Surfer Beware
Safeguards When Using A Public Access Computer

INTERNET SPEED
Free 30 Day Speed Increase / How Do I Know If I'm Getting The Speed I'm Paying For?

Ask The Help Desk
How Do I Use The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Feature When I Send E-mail Messages To Multiple People?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In June!

Short Tutorial
Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers

Hi MVDSL Internet Subscribers

Since we're entering the summer travel season, this month's issue is your tour guide through vacation-related topics. While at hotels, you may want to use public access computers to check e-mail messages or reserve tickets — we teach you how to protect your private data following such online sessions. Want to e-mail everyone about your recent trip? You'll learn how to do it without compromising the privacy of the recipients. Need ideas for fun getaways? Visit our Great Sites list for a taste of Hersheypark, pet travel tips, and a movie preview that takes you onboard an ark.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to:

Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax or security issue that may affect you

An update on new services and other local interests

An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question

Some fun, seasonal websites to check out

A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task

We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading!

- Brad with MVDSL Support

Surfer Beware - Safeguards When Using A Public Access Computer

You may sometimes need to access the Internet from a computer other than your own — such as a public access computer at an Internet café or library, or the ones offered by hotels you'll be staying at during your summer vacation. Using a shared computer can be convenient, but you must take extra precautions to safeguard your personal information. Here are some tips to remember:

Do not check the "Remember my ID" or "Remember my password" options. If you check either of these options, you'll remain signed in after you close your browser.

Never leave a computer unattended while signed in. Someone could easily access your personal information.

Use caution — a sneaky shoulder surfer may try to watch your fingers as you type your password. Use your hand and body to shield the keyboard or number pad to minimize the risk of a thief acquiring your information.

Avoid using public access computers for online banking, sending e-mail messages containing personal information, or making online purchases. If you do use public computers for these activities, be sure to sign out of your online accounts, delete the cookies, delete the history, empty the browser's auto fill feature, clear the browser's cache, and close the browser. For instructions on how to do these tasks for specific browsers, see "Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers" in the tutorial section below.

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INTERNET SPEED - Free 30 Day Speed Increase / How Do I Know If I'm Getting The Speed I'm Paying For?

Free 30 day speed increase

Now is the perfect time to upgrade your speed to the Internet! Throughout the month of June 2007, MVT is offering a free speed increase. Click here to decide which speed option best suits your needs. Then call 397-2601 or email support@mvdsl.com and we'll upgrade you to that chosen speed for a 30-day free trial. At the end of 30 days, you will be billed at the rate indicated for your chosen speed. If you decide not to keep the faster Internet speed, simply call or email us anytime within the 30 days and we'll cancel the change at no cost to you. See how a faster connection to the Internet can change your life with our no-risk, 30-day free speed increase trial!

How do I know if I'm getting the speed I'm paying for?

Many of our customers like to play games over the Internet and find that the speeds don't meet their expectations. At MVDSL our current peak usage only consumes about 50% of our total connection to the Internet. We are working hard to make sure that we are not the cause of slow speeds, but how do you know if the problem is with your computer, MVDSL, the Internet backbone, the game site, or if you just need to buy more speed? In the next few sentences, we will provide you with tools to help you determine the health of your Internet connection.

To test your Internet speed, I recommend going to http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest and clicking on the Los Angeles server. Please keep in mind that the size of any Internet packet grows about 20% as it transverses the Internet and this growth is called overhead. The overhead contains information such as who sent the packet, where it needs to go, and checksums for error correction. Speak Easy does not factor in the 20% overhead. So if you have you have a 512 K bits/sec service from us, you should see speeds of about 400 K bits/sec, 1 M bits/sec should see about 800 K bits/sec, 1.5 M bits/sec should see about 1.2 M bits/sec and 5 M bits/sec should see about 4 M bits/sec. If your speeds are consistently and significantly lower than the expected speeds, you may have a problem with your DSL connection or your computer, please contact us at support@mvdsl.com or 397-2601.

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Ask The Help Desk - How Do I Use The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Feature When I Send E-mail Messages To Multiple People?

Question: I often send e-mail messages to a long list of friends and family but I'm concerned about revealing their e-mail addresses in the "TO" field. I've heard about the BCC feature, but how exactly do I use it? I use Windows XP Home Edition for my operating system and Outlook Express for e-mail.

