Help with Windows Media Player

We are happy to address your questions, but first please review the following list of common problems. Before you attempt to diagnose problems on your computer, please check the following:

Are you having trouble listening on a Mac?
We can send you a separate instructions for listening on a Mac. Please send us a Trouble Report including your email address and the Call Letters of the station you are trying to hear. This method will use the Windows Media player in stand-alone mode, so please check to be sure you have that as well.

Does the player say 'Stream Unavailable - Please Try Later' above the SurferNETWORK logo?
If the player says 'Stream Unavailable - Please Try Later', it means that the player is ready to play the stream but it is not receiving one. Causes for the 'Stream Unavailable - Please Try Later' message are that the stream is actually down at the station, or you could have a firewall blocking the stream. If you have been able to access the stream before and see the 'Stream Unavailable - Please Try Later' message, please let us know by filling out a Trouble Report.

Do you have a Windows Media Player, properly installed?
If not, go to Microsoft's Web Site, download the player, then follow the installation instructions provided. If you need help with installation of Microsoft Windows Media Player, go to Microsoft's installation help page.

If you already have Media Player installed, is it the latest version?
Check for Windows Media Player: Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0 should be version 6.4 or higher, Windows 3.x should be version 3.0, Macintosh should be version 6.3 or higher. Windows users can identify the version of the player they are currently using by "right clicking" their mouse when it is over the player, and looking at the properties box.

Top Reasons You Cannot Access the Stream:

1. Firewall software on your computer or network - If you are on a network where the network administrator could have blocked streaming or restricted the bandwidth available for streaming, please contact them.
2. Pop up blocker or anti-virus program on your computer - Many firewall, anti-virus, and pop-up software packages block streaming. If you have any of this software on your computer, please try disabling them one at a time and try to access the stream. If you are able to access the stream when one specific software package is disabled, streaming will have to be "allowed" through that software. Please consult the software Help or manual to learn how to allow streaming.
3. "The specified server cannot be found" OR the stream plays the same 5-10 seconds of audio - Most of our stations have solid Internet connections but at times they can go down. The most common symptoms for this problem are error messages saying "Server not found" or frequent dropouts. Sometimes the stream will replay the same 5-10 seconds of audio over and over again. Unfortunately sometimes it is difficult to tell if the problem is on your end or the station end, but by filling out a Trouble Report, we can better manage stations with frequent problems.
4. The stream is buffering a lot - Internet connection is too slow or is cutting out - This is similar to above but is more common on home networks. Common symptoms are constant buffering and disconnects. Call your Internet Service Provider and have them check your line if you believe this to be the problem. If your line is ok, and the stream is buffering more than normal, or every few seconds, please fill out a Trouble Report telling us the Call Letters and a short description of the problem.
5. The stream is buffering a lot - Bandwidth limitation on your network - This could be a company security or bandwidth-usage policy. It could also mean that your network is busy with file transfers or downloads.
6. "Windows Media cannot play the file because the specified protocol is not supported... " - Make sure that you have the newest version Windows Media player. You can download the player for free from Microsoft's website here: Microsoft.com To set the Windows Media player as your default player, open it and go to Tools->Options->File Types tab, then click the Select All button, then Apply and OK.
7. Something on the Internet is broken - We are served by a number of providers and they are connected all over the web. Once in a while traffic from one or more of our stations can be affected by a bad router or connection at one of these intermediate connections.
8. We are rebooting the server for maintenance or upgrades - This is not a likely occurrence. We rarely take the servers down during busy times. Outages would only last about 3 minutes.

Other Questions

• The player opened but I don't hear the stream.
• Are your speakers on and the volume turned up?
• Can you hear other sounds on your computer?
• Does it say Playing on the bottom left of the player?
• Is the mute button on your system volume control unchecked?

If you answered "Yes" to all of these questions and still cannot hear the stream, please send us a Trouble Report including the call letters of the station and any error messages that you might have received.

The same audio ads keep playing.
Due to some legal obligations, some radio ads cannot be streamed over the Internet. To accomplish this, we replace these ads with PSAs (Public service Announcements) or other ads. Sometimes there are not enough ads to generate a wide enough selection so you hear each ad a lot. If you are hearing the same ads frequently, please fill out a Trouble Report and tell us the call letters and a brief description of the problem so that we can insert more ads or notify the station.

How can I create a shortcut to the player on my desktop?
This is currently under development.

