Setting Preferences for AOL Instant Messenger Connectivity

If you use Sametime Connect for the desktop, you can use the Sametime Connect window to communicate with people who use AOL Instant Messenger. Before you can connect to an AOL Instant Messenger server, you must first configure your AOL Instant Messenger connectivity settings. The information you enter depends on your network configuration.

Note Sametime Connect for browsers does not support AOL Instant Messenger.

Obtaining Information

Before setting AOL Instant Messenger connectivity preferences, you should obtain the following information from your system administrator:

• The host name of the AOL server. The host name is similar to a Web address (for example, sample.server.aol.com).



• Whether the AOL server is outside a firewall. If your company uses a firewall, ask your system administrator to make sure that you are allowed to connect to services on port 5190 and that port 5190 is open for outgoing TCP/IP.



• Whether you need to use a proxy server to connect to the Internet. If you need a proxy server, obtain the following information from your system administrator:



• The proxy type (the protocol that the proxy server uses): SOCKS4, SOCKS5, or HTTPS.



• The host name and port number for the proxy server.



• If you are using SOCKS5 or HTTPS, you need a user name and password.

Tip    If you have installed AOL Instant Messenger on your computer, you might be able to obtain this information from your AOL Instant Messenger Connection Preferences.

Setting AOL Instant Messenger Connectivity Preferences

Follow these steps to set your AOL Instant Messenger connectivity preferences:

1. Choose Options - Preferences.



2. Select the AOL Instant Messenger Connectivity tab.



3. If necessary, enter the host name of the AOL Instant Messenger server in the Host field. In most cases you should be able to use the default host, which is login.oscar.aol.com. If this field is disabled, contact your system administrator.



4. Enter the port number in the Port field. The default port is 5190. If you enter an HTTPS proxy server in step 7, the default port changes to 443.



5. Select the proxy server type:



• No proxy



• HTTPS proxy



• SOCKS4



• SOCKS5



6. If you selected "No proxy" in step 5, skip to step 9. If you selected one of the proxy server types, continue to step 7.



7. Enter the host name and the port number for the proxy server:



• For SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 proxy servers, the default port number is 1080.



• For an HTTPS proxy server, the default port number is 80. If you use an HTTPS proxy server, the default AOL Instant Messenger port used in step 4 automatically changes to 443.



8. If you selected a SOCKS5 or HTTPS proxy server, enter your user name and password in the Authentication section of the dialog box.



9. Click OK.

See also:
Using Sametime Connectivity Preferences
Sametime Connect and AOL Instant Messenger
Determining Which Version of Sametime Connect You Are Using