Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with Internet access?
I have a 56K modem, but I never get a 56K connection speed. Why?
Why do I keep getting dropped while connected?
When I try to connect, why do I get a message telling me to recheck my password?
Why won't my Netscape/Internet Explorer browse?
Why do I get illegal operations messages when I check my e-mail?
How do I view an attachment in my e-mail?
Why does my mail program tell me that I'm receiving message 1 of ___ messages but I don't get any mail?
I uploaded my html files for my web page, but I don't see any of it at my web address. Where is it?
Sometimes my connection gets terminated and I get kicked off of the internet. Why?
Are the usernames and passwords case sensitive?
Why does my computer lock up when I am surfing the net?
What can I do to block unwanted material from my computer?
How can I protect myself from viruses?
How do I download?
Is it safe to purchase items on the Internet?
I get connected, but when I open my browser it can't find a DNS entry for the site, why is this?
What is my email address?
What can I do with Internet access? 
An internet account offers the opportunity to access many services. You can exchange email with distant friends and relatives. Messenger and chat programs are available free for download that will allow you to exchange messages with people in real time. You can even use programs that will allow you to exchange voice messages! With access to the World Wide Web, you can look up information for research, view pictures in countries around the world, or just look through sites for fun. You can even purchase services and goods online, through secure servers that encode your information. Furthermore, you can post your own web page to advertise services, provide information, or just have a presence that says something about you. In the growing internet industry, the possibilities are endless.
I have a 56K modem, but I never get a 56K connection speed. Why?
Modems cannot ever connect at 56K; there are regulatory limits that prevent connections speeds greater than 53K. If you experience a modem connect speed greater than 53K, your modem is reporting the connection rate between your computer and your modem, not the rate of your actual dial-up connection. All of Eastex Net's modems are 56K v.92 and it has been our experience that actual connect speeds on a quality telephone line will generally reach 49K. There are many factors that determine the connection speed you get on the internet. Line noise/disturbance, distance from the connecting modem, traffic on the lines, and other conflicts can slow down the potential connection speed. There are many published modem initialization strings that can streamline a signal and possibly increase connection rate; they are specific to the modem's manufacturer and model and are available by searching the web.
Why do I keep getting dropped while connected?
Do you have call waiting? Have you been idle (not loading a page or sending an email or making a file transfer) through the server for more than just a few minutes? Is there any disturbance on the phone line? Did you have a program experience an illegal operation while connected? Are you using a 56K modem that is in conflict with the modem of your provider (X2 versus Kflex technology)?
When I try to connect, why do I get a message telling me to recheck my password?
Make sure that you have only your login and not your whole e-mail address in the "user name" field on the connection screen. Also make sure that it is typed exactly as it should be. The servers are very case and spelling sensitive. Sometimes, it is the dialer that needs to be replaced with a new file, but try rebooting the computer first and then making sure of the username and password.
Why won't my Internet Explorer browse?
Be sure that you are connected. Sometimes a connection is dropped, but the computer doesn't "tell" you. If you are using Windows95, you can click the start button and then run. Type "netstat -r" to find out if you are connected and how far the connection reaches (the router, the server, etc.). If the DOS window opens but no numbers other than zero appear, you are not connected. If you are connected, have you cleared your cache/temporary internet files lately? In Internet Explorer 6, you can go to Tools then Internet Options then click the Delete Files button, on the pop-up window be sure and check Delete all offline content then click Ok..
Why do I get illegal operations messages when I check my e-mail?
Sometimes, the "inboxes" in mail programs become corrupted. When you check mail, the inbox files need to be working properly to accept the new messages. To fix this problem, in most cases, all you need to do is delete the inboxes and let the program recreate them as needed. To do this in Windows95, you can go to [start] [find files or folders] and type, "inbox". For Netscape Mail, you will need to highlight and delete the file "inbox" and the file "inbox.snm". For Internet Mail, you will need to highlight and delete the files "inbox.idx" and "inbox.mbx". For these and other mail programs you can also go to the Windows Explorer and follow the path to your mail program and delete the inboxes from there. (Click the hard drive, then look for the program's folder (Netscape, etc…) and double-click it and then look for the mail folder and highlight and delete the inboxes.) This solution will also delete the messages currently stored in the inboxes, but will, in most cases correct the problem.
