Frequently Asked Questions

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server is a combination of software and hardware which acts as an intermediary between a set of users and the Internet. It allows authorized users to access almost all restricted electronic resources available through the Mabee Library web pages from home or on the road. A proxy server authenticates off campus users for the first request of a browser session and issues a cookie valid for the duration of the browser session.

I'm using Microsoft Internet Explorer on my Macintosh, why can't I connect to the databases?

Microsoft Internet Explorer dropped support for proxy auto-configuration after version 4.1. Microsoft has also recently announced that after 6.0, it will not release further versions of Internet Explorer for the Mac, effecitvely eliminating this browser as an option altogether. Current options for configuring Macintosh browsers for use with the proxy server are limited. The browser must support proxy-auto-configuration. We strongly encourage you to download and install a copy of Netscape Communicator/Navigator. Netscape/Mozilla is the only browser that supports proxy-auto-configuration in all versions.