using a dial-up network my modem dials out ok, and I can retrieve my homepage which is a yahoo finance page. This page is constantly changing, but I get the version of it from the last time I viewed the page, not the current. When I click a link on this page, and it's got to be a link I've not used before, I get the connect box pop-up, clicking connect finally appears to get me onto the net properly (pc doesn't have to dial out again), and I can then retrieve the current version of my homepage and surf ok. Just wonder why I've suddenly got to do this double operation to access the net. I have "dial whenever a network connection is not present" checked but tried the other options with no luck.
This is because the browser caches the page. i.e. saves it in your temporary internet files. when you load it up, it loads from disk. when you click a link you haven't used before, it has to be downloaded. this is why you have to dial up at this point. There are various cures for this, but one is to change the Temporary Internet Files setting in Tools>Internet Options.
You could also build an auto refresh into the page to force it to reload at set intervals. but the easiest is (IMHO) to add a line to the page to prevent it from cacheing.
For full details see http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/nocache.html
cheers
Dave J
Thanks Dave, but I think said website a bet too techy for me'
"place another set of HEAD tags at the bottom of the document, before the end HTML tag and re-enter the Pragma." eeecckk
Tried "tools-options-temp internet files-settings, tried changing, to "auto" & "every time you start IE", still no luck. I log onto the internet ok, but when I click an unused link get "web page unavailable off line" box, and have to click connect.
You could choose a strange solution like putting your homepage's url into http://www.tinyurl.com and setting this new url as your homepage. That way you'd have to dial to look at your homepage. I think.
Good luck - there must be a better solution than mine!! :)