Internet Security for Windows XP and Vista

Transcription

1 Welcome Windows XP and Vista Users Welcome to Alliance Internet. You have joined one of the fastest growing Internet providers in the area. This information will help you understand how your Internet works. Please take a few minutes to review the following sections. If you have any questions or need help with your Internet service, please call one of our customer service representatives. You ll find them helpful and friendly. Helpful Information about DSL High-Speed Internet We re glad to have you with us. At Alliance Internet, we work hard to ensure you receive the finest communication service. Sincerely, Don Snyders General Manager Table of Contents Windows XP Users: Setting Up Outlook Express to Check Windows Vista Users: Setting Up Windows Mail to Check Speak and you'll be heard 24-Hour Help Line: Dial 611 How to remove your previous account Troubleshooting

2 Windows XP Users: Setting up Outlook Express to check Step 1. Open Outlook Express. Step 3. A screen like the following should appear. Click on the Mail tab. XP 1 3 Step 2. Click on Tools and then Accounts. Step 4. Click on the Add button and select Mail

3 XP 5 Step 5. A screen like the following will appear. Type in your name. Click on Next to continue. XP Step 7. Make sure you type in your settings as listed below: Your incoming mail server is a POP3 server. Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server: pop.alliancecom.net Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: smtp.alliancecom.net 7 Click on Next to continue. Step 6. Type in the address that you selected. Click Next to continue

4 XP Step 8. Type in your Account Name and Password that you selected. The Account Name is your address (i.e. Step 10. Your account will look like the following. Click on pop.alliancecom.net, and then click on Properties. XP Click on Next to continue Step 9. Your account is now set up in Outlook Express. Click on Finish. Step 11. Click on the Servers tab, and under Outgoing Mail Server click on the box that says My server requires authentication. Click on OK, and then click on Close. You re ready to send and receive

5 Windows Vista Users: Setting up Windows Mail to check 1 Step 1. Go to the Windows Vista start button, click on All Programs and choose Windows Mail. Step 3. In the Internet Accounts window, click on the ADD button. Vista 3 Step 4. Choose Account for the account type and click Next. 2 Step 2. In the Windows Mail program, click on Tools and the Accounts

6 Vista Step 5. Enter your name the way you would like it displayed in the From field of the outgoing message and click Next. Step 7. Enter your server information as follows and click Next. Vista 5 7 Step 6. Enter your address and click Next. Step 8. Enter your username and password. Put a check next to Remember password and click Next

7 Vista Step 9. On the Congratulations screen, click Finish to complete the setup. How to remove your previous account 9 If you are switching to Alliance Internet from another Internet service provider, you will need to remove your previous account to avoid getting errors. If you use a program other than Outlook Express or Windows Mail and would like help, call our office by dialing 611. You don t need to follow these instructions if you already have been using an alliancecom.net address. 10 Step 10. Click Close to close the Internet Accounts window. Outlook Express for Windows Users Open Outlook Express. Click on Tools and then Accounts. Click on the Mail tab. Click on the previous account. Click on the Remove button. When asked if you really want to do this, click on Yes. Repeat steps 4 and 5 if you have more than one account that needs to be removed. Click OK. Windows Mail for Vista Users Open Windows Mail by clicking on the Start button, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Mail. Click on the Tools Menu, and then click on Accounts. Click the account you want to remove, and then click Remove. 11 Need help? Dial 611 from any phone with Alliance telephone service. If you re calling from a phone without Alliance service, call

8 Troubleshooting How do I search the Web? There are several different search engines to help you find useful information on the Internet. Three efficient services are and To search for a topic, follow these steps (for Internet Explorer): 1. Choose the search engine you want to use. Type in the web address ( in the address window, and hit enter. 2. In the search window, type in the topic you are searching for and click on search. 3. A listing of entries that link to your search topic will appear. If too many listings for your search appear, you can refine your search. Use descriptive, specific wording in your search. Use quotation marks around words that are a part of the phrase (i.e. jazz music ). Use a plus sign (+) to specify words that must appear in the search (i.e. jazz+music). Use a minus sign (-) to exclude words that should not appear in the search (i.e. jazz+music- New Orleans). If your search does not provide the results you need, click the browser s Back button and try a different topic or a different search engine. Other search engines you may find useful are and How do I set up my home page? Your home page can be your own web site or your favorite search engine or portal. Many customers use as their home page because it provides quick access to local and national web sites. If you do not use this web site as your home page, we recommend that you bookmark it so you can easily access customer updates, policy statements and other valuable information. If you would like to set up or change your home page, follow these steps (for Internet Explorer): 1. Double-click on the Internet Explorer icon to open the browser window. 2. In the address line, type the address of the page you would like to have as your home page, and press Enter. (Example: or 3. Click on Tools. Then click on Internet Options. 4. On the General tab, click on the Use Current button. 5. The URL for the page you went to will appear in the box next to Address. 6. Click OK to go back to your web page. How do I check my away from home? Type in the address in your browser window and hit enter. Click on the Webmail button in the top right corner. Type in your user name (same as your address) and password. Open, read, save or delete messages, just as you would on your home computer. Why are my Internet speeds so slow? If you are experiencing slow speeds everywhere, you will want to try rebooting your modem and your computer. If you just notice slow speeds going from page to page, but long-term speed is fast, your browser s cache size may be set incorrectly. In Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu, and scroll 13 14

