1. What is this A*STAR proxy service?
2. What are the requirements to use this A*STAR proxy service?
3. How do I use this A*STAR proxy service?
4. I have installed a personal firewall or anti-virus software and cannot access the A*STAR proxy service.
5. Why do I need to authenticate again?
6. Why do I need to authenticate again when I close all the browser windows?
7. The bookmarks I created when using A*STAR proxy service do not work.
8. How to enable cookies in the browser?
    

1. A PC with access to the Internet
2. A web browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.X and above and Netscape 6.X and above, and with cookies enabled
3. Your organization network userid and password
4. Other requirements being imposed by the e-resource web sites (for example Javascript)

You can check your software and configuration by clicking HERE.
 

In order to access full-text articles in e-resources, the A*STAR ej-proxy URL must be added to the links in email alerts. This may be done easily by using the Proxy Bookmarklet tool, which must be installed on your browser’s toolbar.

For the steps of how to install and use Proxy Bookmarklet, please refer to About Proxy Bookmarklet.

If you would likeyou to access full-texts (via ej-proxy) from links retrieved from external websites, please refer to About Proxy Bookmarklet.

Internet Explorer
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, the following is an excerpt from its help file.

To change your privacy settings

1.  In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

2. On the Privacy tab, move the slider up for a higher level of privacy or down for a lower level of privacy.  The available options are:

Block all cookies
- Cookies from all Web sites will be blocked
- Existing cookies on your computer cannot be read by Web sites

High
- Cookies from all Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer-readable privacy statement) will be blocked
- Cookies from all Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your explicit consent will be blocked

Medium High
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer-readable privacy statement) will be blocked
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your explicit consent will be blocked
- Cookies from first-party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be blocked

Medium
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer-readable privacy statement) will be blocked
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be blocked
- Cookies from first-party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be deleted from your computer when you close Internet Explorer

Low
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer-readable privacy statement) will be blocked
- Cookies from third-party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be deleted from your computer when you close Internet Explorer

Accept all cookies
- All cookies will be saved on your computer
- Existing cookies on your computer can be read by the Web sites that created them

Notes

• A first-party Web site is a Web site that you are currently viewing. A third-party Web site is a Web site other than the one you are currently viewing. Third-party Web sites usually provide some content on the Web site you are currently viewing. For example, many sites use advertising from third-party Web sites and those third-party Web sites may use cookies.
   
• Some Web sites require cookies; therefore, if you select a setting that does not allow cookies to be saved on your computer, you might not be able to view certain Web sites.
   
• When you change your privacy settings, the changes might not affect cookies that are already on your computer. If you want to ensure that all of the cookies on your computer meet your privacy settings, you should delete all of the existing cookies on your computer. When you return to Web sites that previously had saved cookies on your computer, the Web sites that meet your privacy settings will save cookies on your computer again. The Web sites that do not meet your privacy settings will not be allowed to save cookies on your computer, and might not function properly. Some Web sites store your member name and password or other personally identifiable information about you in a cookie; therefore, if you delete all cookies, you might need to re-enter this information the next time you visit the site.
   
• Your privacy settings only affect Web sites in the Internet zone.
   
• You can also specify custom privacy settings for all Web sites in the Internet zone or for individual Web sites.
   
• To import a file containing custom privacy settings, click Import. To import a file, it must be located on your computer. You can download files containing custom privacy settings from privacy organizations and other Web sites on the Internet.

Netscape
If you are using Netscape, the following is an excerpt from its help.  You can specify how cookies should be handled by setting your cookie preferences and by using the Cookie Manager.

To change your cookie preferences:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
    
2. Under the Privacy & Security category, choose Cookies. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click the category to expand the list.)
    
3. Click one of the radio buttons:
    
   Disable cookies: Choose this to refuse all cookies.
    
   Enable cookies for the originating web site only: Choose this if you don't want to accept or return Foreign cookies. Cookies received through email (when the message contains a web page) are treated as foreign cookies.
    
   Enable all cookies: Choose this to permit all web sites to set cookies on your computer and receive them back during subsequent visits. Note: If you select this option, and later choose to reject all cookies, you may still have some older cookies stored on your computer (though no new ones will be set).
    
4. If you want to be notified when a web site tries to set a cookie, select "Warn me before storing a cookie."