Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In the course of serving our clients, we answer
a lot of questions! Because many of our clients have similar questions,
we've gathered some of the most common ones together here along with our
answers. If your questions are not answered here or if you require
additional assistance please visit our contacts
page for information on how and when to reach our support staff.
If you are new to the Internet, you may wish to
read our FAQ to learn more about KCnet and using the Internet. Check
back here often, as we are always adding new questions and answers.
General Questions about KCnet
- What network equipment does KCnet use?
- Does KCnet have a referral
program?
- How do I change my username?
- How do I change my password?
- Can I change my credit card information?
- How do I cancel my account?
- How can I block my children from adult oriented material?
- What internet software can I use with KCnet?
- How do I upgrade my internet software?
- What is KCnet's scheduled
maintenance policy?
Internet Access / Connecting to KCnet
- Which Internet Access plan is right for me?
- Do I have to use a PC and Windows to connect to KCnet?
- Can I connect to KCnet with something other than my computer?
- Does my computer require KCnet's DNS settings?
- When I connect I get prompted for my password repeatedly!
- How do I check how much time I have spent online?
- Can I use my KCnet account on more then one computer?
- Does KCnet offer toll free (1-800) access?
- How can I get my modem to connect at 56kbps?
- How long can I stay connected to KCnet at one time?
- Do I get a personal home page
with my dialup access plan?
- How do I get my personal web
page enabled for FrontPage 2000?
Web Hosting / Domain Registration
- Which Web Hosting plan is right for me or my business?
- How do I check how much disk space my website is using?
- How do I add additional disk space to my website or email spool?
- Do I need to know HTML or
computer programming?
- How will people find my web
site?
- What is CGI?
- Does KCnet support database
connectivity?
- What is a domain name?
- How do I register my own domain name?
- How can I make changes to my domain name?
- How do I change the Administrative Contact email
address for my domain name?
- I have a registered domain name,
how do I setup DNS to be hosted by KCnet?
- How do I set up multiple domain
names to point to the same web site?
Email
- Can I add additional email addresses to my account?
- Can I access my KCnet email when I am out of town?
- I am having problems receiving email attachments?
- I just installed Norton Antivirus and I can no
longer receive email.
- How did I get email that is not
addressed to me?
- How do I stop unwanted (SPAM) email?
- What happens if I send SPAM email?
- What is a "Virtual
Email" address?
Digital Phone Service
What network equipment does KCnet use?
KCnet uses state-of-the-art equipment from some of the most
prestigious vendors in the industry. Our 3Com/USR Total
Control Access Servers, for all dedicated and dialup access,
combined with our 'multi-homed' network, utilizing Cisco Routers running
BGP, provides fast, reliable, and redundant connections to the
internet. For web hosting KCnet utilizes high performance Dell Power Edge Servers running Windows NT and Linux.
Because we maintain connections with multiple leading backbone
providers, our customers can be assured their sites will have both
high speed and reliable access to the internet.
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Does KCnet have a referral
program?
Yes, KCnet offers a
$17.95 credit toward your account each time a new customer that was
referred by you signs up for a dialup or web hosting account.
The credit will be issued to your account once the referred customer has
maintained an account with KCnet for 2 months.
To ensure proper credit, please have the person
you refer provide us with your name and email address.
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How do I change my username?
You can call KCnet's Customer Service at
816-221-4658 from within the Kansas City area, or toll free at
1-800-447-9817 to change your username. Each user may change
their username for a $5/change fee. Because our billing cycle
runs from the 1st of the month to the last day of the month, username
changes, that have been scheduled, will take place on the first of the
following month. Changing your username also changes your email
address, so remember to change your username in your dial-up and email
programs.
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How do I change my password?
You can change your password
online or you can call KCnet's Customer Service at
816-221-4658 from within the Kansas City area, or toll free at
1-800-447-9817 to change your password. If you have the password
saved, remember to change your password in your dial-up and email
programs.
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Can I change my credit card information?
To change you credit card information, please call our
office and provide the following information:
- Your username
- Credit Card Number
- Expiration Date
- Name that appears on the card
- Billing address of the card holder
Keep in mind, our billing cycle runs from
the 1st of the month to the last day of the month. Therefore, if
you wish to change your credit card number, you will need to make the
change prior to the 1st.
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How do I cancel my account?
The only way to cancel your account is to call our office and obtain
a valid cancellation code. This cancellation code is your
receipt that your cancellation has been recorded.
Note: Your
cancellation is not effective without this cancellation code.
Keep in mind, our billing cycle runs from the 1st of the month to the
last day of the month. Therefore, if you cancel on or after the 1st,
your account will still remain active for that month. Please see item 6 from our
Terms of Service for more information
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How can I block my children from adult oriented material?
There are several things you can do to protect your child from the
internet. First, if you do not want your child accessing the
internet without your supervision, then you should avoid giving
your child your access password or saving it on your
machine.