How do I view an attachment in my e-mail?
If you are using a Microsoft product, such as Internet Mail or Outlook Express, you double click on the "paper clip" in the message list and it will open the attachment. If you are using a Netscape product, such as Netscape Mail or Communicator, you go to the bottom of the message and click on the "link" to the attachment.
Why does my mail program tell me that I'm receiving message 1 of ___ messages but I don't get any mail?
When there is a message that is too large to be retrieved from the server, it acts as a cork of sorts, clogging up the mail box. Your computer it "told" that there are messages, but is unable to download them, or it may donload some of them and become "stuck" on the large message. If you quit during this process by closing your e-mail program, the next time you open the program and attempt to retrieve your e-mail, you will get the same first few messages over again. The mail server must see a successfully completed retrieval session before it removes the messages from the server. If a message is too large to retrieve, it can be deleted by visiting our website (www.eastex.net) and login to the E-mail Login area. Once logged in, you can view, delete, then purge any messages that you don't later need to download to your local e-mail client (Outlook Express, Outlook, etc.). Eastex Net limits message sending size to 10MB and mailbox size to 10MB.
I uploaded my html files for my web page, but I don't see any of it at my web address. Where is it?
If you had no errors uploading your files, but you see no evidence of it on your site, make sure that your files are inside your personal folder (your personal folder is the root folder when you login with your username using FTP. Example: www.eastex.net/username - username is the root folder). The web browsers are looking only for the information inside your personal folder directory, and won't "know" that you have files anywhere else (in sub-folders nested below the root folder) unless you specify this in your main HTML file (index.html). Also, make sure that you have your index.html files included in your files that you upload. This is your first page and determines what is seen on your page, and it must be named index.html.
Sometimes my connection gets terminated and I get kicked off of the internet. Why?
Eastex Net has session and idle timeouts set on all dial up customers. After four hours of continuous use, the server will terminate your connection. After thirty minutes of idle time the server will terminate your connection. In either case all that is required is to simply dial back in and reestablish your connection. A word of caution, if you are going to attempt a large download, just prior to beginning the download disconnect and then reconnect to assure that you will have the full four hours to complete your download. The purpose of these timeouts is to prevent customers from dialing in and staying connected but not actually using their connection. This causes that modem/line to remain busy denying a customer who is actually going to use the connection access to that modem/line.
Are the usernames and passwords case sensitive?
Yes. The username and password must be in all lowercase letters, no spaces, no special characters (examples of special characters: #,!,&,*) numbers are permitted. Usernames must be at least four characters in length, and passwords, must contain at least six characters.
Why does my computer lock up when I am surfing the net?
There are several things that could be causing this problem. If you notice that it happens on certain sites, then perhaps there is a graphic or plug-in on that site that is incompatible with your browser or hardware. These graphics or plug-ins may also be taking up too much memory, depending on your system setup. Another option is that a program file in your browser may be corrupted, which can usually be fixed by reinstalling it. Finally, there may be an item in your cache (your temporary internet files) that doesn't work well with your browser. You can call a technician who can tell you how to clear out your cache directory. Although it is a simple process, it does vary between browsers.
What can I do to block unwanted material from my computer?
There are several options you have to block unwanted material from your computer. One option is to purchase or download one of several packages that “screen” sites for objectionable content. The advantage of these systems are that are easy to set up and configure, and can be changed according to the users that will access the computer. A software package, such as NetNanny or CyberSitter, usually works in one of two ways. There is either a list of sites that have been reviewed and rated as objectionable, or they are set up to block sites according to certain key words. The disadvantage of this system is twofold. First, sites on the internet change daily. New sites may be added that may not be on this list, although updates may be available. Second, the use of key words to block sites may block not only objectionable sites, but also innocent or informative sites, such as a site about breast cancer or an educational anatomy site.
