can’t get to any Web sites at all? Sounds like a DNS issue, but that’d be very strange. Next time you’re logged in to AOL, open up Apple -> System Preferences -> Network and see if it shows you’re online or not.
I am trying to run Firefox on my eMac using AOL dialup. I can’t get it to work, nor have I ever been able to get Safari to work. Neither programs seems to be able to connect to the internet. I get error messages from Safari that say “Safari can’t find the server.” I am doing this while connected to the internet. What should I do?
Nice reference, David. Here’s what that article says (click on “DAVID” in the above comment to see the original – it’s a pretty long, hairy URL!)
There are two steps to setting up Outlook� Express to read and send AOL e-mail. First, you need to create a new e-mail account in Outlook Express. Once the e-mail account is created, you need to configure your Outlook Express e-mail account so you can send and receive your AOL e-mail.
To create a new e-mail account in Outlook Express
Sign on to AOL.
Open Outlook Express. (If Outlook Express is not your default mail client, you may be prompted to specify whether you want to use it as the default by clicking OK).
From the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Accounts.
In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click Add and then click Mail.
In the Internet Connection Wizard, in the Display name field, enter your name as you would like it to appear on your outgoing e-mail messages.
Click Next.
In the E-mail address field, enter your full e-mail address, e.g., GabbyGrace@aol.com.
Click Next.
On the E-mail Server Names screen, select IMAP from the drop-down menu.
In the Incoming mail server field, enter: imap.aol.com.
In the Outgoing mail server field, enter: smtp.aol.com.
Click Next.
On the Internet Mail Logon screen, enter your AOL screen name in the Account name field.
Enter the password for your AOL account in the Password field.
If you want Outlook Express to save your password, leave the Remember password check box selected.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
To configure your Outlook Express e-mail account
When you are returned to the Internet Accounts dialog box, click the Mail tab. (If the Internet Accounts dialog box is not open, click the Tools menu and then click Accounts).
Select your AOL IMAP account.
Click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, click the Servers tab.
In the Outgoing Mail Server section, click the My server requires authentication check box.
Click Apply.
Click the Advanced tab.
In the Outgoing mail (SMTP): field, change the number that displays to 587.
Click Apply.
Click the IMAP tab.
In the Special Folders section, click the Store special folders on IMAP server check box to deselect it.
Click Apply.
Click OK.
Click Close.
Notes
If you receive a message prompting you to download folders from the mail server, click Yes.
AOL help page to configure Ooutlook Express to send and receive AOL mail.
That’s great to know about, Matthew. Thanks for the tip!
aol has an IMAP server that third party programs can get into on imap.aol.com. easy enough for me and thunderbird 😉