1. Access your Command Prompt

    In Windows: Click: Start [bottom left corner] and Run; type: cmd.exe and press the ENTER key. A dark black window should open - this is the Microsoft Windows DOS command prompt.

    In UNIX: Login to UNIX; if you are using the UNIX Graphical User Interface (GUIs - KDE, GNOME, X Windows) then you need to start a terminal emulator (look for the following key-words within your Desktop's menu: Konsole, Rxvt, Eterm, Xterm, Terminal and Gnome Terminal.

  2. Ping & Traceroute

    Within the terminal emulator window, type: ping grex.org. You should see ping output similar to this:

            localhost> ping cyberspace.org
        PING cyberspace.org (216.86.77.194) 56(84) bytes of data.
        64 bytes from grex.cyberspace.org (216.86.77.194): icmp_seq=1 ttl=240 time=292 ms
        64 bytes from grex.cyberspace.org (216.86.77.194): icmp_seq=2 ttl=240 time=296 ms
        64 bytes from grex.cyberspace.org (216.86.77.194): icmp_seq=3 ttl=240 time=295 ms

    Note that our server IP Address, as of this writing, is: 216.86.77.194.

    If you are able to resolve grex.org and view our server IP through ping, this it means DNS (Domain Name Service) is configured properly and is working.

    64 bytes from grex implies that your ping command received a response from our server - this implies that network-connectivity between your computer and our Grex server exists.

If DNS is not working:

You know that your DNS is not configured properly if you don't see grex.org's IP Address when you ping our server (Step 2). There are a number of reasons for this:

  1. If browsing works, this means that your browser is using a "Proxy Server" and DNS was never configured on your computer.

    You need to check your Network Settings and add a DNS server. OpenDNS.org is a free DNS server and uses the following IP addresses: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220.This step is essential if you are using ssh. If for some reason you are not able to configure DNS, you can still connect by using the Grex server's IP address instead of its hostname.

    To SSH you would type the following: ssh jsmith@216.86.77.194
    ssh newuser@216.86.77.194

    Note: You must replace 216.86.77.194 with our current IP Address.

  2. If you are using Java & MindTerm to connect to the Grex UNIX shell using your web browser:

    if the Java applet window appears, this implies that the browser was able to locate the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and download, load and execute the applet.

    Click on: Settings [menu - top], Proxy.... A MindTerm - Proxy Settings box should open; specify the Proxy type: you are using - this information can be found in your web-browser settings. Then specify your Server:, Port:, proxy Username:, and proxy Password:, if any.

    Note: that when the MindTerm applet successfully opens, SSH Server/Alias: cyberspace.org will be visible and you would need to click within the window and press the Enter key to connect. If you are able to connect to our Grex server, you will see output similar to this:

            SSH Server/Alias: cyberspace.org
        Connected to server running SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.6

        Server's hostkey (ssh-rsa) fingerprint:
        openssh md5:  75:cc:a7:b5:b8:6a:6a:cc:a6:71:20:8d:ed:df:62:72
        bubblebabble: xuhaf-vohof-zydum-gacuz-medek-zivef-kyvol-bacal-gupan-nyhyk-texux

        File operations disabled, server identity can't be verified

        cyberspace.org login: jsmith

Local firewall blocks access to Grex

It is possible that your firewall at work, or on your home computer, blocks our SSH server port (port number 22). If it cannot be unblocked, then you'll need to try another computer which allows SSH connections.