Second, Microsoft
Internet Explorer has a built-in content control setting that can be
enabled and password protected. Please consult your Internet
Explorer's help menu you for further details.
Third, there are a variety of third-party
programs such as Surf Watch and CyberSitter.
Some are available from your local software retailer and others may be
downloaded from the Internet.
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What internet software can I use with KCnet?
You can use any internet compliant software with KCnet. Unlike
some online services that force you to use their proprietary
software, KCnet allows you to use your favorite software, including web browser, pop3 email
client, news reader, ftp client, chat software, video games, etc.
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How do I upgrade my internet software?
Because the
internet is ever changing, having the latest software can make your
Internet experience a more enjoyable one. For this reason KCnet has
provided a list of links to the most common software
applications.
Things to keep in mind when upgrading:
- Does your computers
specifications meet or exceed that of the requirements for the
desired software?
- Do you have enough
hard disk space to download and install the new application?
- Will you lose any
critical data, such as your email and address book, by upgrading?
If so, back up this information.
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What is KCnet's
scheduled maintenance policy?
KCnet has
a regularly scheduled maintenance window from 5:00 AM - 6:00 AM
each Sunday morning. This reserved window will be used as
necessary for rebooting servers, hardware/software upgrades, etc. to
maintain system performance and reliability. Be aware, if you are
using the internet at this time, you may be disconnected.
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Which Internet Access plan is right for me?
KCnet offers several dialup plans to suit the usage needs of a wide
range of users. Why pay for unlimited if you do not plan on
using the net for more than a few hours per month?
-
If you will use less than 12 hours per month, try our Lite ($7.50) Plan.
-
If you only require access in the
Kansas City area, our Standard ($10.95) Plan is for you. It
features unlimited local dialup access and one email account.
-
If you travel, require more than
one email address, or require faster speed without the higher costs
of broadband service, try our Gold
Unlimited($17.95) Plan which features nation-wide access, multiple
email accounts, and dialup accelerator at no additional cost. -
If you require true broadband access or DSL plans
feature true high-speed Internet access, multiple email addresses,
and digital phone service.
Remember, if you think you have selected the
wrong plan, you may switch access plans. You may make one switch
for free, more than one switch in a 12 month period carries
a $5/change fee.
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Do I have to use a PC and Windows to connect to KCnet?
No, KCnet supports any TCP/IP compliant device
capable of connecting to the internet via dialup access.
For Example:
-
Apple Macs, equipped with the necessary software, work well.
Most modern Macs with OS 8 or greater already come loaded with this
software.
-
ISDN routers, such as those made by Ascend, Cisco and 3Com
-
Other examples include the Palm Pilot from 3Com, the Dreamcast
from Sega, WebTV and other set top boxes.
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Can I connect to KCnet with something other than my computer?
Yes, KCnet supports any TCP/IP compliant device
capable of connecting to the internet via dialup access. These
days there are an increasing number of devices that are able to
connect to the internet; just some of the ones capable of connecting
to KCnet are: PDA's (such as the Palm Pilot and Windows CE), the
Sega Dreamcast, WebTV and other set top boxes.
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Does my computer require KCnet's DNS settings?
DNS is the Domain Name Server which translates "easy to
remember" domain names into numerical internet (IP)
addresses. Without DNS you would not be able to navigate
to your favorite sites.
For this reason, KCnet is setup to automatically provide your computer with this
information each and every time you logon. Computers running Windows 95/NT or higher,
do not need to put
our DNS settings in the software. Instead you should just select the options that
indicate "Server assigned". With Macs and other
operating systems, however, you will need to manually enter the DNS numbers
into your network software, (i.e. MacTCP, TCP/IP, etc). This
also holds true for most ISDN routers, and other internet appliances.
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When I connect I get prompted for my password repeatedly!
When you connect to KCnet, you are required to enter a username
and a password. There are a couple things to remember when
entering this information. First, both your username and password
should be entered in lowercase, NO CAPS. Second, your username
is the first part of your email address, and should not contain @kcnet.com.
If you have insured that you followed the
above guidelines, please call KCnet's Customer Service at 816-221-4658 from within
the Kansas City area, or toll free at 1-800-447-9817.
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How do I check how much time I have spent online?
To check how much time you have spent online this month, along with
other useful statistics regarding your account, please visit our Members
Only section. Click on personal dialup account. You will
be prompted to enter your username and password.
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Can I use my KCnet account on more then one computer?
Yes, you can setup your KCnet account on as many computers, internet
appliances, etc. as you wish. However, you can only be connected
to KCnet with one connection at a time. If you logon while you
already have an open connection, the second connection will be
disconnected and you will receive an automatic email alerting you to
this.
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Does KCnet offer toll free (1-800) access?
No.
However, KCnet's GOLD dialup plan does offer nationwide service by
providing local access numbers in over 2500 cities across the U.S.
