August 2005

Thought I would go over some things that can help when you have problems with email. Over the past couple of weeks, we have had several calls from people that cannot send email or cannot get email. Below are some hints to determine where the problem might be.

Help, I can't get my email!

The first thing to try if you can't get your email, is to see if your Internet connection is working correctly. To test, open your browser, (i.e., Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.), and go to an address that you normally do not go to like http://www.apple.com. If you cannot get to the site, there is something wrong with your computer's communications to the Internet.

At this point, check with other employees in your office and see if they are having the same problems. If so, contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to determine the problem. If others in your office are not having the same problems, then your computer or your internal network is the culprit. Contact whoever takes care of your computers and have them check your network connection.

The reason to try a new web site that you have not been to before is that some browsers will cache previously viewed pages and won't actually go to the site to display it. By trying a site you have not been to, your browser is forced to go on the 'net to get the page.

If all else fails, give us a call (515-277-1990) and we will ask you a bunch of questions and try to determine exactly where the problem lies.

My email and Internet activities are really slow

If you are having intermittent problems getting email, or your email is timing out when you try to receive it, again, check and see if anyone else in your office is having the same problems. If everyone is having these problems, then most likely your local network or your Internet connection is suspect. However, if only your computer is acting up in this way, then you need to check your computer for viruses, as well as check your computer for spyware. Viruses and spyware can cause all kinds of strange problems like this.

I can get email but I can't send email

If this is your situation, give us a call as there may be a configuration error in your email client or the problem may be deeper, requiring us to check logs to see why you cannot send email. Many times this problem is brought on by a change at your ISP. We can help to determine if this is the case.

I get some of my email, but then it seams to hang up on an email.

If you think you have a bad email stuck in your mailbox, simply go to our website at http://www.jtmweb.com and click on the appropriate WorldClient link in the upper right-hand corner for the email server your account is on. Log into WorldClient and you will see all of your emails that are waiting for your pick-up. From here you can delete the problem email.

Someone can't email me, it bounces

This problem is usually due to a Spam filter. Send us an email, or call, with the email address of who is trying to send and your email address. We will check email logs to see why the sender is having problems and we can usually find a fix for it.

Email from someone is marked as Spam, but it is should not be

This is an artifact of our primary Spam filters. If you have a person who’s email is always marked as Spam but it should not be, send us an email, with the email address of the person sending the email, and we can add their email address to the Spam White List. This will stop the Spam filter from checking their email in the future.

I can't send email to one person

This is usually a bad email address, or a Spam filter on the other person’s account. Give us a call and we will try to determine what the problem is and if it can be fixed from here.

I'm going to be out of town, how do I get may email?

On any computer with an Internet connection and browser, go to our website at http://www.jtmweb.com and click on the appropriate WorldClient link in the upper right-hand corner, for the email server your account is on. Log into WorldClient and you will see all of your email. From here you can create and send email, delete emails or simply read the email that is in your mailbox. If you don't delete an email from here, it will be available the next time you try to get email with your standard email client. WorldClient is great for checking email from home or on the road.

I have way too much Spam

This is a continuing concern for everyone that uses email or runs an email server. We have tried many mechanisms to stop Spam, but the current email protocols make this almost impossible. We have found one and only one method that works, a challenge and response system. That is why we offer our Zaep service. For just $14.95 per year license fee, we can stop the Spam. For more information on Zaep, go to www.jtmweb.com/zaep.html.

The Future of Internet email

Many doomsayers are predicting the collapse of the Internet email system in the future. While this may be a bit drastic, the current email protocols do not allow for anything near 100% reliability. Virus attacks, hacker attacks, spyware, terrorists, natural disasters and equipment failures are all factors that contribute to the unreliability of the email system. Please don’t rely entirely on email for your business success. Phones, faxes and postal mail all have their problems, but may be your best solution in an email crisis.

In Conclusion

As always, if you have any problems with your email account hosted by JTM MultiMedia, Inc. feel free to call. The above guidelines are for your convenience if you have problems after hours or you want to figure things out on your own.