E-Mail / World Wide Web

How do I setup my e-mail? For detailed instructions, visit our E-mail support page. How much storage e-mail storage space do I get with my GulfTel Communications e-mail account? GulfTel Communications allows you to store up to 5MB of messages and attachments on the mail server. If you do not keep your account below this limit, the mail server will refuse to accept further messages and their attachments destined for your account. The mail server will resume mail delivery to your account once you have removed the excess messages and attachments from your account. If you need assistance on how to remove your mail from the mail server, please visit our E-mail support page for instructions on how to set your mail client to download your messages and attachments from the server to your computer's hard drive. How long can I keep messages and attachments on the mail server? GulfTel Communications will store your messages and attachments on the mail server up to 90 days from the date they were received by the mail system. Mail older than 90 days will be removed from the system during general maintenance. Removal of messages from the mail server will be based on the age of the message and not on its status of read versus unread. Messages and attachments removed cannot be recovered. If you need additional storage space, please visit our E-mail support page for instructions on how to set your mail client to download your messages and attachments from the server to your computer's hard drive. How can I change the home page in my web browser? In Microsoft Internet Explorer (for Windows), click the Tools menu, then click the Internet Options... menu item. In the "Address" box under the "General" tab, enter the URL you want to use as your home page, then click the OK button. In Netscape (for Windows), click the Edit menu, then click the Preferences... menu item. In the "Location" box under the "Navigator" category, enter the URL you want to use as your home page, then click the OK button.

Spam and Virus Filtering

How do the spam and virus filters work? We use nationally-maintained lists of addresses from which spam is known to be sent, as well as lists of mail servers that are insecure and easily used and abused by spammers. Our filters reject mail from these addresses, greatly reducing the volume of spam that is sent to our customers. Our filters also scan and reject email with viruses embedded that can cause grave damage to your computer. Do I need to do anything to make these filters work? No. All the filtering is done on our mail servers, so you get the benefits of spam- and virus-filtered email without having to make any changes to your computer. Will the filters accidentally throw out "good" mail? These filters reject the Internet's worst most persistent spammers. These lists are used by many of the world's largest Internet providers around the world, creating one of the Internet's biggest spam-blocking systems. And the lists seem to work very well based on its acceptance around the globe. How much mail is rejected? Check our web site (www.gulftel.net) to see how many virus infections and spam messages we have blocked during the month for all of our customers. This information is updated every four hours. Since the filters are rejecting virus-infected e-mails, does that mean I don't need virus protection software? No. Many viruses are delivered by email, but they can be spread in other ways, too, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs. So keep your virus protection software and keep it updated. Where can I get more details about the spam and virus filters? Visit our Spam Filtering page for more details.

Broadband Access

Do I have to have any special equipment in order to use Broadband? Yes, your computer must have an ethernet card (NIC) installed. A good 10/100 NIC can be purchased for about $20 from local electronics stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, and Radio Shack. Some of the better-known manufacturers of network cards include 3Com, Netgear, LinkSys, and D-Link. You will also need a Broadband router, which will be provided by GulfTel during the installation. What is a static IP address? Every computer connected to the Internet has a unique IP address. Normally your computer will be assigned a random IP address by GulfTel which may change from time to time. A static IP address, however, never changes. Certain applications (such as online games, NetMeeting, video conferencing, etc.) may require the use of a static IP address. Why am I not getting 1.1Mbps download speed on my Broadband? Your download speed will vary depending on a number of factors, such as your distance from the GulfTel switching station, your computer's speed, and the traffic on the Internet which varies over the course of the day. You may also be trying to connect to a site on the Internet whose speed is slower than yours, which will make your connection appear to be slow. Are jack installation charges included in the installation charge? No, jack installations cost extra. Will I be able to use my telephone at the same time I'm connected to the Internet? If you are a Broadband customer, you will able to use your telephone and Broadband connection at the same time (since they operate on separate lines). If you are a dial-up customer, you will not be able to use your telephone while you are connected to the Internet, unless you have purchased a second telephone line for use with your computer. Do I need a surge protector for my Broadband modem? Yes! A surge protector helps keep your Broadband modem safe from electrical surges. If you didn't receive one during the installation of your Broadband service, we'll be happy to send you one. See our Surge Protection Awareness page for more information.