In addition, KCnet offers a variety of dialup plans with local access in the greater Kansas City metro area. If you find yourself traveling to other
parts of the country, you can find a list of local access numbers in
your area by accessing the
Access Number
Locator. If you do not find a number in your area, you would either have to dial in long distance or
if you have access to the web from a local library, friend or internet cafe, you could use
the web to access your KCnet account via our web-based email system.
Be
wary of providers who offer you an 800 access line. 800 access is
not toll free. In fact most providers will charge you a premium of
12 or more cents per minute to use their 800 line. Since most
people can now get their long distance for under 10 cents per minute, it
is not cost effective to use an ISPs 800 line.
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How can I get my modem to connect at 56kbps?
Not everyone with a 56K modem will connect at higher speeds.
From our
experience, about 6 out of 10 users will be able to get 56k type
connections. Of these 6 users, most will connect around 48K, with
a few in the lower 40s and a few lucky ones in the lower 50s.
In addition to having good, clean phone lines at your location, there
are 3
main things that must be in place to make a 56k type connection.
-
Your phone line cannot be multiplexed. Multiplexing
enables one pair of copper wires to support multiple phone lines. In effect
your line is sharing part of its local loop with other lines. The
phone company does this in certain areas to cut down on the amount of wire it must install. It also
occurs in office buildings when the phones are connected to a PBX system. Multiplexing does not affect the voice quality of the
line, but it will prevent you from getting 56K connect speeds since your
modem will not have full use of the line.
-
There can only be one Analog-Digital conversion in the call path between you and your ISP. After your call leaves your house and
reaches the phone company, it must be converted into a digital signal and remain a
digital signal all the way to your internet provider. If at any
point beyond your location it is converted back to an analog signal, you
won't be able to connect at 56k speeds.
-
Your modem must be compatible with your ISPs modems. There
are three
56K standards, x2 (US Robotics), Kflex (Rockwell/Lucent) and v.90.
Most
modems are now advertised as v.90, which is supposed to be a
"common"
standard, although real world experience shows that this is not always
true,
this is a good reason to be sure you are using the latest drivers
for your
modem. In any case, your modem must have the same
standard as your
ISPs. Since KCnet uses 3Com/US Robotics
equipment, our modems will
support x2 and v.90. In Kansas City, you may
reach our x2/v.90 modems at
816-502-0021 and 816-410-0099.
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How long can I stay connected to KCnet at one time?
If our servers detect that your connection has
been idle (not sending or receiving data) for a period of 20 minutes, you
will be disconnected. Once disconnected, you may reconnect. If
your computer is setup to check for email every few minutes or you are
running some other software to maintain your connection, our idle time out
will not disconnect you.
Extremely long connections may violate our Terms
of Service. If your needs require a persistent, 24x7 connection,
then you should check into our dedicated
access plans.
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Do I get a personal home page with
my dialup access plan?
Yes, every dialup account KCnet
offers comes with email and space for a non-commercial personal home page. We
provide you with 5 megs of storage space for your personal home page, which
you can increase if you need to. Personal home pages are
allowed 250 MB of web traffic per month at no charge, and an additional charge
of $.15 per megabyte will be assessed for file transfer in excess of this
limit. KCnet also provides you the use of two cgi scripts for your
home page, a page counter and a form mail script.
For assistance in uploading you personal home
page or to find out more about cgi, please
see our web page publishing help section.
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How do I get my personal web page
enabled for FrontPage 2000?
KCnet provides all dialup access
accounts with a free non-commercial personal home page. By default the space for your
personal home page is located on a unix server and given FTP
access.
KCnet is a Registered Microsoft® FrontPage®
2000 Web Presence Provider. We can have your personal home page
enabled for FrontPage 2000 extensions for $2.00 per month. To do
this we must move your personal home page to a Windows NT server, and
disable FTP access. To have your personal home page set up for
FrontPage 2000 please contact
our technical support staff.
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Which Web Hosting plan is right for me or my business?
When choosing a web hosting plan, there are two main items to
consider, disk space and data traffic. Generally
speaking, 90% of all world wide web sites require less than 10 megs of
disk space and less than 500Mb of data traffic.
Disk space refers to the amount of hard drive space required
to store all the files (text, images, etc) of your website.
Data traffic refers to the amount of bandwidth your site will
require to deliver this content to your customers.
For example, if the average page size in your website is a combined
50k of text and images, then each time a person visits a page, 50k of
data traffic would be generated. If the person clicks onto a link to
take them to another average size page on your site, then another 50k of data
traffic will be generated. Based upon this example, it would take 20,000 accesses of
an average 50k
page to generate 1 Gigabyte of data traffic.
1 GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000 KB
KCnet's introductory web hosting plans, offer 10 megs of disk space and
1 Gigabyte of data traffic. Thus, unless your site has special
needs these plans should be ideal.
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How do I check how much disk space my website is using?
To check how much disk space your website is currently using, along
with other useful statistics regarding your account, please visit our Members
Only section. Select the appropriate link that describes your
site; personal, commercial or virtual host. You will be prompted
to enter your username and password.
