Internet Spam by definition is unsolicited commercial email sent to a large number of addresses.

Spam has become a major problem throughout the Internet. The individuals that send spam have a variety of utilities they use to harvest or guess email addresses. Most spam is generated outside of this country and presently there are no international laws regulating it. There are a few states that have laws regarding spam but these laws, as they are set up presently, are difficult if not impossible to enforce.

These are some things you can keep in mind regarding your email address to help you avoid becoming a target for spammers and their mailing lists:

1. Avoid using your email address in chat rooms and bulletin board sites. Many marketers use utility programs that harvest email addresses of individuals posting to these kinds of sites. If you must use an email address, get a secondary email with Iserv and then use it for these sites. Any spam would then be sent to that account instead of your account.

2. Don't reply to unsolicited junk email, even if the message tells you to in order to be removed from their list. Replying to it only validates your email address, leaving you open to be added to even more spammer lists.

3. Treat spam as you would a telemarketing phone call or mail solicitation. Dont believe their wild promises, just delete it.

4. If a website, business, or individual asks for your email address, treat it like you would your telephone number. Dont give it out without asking who will use it and whether they will share it.

5. When using your EagleNet email account you can set your spam protection settings at low, high or off. Simply log onto EagleNet Webmail, use your current username and password to log on, click Options, then Anti-Spam Settings and choose your desired level.

Ok, now that you know what to do to help yourself avoid spam it is also important that you realize, there is no way for you to evade it 100%. Spammers have utility programs that can generate or guess email addresses for particular domain names and send to them. If your email address happens to be one that they generate or guess, youve just received their spam. This is why its also important to setup filters or Anti-Spam blockers to help ward off a majority of your spam mail.

If you have any questions on this topic or other Internet related topics, please contact Customer Support at 1-888-64-ISERV.

Predators can take advantage of the Internet and use it to manipulate, exploit, sexually abuse, and photograph young innocent children. EagleNet cares deeply about their customers and is continually improving and adding products and services to better serve you and your family. For your safety and convenience, EagleNet has recently added anti-spam features to all email services and are researching options for the best Internet content filtering solution.

One of EagleNet's main commitments is to protect and educate Internet users of all ages. For your convenience we have provided information on how you can protect yourself and the ones you love.

Warning Signs

1. Your child spends large amounts of time online, especially at night.
2. Your child receives phone calls from people or phone numbers you do not recognize.
3. Your child is using an online account belonging to someone else.
4. Your child becomes withdrawn from the family.
5. Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen when you come into the room.

Steps For Protection

1. Communicate, and talk to your child about sexual violation and potential online danger.
2. Keep the computer in a common room of the house.
3. Teach your child responsible ways to use Internet resources.
4. Utilize content filtering software and/or parental controls.
5. Always maintain access to your childs account and randomly check his/her email.
6. Make a contract with your child stating the online rules and have your child sign it and post it by the computer.

Helpful Tools

Michigan parents can log onto the Michigan State Police website at , click on the Crime Prevention, Safety & Police Services button, then Safety and Internet Safety to find warning signs that your child may be at risk. There is also a cyber-tip telephone hotline that connects callers to the MSP Computer Crimes Unit. Cyber-Tip Hotline 1-877-5CYBER3

Dialup
Dialup Internet service uses a phone line. Depending on where you live and your telephone lines, the maximum range of speed for a dialup modem is 56k. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer dialup service that may range in price from $4.95 up to $24.95 and hours of on-line access from 5 hours to unlimited usage. It's important to be cautious when using a low cost or free service. These types of services may compromise the quality and reliability of your dialup and can add hidden charges that may make it even more expensive.

Accelerated Dialup
Accelerated Dialup also works through a telephone line and uses a compression software technology that allows you to increase your Internet browsing speeds 3 to 6 times faster. Although your connection speed may continue to be displayed as 56k, it actually downloads web pages faster by reducing the amount of pixels (dots on the screen or in the image) related to the particular site. Prices for such services range from $4.95 up to $9.95. This service is not offered through all ISPs and quality may vary depending on the service provider.