Does the player work with Mac and Linux, RealPlayer and Winamp?
Newer versions of the player are under development to work with Mac. If you have a Mac but cannot access the stream, please fill out a Trouble Report and let us know the call letters of the station. Our streams are Windows Media audio and work with the Windows Media player. This player comes standard on every Windows machine. You can download a copy for Mac here: Microsoft.com

Why is the radio broadcast ahead of the Internet stream?
The Internet stream is usually delayed between 5 seconds and 90 seconds. This is due to regular Internet traffic delays. If you are experiencing a delay greater than 90 seconds, please fill out a Trouble Report and let us know the call letters of the station.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, do you have the security setting at "Medium" or lower?
Our audio streams do not work on systems set to high security. If you need to change your security settings, restart your computer completely before trying again. If you memory or cache file folders are full you may experience audio streaming errors, try emptying your Temporary Internet files, and any addition files, such as the contents of the recycling bin.

If you are listening in an office, is there a firewall, or a proxy server in place that blocks streaming media? Go to Microsoft's general help page look for the firewall and proxy server information.

Check to be sure that any pop-up blockers installed on your system are set to allow surfernetwork.com.
Pop-up blockers can prevent our latest player from opening properly. If you have pop-up blockers on your system, you can temporarily disable them by holding down the "ctrl" key while clicking the "Listen Live" button.

You can also set the pop-up blocker to allow our player to be launched (without affecting its ability to block other pop-ups). Please follow the instructions below, and/or follow the directions for setting other pop-up blockers you may have to allow surfernetwork.com. This will permit the SurferNETWORK player to launch properly in a new window.

To set Internet Explorer to allow the SurferNETWORK player:

• In Internet Explorer, go to the "Tools" Tab, then select "Internet Options", and finally the "Privacy" tab.
• Under this tab, the "Block pop-ups" option will probably be checked. (If it is not, then the listener must be using another pop-up blocker, which would also need to be modified to allow the SurferNETWORK player.)
• Next, select the "Settings" button, and in the space type "surfernetwork.com", and then click "Add" to include the SurferNETWORK player to the Allowed list.
• Finally, click "Close", and then "OK" to complete the process.

If you are having continued problems after ensuring that the questions above have been answered, please review these other common problems.

The audio is choppy or cuts out occasionally when I listen.
I have Web TV or a Mac, and I'm having problems.
When the Windows Media Player starts up, it begins to setup, but then stops.
Everytime I listen to the audio through the player, it asks for my email address and information again.

What are the minimum requirements for my computer to play audio?

• 90 MHz or faster Intel Pentium processor (or equivalent CPU)
• Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3
• 32 MB RAM
• 30 MB free space on your hard disk 16-bit sound card and speakers
• 65,000-color or better video display card
• 28.8Kbps or faster Internet connection, and
• web browser (IE or Netscape Navigator)

The audio is choppy or cuts out occasionally when I listen.
99% of these types of problems are due to the connection speed of your computer. Dialup access to the internet, even on a 56K modem, is only as fast as the phone line you are using. Sometimes the connection speed is affected by other factors, which basically means that your computer can't keep up with the speed at which the audio is being sent. If you are experiencing this problem only once in a while, this might help:

1. Find the Windows Media Player on your computer.
2. Usually it is located on the Start menu under "Programs".
3. Open the player, and go to "View" and select "Options".
4. Click the tab that says "Advanced",
5. highlight "Streaming Media (Windows Media)" and click "Change".
6. At the top, you can tell Windows Media to buffer more audio before it begins to play. You can tell it to buffer 30 seconds or so to help. Try to increase the number to suit your needs.

Keep in mind that if this is a permanent problem with your connection, choppy audio may be inevitable. Unfortunately, the reality is, that a connection speed of anything less than 30Kbps can sometimes experience variations of this problem.

When the Windows Media Player starts up, it begins to setup, but then stops.
There are a few main causes for this. First, your internet security settings through Microsoft Internet Explorer may be set to high. A setting above medium can cause a problem with the audio transfer. Also, you may need to install the latest version of Windows Media Player by visiting Microsoft's website. Also, the system may have to be restarted, or the location where your computer stores temporary internet files may be full, and could contribute to the problem.

For your convenience, we have added these steps to help you change your internet security settings;

1. On the Menu bar on your browser, click on TOOLS.
2. Click on INTERNET OPTIONS.
3. Click on the SECURITY Tab. In the "Security level for this zone" section, move the Slider Control to medium.
4. Click on the APPLY Button, exit and try the link again.

NOTE: You may need to refresh the browser or delete your temporary Internet files.

Every time I listen to the audio through the player, it asks for my email address and information again. (For broadcasters who require registration)
Your browser is most likely set up to NOT accept "cookies". The registration program places a small cookie on your computer to let it know you have been there before. Without the cookie, the program "thinks" you are a new user. Configure your browser to accept cookies. If you periodically clear your computer of cookies, you will be asked to re-register the next time you want to listen.