Volume 6 Issue 8

March, 2001

Spring Cleaning

We thought it might be a good idea to get a jump start on spring cleaning this year. Our type of spring cleaning involves cleaning up your computer, especially your email program, with anti-virus software and anti-spam measures.
In light of all the viruses running around the Internet lately, we are recommending to our subscribers running Windows that they install an anti-virus program called AVG. We have been evaluating AVG and find it to be the most effective software available. It is also simple to install, easy to use and, best of all, it's free!
We also recommend to the few subscribers still receiving large amounts of spam to start using the anti-spam measures available on their email programs.
We now have a web page showing how to configure those anti-spam features. This page is called mailblock.html and it can be found in the Help Section of our web site.

Installing AVG

Installing AVG is easy. The first step is to download the install program from www.grisoft.com. Just agree to their conditions and complete the questionnaire.
They will then send you an email with your free version license and the rest of the installation instructions. Remember, it's not enough to simply download the software - you must install it.
We will broadcast an email message to everyone with detailed, step-by-step instructions in the first week of March.

Scheduled Downtime

We are re-scheduling downtime for several servers in Salem. This brief downtime will be on Saturday, March 17, in the afternoon.
This downtime is needed to install new backup power supplies for those servers.
The servers affected by this downtime are our NT (web and Real) servers, Silicon Graphics media servers, radius and terminal servers and a few auxiliary servers.
The downtime on our radius and terminal servers will cause an inability to login throughout the network and will prevent access to the network from Salem. All access services will be fully restored within a few minutes.

Help Desk Notes

Aside from the T1 outage on February 18, it was another quiet month at the help desk
Some subscribers continue to try logging in using their real names.
Please remember; you must login using your user name (your email address without the @cove.com part).
As always, if you have any trouble, please call us. After business hours, our new toll free number is 877-221-2116.
We're here to help you!

SysAdmin's Corner

Verizon mistakenly disconnected the wrong T1 circuit on Sunday, February 18. This error resulted in a network outage which began at 2:45 pm.
Fortunately, after four hours, we were able to bring up our auxiliary T1 circuit - the one Verizon was supposed to disconnect - and establish routing over that circuit with Conversent. The network was back to normal at 9:35 pm.
Our thanks go out to Conversent for working with us on the Sunday evening of a long weekend!

Subscriber Referral Program

Are you pleased with our service? Do you know someone who is unhappy with their current Internet/On-line service?
Why not do them and yourself a favor?
Just recommend our service. If they subscribe, we'll give you a free month of access!
They will appreciate your advice and you'll save a little money.
Again this month, over a dozen subscribers are getting their access in March for free - by referring new subscribers.

Everybody wins!

Internet Training

Have you seen our new web-based training packages?
They are convenient, up-to-date, and very inexpensive.
Visit this website at:
www.courses.cove.com
You can now even take introductory Internet and general computer use courses for free! Just visit our Help Page for access.

What's New at the Cove is a monthly publication of Cove Communications.

Publisher/Editor, Bill Ostaski

27 Congress Street
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 741-5300
(978) 282-3399
office@cove.com

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