DSL
DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line and falls under the broadband Internet category (broadband is usually defined as Internet service that exceeds a 56k speed). DSL technology uses standard copper phone lines to send and receive data at high speeds. With DSL, you can get connection speeds up to 1500k. Not only are DSL connections faster than dialup connections they also enable data to travel down phone lines at a high frequency that doesn't interfere with voice traffic. So, you can use the same phone line for your Internet connection as you would for your fax or voice conversations. Another major difference between DSL and dialup Internet access is the 'state' of your connection. With DSL, your Internet connection is "always on". Your modem does not "dial in" to the Internet. Once your computer is on, your connection to the Internet is on too. Not all ISPs offer DSL connectivity and in some cases DSL might not be available to your home or business location due to the type of phone company wiring in your area. Prices for DSL vary depending on speed of service and promotions.

Cable
Cable Internet service is probably the most recognized broadband service available. Cable modems let you send and receive data using the lines already set up for cable TV. Broadband cable service provides "always on" access and allows you to surf the net with speeds ranging from 256k - 1.5mb, although speeds can be affected by how many users are on the same cable line in your neighborhood, and how far you are away from the closest point of connection to the cable company. Cable service is most often provided through either your TV cable company or a joint partnership of ISP and your local cable company. Prices for this service also range depending on speed.

ISDN
ISDN is also a broadband service and stands for Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). ISDN uses the same copper phone line that a modem uses and an additional ISDN phone line (provided by your phone company). ISDN delivers connectivity speeds up to 128k and provides reliable transmission. There are two types of ISDN services, dialup and dedicated. Dialup ISDN is great for home users looking for faster downloads and for small businesses that do not require full-time connections. Dedicated ISDN is for users who wish to be online all the time. Most ISPs that have regular dialup services can also offer ISDN services. Prices for ISDN also vary on speed of connection desired.

T1/Fiber
T1 lines function through a dedicated copper wire or fiber line that is run directly to your facility. These types of services are most often used when a high-speed dedicated, "always on" access is necessary. A T1 line can carry 24 digitized voice channels, or it can carry data at a rate of 1.544 megabits per second - that's roughly 60 times more data than a normal dialup modem. Fiber connectivity allows for greater scalability by allowing a higher capacity beyond T1 speeds, and may not always be available in certain areas without additional costs. Both T1 and Fiber connections are extremely reliable and can service multiple users. Prices vary on type of service desired, speed, and distance from the main hub.

All of the services listed above are available through EagleNet. For more information please contact a Customer Support Representative at 1.877.531.7498.

What is a Modem On Hold (MOH)?
Many households use the same phone line for both voice calls and data (Internet), so when the user is browsing the Internet, an incoming call cannot get through. MOH allows you to receive an incoming call and stay connected to the Internet (Call-Waiting service from your phone company is all that is required). It also works in reverse; you can initiate a voice call while connected to the Internet and keep the modem connection (this requires 3-way calling from your phone company).

What makes a V.92 modem faster than V.90 modem?
The Quick Connect (QC) feature of a V.92 modem cuts the modem negotiation or "handshake" time by up to 50% so you can dial-in faster. Very simply, QC will shorten the time it takes to make a connection by remembering ("training") the phone line characteristics and storing them for later usage. The average connect time for QC is between 9 - 20 seconds (depending on line conditions). A traditional modem train up is 21 seconds or more.

Why do I need or want V.92?
Although broadband technologies (DSL and Cable) are very popular, in reality, most people around the world only have access to analog phone lines. Dialup modems will remain the primary means to get on the Internet for several years, so it is important to improve the user experience on this technology.

The main feature that makes a V.92 modem faster than a V.90 modem is V.44 the new compression protocol. It is based upon a compression scheme that can speed up your web browsing as much as 50%. Not all V.92 modems are required to have V.44 data compression.

