Technical Support FAQ
Simply click on the appropriate topic listed below.

SETUP     MODEM      MAIL     BILLING

SETUP                                                                  

How do I setup my computer for Internet access? 

Comprehensive setup instructions are available online. Click here for setup instructions.


MODEM                                                                

Why does my 56k modem connect at 
53k or less?

Why do I get dropped connections?

I am having phone line problems, what are some tests to determine the source of the problem?

How can I verify that my phone line is capable of supporting 56k?

Do I need to disable Call Waiting when logging onto the internet?

 

Why does my 56k modem connect at 53k or less?  

There are many reasons that your 56k modem might connect at a lower connection rate.

The Federal Communications Commission capped the connect speed at 53K, and real-world access is generally in the 35-45K range for 56k modems.

You may be dialing into a modem with a different 56k protocol than your modem. There are currently three different 56k protocols available: X2, 56k Flex, and v.90. The fastest, most reliable connections will be achieved when the two modems are using the same 56k protocol.

Your TCP/IP software may not be configured to allow for 56k connections.

You may not be using the appropriate modem initialization string. Each modem manufacturer has its own initialization string for connecting at different speeds. Check the documentation that came with your modem to see if you are using the correct initialization string. If you cannot find the documentation that came with your modem, your modem manufacturer probably has a website that provides support for connectivity problems for your modem model.

You may have a "noisy" phone line. The signal on an analog phone line can be degraded as a result of weather, the distance between your home and the phone company's switching equipment, electrical interference, or anything else that affects the transmission of electrical impulses along copper wire. If you hear static on the line when you attach a regular phone it is a sure sign that you have a noisy line, but the lack of static is not proof that your phone line is clear enough to establish a high speed connection. In some parts of the country customers can have the local phone company "condition" the line to ensure that the phone line is performing optimally, but even that is no guarantee if your home is a long distance from the phone company's switching equipment.

Additional telephony devices (fax, phones, answering machines, alarm systems, splitters, etc.) may be producing interference on the phone line, even if they're in a different room.

You may have a defective jack. Try plugging your modem into a different phone jack in your home.

 

Why do I get dropped dialup connections?

There are many reasons why you may experience dropped connections.

The stability of an analog connection is affected by the quality of the communication that occurs between two modems; the clearer the communication, the more stable the connection. Some of the variables that affect the way modems communicate with each other are as follows:

The clarity of your phone line. The signal on an analog phone line can be degraded as a result of weather, the distance between your home and the phone company's switching equipment, electrical interference, or anything else that affects the transmission of electrical impulses along copper wire. If you hear static on the line when you attach a regular phone it is a sure sign that you have a noisy line, but the lack of static is not proof that your phone line is clear enough to establish a high speed connection. In some parts of the country customers can have the local phone company "condition" the line to ensure that the phone line is performing optimally, but even that is no guarantee if your home is a long distance call from the phone company's switching equipment.

You may have a defective jack. Try plugging your modem into a different phone jack in your home.

The compatibility of the two modems. Despite the fact that modems communicate according to standardized protocols, modem manufacturers implement those protocols differently. Consequently, a modem manufactured by one company may not communicate well with a modem manufactured by a competitor. To increase the likelihood that your modem is performing optimally, make sure that you have the latest modem drivers installed and are using the right modem initialization string.

The configuration of your TCP/IP software. Your TCP/IP software tells your computer how to communicate with your modem. If it is configured incorrectly, it will produce errors that will degrade the stability of your connection.

How well your TCP/IP software loaded into the system at startup. Sometimes the quality of a connection can be improved simply by restarting your computer. Chronic problems with your TCP/IP software, however, may be rectified by uninstalling and reinstalling the TCP/IP system software.

Additional telephony devices (fax, phones, answering machines, splitters, etc.) may be producing interference on the phone line, even if they're in a different room. Try disconnecting them and trying to establish a connection again. .

 

I am having phone line problems, what are some tests to determine the source of the problem?

Attach a phone to the line that is used by the modem. Can you hear a dial tone? When you call someone, do you hear a lot of static on the line?

If you turn on a fluorescent light, a microwave oven or if a big electrical motor (like the compressor motor for the refrigerator or air conditioner) kicks on, does that cause static on the phone line?

Try connecting the modem directly to the wall jack with a short cable. Make sure the cable is not wrapped around any electrical extension cables. Remove any attached answering machines, fax machines or phones.

Wiggle the phone wire that connects the modem to the wall jack.

Try using another phone cable to connect the modem to the wall jack.

Try connecting the modem to a different wall jack in your house.

Try disconnecting every other phone or answering machine in your house.

If there is more than one phone line, try connecting to the other line.

Check the wiring for the home security system (particularly if the phone lines are connected to it). Also, check the phone wiring, including the wiring in each of the wall jacks. This may require hiring an electrician.

Ask the phone company to check the wiring from their central office to your house. They can often detect a problem in their wiring, but you may have to call several times, they can be hard to convince.

Bring the computer and the modem into your local Telpage office. We'll test it here -- if the problem goes away, there is a problem with the home wiring.

How can I verify that my phone line is capable of supporting 56k?