A second way to block unwanted material involves a service from an Internet Service Provider. An ISP may have a filtering system in place either in their hardware or in their proxy settings. This system will work in the same manner as a software package, blocking sites either on the basis of keywords or content. The main difference is that you do not have to worry about purchasing or maintaining a software package, although you will normally have to pay a nominal fee for the service. The ISP will handle the configuration. The disadvantages are that you cannot have different configurations for different family members, and the possibility of blocking innocent sites still exists. Yet a third option, popular with businesses whose employees have access through work, is to install monitoring software, which will not block material, but will allow an administrator to monitor the usage of sites and determine who might be visiting objectionable sites.
How can I protect myself from viruses?
Your first line of protection from viruses is a good anti-virus program. These can be purchased from any computer or software store, and are generally easy to install and configure. However, any anti-virus program is only as good as the last update. Most manufacturers offer free updates for a certain time period, which varies per program. The updates are available from download on the internet, frequently as often as once a week or once a month. A second way to protect yourself is to refrain from downloading programs and other items from sites with which you are not familiar. Finally, be careful when opening email attachments such as programs. Even when the program shows it is from someone you know, that person could unknowingly be infected. In addition, some recent viruses, such as Happy 99 and Melissa, send themselves from an email program without the user’s knowledge. While Happy 99 can send itself from any email program through an attachment called happy99.exe, it will only infect your computer if you open and run the attachment. On the other hand, Melissa can only affect you if you use Word 97 or Word 2000, and can only send itself through Microsoft Outlook. Outlook Express is not affected.
How do I download?
Downloading, or transferring files from an internet site to your computer, can be accomplished in one of several ways. The first option is to click on a link (usually underlined text on a page), which will bring up a dialog box asking you where you wish to save the file. It is a good idea to make a directory for files that you download, to make them easier to find later. A second option is to use an ftp program, which is a type of program that is specifically for uploading and downloading programs. This requires you to log into an ftp (file transfer protocol) server and navigate through a directory system. A third option is to use what it called a download manager. These programs usually run separately from your browser. You can set some of them up to take over a download when you click on a link, while others require that you drag the link into the program. These are ideal for large downloads, where you don’t want to worry about your browser encountering problems. You can also use these programs to schedule downloads for low-traffic times on the internet.
Is it safe to purchase items on the Internet?
Buying merchandise over the Internet is a relatively safe practice, although there are certain guidelines to keep in mind. While there are many merchants on the Internet who are trustworthy, the Internet does offer an opportunity to less scrupulous vendors as well. As with any offer, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some online businesses are listed with the Better Business Bureau site at http://www.bbb.com. When ordering, it is a good idea to make sure the vendor has a secure server. Most browsers will warn you when entering a secure site. Many people worry about sending their credit card information, fearing that it may be intercepted in transit. However, with encoding standards used today, this is unlikely. Furthermore, since these transactions are computer to computer, there is a far smaller chance that an unauthorized person will see your information.
I get connected, but when I open my browser it can't find a DNS entry for the site, why is this?
A number of things could cause this. First, make sure that the site is a valid address. Try typing another address or surfing from a search engine. If you aren't able to view a page or also have a "not able to make a socket connection" message, you may have multiple winsock files. In Windows95, click your start button and then find-files or folders. Search for winsock. If you have any winsock.dll files other than a 42kb file in the windows\system directory and/or a 42kb file in the windows\system\backup directory, you may be losing your socket/internet connection. If you do not have a winsock.dll file in the directory with your browser/dialer, or have more than one winsock.dll file, you may be losing your connection. You can rename extra winsock.dll files to winsock.old to try to correct the problem. If you have no winsock errors, try clearing your cache/temporary internet files. If your DNS entries are correct in your connection properties (and network properties in Win95) and you still are not able to browse, then you may have lost your connection due to modem incompatibility, corrupt files in your browser, traffic on the net, or problems outside of your control on the net. Further investigation may be needed. Remember, your technical support staff is always ready to assist you with solving your internet usage.
What is my email address?
Your email address is typically determined by two factors: (1) Your Login ID or Username example jdoe + @ (the "at"symbol) + Your Domain Name (example: eastex.net). In this example, the factors listed above combine to make an e-mail address of jdoe@eastex.net.