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Q: My web browser doesn't support JavaScript. Is there a non JavaScript version of your web site?
A: Yes.
Our web site should detect this automatically and send you to the alternate, non JavaScript, home page.
If it doesn't, you can go directly to it at
You can also use the
Q: I can't find what I'm looking for. What should I do?
A:
Use the
If you already know what page you want to go to, or you just want to see a list of all of the pages, use the
Q: Something isn't working right. What should I do?
A: Here are some general tips. If there are others using the same Internet connection see if they are having trouble too. If so, the problem isn't with your machine but with the connection, the modem and/or router. Check that the cables are plugged in securely and that the modem and/or router is on. Reboot the modem and/or router.
If it is just your machine check that your cables are plugged in securely. If you have your own modem and/or router check that it is on. Reboot the computer and the modem and/or router.
If the problem persists, write down any error messages which appear. Contact Technical Support for help.
Q: I forgot my static IP address. How can I find out what it is?
A:
Check our
Q: My password doesn't work. What should I do?
A: Although many programs tell you that the password is wrong, it can just as easily be the username. Try entering both again. Normally they should both be in all lower case. Also, be careful not to confuse "1" with "l" or "0" with "o" or "O". Finally, make sure that there are no leading or trailing spaces.
Q: I forgot my password. What should I do?
A: Which one? There is a username and password for dial-in (including ISDN) access and for standard ADSL access, another for web server access, and another for mail server access. There is no username or password for custom ADSL access.
If your problem is with dial-in or web server access call us. If your problem is with mail server access first use the password reminder feature offered by the Webmail Interface. If you have not set this up or are still having trouble then contact your Postmaster.
Q: How can I change my password?
A: Which one? You can change your mail password by using the Webmail Interface. Your Postmaster can also change it for you. Remember to set up the password reminder feature using the Webmail Interface. For any other password changes call us.
Q: Can I dial in while on road?
A:
Yes.
We don't have an 800 number but you can dial any of the
Q: My ADSL is dead. What should I do?
A: If other machines on your network are working and just yours is down, reboot your machine. Otherwise, wait 5 minutes. Sometimes a DSLAM is reset to clear a problem. It takes about 5 minutes to restart. If you are still down then reboot (turn off, wait at least 3 seconds, turn on) the modem, router, hub, machine - one at a time, in this order. After each one check to see if you can access the Internet. If this doesn't help then make note of the modem lights and call us.
Note: Do not "reset" the modem or router. This hard to press button will make the unit go back to the factory default settings, thus losing any information programmed into it. This should be done only if you forget the password for the unit.
Q: How do I convert from my current Bridged ADSL to PPPoE ADSL?
A: In most cases you will not need any new equipment, just switch the Virtual Circuit Encapsulation from Bridged mode to PPPoE mode.
The conversion is a two step process. The first step is to change your link from Bridged mode to PPPoE mode using the current connection. When our end is ready we will send you the PPPoE username and password to use. Note: If you have more than one IP address, your additional IP address(es) will now be routed via the main IP address.
You should then remove the old settings for Bridged mode (IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS servers).
Change to PPPoE mode and enter the PPPoE username and password.
You should still be able to connect to the Internet.
See the
Let us know once you have completed this. We will then initiate the second step which will switch you to the new connection and make any speed change you requested. This will take place within a day or two. You might need to reboot your modem and/or router after the switch.
Q: After my PC hibernates I am no longer able to connect to the Internet. How can I fix this?
A: Set your Ethernet interface to not shut down when your PC hibernates. If you are using Windows XP try the following.
Q: I'm moving. Can you move my ADSL?
A: ADSL can be moved if the new location supports it. There will be a new setup fee, however. Call us with the date you are moving, the new address, and the new phone number(s).
Q: I'm considering switching phone companies. Will that affect the ADSL?
A: Possibly. Standard ADSL requires an AT&T line or an AT&T resale line. Custom ADSL uses a dedicated line which we supply.
In either case, call us so we can get the details and make the necessary arrangements.
Q: Where can I learn more about ADSL?
A:
For general information on ADSL check out
Q: Why does it tell me there is no such host when I try to log in using FTP?
A: Make sure that you are using the correct host name. It starts with "www", not "ftp".
Q: Why does my FTP session fail after I log in?
A: This is normally due to firewall limitations. Using FTP in the "passive mode" is generally the easiest way to solve this problem. If you are using FTP in the "active mode" make sure that you have the data port (20) open in addition to the control port (21).
Q: Why can't I log in using FrontPage?
A: Check that you are using "webmaster" for the username.
Q: Why does it say that the server doesn't have FrontPage extensions?
