Vendor Technical Problems

Database vendor servers occasionally become unavailable for short periods. First, try waiting several minutes and then attempt accessing the database again. If this does not work try the following options. Please feel free to contact (206-878-3710, extension 3232, refhelp@highline.edu) for help navigating these options.

Library account up to date?

Starting at the right library website?

Getting the right login page?

Security settings too secure?

1. Is your Library account up-to-date?

The login page requires that you enter your Highline ID number and Last Name. This information must match the information that is in the Library System and your library account must still be active.

If you can not log in please contact Reference at 206-878-3710 extension 3232 or email them at refhelp@highline.edu for assistance with your Library account.  We will help verify that your Library account is accurate and up-to-date.

Highline Community College Registered Public Borrowers
If you are accessing these pages from home, you will be sent to a login page to verify your identity - you need to be a current member of the Highline campus community (a current student, staff, faculty or registered public borrower).

2. Are you starting at the Highline Community College Library website?

The Library home page.

Make sure that you are starting at the Library website, on our list of online databases, or a link that has highline.edu in the web address. The URLs of our databases change from time to time and the current URLs will be available on the Library website. The Library website is located at http://library.highline.edu.

3. Are you getting this login page?

Does the login screen look like this?

The login page is at this address: http://moe.ic.highline.edu:2048/login.  To log in you need to enter your Last Name (the number under your name on your Highline ID card) and your Highline ID number - then click the Library Login button.

You can also log in using the same account information that you use for Instructional Computing (IC) resources, which include: IC lab computers and web sites on http://flightline.highline.edu. Click on "Computer Lab Login" on the left-hand menu bar and then enter your Username and Password.

When you have finished using the databases, you can logout at this address: http://moe.ic.highline.edu:2048/logout .  Exiting the browser will also log you out.

4. Are your security settings too secure?

There are several areas where Security Settings can be changed.  These settings can impact your access to our databases:

1. Web Browser Settings  (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.)

 
• Security settings
  Many of our databases are inaccessible when security settings are at their highest - check your web browser's status under Tools, Internet Options or Options.  
• Cookies
  Most licensed databases require that the browser cookies are enabled.   Cookies are used to communicate small bits of information back and forth to help establish a session between your web browser and a web server. If you have cookies disabled, this will cause problems with these resources. Resources that are known to require cookies enabled are: ProQuest, EBSCO, Gale and other databases.

  For instructions to enable cookies in the most commonly used browser versions, go to: http://www.google.com/cookies.html
   

2. Computer Firewall
   Another area where problems can occur is in the security settings on your home computer. The security settings can be set in a manner that prevents the database vendor from "trusting" the home computer enough to allow access to their database. Also, your settings may block the ability for the database website to save cookies on your computer, or to install software that is needed in order for the database to work properly. Here is a list of some of the places that home computer security settings are made:
    
   • Personal Firewall software (like Norton Personal Firewall)
   • Window XP, Service Pack 2 (it is set to block Referring URLs by default)
      

3. Internet Service Provider Firewall
   A Firewall is often used on a computer or by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to help keep your computer secure. Firewalls restrict access to the ports on your computer which are used to exchange data between computers on the Internet. Unfortunately, firewalls can also restrict your ability to connect to sites on the Internet that you would like to use.

If you are unable to log in using your Highline account, then your firewall may be blocking the ports that are used to communicate with the sites that we are providing for your research.

Our security system uses ports 2048 through 2248. These ports need to open on both the firewall that you have on your computer and on the firewall that your Internet Service Provider uses. Please open ports 2048 through 2248 on your firewall and request that the technical support staff at your ISP make sure that these ports are open for you.

Additional Resources
King County Library System has a helpful database page for dealing with Firewall software and other issues at: http://www.kcls.org/databases/remote_access.cfm 

If you are still unable to access Highline's databases, please contact Reference Help refhelp@highline.edu 206-878-3710, extension 3232