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How do I add additional disk space to my website or email spool?
You may add additional storage space to your website or email spool
in increments of 1, 5, and 10 MB at a cost of $1 per MB per month.
To add additional space, you can call KCnet's Customer Service at 816-221-4658 from within
the Kansas City area, or toll free at 1-800-447-9817.
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Do I need to know
HTML or computer programming?
No, if you do not know HTML you
are not left out in the cold, there are several alternatives to available
to help satisfy your needs. If you are interested in designing your
own site and don't know HTML, there are several graphical WYSIWIG web page
editors available, such as Microsoft's FrontPage 2000.
If you are not ready to design your own web page,
you can have someone else design and build your site for you. KCnet
offers web design in addition to our other services. If you would
like a price quote to design your web site, please contact
our sales staff.
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How will people
find my web site?
You can register your web site with
search engines like Yahoo!, AltaVista, and Infoseek just to name a
few. If you have a Virtual Host site with KCnet, we can submit your
site to over 1500 search engines and directories one time free of charge,
to request the service, please contact
our technical support staff.
Other things you can do to let people know about your web
site:
-
Include your site's Web address on
your letterhead, business cards, shipping materials, and
brochures.
-
Include your site's Web address at
the bottom of your email messages automatically by making it part
of your electronic signature.
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What is CGI?
CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.
KCnet lets you run cgi scripts written in a scripting language called
Perl.
CGI enables you to add interactive and
dynamic content to your Web page. You can have your own WWWBoard to
let your users interact, run your own Web site poll or keep track of
your visitors.
While it sounds great, unfortunately you
don't just press a button and these features appear. Some scripts can
take a couple of minutes to set up, while others can take a couple of
hours or more. KCnet provides you with the use of 2
pre-configured CGI scripts, a counter and FormMail, for information on
setting up these scripts please visit our help
section.
To find out more about CGI, please visit www.webreference.com.
Or for a large collection of common CGI scripts, please visit www.cgi-resources.com.
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Does KCnet support
database connectivity?
Yes, KCnet does support database
connectivity. When you host your website on one of KCnet's Windows
NT servers, Microsoft Database Support (Access, FoxPro, Excel, Paradox
databases) does not require a System DSN. The recommended and more
efficient method is to open the data source using a DSNless connection.
For information on setting up a DSNless
connection please visit http://www.learnasp.com/learn/dbopen.asp.
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What is a domain name?
A domain name is a unique and easy to remember name that you and your
company can use for your website and email addresses. The most common domains are for commercial enterprises (.com),
networks (.net), and nonprofit organizations (.org).
KCnet is an official reseller and can register a name in one of the
above top level domains for you.
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How do I register my own domain name?
To register a domain, you must go to a registrar and apply for
that particular name. In addition, you have to pay the registrar a
fee to maintain your name in their database. As a result of the
government opening up this process, KCnet has become an official
reseller, and can register your domain for you.
You may register
your own domain from our site. Our simple process allows you
to check to see if your domain name is available and register that name
with ease.
Once the domain is registered, you may either "sit on it" until
you are ready to use it, setup your web and email addresses with KCnet,
or setup services with another ISP.
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How can I make changes to my domain name?
From time to time you may need to update
information associated with your domain name. This may include
changing billing information, contact information, or the name servers
associated with your domain name. These changes need to be
coordinated with the registrar that registered your domain name.
If you registered your domain name with KCnet,
you can call KCnet's Customer Service at 816-221-4658 from within
the Kansas City area, or toll free at 1-800-447-9817 to make any
changes to your domain name.
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How do I change
the Administrative Contact email address for my domain name?
If
you registered your domain name with KCnet.com, you can log into the
Domain Management interface with
the username and password you selected when originally registering your
domain.
KCnet does not keep a copy of your domain username and
password on file. If you have forgotten this information, we can
instruct an automated system to email the login information to the
Administrative Email contact only.
If your Administrative Email contact address is no
longer valid, you will need to download this
Administrative Email Contact Change form and fax it to OpenSRS at
1-416-531-2516. Once you have received confirmation from OpenSRS
that the admin contact email address has been changed, please call
KCnet's Customer Service at 816-221-4658 from within
the Kansas City area, or toll free at 1-800-447-9817 and we can have the
login information emailed to your new contact address.
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I have a
registered domain name, how do I setup DNS to be hosted by KCnet?
In order to host your already registered domain
with KCnet, your domain must have KCnet's DNS settings. If your domain
does not contain KCnet's DNS settings, you will need to coordinate
the change with the registrar that registered your domain name. Once
the domain is transferred to KCnet's DNS servers, please contact
our sales staff to complete the setup of your domain hosting account.
To check on the status of your transfer, you can go
here and
type your domain name into the box. This will let you see your host record.
KCnet can not complete the server side setup of your domain until
the host record shows that the DNS is set up for:
ns.kcnet.com 209.240.96.4 and ns3.kcnet.com 209.240.96.11.
