Connection Keeper Support

Connection Keeper needs to be running in order to do its job.  Once it is running, you can leave the window open, minimize it, or minimize it to the taskbar's tray (next to the clock).  It will quietly simulate Internet activity in the background, requiring no intervention from the user and using very little CPU and modem bandwidth.  If you are not connected to the Internet, it will wait patiently until you do, and then begin working automatically.




This problem is caused by having an obsolete version of WININET.DLL.  This can be fixed by installing the latest version of Internet Explorer.  Even if Internet Explorer is not your browser of choice, it will install an up-to-date version of these DLL's.




Connection Keeper cannot fix all connection problems. If you have played with the settings and you are still getting disconnected, then you will need to contact your ISP's tech support.  Note:  some ISP's will disconnect you after a certain time interval regardless of whether or not your connection is being used.  If a popup window is displayed asking you if you want to remain connected, then you need to program the popup killer to automatically close the window.

You should also be aware that everyone gets disconnected from time to time, usually the result of a bad telephone connection.  Connection Keeper can only make the connection appear active, it cannot improve the quality of the connection.




If the "Auto-reconnect" feature of Connection Keeper is creating multiple dial-up windows, the problem can usually be fixed by installing the latest version Internet Explorer, even if this is not the browser you use.  Internet Explorer installs an updated version of WININET.DLL which Connection Keeper uses to simulate Internet Activity.  It also helps to install the latest operating system updates.  Both Internet Explorer and operating system updates can be downloaded from Microsoft's website at:

https://support.microsoft.com




Connection Keeper has a way of testing the popup killer. Select "Display popup window" from the File menu, then program the popup killer to close this window.  If you are successfully closing the test window, but the window you want to close won't, then something about the window will not allow Connection Keeper to close it.  Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do in this situation.  If you want, you can send us an email (to ) containing attached images of Connection Keeper with the Popup folder open and the popup window that you want to close.  From this we can usually determine if you are doing something wrong.




This is not caused by Connection Keeper.  It is usually caused by the operating system checking if a CD-ROM has been inserted every 2 seconds.  Although some say this problem occurs only when the CD-ROM is on the same cable as the hard drive, we have observed it happening even when this is not the case.

To fix the problem, go into Device Manager and bring up the properties for your CD-ROM drive.  Uncheck the "Auto insert notification" box.  You will need to reboot your machine.  Note:  do not disable Auto Insert Notification if you are running Adaptec Direct CD.




Connection Keeper may have problems automatically restoring lost connections.  Two common causes are:

1.  Your Internet settings might be preventing Connection Keeper from redialing.  In Control Panel, go to "Internet Settings".  On the "Connections" folder, make sure that "Never dial a connection" is not checked.

2.  Connection Keeper uses WININET.DLL (an operating system library) when communicating with the internet.  Installing the latest version of Internet Explorer sometimes helps this problem, especially when you have multiple dial-up accounts.




First, try the "Check for update" option on the Help menu.  If this does not report any errors, then Connection Keeper is fetching web pages just fine.  The problem may be that you're not allowing Connection Keeper enough time to load the entire page. Try increasing the Max Query Time.

Old versions of WININET.DLL were a bit flaky.  Make sure you have the latest version of Internet Explorer installed, even if this is not your browser of choice.

Another common problem occurs when another program installs an out-of-date version of WININET.DLL.  If Connection Keeper was working earlier, this is most likely the cause.  Reinstalling Internet Explorer will fix the problem.




Some ISP's, such as NetZero, do not care whether or not your line is active.  They will ask if you wish to remain connected at a set interval regardless of whether or not you are using the Internet.  Because Connection Keeper can only make your connection appear active, it does not help with this situation.  However the "Popup Killer" feature does allow you to automatically close popup windows.

To program the popup killer, go to the Popup folder in Connection Keeper.  Click the add button, and enter the title of the window you want to automatically close.  Then, press the right arrow and enter the exact text of the button that needs to be clicked on.  If one of the letters of the button text is underlined, you will need to put an ampersand (&) before that character.  The help file describes this process in more detail.




Some of our users have been able to get it to work, some cannot.  Try the following settings:
Query Interval - 2 Minutes
Query Mode - Random URL
Read Entire Page

For the popup killer, use the text "Do you wish to continue to stay online" for the Window Caption.  Leave the Window Class and Button Text blank.




If you are unable to download the file, then there is a bigger problem that Connection Keeper won't fix.  Connection Keeper only simulates activity to prevent the ISP from dropping your connection due to inactivity.  This is not a problem during a download.




The following procedure allows you to edit the dial-up connection settings:

1.  Run File Explorer (press Win+E).
2.  Go to "Dial-up Networking".
3.  Right click on your dial-up connection.
4.  Select "Properties".




Sorry, but Connection Keeper can only report the connection status that the operating system reports.  This situation is a symptom of Micro$oft's poor implementation of Internet services (specifically, WININET.DLL).




Check the "Run at startup" box on the Options menu.

If you have enabled "Auto-reconnect", then Connection Keeper will not only start at bootup, but it will also start the dial-up process.  Otherwise, it will wait patiently until you connect, and then automatically begin working.




This is by design.  It prevents other applications from detecting Connection Keeper's presence.