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HazelGirl · Jul 26, 2007, 10:12 PM

Hi. I HATE IE as much as the next Mac user, but unfortunately, my new VOIP service, VoiceWing by Verizon (I opted not to try Vonage or CallVantage for a number of reasons) requires IE to access it's Account Manager. Now, through various download sites, I've attempted to download InternetExplorer523.dmg and each time it said install successful, but whenever I tried to open it, the browser would come up and would act like it was loading only to freeze. I had to force quit everytime. I tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it from different mirror sites that still have it as a download but everytime, the same thing. I don't know what the problem is.....IE5 should work under Rosetta but I can't get it to actually launch without freezing. I am using a mbp with intel C2D..........I tried using the service's website in FF and of course Safari but it doesn't work because Verizon refuses to support alternative browsers. I had asked about Mac support at the time of setup and they told me no problem without mentioning this little detail. I really want to get around it but I am not sure if that is possible. Any ideas? How could every file of IE5 not work? Others have managed to get it working on their intel Macs (based on searching internet forums) but I can't..........?????

HazelGirl · Jul 26, 2007, 10:13 PM

as a side note, my PPC Mac Mini is in storage so it's not available.

Cold Warrior · Jul 27, 2007, 12:23 AM

Go to Firefox's add-ons page
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1
and search for the extension User Agent Switcher. Install it, then change firefox's user agent to IE 6 for Windows. See if the web page will then allow you to proceed.

besson3c · Jul 27, 2007, 12:57 AM

IE 5 for the Mac is not at all equivalent to IE under Windows. You'll pretty much never be able to access a site in IE Mac that you can't with other browsers.

Like Cold Warrior said, you can try spoofing your user agent (i.e. how your browser identifies itself). You can do this in Safari as well, but you'll probably fare better doing this in Firefox.

HazelGirl · Jul 27, 2007, 06:04 PM

Thanks everyone. I have tried as u suggested but the agents did not work for the website. I have just received my welcome packet and it says that it WILL work on Netscape browsers 7 and newer for the Mac so perhaps there is hope yet. I really wish reps were more informed of ALTERNATIVES instead of just saying IE is required. We'll see what happens.

HazelGirl · Jul 27, 2007, 07:10 PM

UPDATE: I was FINALLY able to register my account and sign on but not after going through some @@#$%@$#^. Keep in mind that for me to register, I had to verify my identity by intering my last name, credit card I used to order the service and my account number.

0. First of all, I got a confirmation email thanking me for my order and it told me that while I wait for my VOIP adapter in the mail, I could sign in online with my username and password. Nice...except I had no user id and password and there is NO WAY TO REGISTER FROM THE MAIN PAGE..ONLY SIGN IN OPTION. That's when I called them up and asked how to register and they said I should have received an email with the special registration link.....well, that email never showed up, but the other emails they sent did. I was given the link and was then told that I had to use IE, no exceptions AND I had to do it from the computer through which I would be using the service (not for registration per so but actually for configuring the equipment, which I found out later). Then of course I went through the IE ordeal....fast forward--->find out that Netscape supports the site.
1. I downloaded Netscape....the latest version. Wasn't able to use the site.
2. Downgraded to the bare minimum Netscape 7.1.....STILL NO LUCK.
I tend to be a very patient person but this was driving me up the wall. I thought maybe the idiot I signed up with had my last name wrong, so I tried to enter my last name in an alternate way (most commonly mispelled way) and still no luck. Then I remember DISTINCTLY that the rep I spoke with told me to enter my lastname in ALL LOWERCASE. Now I verified this with him by REPEATING what he said and write these directions down as he told me. Well, NO you had to type it with the FIRST LETTER CAPITALIZED....I did this, with ALL OTHER INFORMATION THE SAME.....correctly spelled last name, correct cc number, and accnt # AND IT WORKED. FINALLY. But that's not it....at this point I am frustrated that I had to go through that crap. Oh and guess what I was able to do after I registered.......I COULD SIGN INTO MY ACCOUNT IN SAFARI!!!! So although pages may not display the same as in IE, I probably could have registered in Safari the whole time.....I just had to type my lastname the say I previously mentioned.

olePigeon · Jul 27, 2007, 07:46 PM

Just FYI, Netscape is now AOL's commercial product and is based off Firefox. They're the same browser.

I'd suggest calling their Customer Relations office, but I have it on good authority that cell phone companies don't actually have a Customer Relations office. You could try calling their Bend-Over-and-Take-It-Because-You-Have-To Office, it's about as close as you'll get.