Can I stay on the Internet and make a phone call?
Yes, if your phone service is equipped with 3-way calling. Initiating a call is easy with MOH. First, a MOH application is executed. This program suspends the data connection between your modem and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) so you can pick up your phone and make a normal outgoing call. The application puts the modem "on-hold", flashes the hook, and a dial tone appears on the extension handset so you can make the call. When your call is complete, the modem will detect an extension on hook, flash the hook twice, and return to the data (Internet) connection.

How long will I have before the Internet connection is dropped?
Your ISP determines the hold time. For example, the MOH application can display the time allotted and also display a countdown so you will know how much time you have left for the phone call. With EagleNet, the modem can remain on hold for up to 12 minutes.

How much time will I have if I choose to take an incoming call?
Once again, your ISP defines the "hold" time. The V.92 specification allows for hold times to be anywhere from 10 seconds to infinite.

Do I have to redial to get back to the Internet once I drop the incoming call?
No. When you hang up the phone you can resume browsing after you train up. This time to train up is the same as the train up when you first dialed the Internet Service Provider using Quick Connect.

For more information on EagleNet's V.92 modem capabilities please contact Customer Services at 1.877.531.7498.

Customers often request information on what records are stored from their web browsing activity and how to view and delete these records. Others might not even know that your web browser does maintain a history of the web sites you've visited. This history can be very helpful to parents when monitoring the activities of young children or for the court system when the law requires this information.

You can view the settings of your web history by clicking on Tools and Internet Options within Internet Explorer. This will allow you to choose how many days of history to store on your computer. It will also allow you to Clear (delete) your history should you need to do this. Keep in mind that the longer you store your web browsing history, the more disk space this will use up on your computer.

You can easily view what web sites have been visited within the number of days in your History Setting by opening up Internet Explorer and clicking on the down arrow within your Address bar. If you do not see an Address bar, click on View, Toolbars, and make sure there is a check mark next to "Address Bar".

You can also choose to manage your Temporary Internet Files or "cookies" within Internet Explorer. Simply click on Tools and Internet Options again. When you visit a web site that uses cookies, that web site will place a small file on your computer. This small file usually is used to recognize your computer on future visits to that website. Its important to note that they can also be used for malicious activities such as viruses. You can view the cookies stored on your computer by clicking on Settings under Temporary Internet Files and then clicking on "View Files".

This will also give you a good indication of what web sites your young child has been visiting. Keep in mind that cookies also use up disk space on your computer. Often times if your computer is running slow, it will help speed things up by choosing to Delete your cookies, Temporary Internet Files, and clearing your web browsing history.

If you should have any more questions regarding your browsing history you can contact a customer support representative or visit the following sites:
http://livinginternet.com
http://www.microsoft.com

• Do you receive a large quantity of SPAM?
• Have you ever downloaded music files from the Internet?
• Have you installed any free programs from the Internet?
• Have you ever used a file-sharing program online?
• Have you ever clicked on a pop-up ad?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then your PC has a 95% chance its infected with Spyware (Adware).

Spyware is a type of software that downloads files on your computer and secretly gathers your personal information and relays it to advertisers or third parties without your consent or knowledge. Spyware allows advertising companies to monitor your Internet browsing patterns, and invites them to SPAM you with annoying pop-up ads.

Spyware uses a number of different methods to collect personal information from your home computer, and can install other programs directly without your knowledge. This frequently happens when new software is installed on your computer or when you surf the Internet. Spyware can also send and receive cookies to other Spyware programs and invite them into your computer. Most Spyware programs include auto install and auto update capabilities and can report on any attempts to remove or modify them.

Looking for free software to protect your computer from files like Spyware? Many sites can enhance your current file and virus protection, providing an added security for your home computer. Below are a list of links to learn more about what Spyware is and programs you can use to remove them from your computer.