9 Troubleshooting down to Internet Options. Then click on the Setting button located in the Temporary Internet Files area. Set the cache size to be somewhere between 1MB 10MB and make sure it is selected to always check for a new version of the page. Your computer s speed will decrease if it is infected with viruses or spyware. Your computer s operating system and available memory also can impact your Internet speed. How do I use FTP (File Transfer Protocol)? To use FTP, you need an FTP program such as WSFTP or Filezilla. Internet Explorer 5 and higher versions also have FTP features built into them. The settings you use to connect to Alliance's FTP server depend on the type of Web package you currently have with Alliance Communications. If you are using the personal Web space that you received when you signed up with Alliance, you will need to provide the following information: Address: ftp.alliancecom.net Your Username Your Password Note: Your username and password for your personal Web account are the same as your username and password. How do I avoid getting viruses? The best way to avoid viruses is to never open attachments in your , but this isn t practical for many users. You should purchase a piece of anti-virus software, such as McAfee or Norton, both of which are readily available in most computer stores and over the Internet. For an extra layer of protection, you should subscribe to Alliance Internet s virus filter. This filter will help prevent viruses from reaching your computer through your Alliance addresses. Dial 611 to subscribe. Ask about special promotions. How do I avoid getting spam? The best way to reduce spam is by adding a spam filter to your Alliance address. Spam messages are diverted to a secondary box so you can read them if you choose to do so. Dial 611 to have the features added to your Internet account. Ask about special promotions. The Federal Trade Commission also conducted a study to determine from where spam comes. Here is what the commission found: 100 percent of the addresses posted in chat rooms received spam. 80 percent of the addresses posted at news groups and web pages received spam. 50 percent of addresses at free personal Web page services, 27 percent from message board postings and 9 percent of service directories received spam. If you have purchased a domain for use with your site, you would need to provide the following information: Address: ftp.yourdomainname (ie. If the domain name is johndoe.com, the address would be ftp.johndoe.com). Your Username Your Password Note: Web sites with domain names associated with them are configured with their own unique username and password. If you want to use these types of services, you should consider using a second address just for these activities

10 Troubleshooting Do not reply to spam asking the mailer to stop sending you messages. You re actually confirming that your address is active and could start receiving even more spam as a result. How do I check the messages that were filtered out for spam? Go to Click on the Spam Filter button in the top right corner. Enter your username (same as your address) and your password, and then click on Login. What does This page cannot be displayed mean, and how do I fix it? This error means that the browser cannot find the page on the Internet. It is caused by either not having access to the Internet or a typing mistake in the web address. If you have typed the web address correctly, reboot your modem and computer. If you still get the error message, call our office any time so one of our customer service representatives can troubleshoot further. I keep getting General Protection Fault, Invalid Page Fault, Application caused an Illegal Operation and will be shut down errors. What are these? These are errors caused by one or more programs running on your computer at the same time. The best way to deal with these is to record what program causes these errors and contact either that software s manufacturer or your computer s manufacturer and tell them of the error you are getting. I can't get connected. What's the problem? Reboot your modem and your computer. Also make sure all of your connections are secure. Dial 611 if that still doesn t work. Is my computer safe if I don't have any programs that protect it from outside threats? No. You are vulnerable to a variety of threats if you don t have programs that protect your computer from hackers, viruses, spyware, spam, etc. It s only a matter of time before you run into trouble if you don t protect your computer. Continue reading for more information about how to protect your computer. Why do I need an anti-virus program along with Alliance s virus filter? One-hundred new computer viruses are discovered every week. Even the country s top Internet security professionals recommend that you have layers of protection. You should have both Alliance s filter and anti-virus software to give your computer the best protection possible. There are two main differences between Alliance s filter and anti-virus software like those offered by Norton or McAfee. 1. Alliance s filter is updated for you automatically. You don t have to perform any extra steps to receive the latest protection. With Norton or McAfee anti-virus programs, you can set them to notify you automatically when you need to update your program. You, however, still must set aside time to run the updates on your computer

