Internet Connection

The most important e-filing prerequisite is the ability to transmit your data. There are two considerations to keep in mind: 1) the speed of your Internet connection; and 2) the type of connection.

Connection Speed

Although e-files themselves are not particularly large files by today's standards, over the course of the tax season you will need to frequently update your program files and the various forms you will be filing. Often, these files are large and many users find that a dial-up connection is simply too slow to be practical. We recommend using a broadband connection, such as DSL or cable.

Connection Type

You can have either a direct connection or a portal connection to the Internet. A direct Internet connection is one in which your computer uses the standard TCP/IP Protocol to communicate with other computers and access Internet services, such as e-mail, Telnet, or FTP. While connected via TCP/IP, you can check your e-mail, for example, with any e-mail program you choose. Your Internet service provider (ISP) does not require you to use its program to access e-mail or other Internet services.

If your Internet service provider is an Internet portal service, you may not have access to all Internet services, or you may be required to use your provider's software for specific services. In some cases, this software—or limitations imposed by the provider—may prevent you from transmitting your e-files. If you connect to the Internet through such a service, you may need to contact your provider to ensure that their service supports ATX e-file software.

Firewalls

A firewall prevents unauthorized access to and from a network or a stand-alone computer by monitoring and controlling communication at specific entry points, or ports. A firewall can be a physical device (hardware), a program (software), or both.

To use ATX software to e-file your returns, you must ensure that your firewall is configured to allow communication between your computer and ATX. For many software-based firewalls, this configuration step is simply a matter of adding your software to the firewall's list of trusted programs (or a similar designation). If your firewall requires specific information about authorized contacts, enter the following values where appropriate:

DNS: services.wksfs.com

Port: 443

If you upgrade your firewall software, you may need to re-enter this information. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.aspx for more information on firewalls.