We sometimes experience troubles with the Java applets used for text-based chat in WebBoard.  One way to get around this is to use an IRC client. 

For all CTER classes,
you will need to connect to the server:
webboard.webtech.uiuc.edu
and you will use port:
7777

For individual CTER classes,
you will need to join the appropriate channel.
For example, for EdPsy 490i, you will:
join #edpsy490i-su02

Read on for a detailed explanation of how you can configure IRC to connect to chat sessions.

Recommended IRC Freeware

• Windows - Visual IRC
• Macintosh - Various freeware and shareware clients

How to Get Connected

Here's an example of configuring Visual IRC to connect to EdPsy 399EA (Spring 2002) WebBoard chat.

1. Download and install a ZIP utility if you don't already have one.

Visual IRC comes bundled in a ZIP file, which is a compressed package commonly used for delivering files over the Internet.  To access the files within the compressed ZIP package requires a ZIP utility.  The most common shareware ZIP utility is WinZip. 

2.  Download Visual IRC if you haven't already done so. 

Save the file to your hard disk.

3. Open the ZIP file and double click the Install program.

You can run the installer from within the WinZip program.  

Place the extracted files in a location such as C:\virc\

4.  Find the virc97 program on your hard disk and run the application.

5.  Select the first option in the list and click the Install button.

6.  If asked whether or not you want to create a program group, choose "Yes", so that from now on you can access the program from the Windows button.

7. Configure your settings from the Client Setup window (always available from the File menu).  Make sure that the server is set to webboard.webtech.uiuc.edu:7777 (You'll only need to do this step once.)

Do steps 8-11 each time you want to join a chat.

8. Click the Start! button on the Visual IRC toolbar.

9. Click the Connect button on the Server Notices toolbar.

10.  At the bottom of the Window, join the Channel name given in the WebBoard text chat for your class.  For example, for  EdPsy399EA Sp'02, the channel is named #edpsy399ea, so you would type:

join #edpsy399ea

11.  After hitting the "Enter" key on your keyboard, a new chat window should open and you should be connected to the channel you joined.  You should now be able to chat freely with other members in the chat room, whether they are using WebBoard's Java chat or an IRC client.

12.  For more help on using Visual IRC, please check the HELP file included with the program.