A: Check that you are using "webmaster" for the username. If this isn't the problem then call us and we will reinstall the FrontPage extensions for you. FrontPage breaks easily.
Q: I've uploaded my files. Why is the default page still showing up?
A: Check that you named your startup file "index.html", replacing the default one.
Q: I've uploaded my files using FTP. Why is the default page still showing up?
A: Either you didn't name your startup file correctly (see previous question) or you put your files in the wrong directory.
Q: Why do I get "permission error" or "file not found error" when the site tries to access certain files?
A: Check that you used the correct case for file and directory names. Also, make sure that you don't mix using FTP and FrontPage to do updates.
Q: Is there any way to test my web site for coding errors and to see how it displays on different sized monitors?
A:
There is an online service which validates HTML and XHTML code.
There is also an online service which displays your web site at different screen sizes.
Check our
Q: How can I test my mail to make sure that it is working?
A:
Send a message to
Q: How can I get another mail account?
A: Contact your Postmaster. You will need to give him the mail address and the server password which you want for the account.
Q: Who is my Postmaster?
A:
Check
Q: I just set up my mail account on my machine. When I try to use it I get a message that the username or password is wrong. I've put them in again, but it still doesn't work. Why?
A:
The username is the full email address, not just the first part.
Also, check the
Q: I get a message "host not found". Why can't I send or receive mail?
A: Can you surf on the Internet? If not, fix this problem first. Otherwise, reboot your computer.
Q: I'm not getting new mail and others are getting a message that my mail account is full. What should I do?
A:
Make sure that you don't have the "leave mail on server" option selected.
You will find this option in the "Servers" or "Advanced" area of your mail account setup on your computer.
Or perhaps you were using the Webmail Interface and deleted some messages.
That moved them to the "Trash" folder.
This counts against your quota until you
Q: Why do I get messages saying that I sent a spam message or a virus message to someone, but I didn't send it?
A: Both spam and viruses often use fake return addresses to hide the true sender. Many times they use addresses found on the infected machine. Normally you just have to wait for the infected machine to be fixed for this to stop.
Q: My incoming mail is stuck. It won't go past a certain message. I get it over and over again. What should I do?
A:
Sometimes Windows or a virus scanner can't handle a certain message.
Try turning off the virus program temporarily.
If this doesn't solve it, reboot the computer.
If you are still having the problem then use the
Q: My mail works in general, but one person can't send mail to me. They get a reject message, instead. Why?
A:
The reject message should say why.
If it is a blacklist issue, please ask them to forward a copy of the reject message to the address in the error line, our
Q: When I take my laptop to another location I can receive mail but I have trouble sending to some or all addresses. Why?
A:
Check this note about
Q: I use your service to connect to the Internet but the mail server I use is hosted by another ISP. I'm having a problem sending mail. Why?
A: If your service with us includes a static IP you should have no problem using another ISP's mail server. If your service with us includes a dynamic IP then we block external traffic on port 25 as a standard anti-spam technique. The proper thing to do is for you to use port 587 with authentication, if the other ISP supports them. Otherwise you can set your "Outgoing Mail Server" to "mail.idsno.net". Our mail server will then relay for you as long as you are using one of our IP addresses.
Q: I can log into the Webmail Interface but then it stops working. Why?
A:
Check this note about using Webmail through a
Q: Links in messages don't work when I use the Webmail Interface. Why?
A: Some firewalls block "redirect" links. This shouldn't be a problem if you use the secure (https) Webmail Interface login.
Q: What happens when my mail account is full?
A: Your account on the mail server is where mail coming in from the Internet goes until you pick it up, just like a Post Office folder. When it is full, incoming mail can no longer be accepted. When this happens, the overflow messages are held temporarily, giving you time to make room for them. If still being held after 3 hours, the sender is notified of the delay. After a day, the message is returned.
When your account on the mail server is 80% full you will receive a "Storage Quota Alert". If you receive this error message while trying to pick up mail using POP3, simply retry and the mail server will let you connect. If your account reaches 90% full the mail server will send you an "Over Quota" warning message.
Your quota is 30M by default. If you need more, contact your Postmaster.
Please note that the amount of mail in the "inbox" located on your computer has nothing to do with this. You have total control over how it works.
Q: What is the maximum number of people I can CC or BCC?
A:
100.
If you need more than that consider setting up a
Q: What happens if I send a message but your mail server can't deliver it?
A: The mail server tries to deliver the message for up to 3 days. A warning message is sent after 3 hours of unsuccessful attempts so that you will be aware of the delay. After 3 days, if still unsuccessful, the message is returned to you.
Q: I am a Postmaster trying to administer my domain. When I log in all that I see is the Postmaster account. Why?
A:
You are logging into the Webmail Interface instead of the
Q: Do I need a firewall?
