While the major part of any class is the classroom contact time, out-of-class support often makes the difference between success and failure of a student. With distance learning classes, teachers are faced with a unique set of problems in supplying this outside support. Students are often spread over large geographical areas and have varying schedules due to work and family considerations. This paper covers the following hardware and software tools that can help to overcome these problems: (1) e-mail, including its use for communication between instructors and students, distribution of syllabi, and turning in of assignments; (2) electronic mailing lists, especially those managed by list-processing software, as a means of asynchronous class discussion; (3) computer conferencing, including requirements and software options; (4) World Wide Web services, including posting/downloading files, graphics, and other multimedia materials; (5) audio and video materials via the Internet, including recording and storing audio/video, the ability to broadcast audio, and video teleconferencing; (6) other Internet services, including InterRelay Chat, MOOs, and MUDs, and online content-delivery servers; and (7) telephone-based technology, including voice mail, telephone conferencing, and fax services. Problems to consider, including availability of hardware/software, access control, Internet access, copyright issues, training, and costs, are noted. (Author/DLS)