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arrow Dr. Arnie Lagraff
Lagraff & Biddinger
Nelsonville, OH
"Things are so much quicker! Our time in front of the monitor has been reduced by 25 percent!"

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Frequently Asked Questions

First and foremost - a computing tip:

If you encounter a vexing computer problem and are unable to solve it yourself, trying searching for answers to your issue online! If you are encountering a problem, chances are other computer users have also run into the same or a similar problem. There are many computer support websites and help guides online, many of which include screenshots to help guide you through the solution process.

Using any web search provider, such as Google or Yahoo, you can simply type in keywords about your problem. You can even write out a complete question, such as "How do I set up my firewall?" or "How do I organize my bookmarks?"

We also recommend visiting your computing equipment manufacturer's website for help and support. By visiting the support pages, you will often be able to download a PDF ("Portable Document Format" file) of your equipment manual, obtain various upgrades or patches, and read the user forums for answers to common questions.


Click any of the following links to jump to that section of the page:


Basic email account setup:

Open your email program and choose Tools -> Accounts from the main toolbar. This option will appear in Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, and Mozilla Thunderbird. (For other mail clients, consult your program's Help Menu.) You may also search online using Google or another search page, using a phrase such as "How to set up email in <your email program's name>?"

General information for email account setup wizards:

Email address: <your email name>@intelliwave.com

User name or account name: The first part of your email address before the "@" symbol. DO NOT include the "@intelliwave.com" part.

Password: the password you chose when you set up your Intelliwave email account by phone with a Customer Service Agent.

Incoming mail server address (POP3): mail.intelliwave.com
Outgoing mail server address (SMTP): mail.intelliwave.com

If the setup wizard asks if you need to choose "authentication", choose NO. Save your settings and finish the setup. To test if your account setup worked properly, you can try to send yourself a test message. If it arrives, your email is working!


SMTP authentication for users with a non-Intelliwave email address

If your email provider allows you to receive POP3 email, you can send messages using Intelliwave's outgoing mail server.

Open your email program and choose Tools -> Accounts from the main toolbar. This option will appear in Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, and Mozilla Thunderbird. (For other mail clients, consult your program's Help Menu.)

Change the outgoing mail server information to the following:

Outgoing mail server address (SMTP): mail.intelliwave.com

Check the option to use authentication. You will need to type in your Intelliwave username and password to access our outgoing mail server. These settings will not affect your outgoing email address, and the recipient will still see your email address as being sent from your "normal" email address, not Intelliwave.


Anti-virus Tools

Anti-virus software is essential in helping to keep your computer free of viruses, worms and trojans. These types of malicious software (called "malware") can damage files, slow down, or take over your computer and potentially expose your information to a third party.

A good anti-virus program will help to protect your computer from thousands of known viruses. Newer versions can scan incoming email or chat messages and provide real-time protection.

AVG Anti-Virus is a popular, free program that you can install to protect your computer. It performs basic anti-virus measures such as scanning email attachments and scanning your hard drive.
http://free.avg.com/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition

Avast is another good, free anti-virus tool.
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Commercial programs include stand-alone anti-virus software as well as entire security "suites".

Manufacturers include:


Spyware Tools

Spyware is one of the newest threats for Windows-based PCs. Spyware can drastically slow your computer and your Internet connection, collect information on your computer to send to a third party, cause pop-up ads to appear and other nuisance behavior. Spyware is also known as malware or adware. The anti-spyware programs work much like anti-virus programs, but target spyware specifically, rather than just viruses. These programs need to be updated frequently (just as with anti-virus programs) to keep up with the new threats that appear almost daily.

Two free online-only scanners....use these if you suspect that your PC-based programs are malfunctioning:


Router Manufacturer Websites


How to Check Your Router's Connection to the Internet

A router is the piece of equipment which "holds" your connection to Intelliwave. The Intelliwave modem delivers the Internet connection to your router, and your router then serves that connection out any devices that connect through it, such as your desktop computer, a wireless laptop, or a gaming console. Therefore, troubleshooting connection issues is sometimes a process of elimination to determine where the problem lies.

Occasionally, you will need to log into your router's website interface to determine whether your connection problem is on the Intelliwave end, or whether you are having a problem with your router. If the Customer Service Agent tells you that your modem is "up and working" after logging into it remotely, then your next bet for troubleshooting is to check the router.

The first thing you should do is power your router off completely for at least 1 full minute, preferably 5. Power it back up and check to see if all normal lights are lit on the front of the router, and check that your computer shows that it is connected to the router.

If your computer is connected to the router, try logging in to the router's web interface. Open your web web browser, and enter the router's IP address provided by the router manufacturer. It will usually begin with the numbers 192.168.x.x. The last two digits may change depending on which brand of router you have, so consult the manual for the specific number. (If you do not keep this information easily at hand, it will take our Customer Service Agents longer to locate this information and assist you over the phone.)