A:
Yes.
Any computer connected to the Internet is subject to attack, even via dial-in access.
If you are running Windows XP then upgrade to
Otherwise we recommend that you run add-on firewall software on your computer. Such programs are available from various sources.
Q: Should I disable pings?
A: No. It used to be considered wise to hide your presence by not responding to any outside probes, including pings. Nowadays most attacks don't waste time looking to see if you are there, they assume that you are and perform the attack regardless. This allows the attack to run faster.
If you disable pings you are removing a valuable tool used for testing connectivity. Thus, if there is a problem with your link it will take longer to diagnose.
Q: Is there any way to check that my firewall is working?
A:
There are online services which do various types of port scans, exploit tests, security scans, and stealth tests.
Check our
Q: Any other tips?
A: If you connect directly to the Internet, remember to turn "Printer and File Sharing" off and enable only TCP/IP for the link. This will help to limit your system's exposure.
If you use wireless (Wi-Fi) be sure to enable the security and enter a password.
If you are running a proxy server using NAT, disable DHCP broadcasting on the WAN by turning off "Remote Access Server" in the RRAS snap-in.
Check these
Q: Do I need a virus scanner/blocker?
A: Yes. Even if your mail goes through the virus scanners on out mail server, there is still a chance that a new mail virus will slip through undetected. Also, there are other ways besides mail to get a virus. Thus you should run virus software on your computer. Be sure to update it often, daily if possible. Such programs are available from various sources.
Q: I think that my computer might already be infected. Is there any way that I can tell?
A:
There are online virus scan and trojan scan services.
Check our
Q: Is it safe to open messages from people I know?
A: No! Viruses spread mainly among friends. The rule is: Do not open mail attachments which you are not expecting - regardless of who they are from.
Q: How can I block and/or get rid of spyware?
A:
If you run Windows XP then upgrade to
Q: Is there any way to test my browser to see if it is secure?
A:
There are online services which test browsers and pop up blockers.
Check our
Q: Is there any way to test my mail protection to see if it is working?
A:
There are online services which test mail protection.
Check our
Q: I get too much spam! What can I do about it?
A:
There is no way to block all spam without making errors (blocking valid messages).
To some extent you will have to treat it like you treat junk mail - delete it and move on.
You can reduce the irritation greatly by setting up a rule to make use of the
Also, sometimes it is worth using the "opt out" link if there is one in the message. They already have your address, so it won't hurt and it will get you off legitimate lists.
Q: What sort of anti-spam techniques do you have?
A: Spam is a continuing problem. Approximately 90% of all mail is spam. This percentage varies from user to user. Here's a typical example based on what we see here.
Let's say that 1000 messages come in for John Doe this week. 900 of them are spam and 100 are valid. Our mail server's front-end anti-spam routines reject 810 of the 900 spam messages while they are being received, bouncing them back to the sender. The remaining 90 spam messages are accepted along with the 100 valid messages. This results in 190 messages in John Doe's folder. But before they go to the folder the messages are reviewed by a rear-end program which scores the messages based on the probability that they are spam.
When John Doe picks up the 190 messages (100 valid + 90 spam) the rule he has implemented in his mail program puts any message with a high spam score into the Spam folder instead of the regular Inbox. This traps 87 of the spam messages, leaving only 3 spam messages mixed in with the 100 valid messages in his Inbox.
No spam detection system is perfect. The more aggressive the detection, the higher the chance of a "false positive" - a valid message being treated as spam. Nobody wants to miss a valid message, so this is a situation requiring a careful balance between "false negatives" (a spam message getting through undetected) and "false positives".
This is why our mail server is set up to handle spam in two passes. The front-end pass is optimized for a very low false positive rate, so that the rejections can be automated. In this pass, as the message is being received, spam is automatically rejected back to the sender. About 90% of the spam is blocked this way with a false positive rate of about 0.002%. If there is a mistake, the sender will know it because the message is rejected back to him.
The rear-end pass is more aggressive. It scores the remaining messages, adding lines in the message's header with the results. This allows a user to set up a rule in his mail program, based on these added lines, to segregate the spam from the valid mail. This pass identifies about 97% of the remaining spam with a false positive rate of about 0.2%.
Summarizing the above example, 3 out of 900 spam messages are undetected (false negatives). This spam message mistakenly ends up in the regular Inbox. Meanwhile, about 0.2% of the valid messages are incorrectly scored as spam (false positives), and mistakenly end up in the Spam folder. At the rate of messages in this example a false positive would occur about once every 5 weeks.
