Atlantic.Net Offices Closed on Labor Day
Atlantic.Net's offices and Member Services call center will be closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. The call center will reopen at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2nd. The Network Operations Center will continue to be monitored during this time. Have a safe and happy holiday!





Computer Life Made Easier
Practically every week you see it — store shelves being restocked with new computer hardware designed to make your computer better, stronger, faster. But instead of rebuilding it, why not stick to those products that make your life easier and more enjoyable? We've picked out a few that may just save you time, money, and aggravation.
• We all know about CD burners and Zip drives, which can be lifesavers when backing up your hard drive, but did you know you can get a DVD+RW Drive for your home PC, which not only allows you to back up your hard drive, but play and burn your own DVDs as well?
• With a digital camcorder, you could make your movies and burn them to DVD.
• Or imagine how much a Pocket PC would help organize a hectic lifestyle, while connecting your PC in the home or office.

Written by Jeremy Rottgen




Surfin' Safari: Gridiron Galore!
My friends, football season has arrived! Use these links to help you keep your eye on the game.
• Are you dying to know who'll be starting quarterback for your favorite pigskin squad? For up-to-the-minute sports news, you can always check out ESPN for college and pro sports.
• Odds are your favorite team has their own Web site, too, like Donovan McNabb and the Eagles or Brett Favre and the Packers.
• NFL.com has links to all the teams and vital information on the league, including rosters, ticket info, and television schedules. There's also a section for Fantasy leagues on both ESPN and NFL.
• For information on your favorite player's status, check out NFLplayers.com for official updates.
• To find in-depth reporting on college football, point your browser to NCAAfootball.net.
• Whether you're a Division I team or Division III, you can find team info there. Most universities have Web sites for their athletic departments, too.
• Football.com has information on the NFL and NCAA, plus the Canadian and Arena Football leagues.
• Of course, if you're still not satisfied, you can check out CNNSI.com or SportingNews.com for coverage on all of your favorite sports.
• If you're new to football, you might find this column informative.
• Ever play paper football? If not, you don't know what you're missing out on.
• Get gear for all your tailgating needs at Fogdog Sports Fan/Memorabilia Store.

Written by Jeremy Rottgen



Surfer Dude Answers Your Questions
He's the master of the monitor, the teacher of technology, the wizard of the Web. He's Surfer Dude!

Q: Why does my connection seem slow sometimes?
A: Ah, the bane of the 56k connection! Dude, if you've used any dial-up service for awhile, you've probably noticed that you don't always get the same connection speeds all the time. Total bummer! But to understand why this happens, let's check out the nature of the dial-up Internet connection.

A standard dial-up connection uses your phone lines to transmit and receive data from other computers. Three main components can affect the stability and speed of this connection. They are:
• Phone lines
• Modem
• Modem software (drivers)

The status of your phone lines can affect your connection more than many people realize. Before they ever reach your house, phone lines can be damaged by wind, storms, and extreme cold or heat. Once inside, phone cords are subjected to the wear and tear of the average household, from teenagers to pets to, dude, that bad phone jack.

Your modem acts like a telephone operator for your Internet service, directing the flow of data to and from your computer. Three major situations can occur to slow your connection down:
1) First, you may get a defective modem from the store. 2) Second, the average modem's life span is about a year — about as long as my last surfboard, mon.
3) And third, your modem could be exposed to a power surge during a thunderstorm or power outage.

Any of the above situations may either cause your modem to suddenly stop functioning or cause a decline in its performance, resulting in slow speeds and those annoying disconnections.

Your modem's software drivers also help to keep it functioning properly. These drivers are stored in a folder on your computer's hard drive. If these files, like any others in a Windows or Macintosh environment, get corrupted by a virus, bad installation, or something similar, it's just like hitting a rogue wave. You have no clue what's going to happen.

So, like, now you're asking, "Mon, what can I do?" Well, dude, keep your modem software handy so you can reinstall if you need to, or better yet, get the most updated software online! Just check the Web page of your modem manufacturer to get their latest software. Also, if you hear static on your phone lines, try replacing your phone cord. And find out if your phone company will check your outside lines for free. Make sure your modem is in good repair. If you have any doubts, think about replacing it. Just buy from a store with a good return policy, in case it doesn't fix anything.