11 Troubleshooting Today, most viruses are spread through attachments. It s important to have an virus filter like the one Alliance offers, so you ll receive the most up-to-date protection. 2. Alliance s filter protects your Alliance account. Anti-virus software from Norton and McAfee protects you from receiving viruses through numerous sources including web pages, files you download, etc. By subscribing to Alliance s filter and anti-virus software, your computer will have the best virus protection possible. Go to for information on Norton Anti-Virus and for additional details on McAfee s anti-virus software. If you want one program that contains anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, privacy control, parental controls and pop-up blocker features, you could consider using Norton Internet Security or McAfee Internet Security Suite. privacy control, anti-spam and firewall features all in one program. Please be aware that children and teenagers can easily access pornography through free file-sharing programs like Kazaa, which also are popular for downloading free music. Content filters typically don t block items accessed through file-sharing programs. Make sure your children haven t downloaded file-sharing programs onto your computer. Remember, there is no replacement for Internet safety rules within the home. Where do pop-up ads come from and how do I stop them? The majority of web sites on the Internet earn their money in a respectful and tasteful manner. There are those, however, who are more actively attempting to raise their bottom line. To do this, they vicious unleash popup ads that spawn more ads until your computer crashes or you purchase something. How can I prevent my children from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet? Internet safety is a rapidly growing concern. Families depend on the Internet, but parents must maintain an appropriate environment for their children. Below are links to some well-known filtering programs: The popup ads suck speed from your connection because you have to wait while they load. Popup ad spawners, which are only a few pixels wide and don t have close buttons, bring up new popup ads every few minutes. The newest Internet Explorer version has a built in popup blocker. ContentProtect CYBERsitter Net Nanny Norton Internet Security at and McAfee Internet Security Suite at offer parental controls plus ad blocker, anti-virus, Norton Internet Security at and McAfee Internet Security Suite at offer a pop-up blocker, and they also have firewall, anti-virus, privacy control, anti-spam and parental control features all in one program. Other pop-up blocker programs also are available on the Norton and McAfee web sites

12 Troubleshooting What is spyware, and how do I get rid of it? The most common form of spyware is adware, which collects data about you based on the web sites you visit. This information is sold to marketers who then bombard you with pop-up ads and spam targeted toward your interests. Here are some signs that you have spyware on your computer: Your web browser s default home page changed to a site you didn t select. There are bookmarks in your favorites that you didn t add. Pop-up ads constantly appear when you re online. Your computer noticeably slows down when you re online. The send and receive lights on your modem blink wildly, even though you re not on the Web. The network/modem icon in your system tray flashes rapidly, even though you re not surfing. Two common spyware removal programs are Spy Bot at and Ad-Aware at Several other programs also are available on the Internet and at local retailers. Remember to read all information that comes with the program you choose. You should consider running a spyware removal program at least once a month even if you have Norton or McAfee programs. Is there a program that contains pop-up blocker, anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, privacy control and parental control features all in one package? Yes. Several are available. Norton Internet Security at and McAfee Internet Security Suite at are all-inclusive programs that are popular among Internet users. Both companies have a variety of other products, too. Pick the ones that are appropriate for your home or business. Why should I avoid using file-sharing programs to download free music, software, etc.? Peer-to-peer programs like Kazaa or Gnutella, for example, leave your computer vulnerable to hackers, spam, viruses and pop-up ads. These programs open a data tunnel between your computer and other computers, which creates a huge security hole. The entire world literally has access to everything on your computer, not just your music files. Certainly, your computer contains information that you don t want to share with the world. Plus, when you re downloading free music files, software, etc., you usually don t know from where it is coming. Some people lace MP3 files with Trojan horses, viruses, worms or spyware. Infected files might damage your system or allow hackers to steal information on your computer. The peer-to-peer programs can increase the number of pop-up ads and spam messages you receive. Kazaa, in particular, installs numerous spyware programs on users computers. The most common form of spyware is adware, which collects data about you based on the web sites you visit. This information is sold to marketers who then bombard you with popup ads and spam targeted toward your interests

13 Troubleshooting These programs also offer children and teenagers easy access to pornography even if you have parental controls on your computer. Now that you know the dangers of file-sharing programs, you should strongly consider removing them from your computer. Then you might want to download and run spyware removal programs. Some examples include SpyBot at or Ad-Aware at Please remember to read all information that comes with the program you choose. If you like the convenience of downloading items from the Internet, affordable and secure options are available. Music fans, for example, can use itunes, which charges 99 per song. With these types of services, you don t have to worry about downloading infected files or breaking copyright laws. Avoiding the damage that can be done to you and your computer might be worth the small charge. I am having problems with the Internet. Where do I go for help? Look through the questions in this section. There may be a simple solution to your problem listed here. More troubleshooting and helpful tips are located at If you do not find what you are looking for, or if you would simply prefer to speak to a customer service representative, dial 611 from any phone with Alliance telephone service. Or dial if you re calling from a phone that does not have local phone service through Alliance Communications. 23