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How do I set up multiple domain
names to point to the same web site?
If you currently have a Virtual
Host site with KCnet and have additional domain names you would like to
point to that site, KCnet offers a Domain Redirect service for a one time
($25 setup fee and $6 per month) per domain name.
For example you are currently hosting a web site, www.yourcompany.com
with KCnet. You could also register www.yourcompany.net and www.yourcompany.org
and with our Domain Redirect service you could set up both of these domain
names to point to your current KCnet hosted website.
For more information to setup a domain redirect
please contact our
sales staff.
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Can I add additional email addresses to my account?
All Gold Unlimited Dialup accounts include up to 3 POP email accounts
and our Standard Dialup account includes one POP email address.
You can
add additional POP email addresses, to any account, for $3 per address per month. To
setup your additional POP email accounts, please complete the online email
account request form.
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Can I access my KCnet email when I am out of town?
Yes, if you have access to the internet, you may access your email
via the web at http://www.kcnet.net
or you may dial our data numbers, although this may be long
distance for you, it should only take 1 to 3 minutes to retrieve your email.
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I am having problems email
attachments?
By default all email
accounts provided by KCnet come with a 5MB mail spool, this means your
mailbox can hold up to 5MB of email. This size can be increased,
for an additional cost if you need it to be, please contact
our sales staff for further info.
When sending and receiving attachments, there are
some things to keep in mind. Sending attachments in MIME
encoding, adds an additional "overhead" of 15 to 35% to the
file size. For example, you send an image attachment that is
3.5MB. Once the attachment is sent from your computer it is
encoded into MIME so that it may be sent via mail servers to its
destination address. When this encoding occurs additional file
information is added to the file so that it may be decoded upon
receipt. This additional "overhead" can increase your
attachment size from 3.5MB to around 4-5MB on the mail server. If
the file size becomes larger than the available space on the recipients
mail spool, the file will bounce back to you.
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I just installed Norton
AntiVirus and I can no longer receive email.
There is a known problem with Norton AntiVirus
when enabling email protection. Norton has supplied the following
link to help you correct the problem. How
to configure Outlook Express with Norton AntiVirus similar
changes will need to be made if you are using Netscape.
If you need further assistance, please contact
or technical support staff.
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How did I get email that is
not addressed to me?
Many times bulk emailers create
mailing lists and then assign a nickname such as friend@public.com
. They use this nickname to conceal the actual addresses on their
mailing list. This name may or may not be a valid email address.
When a mass emailer sends out a message to the nickname of their list,
in this case friend@public.com,
their email program kicks off a copy of the message to everyone on their
list without the outside world knowing exactly who is on that list.
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How do I stop unwanted (SPAM) email?
We do our very best to
filter out SPAM email. If you receive SPAM email, we'll work with you to
ensure that it doesn't happen again. To alert us of any SPAM email that
you have received, please forward us that email along with the header
information, so that we can then determine the point of origin and take
the necessary action to block any new SPAM.
In addition, KCnet has provided email filters you can
install and setup, which, can greatly reduce the amount of spam you
receive. The email filters can be accessed through the
email filter
utility in the member's only section of our website.
Some things to keep in mind
if you receive SPAM. Never reply to an address to be removed from
a spammer's mailing list. This only alerts the spammer that they
have a valid email address; they will continue to send you
SPAM. And it goes with out saying, never order from SPAM, this
just makes the spammer's investment pay off and they will continue to
SPAM you and others.
Although avoiding giving
out your email address does help prevent some SPAM, spammers have
developed several other techniques to acquire your address. Some
of which include sending bulk emails to the most common names (such as john,
paul, etc.), and buying lists from other spammers
and replacing the @isp.com with @thenextisp.com, just to name a few.
For example, aaa@kcnet.com then
aaa@aol.com and so on.
If you'd like to learn more
about SPAM or find out more ways to help stop SPAM, please visit How
to Complain About Spam, or, Put a Spammer in the Slammer.
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What happens if I send SPAM email?
Sending SPAM, unsolicited commercial email ("junk mail"),
is strictly prohibited in item 2 of our Terms of
Service. This
includes, but is not limited to, bulk mailing of commercial advertising,
chain letters and/or pyramid-selling schemes, and informational
announcements. Such material may only be sent to those who have explicitly
requested it.
If you engage in this practice, your account may be immediately terminated without notice or
refund of any subscription fees.
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What is a "Virtual
Email" address?
Virtual email or email
aliasing is a feature that enables a user who has
their own internet domain name to send and receive email with that
domain
name even though they do not maintain their own mail server. For
example if
you have your own domain name, mycompany.com, and you do not maintain
your
own network and mail server, you may still send and receive email with
addresses such as sales@mycompany.com,
jdoe@mycompany.com, etc.
To do so, the ISP, such as KCnet, that provides
the Domain Name Service
(DNS) for your domain must redirect any mail destined for your virtual
email
addresses to a real email address.