Once you enter the IP address into your Address Bar on the web browser, you will be taken to a login page. Again, this is where careful record-keeping will pay off - make sure you know what your password is to access to the router! For security reasons, it is a #1 priority that you change the default password on your router. Just don't make the password so safe that no one remembers it. :)

After logging into the web interface, check for a page with keywords such "Status" or "Connection". What you are looking for is the IP address information that our network is handing over to your router, via the pathway of the wireless modem. If your router's status page does not have any IP addresses listed, or shows any error messages, then call our customer support line for assistance. In this case, if your router is NOT getting an IP address from our network, there is likely a problem with your Intelliwave connection. If the router DOES have an IP address, then there may be a problem between your computer and the router.

If your computer is unable to connect to the router, please read the section titled "XXXXXXX".

Please note! Unless you purchased the router from Intelliwave, it is not our responsibility to assist you with your home networking equipment. We will assist briefly as a courtesy, but any further issues should be resolved with the router manufacturer. This ensures that you get timely assistance by support persons trained specifically in the use of your type of router.


Steps To Take If Your Connection Appears To Be Down

  1. Unplug the black power cable that connects to the back if your modem. If you have a Waverider modem, it is the dark grey box with 3 lights along the front panel. If you have a Tranzeo radio, that is, a combination antenna/modem installed on your roof, you will need to unplug from the white power adapter.

    NOTE! If you are unsure as to what equipment you have, please call our support line for assistance. It's better to call for help than to unplug something that shouldn't be unplugged!
  2. If you have a wireless router, unplug the power to your router also.
  3. Leave all items unplugged for at least 1 full minute.
  4. Plug all items back in, check to make sure your cables are secure, and give the device(s) at least 1 minute to reconnect with the tower.
  5. Check your connection from the computer to see if it is back up. If not, for Windows users, try right-clicking your icon and choosing the "Repair Connection" option.
  6. If you continue to experience problems, please give our support staff a call.

What is the maximum email attachment size that I am allowed to send through the Intelliwave mail server?

The maximimum email attachement size allowed through the Intelliwave mail server is 10 megabytes (MB).


How do I check my email while I am traveling?

Log onto our website at http://www.intelliwave.com. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the link titled "Intelliwave Email Login". Sign in using your Intelliwave email username (the part before the "@" or "at" symbol), and your email password. Click the "Log In" button, and then you will see this menu on the following page:

Webmail Menu

Click the "Mail" icon to access your Inbox.

Please note, your address book or contact list from your home computer will not be available through the website. You will need to export your address book as a "CSV" (Comma Separated Values) file, and then import it into the webmail settings.

To do this, expand the drop-down menu for the "Organizing" option, and then choose "Address Book".

Webmail, Organizing Section

The menu at the top of the email page will change to look like this:

Updated Top Menu

Choose the "Import/Export" feature.

Your screen should look like the following:

Webmail, Address Book Import

Click next. You will be asked to match the import fields, and choose the remainder of the import options. Once you are finished, your address book should be imported.


How do I set up a home or small office network?

For more information, refer to the Microsoft "Networking How-To Center":
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/default.mspx

Most home or small office networks will involve hooking up one or more computers to the network. This will require the purchase of a device called a "router", because it routes your Internet connection to multiple computers and shares it between them.

Routers may be wireless or wired-only, depending on your preference. If you have a desktop computer or older laptop that needs to connect wirelessly to the router, you may need to purchase a separate wireless adapter for the computer. Most newer laptops have built-in wireless and do not need a separate adapter.

If you have questions about setting up a home network, please call our support staff. We will be happy to assist you with a home or small office network via our Intellifix service.


My computer is malfunctioning and I don't know how to solve the problem. Does Intelliwave offer computer repair services?

Yes, Intelliwave offers our "Intellifix" repair service. For more information, please call our support staff. In some instances, we may be able to solve your problem by phone. If not, you have the option of scheduling an appointment with one of our technicians, and/or you may bring the computer into the office for repair.


I need to log into my router's interface and I have lost the manual. What settings do I check to find out the IP address of my router?

For Windows XP users, click Start -> Run. At the "Open" prompt, type in the word "command", as shown below:

Starting the command prompt

Click OK to open the Command Prompt window.

Windows Vista users will need to choose Start -> Search, and then search for the word "command". The search window should show the Command Prompt option in the search results.

The following screen should load:

Command prompt window

Type in the command "ipconfig", as shown below, then hit Enter on the keyboard:

Starting ipconfig

The command will run and return something similar to the following screen:

ipconfig output

Your router's IP address will be listed as the "Default Gateway". Write this number down and type it into your web browser's Address bar to access the router's web interface.

Entering the router IP in your browser

Alternate method:

Right-click your connection icon in the system tray. It will look like one of the two icons listed below:

Connection icon

Choose the "Status" option on the pop-up menu:

Status menu option

When the Status window opens, click the "Support" tab, as shown below. The Default Gateway number is listed and will show your router's IP address.

Connection staus dialog


I'm not sure what the various menu options are for when I log into my router's interface. What should I do?

Look on the bottom of your router for the manufacturer's label. Look for the model number, and then go to the manufacturer's website. Download a copy of the manual, which will explain in detail what the various pages and options are for.