In This Issue:

http://surf.atlantic.net/surfsup/march01.htm#atlanticnethome
• St. Patrick's Day Fun
• Cool Links to Try Out
• Earn Free Internet Service

http://surf.atlantic.net/surfsup/march01.htm#atlanticnetwork
• Smart Business Solutions
• Sizzling Web Design
• The DSL Advantage

Contact Us

Join our team!
We're hiring talented people to join our growing team. Click here to check out our job postings.

Two Thumbs Up?
Tell us what you think of the new Surf's Up newsletter.

Erin Go Braugh
Top o' the day to you! St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner on March 17th, and that means festivals, Irish fare, and fun. Although it's considered somewhat of a social holiday in the United States, St. Patrick's Day began as a tribute to Ireland's most famous saint. Born around 390 AD, St. Patrick was sold into slavery as a youth, but managed to escape and pursue a monastic life. In 432 AD, St. Patrick became a missionary, and he is often attributed with bringing Christianity to Ireland. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a common symbol associated with the occasion, as a tool to describe the holy trinity. Green also is coupled with the holiday, because it represents the color of Ireland, spring, and the shamrock. For more information on Ireland and St. Patrick's Day, check out these sites:

Irish Recipes: A wee bit o' fun with Irish cooking
History of Ireland: The story behind the birthplace of Paddy's Day.
Irish Puzzles: Can you put the leprechaun back together again?
St. Patrick's Day Greetings: Personalize your own e-card.
Irish Toasts: According to this site, "the verse is as rich and flowing as the Guinness" in Ireland.
Celtic Music: A sampling of traditional Irish music
Irish Customs: The scoop on leprechauns, the blarney stone, and the Paddy's Day pinch!

Tech Tip: How to Improve Your Connection Speed

1) Make sure the wire between the computer and the phone jack is no longer than 6 feet.
2) Defragment your computer once a month or once every three months. (Go to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter, and click on "Defragment.")
4) Find out the manufacturer of your modem, and visit the company's Web site to check for software updates you can download.
5) Call the phone company, and ask them to check the line for noise.
6) Make sure your computer tower is safely out of the way from being bumped or walked into. Modems may be dislodged from bumps.
7) Check the connectors at the end of the phone wires going into the phone jack and into the computer. Connectors should not be broken and should fit snugly into the jacks.

You can find more info about this and other self-help topics, at Atlantic.Net's Support Web site. You'll also find links to a variety of freeware and shareware programs for your computer. Just visit http://support.atlantic.net/.

We're Giving Away Internet Service!
It's absolutely true, and there's no catch. You can earn one month of free Internet service from Atlantic.Net simply by recommending us to a friend. We offer dial-up Internet access in more than 70 cities throughout Florida, plus Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi. (Click here for a complete listing of local access numbers.)

Just ask your friends to mention your username when they sign up, and invite them to call Member Services at (352) 336-7716 or (800) 921-9328. We'll take care of the rest!

For more information about Atlantic.Net's referral program, click here.

SPOTLIGHT: Solutions for Your Business
In this new Surf's Up series, we'll take an inside look at how enhanced business services can help you work smarter. Check out this Q&A to find out how Atlantic.Net connects teammates in five regional offices, so they can work more collaboratively.

Surf's Up: Today we're talking to Ed Leffler, director of information systems at Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. Ed, which Atlantic.Net services do you currently use at your company?
Ed Leffler: We use Internet connectivity. We use ISDN dial-up and DSL services. We also have DNS services, and we're looking into having our Web page redesigned by Atlantic.Net.
Surf's Up: Great! How did you choose Atlantic.Net?
Ed Leffler: I was in a bind in Ft. Myers, and I couldn't get a static IP address from our previous provider. I searched the Internet for ISPs, and Atlantic.Net's name came up. I placed a call, and within half an hour, I had what I needed and I was up and running. Prior to talking to an Atlantic.Net representative, I talked to four other ISPs. None of them could provide what I needed in the time frame I needed it. The Atlantic.Net team has jumped through some pretty tall hoops to make sure I'm satisfied.
Surf's Up: How have your Atlantic.Net services enhanced the way you do business?
Ed Leffler: We now have seamless connectivity between all our branches. We have a total of five offices - Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Southeast Florida, Ocoee (Orlando), and Concord, North Carolina. As a construction firm, we e-mail large drawings and have centralized purchasing. We e-mail large multi-megabyte files that are sealed at our corporate office. All of this is supported by the Atlantic.Net Internet connectivity.
Surf's Up: Thank you so much, Ed, for sharing your story with our readers.

To find out how Atlantic.Net can customize a business solution for your company, call (800) 521-5881.