A real email account is an email account that
actually exists on a mail
server. For example, when a user creates a dialup account with
KCnet, they
are given an email account with 5 megs of space on our mail server in
the
form of user@kcnet.com.
Examples of real email accounts can be found on other ISPs, AOL, a
person's work account, and several web-based email sites.
To activate virtual email, you must first
select KCnet to be the DNS for
your domain. If you are already hosting a virtual web site with
KCnet, then
this option is already done and you may take advantage of virtual email
for
no additonal charge. Simply tell us the virtual addresses you
would like
setup and the associated real addresses to forward to.
If you have chosen KCnet to be your DNS, but
are not hosting a website with
KCnet, then you may still use virtual email for $6/month.
Top of Page
What is Digital Phone Service / VoIP?
VoIP stands for "Voice over IP" or more specifically "Voice over
Internet Protocol." VoIP converts analog voice data into
digital packets and routes those packets over the Internet instead
of the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network which provides
significant cost savings and the benefits of added features not
normally available from traditional phone companies.
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How does Digital Phone Service / VoIP work? What
makes it different from traditional phone service?
A normal phone conversation is carried over a series of switches
and lines to create a dedicated circuit for the duration of the
call. Using Digital Phone Service / VoIP, the conversation is
carried in data packets that travel over the internet the same way
that e-mails and Web pages are.
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Why should I want voice services over my
broadband connection?
Using your high-speed (or "broadband") Internet connection that
you already pay for, such as cable modem or DSL service, to run
voice services as well, will save you money. KCnet offers
competitively priced calling plans, integrated voice mail and
web-based control of your phone account. The KCnet Digital Phone
service is "digital", you and your callers will experience better
voice quality than with traditional analog and cell phone services.
You can also take your KCnet Digital Phone adapter with you whenever
you travel and your phone number will follow you to wherever you
connect to the Internet using a high-speed/broadband connection.
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What are the advantages of Digital Phone Service
/ VoIP?
The biggest advantage is cost. By eliminating much of the normal
phone system during the call, it is much cheaper to make local and
long distance calls. Also, by bringing your adapter with you when
you travel, you can effectively bring your phone service with you.
All you need to do is plug in to any high-speed Internet connection,
and you can make and receive calls. Plus, many features are
exclusive to Digital Phone / VoIP services, such as fax to email and
voicemail to email.
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What are the disadvantages?
Digital Phone Service / VoIP will not work in a blackout or if
there is a service interruption in your high-speed internet
connection. Also, Digital Phone / VoIP services are only as reliable
as the customer's broadband connection. A poor quality connection
can lead to voice quality issues.
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When will you be offering KCnet phone numbers
where I live?
We currently offer service throughout the United States. However,
there is still limited availability for local area codes. While we
are always working to expand the reach of the KCnet Digital Phone
network, we cannot provide any timeframes for when KCnet Digital
phone numbers in your local area code may become available. Please
keep in mind that you can always sign up for service using one of
our existing area codes, and if a more desirable area code later
becomes available, we will happily switch your service over to that
new area code at no additional charge.
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Is it hard to
install KCnet Digital Phone Service?
No. It takes only minutes. If you can plug a phone
jack in, you can setup the small phone adapter needed to make
Digital Phone Service calls via your high-speed Internet connection.
Simply follow the
Setup
Instructions online or the guide included with the adapter we
ship and you should be up and running in no time. If you have any
questions or difficulties
contact Support
office.
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Do I need a
computer to use KCnet Digital Phone Service?
No. The Digital Phone Service phone adapter connects
directly to your high-speed Internet modem or router.
Top of Page
When calling
other parties, do they also need KCnet Digital Phone Service or another
VoIP service?
No. You use your phone just like you always have.
Top of Page
What kind of
equipment do I need?
All you need is an active high-speed or "broadband"
Internet connection. (high-speed/Broadband connections are
considered 144k or higher.) You can use a regular phone, as long as
you connect it to an adapter. KCnet provides a 2-line adapter upon
initial sign-up. There is no additional charge for the first adapter
that is included with the activation fee. Also, many companies
now offer VoIP phones that don't require adapters. The adapter or
new VoIP phone connects to a broadband modem. If you use a router,
the adapter or phone can connect through that as well.
Top of Page
Can I use my
current phone with KCnet Digital Phone Service?
Yes. KCnet Digital Phone Service works with most any
phone as long as they are connected to a VoIP adapter.
Top of Page
Do I need a
router?
No. The KCnet Digital Phone adapter can plug
directly into the broadband modem. However, if you already have a
router, the adapter can plug into that as well.
Top of Page
When I first
power up my adapter, how long should I wait before picking up the
handset to get dial tone?
You should have a dial tone in 2 minutes or less.
Top of Page
Will KCnet
contact my current telephone company so that my old, legacy telephone
service will be cancelled?