Dial-Up Access

Why am I not getting a 56Kbps connection on my 56K modem? The actual maximum speed possible, due to FCC regulations, is 53Kbps. However, a number of other factors may reduce your connection speed further. The distance and the number of phone switching stations between your computer and GulfTel will affect your connection speed. Cheaper 56K modems may also not be able to maintain high speeds over poor connections. Make sure you have a good quality modem, and that you have the latest firmware and drivers from your manufacturer. Also take a look at the Help for slow connects page on 56k.com. I have a dial-up account; how can I make my modem automatically dial whenever I start my web browser or e-mail program? It's possible to configure a PC (running Windows) to dial and connect to the Internet automatically whenever you run an Internet-based program, such as a web browser or an e-mail program. To do this, click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel, then double-click the Internet Options icon. In the "Internet Options" window, click the Connections tab. In the Dial-up settings window, click the icon for your Internet connection (i.e. "GulfTel Dial-up Account" or whatever it's named). Then click the Set Default button. Click the radio button labeled "Always dial my default connection". This will cause Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and other Internet programs to automatically connect to the Internet using the connection you have set as the default. Click the OK button to save the new settings.

Web Space

How much does web space cost? We provide 5mb of personal web space for our Dial-up and Broadband customers at no additional cost. How do I use my web space? Once you've created your website on your local computer, you'll need an FTP program to upload it to your webspace. Visit our Webspace support page for all the details.

Internet Control Center

What is the Internet Control Center? The ICC software will create an application to put all your Internet tools in one place on your computer's desktop. What does the Internet Control Center (ICC) look like? What will the ICC do for me? The Internet Control Center makes it easy and fast to go on-line. It keeps all your Internet programs organized. Your web browser, email and Internet search tools all open directly, easily from the ICC. The icons for the programs are all neatly gathered in the ICC "box". The ICC even has an Internet search tool powered by Google, one of the most popular Internet search engines. Just type in a word or words and click GO. Get on-line quickly with one-click simplicity. The Internet Control Center is easy to customize. You can add shortcuts to any other programs or documents simply by dragging its icon into the bar at the bottom of the ICC. This feature makes this tool truly YOUR control center, personal and unique to meet your needs. The ICC keeps your Internet settings correct, up-to-date and optimal. You don't have to worry about correctly entering information and configuring your Internet programs. If the ICC is running, your Internet and email settings are automatically set correctly to connect you directly to gulftel Internet and Email. How simple and convenient. Do I have to download the ICC? No. It's completely optional. You'll still be able to connect to your GulfTel Internet and Email account(s). We encourage you to download and use the ICC, though. Why? First, it a great, FREE tool that we think you'll really like. And it will help us provide you even better service because it keeps your Internet and Email settings updated to work best with our systems. Plus, the ICC has a window in which we can place short messages including tips for using and trouble-shooting Internet and email, network status messages and information about our latest special offers exclusively for our Internet customers. Is the ICC software safe and easy to download? Absolutely. Our Internet technicians have thoroughly tested it. The software will NOT conflict with any other programs on your computer. Neither will you contract any viruses while downloading it. It won't destroy or move any of your email messages or Internet bookmarks. It will set our portal site (www.gulftel.net) as your home page - the first page you see when you launch your web browser. We hope you'll leave that as your home page because of the quick links to our support center and more. But you can easily change it you desire and still keep and use the ICC. It's also easy to download. You simply need to click the download link and follow the easy-to-understand prompts. Even if you use dial-up Internet, the download won't take long. Just a few minutes. And if you download it now, it's FREE. What if I have questions about the ICC? Questions about the download? Simply contact our helpdesk. After you've downloaded, simply click on the "?" button on the right hand side of the ICC for easy explanations. Still have questions? Call our Help Desk. Where can I go for help on installing the ICC? For step by step instructions on installing the ICC, visit our ICC Setup page.