So it is important to review the Spam folder for valid messages before deleting them. You can do this at you leisure, however, rather than being forced to look at spam messages as they come in, mixed with your valid mail. Thus the two pass anti-spam process minimizes the amount of spam which you have to review. Overall, taking both passes into account, about 99.7% of the spam is detected with a false positive rate of about 0.2%.
Q: What is SPF? Do you use it?
A:
SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework.
It is a new mail forgery detection scheme which is currently being adopted.
As more ISPs make use of it, it will become more effective.
By validating the "from" address, it will stop those spam and virus messages which use fake "from" addresses.
For a link to more information check our
We have implemented SPF verification on incoming mail. Thus mail from any domain which supplies SPF information will have its source verified before our mail server accepts it.
We are also supplying SPF information for outgoing mail for all of the domains which we host. This allows other ISPs to verify mail claiming to be from these domains before they accept it. SPF for the domains which have no mail service is operational now. SPF for the domains which do have mail service is currently in test mode. We hope to make them operational soon.
Q: I run my own mail server. Is there any way to take advantage of your mail server's spam blocking and virus scanning?
A:
Yes.
Have the administrator of your mail server contact us.
We can arrange to divert the flow of mail so that our mail server
Q: I run my own mail server. Is there a way to test our server to see if it is sending or relaying spam?
A:
There are online services which test mail servers.
Check our
Q: I run my own mail server. We think that we might be on a blacklist. Is there a way to tell?
A:
Check our
Q: I can connect to every web site but one. What should I do?
A: Check with a friend. If they are having the same problem then contact whoever runs that web site.
Q: How can I check the speed of my connection?
A:
Try our
Q: Does your Speed Test work with dial-in and ADSL connections?
A: Yes. It automatically gauges the type of connection and uses appropriate sized files for the test. The dial-in results are not very accurate, however.
Q: Is there anything I can do to make my connection faster?
A:
If you have a high speed connection then you might be able to optimize your computer for it by adjusting the TCP/IP RWIN setting.
For connections up to 2M we recommend using 64K.
Between 2M and 4M we recommend using 128K.
Above 4M we recommend using 256K.
Visit our
Q: The Internet seems slow today. How can I tell what is wrong?
A: First determine the scope of the problem. Are others at your location having the same problem? If not, reboot your machine. Otherwise, try going to a few different sites. If only one is slow, then the problem is probably with that site or its link to the Internet. If not at either end, the problem must be somewhere in the middle. Either give us a call or, if you feel technically inclined, read on.
The ping and traceroute utility programs can be used to learn about connectivity problems. It requires some skill to interpret the results in complex cases, but they are usually the tools to start with. Most computers come with a ping utility. On a Windows machine open a DOS Command Prompt window and type "ping". Likewise for traceroute, except on a Windows machine where it is called "tracert".
Start by pinging one of the sites you are having trouble reaching. See if ping confirms the problem. If so, ping the gateway address at our end of your link. This will help narrow the problem down. If your link is OK then start pinging sites along the path to the problem site.
The traceroute utility can be used to show the path to the problem site. Actually it only shows the path taken by data going to that site, not the return path, but it is still useful information. Also it typically shows 3 pings of each site along the path. So it gives an overall picture of the problem.
Note: We highly recommend the
Q: I have a laptop with me when I travel. What else should I take?
A: A long phone cord for your dial-in modem can be handy. If you are somewhere which has a high speed Internet connection it is often via Ethernet. Thus it helps to have an Ethernet interface in your laptop and a long Ethernet cable. Indeed, some hotels charge extra if they have to supply the cable. Other locations use wireless. So carry a Wi-Fi card, too.
Q: Should I use a surge protector?
A: Yes! You should use surge protection both on the AC power line and on the phone line. Surges can come in either way.
Some AC power line protectors include a phone line protector or it can be bought separately. While all of these should work OK with a standard 56K modem, some will degrade an ADSL signal. It won't hurt to try, but if the ADSL signal is affected too much you might lose some speed or there may not be enough signal for the ADSL modem to operate properly.
Three ADSL rated surge protectors are the Radio Shack 61-2146 (discontinued but still available on eBay), the APC PTEL2 and the Tripp Lite Traveler.
Q: Should I consider using Wireless (Wi-Fi)?
A: The range is very poor, hardly covering an average house. Security is also questionable. Try to stay with wired Ethernet if possible.
Q: What changes do I need to make in my domain's registration so that you can host it?
A:
You need to make two changes.
First, remove the current domain name servers (DNS) and replace them with NS1.IDSNO.COM, NS2.IDSNO.COM and NS3.IDSNO.COM.
Second, list us as the
Q:
I run my own DNS server.
Is there any way to test it?
A:
There is an online service which tests DNS servers.
Check our
Q:
What song do I hear when I click on your banner on your home page?
A:
It's a clip from the song