No, we do not contact your existing telephone
company to cancel your services. KCnet will assign you a new KCnet
Digital Phone telephone number that works over your existing
internet connection, but you are responsible for making any changes
to your existing telephone service, including cancellation of those
services, if you so desire. You can use your KCnet Digital Phone
number and your traditional telephone service at the same time, if
you wish. You also have the option at the time of signup to have
your "old" legacy phone number ported over to the KCnet Digital
Phone service, thereby keeping your existing phone number. If you
did not do this at the time of signup, you can still complete a
Letter of Authorization (LOA) to have your old phone number ported
to KCnet, please
contact us for more details.
Top of Page
Is there a
difference between using DSL or Cable modem when using KCnet Digital
Phone Service? Which do you recommend to use?
Both DSL and cable modem services provide sufficient
broadband Internet access bandwidth to support the KCnet Digital
Phone service. However, some DSL services are also tied to phone
service. If you deactivate your phone service, the DSL may be
deactivated as well. KCnet recommends that you speak with a
representative from your DSL provider before making any decisions.
Top of Page
Can I use KCnet Digital Phone Service when I
travel?
Yes. You can use KCnet Digital Phone Service anywhere there's a
high-speed Internet connection. Just be sure to bring your KCnet
Digital Phone adapter with you.
Top of Page
Can I receive calls with KCnet Digital Phone
Service?
Yes. KCnet Digital Phone Service works just like your regular
phone system.
Top of Page
How do I receive phone calls with my KCnet
Digital Phone service?
To reach you, the calling party will simply dial your phone
number and if your service is plugged in, your phone rings, you pick
it up and start talking.
Top of Page
How do I make calls?
Simply pick up the phone, and dial Area Code + Phone Number.
Top of Page
Can I use my computer and talk on the phone at
the same time?
Yes. KCnet Digital Phone Service works independently
of your computer, so you can make and receive calls while surfing
the web. However, Digital Phone Service / VoIP requires 256k
bandwidth for clear calls. If you are running certain file sharing
applications, they can use all of the available bandwidth resulting
in poor call quality. While we recommend disabling those
applications when making calls, normal web surfing or email should
have no effect on call quality.
Top of Page
Can I keep my current phone number if I sign up
for KCnet Digital Phone Service?
Yes. If KCnet's Digital Phone network is covered in your area, we
can port your existing phone number to our service. You will need to
fill out the Letter of Authorization. You also must stay connected
with your current phone service to hold the number you want ported.
The process may take 15-20 business days or sometimes longer. You
can wait to use our service until the port has happened or have a
temporary number assigned to you and switch numbers once the port
has happened. If you decide to do this, you may be paying two phone
bills at one time while you wait for the number to be ported over.
Top of Page
If I sign up with KCnet, will I still have the
same features as my current telephone service?
Yes. In fact KCnet Digital Phone Service may actually offer more
features than you have now. KCnet Digital Phone Service includes
Call Waiting, Voicemail, 3-Way Calling, Call Forwarding, and more.
Top of Page
Is there a way to connect all of the phones in
my house to KCnet Digital Phone Service?
You could buy a multiple analog jack extension connector and plug
it into the adapter phone jack. This connector would allow you to
use multiple phones on a single KCnet Digital Phone Service line.
Another alternative is to use a cordless phone system. These phone
systems come with a base unit and extra handsets. The base station
of the cordless phone plugs into the adapter. The extra handsets can
then be placed anywhere in the house. You could also purchase
wireless phone jacks. The base unit of the wireless phone jack
system connects to the adapter and the wireless jacks plug into your
household electrical outlets. You can then connect the phone to the
wireless jack. NOT RECOMMENDED: Some people disconnect the phone
company from their house and then connect our adapter into one of
the outlets in their house, thus powering all of the other outlets.
If you try to do this, please make sure that the phone company is
COMPLETELY disconnected (and stays disconnected) before connecting
us, otherwise you will damage your adapter. If you are unsure of
what you are doing, please contact a licensed wiring technician.
Top of Page
Does KCnet Digital Phone Service support FAX
machines?
FAX machines do work with the KCnet Digital Phone service.
However, due to the way some localities handle fax calls, we can not
guarantee 100% compatibility to and from all locations.
Top of Page
Does KCnet Digital Phone Service support
3-way calling?
Yes, simply dial someone and get them on an active
call. Press the flash button on your telephone and then dial the
other person you want to join your call. As its ringing, press flash
again and it will bring the two calls together.
Top of Page
Does KCnet Digital Phone Service support
virtual phone numbers (a number somewhere else that also rings your
KCnet Digital Phone Service phone number)?
Yes, you may purchase as many virtual phone numbers as you would
like to forward to a primary KCnet Digital Phone Service number.
Each virtual number is only $4.95 per month with no activation fee.
Top of Page
Can someone place a collect call to my KCnet
Digital Phone Service phone number?
No, the KCnet Digital Phone service will not allow collect calls
to connect to your KCnet Digital Phone Service number.
Top of Page
Can I place 800# calls?
Yes, any 800 numbers may be dialed normally.