Try performing a line test.

3Com has developed a Line Test to help you determine whether your phone line is capable of accessing the Internet at 56k. You can learn about this test and how to perform it at 3Com's page.

This test may require that you make a long distance call to test your line. 

Do I need to disable Call Waiting when logging onto the Internet? 

Yes, you need to disable call waiting so incoming calls don't disconnect you from the Internet.

MAIL                                                                    

I can send and receive email, but it hangs up on a certain message, then after awhile I get an error message and I keep getting the same message over and over.

I can send email but I don’t receive any OR I just installed Norton Antivirus and now my email doesn’t work right anymore.

 

I can send and receive email, but it hangs up on a certain message, then after awhile I get an error message and I keep getting the same message over and over.
 
Unfortunately this is the most frequent email error and requires help from tech support to fix. There are several causes, most often it happens when an email has a large attachment or has been forwarded many times. The email or the attachment becomes damaged and your computer is unable to download the message. Email software has built in features that force it to download messages in the same sequence that they are received, so a damaged email blocks up your mailbox and prevents any newer messages from being downloaded. To fix this problem we must delete the message from your Telpage Mailbox, following this your new messages will be downloadable.

  
I can send email but I don’t receive any, I know people are emailing me OR  
I can send email but I can’t receive any OR I just installed Norton Antivirus and now my email doesn’t work right anymore.
 
This happens sometimes if the account is set up correctly, but the email address is setup incorrectly. Remember that your email is formatted like techsupport@telpage.net . We also maintain telpage.com but it is used only for non internet related resources. Here’s how to check your email account setup:

Outlook Express Users :
Open Outlook Express, if you get any error messages just click the hide button and continue. Click the Tools Menu and find the listing for Accounts, click on Accounts. You should now see the Internet Accounts Dialogue box. Click the tab that says Mail. You should see only one account listed here. If you see any others click on them to highlight them and click remove. Next click on the one account you have left, and click on the Properties button. (If you see no account listed, click the add button and follow the on screen instructions to add your email account and then return here to verify the settings)

The first page you see will be the general tab - the important field here is the field under User Information that begins with Email Address. Make sure your email address is entered correctly here, also make sure the line at the bottom of this page that says “Include this Account when receiving mail or synchronizing” is checked. Click the Apply button if you made any changes and then click the Servers button at the top of the page.

All of the data fields on this page are important, the first says My Incoming mail server is a pop3 server. If this field does not say pop3 you will have to remove the account and add a new one to fix it. It is usually correct. The next two lines are your incoming (receiving) and outgoing (sending) mail server names. For outgoing mail use smtp.telpage.net. Incoming mail should be pop.telpage.net. Watch spelling and spacing carefully. The next fields are under the heading Incoming Mail Server. The first is Account name, here you enter just your user name, the same as your user name for the internet. The second line is password; this is the same password as your internet connection as well. Check the Remember password box and you won't have to re-enter your password each time you send and receive email. The boxes below that should not be checked. When done, click the apply button, then click the Connection tab.

This Tab will vary a little from one computer to the next depending on the version of Outlook Express you use. Under this tab you may see a line labeled Always connect using; uncheck this option for best reliability. If your computer has a different screen that has an option for Connect using my phone line and a modem or something similar, make sure that option is selected. Once more if you changed anything, click the Apply button, click Ok to close, click Close on the Internet Accounts window and you should be  setup for use.
 
Netscape Users:
Go to Edit and select Preferences. This will give you the Preferences Dialogue box. Look in the Box labeled Category on the left. Double click on Mail & Groups or click once on the + by Mail & Groups to see options available under the Mail & Groups Category. Click on Identity to check your account info. Look on the Line labeled Email Address; verify that your email address is correct. Click on Mail Server and make sure each entry here is correct. The first line is labeled Mail Server User name, this should be the same as your Internet user name or log on ID. The second line is labeled Outgoing Mail and should be smtp.telpage.net. The third line is labeled Incoming Mail and should be pop.telpage.net. The second box on this page is labeled Mail Server Type. Make sure that the first option is selected, the pop3 option. Make sure the box below this option is not checked. When finished click OK, Your Netscape mail should be setup to work now.

BILLING                                                               

What is the billing interval?  

Can I have my Internet access charges automatically assessed to a credit card rather than receiving an invoice each month?

What is the billing interval?
We distribute invoices on the first week of each month for the following month’s services. As a result, the invoice that you recently received is for next month's services. Payment for this invoice is due by the first day of the month in which the services are being supplied. For example, on December 1 we mailed invoices for January Internet services. Payment for this invoice is due on or before January 1. However past due balances, if identified on your invoice, are due immediately and will result in services being disconnected if payment is not received. For your convenience please note that we can accept payments via Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the Discover card.

If you are a customer who is scheduled for semiannual and annual billing your invoice payment will renew services for that service period.

Can I have my Internet access charges automatically assessed to a credit card rather than receiving an invoice each month?
Yes. We have many customers who choose to have their charges automatically charged to a credit card. For your convenience please note that we can accept payments via Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the Discover card. To have your account setup for this service simply call us.