Off to catch a wave! — SD

Got a Question?
If you're stumped by a technical conundrum, just Ask the Surfer Dude, and we'll share the answers in future issues.


Fantasy Football?
And Carter's running past the forty ... now the thirty, with Hopkins on his tail ... he's passing the twenty, the ten, Hopkins is reaching ... it's a tackle ... no, no it's a touchdown!! Carter wins the game! Fuel the excitement of even the youngest football fans with this Aerobie Rocket Football from Amazon.com. You'll find more great bargains for your biggest fan at The Surf Shop.

Tech Tip: Take Time to Redecorate
You need new wallpaper! No, not for your house — for your computer, and there's no spackle involved.

When Windows users asked for more customization in their operating systems, Microsoft answered with Windows XP. In XP, users can change their desktop picture, their icons, the colors of their windows and more! Or course, most older versions of Windows can similarly be changed, so don't be afraid to experiment with yours.

So, if you're tired of those default Microsoft colors, now you can customize them to your own specifications. This can be done one of two ways. First, you can bring up your Control Panel in the Start menu, then click on the Display icon. You can also right click on an empty portion of your desktop, which brings up a small menu. Choose the Properties option, and this opens your Display Properties.

Now you've got more options. We'll focus on four different settings: desktop, screen saver, appearance, and settings.

1. Desktop — Also known as the background in earlier versions of Windows, this is the picture that is displayed on your desktop when you don't have programs open. Just click on this tab and you get a list of available wallpapers. You can choose the picture, and decide whether you want to center it on your screen or tile it. Also, if you're browsing the Internet and find a picture you like, you can often right-click on the picture and choose the option "Set as background", to use it as your your desktop picture.
2. Screen Saver — This allows you to change your screen saver, which is the little graphics program that starts when your computer is inactive. Windows gives you a few different screen savers to choose from, or you can download more right from the Internet.
3. Appearance — We like to call this window treatment! You can pick the feature of the window you want to change, and edit the color, the font, the font size, and more.
4. Settings — If you have a difficult time seeing things on your computer, your can change the resolution of your screen using the settings tab. The higher the resolution, the smaller but more defined objects become. The lower the resolution, the larger but more unclear objects become. You can also change the color quality here, with higher the better of course!

These are just a few of the many options available to you. Poke around, and experiment! Find the new look for your computer! Click Apply to make sure your changes are saved, or Cancel if you decide you don't like them after all.

Written by Denise Cole

Got a question for Atlantic.Net's Technical Support team? E-mail us at support@atlantic.net.





Web Hosting on a Budget
If you've thought about launching your own Web site to put your business online, but think it won't fit your tight budget, now's the perfect time to check out Atlantic.Net's hosting offerings! Why? We've slashed the rates on our Starter Plan, now just $14.95 monthly — or only $9.95 per month if you choose an annual billing term.

Just take a look at the features we've packed into this hosting package:
• 50MB storage space
• 5GB data transfer
• Management tools, including a Web-based control panel, assistance with domain name registration or transfers, and Webmail
• 10 e-mailboxes, with unlimited forwarding, aliases, and autoresponders

Your site will be hosted in one of Atlantic.Net's secure data centers and backed up daily. Support is available 24/7, and Atlantic.Net offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee.

For more information, call (877) GO-ATLANTIC
(that's 1-877-462-8526) or e-mail sales@atlantic.net.





Mail
Atlantic.Net
2815 NW 13th Street, Suite 201
Gainesville, FL 32609

Phone
For sales, service, or support, please call:

• Toll-Free: (877) GO-ATLANTIC
(That's 1-877-462-8526)
• In Gainesville, FL: (352) 375-2912

E-mail
• Business Sales
• Residential Billing Inquiries
• Commercial Billing Inquiries
• Technical Support
• Feedback

Web
• Atlantic.Net http://www.atlantic.net
• Surf portal for members http://surf.atlantic.net
• Atlantic.Net Webmail http://webmail.atlantic.net
• SpamScope junk mail filter http://www.spamscope.com

Other Contact Information

Copyright © 2003 Atlantic.Net. All rights reserved.