Top of Page
Can I place 900# calls?
No, the KCnet Digital Phone service will not allow 900 number
calls.
Top of Page
How does FREE KCnet-to-KCnet calling work?
Each KCnet Digital Phone service plan covers unlimited calling
between any KCnet Digital Phone Service subscribers, anywhere in the
world.
Top of Page
What happens to KCnet Digital Phone Service if
I move?
With Digital Phone / VoIP service, you can take you existing
phone number with you when you move. However, if you would like a
new number with a different area code in your new location, you are
free to select from a variety of area codes.
Top of Page
Will my dial-up connection work with KCnet
Digital Phone Service?
No. KCnet Digital Phone Service uses broadband or high-speed
Internet connections only.
Top of Page
Will my phone number be listed in the phone
book?
No. Your phone number will not be listed in the phone book.
Top of Page
Does KCnet Digital Phone Service support PPPoE
broadband connections?
Yes. KCnet Digital Phone Service does support PPPOE connections.
Top of Page
How do I access my KCnet Digital Phone Service
voicemail?
You can access your KCnet Digital Phone Service voicemail by
email or phone.
To have your voicemail emailed to you, login to the KCnet Digital
Phone Service Control
Panel and enable the email voicemail feature. Before doing
so, please verify your email address as listed in the control panel
is correct.
To access your voicemail by phone simply dial your number from
your KCnet Digital Phone Service and enter your voicemail password
when prompted. The default password for your voicemail is the
last four digits of your number. We highly recommend
you change this password to something more unique when you login for
the first time.
|
From the Main Menu (see chart below), you can access these
additional functions. These should be basically familiar to
you if you have used voicemail on a cellular or office
phone. |
|
a. "When you've selected 1
for New Messages"
These functions will allow you to manage your new messages.
b. "When you've selected 2
to Change Folders"
These functions will allow you to toggle through the
different mailboxes
c. "When you've selected 3
for Advanced Options"
These functions will allow you to review the details of a
specific message, and send a reply
d. "When you've selected 0
for Mailbox Options"
These functions will allow you to record your greetings,
name, and change your voicemail password |
Once
logged in, you can navigate through
the system using the VM menu below.
|
Main Menu |
|
Press
|
VM Function
|
|
1
|
For New Messages
|
|
2
|
To Change "Folders"
(Default is "New Messages" folder) |
|
3
|
For Advanced Options
|
|
0
|
For Mailbox Options
|
|
*
|
For Help
|
|
#
|
To Exit
|
|
Top of Page
Is there an activation fee?
Yes. KCnet charges an activation fee of $29.95. This fee includes
the configuration and use of the phone adapter for no additional
charge.
Top of Page
What is the minimum subscription term period?
All contracts are handled on a month-to-month basis. You can end
your subscription at the end of any monthly billing cycle by calling
our office before 5:00 pm on the last day of the month.
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Will I receive an invoice?
Yes, though KCnet automatically invoices your credit
card on file. For billing information you can view your
web
invoice and for call detail information you can log into the
Digital Phone Service
control panel.
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What payment methods are available?
Currently we only accept credit card payments for
KCnet Digital Phone Service. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, &
American Express.
Top of Page
How are outbound minutes
determined?
Total outbound call usage is determined by the
length of each call made from your account and all calls forwarded
to other numbers from your account during the entire billing cycle
typically running from the first through the last day of the month.
Call lengths are rounded up to the nearest minute.
Thus, if you make a call that last 1 minute and 25 seconds, the call
will be recorded as 2 minutes in length.
Top of
Page
How do I cancel my KCnet Digital Phone service?
You can cancel service at anytime calling our
office. Your
service will remain active until the end of the current billing
cycle. We do not offer pro-rated refunds, so be sure to cancel prior
to 5:00 pm on the last day of the month. Also, you will need to
return the phone adapter within 10 days of the end of the billing
cycle, or you will be charged an additional $29.95. The original
packaging and support documents must be returned as well.
Top of Page
What am I paying for?
After your account is established, you will be charged a flat
monthly fee for the KCnet Digital Phone service. This fee will be
based on the service plan you selected during registration. If you
exceed your monthly minutes, you will be charged by the minute at a
rate specified by the service plan description. In addition
you will be responsible for any international calls at the specified
per minute rate and 411 calls at $.99 per call.
Top of Page
Does KCnet add any additional taxes or monthly
fees on top of my monthly service charge?
Additional services, such as extra lines, additional minutes
beyond the monthly plan (if you do not have the unlimited plan),
international calls at the specified per minute rate, and 411 calls
all have additional fees on a per use basis. In regards to taxes,
KCnet will not charge any federal or local taxes accept where
required by law (Illinois and North Carolina only will be assessed
and the Federal Excise tax and local taxes where applicable).
Top of Page
Where can I view my KCnet Digital Phone Service
billing statement?
For current billing information you can view your
web
invoice and for call detail information you can log into the
Digital Phone Service
control panel.
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