Answer: "BCC" stands for Blind Carbon Copy, and it's a good way to send messages to many recipients without showing the world all of their e-mail addresses. When using Outlook Express, you won't necessarily see the "BCC" field when you create a new message. So after you create a message, click your cursor arrow on its "View" menu item. Select "All Headers" and the "BCC" field will be visible right below the "CC" field of the message. Then simply enter the e-mail addresses of your chosen recipients. Please note — sometimes spam filters will catch messages that don't have anything in the "TO" field, so put your recipients in the "BCC" field but in addition put your own address in the "TO" field to avoid that problem. All e-mail client software programs have the "BCC" option. If you use a program other than Outlook Express and can't find the BCC field in your particular program, check the program's help files to locate it.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Tips for Pet Travel
http://tripswithpets.com - If you like to include your pet when you travel, this site can help make the experience go much more smoothly. It includes travel tools, airline pet policies, state leash laws, pet friendly hotel chains, pet recreational activities, directories of veterinarians — even an "Ask the Travel Dog" advice column. The site's staff members are veterans of the online travel industry and have a great deal of experience traveling with their pets. Follow their tips to keep everyone happy, including the furry or feathered members of the family.

Cooking with Farmers' Market Finds
http://thatsmyhome.com/farmers - It just wouldn't be summer without visits to your local farmers' market. Want some fresh ideas about how to prepare the vegetables you find there? Browse through this site to see their newest recipes like Grilled Sweet Corn with Chili Lime Butter or Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce. You can also search for recipes that feature a specific vegetable, everything from asparagus to zucchini. Dig in and enjoy the tastes of the season.

Send Support to a Soldier
http://anysoldier.com - This site, started by a Combat Infantry soldier on the ground in Iraq and run by a retired Army soldier, is a volunteer effort designed to put "care packages" in the hands of U.S. soldiers who wouldn't otherwise get much or any mail. It offers you a way to connect with these Americans and let them know you support them and appreciate their sacrifices. You'll find complete information on the site including ideas for what items to send, as well as instructions for how and where to mail your packages.

Sweet Celebration for Hersheypark
http://hersheypa.com/attractions/hersheypark/100th - When Milton Hershey opened Hersheypark in 1907, it featured a merry-go-round, an amphitheatre, and 5¢ chocolate bars. Now the amusement park in cocoa-crazed Hershey, Pennsylvania includes twisting steel coasters, live entertainment, and a new boardwalk with the largest water-play structure in the world. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hersheypark (and of the Hershey's Kiss), Hershey is throwing a sweet celebration. You'll find all the delicious details at this site including visitor information and lodging options.

Building an Ark for a Flood of Laughter
http://evanalmighty.com - Opening this month is a comedy of biblical proportions, Evan Almighty, which has Steve Carell reprising his role as newscaster Evan Baxter from the movie Bruce Almighty. Evan is visited by God (Morgan Freeman) and asked to build an ark - a task that turns his life upside down and creates animal antics in two-by-two fashion. Check out this site to watch the trailer and other video clips, try your luck at ark games, or take a look inside Evan's Ark Building for Dummies book. Rated PG.

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Short Tutorial - Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers

Whenever you share a computer with others, particularly a public one, you'll want to protect your privacy by clearing personal data from the computer's browser prior to ending your online sessions. Fortunately, the top browsers make this process a pretty simple one. Just follow the steps below to insure that subsequent computer users don't walk away with your personal details — such as passwords or web form information — when using public access computers.

Clearing Private Data When Using Internet Explorer 7.0 And Windows XP Home Edition — After Your Browsing Session:

Once you've completed your browsing session and with Internet Explorer still open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu item and select "Internet Options" from the drop-down menu.

When the "Internet Options" window opens, click on the "General" tab.

Under "Browsing History" you will see the following statement: "Delete temporary files, history, cookies, saved passwords, and web form information." Click on the "Delete" button.

When you close the Internet Explorer browser, your private data will be cleared.

Clearing Private Data When Using Firefox 2.0 For Windows XP Home Edition Or Macintosh OS X - Either At The Beginning Or At The End Of Your Browsing Session:

With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow on the "Firefox" menu item and select "Preferences" from the drop-down menu, either right after you start your browsing session or when you finish.
Click on the "Privacy" icon on the "Preferences Tool Bar."
Under "Private Data," click on "Settings."
Check every box next to the various types of private data that you want to keep private and then click "OK."
Check "Always clear my private data when I close Firefox."
When you close the Firefox browser, your private data will be cleared.
If you want to clear your private data immediately during a browsing session, click the "Clear Now" button found in the lower right-hand corner of the Privacy window. Finally, close the "Preferences" window.

Clearing Private Data When Using Safari 2.0 For Macintosh OS X — At The Beginning Of Your Browsing Session:

With Safari open, click your cursor arrow on the "Safari" menu item and select "Private Browsing."
Click "OK." When private browsing is turned on, web pages are not added to the browser's history, items are automatically removed from the Downloads window, information is not saved in AutoFill (including names and passwords), and searches are not added to the pop-up menu in the Google search box.
Note, you'll need to do this each time you launch and start a browsing session when using Safari on a public access computer.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

Brad Lyon
Internet Manager
Moapa Valley Telephone

Moapa Valley Telephone Company
183 S Anderson St
Overton, NV 89040

702-397-2601

(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.