I tried to send someone an email but got a bounce message. Is something broken?

Email error messages usually mean what they say. For example, if your bounce message says "Email box is full," the mailbox of the person you're trying to contact is probably full. If the message says "Invalid TO: header," then there is probably something wrong with the address that has been entered in the TO: field.

Take a good look at the details in your bounce message to see if you can spot the problem before asking for help. Most email problems are simple typos or are caused by someone putting something that's not a real email address in the TO:, CC: or FROM: address fields.

This is an example of a bounced message:

----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<name@domainname.co.nz>
(reason: 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for name@domainname.co.nz)

----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mailserver.domainname.co.nz.:
>>> RCPT To:<name@domainname.co.nz>
<<< 550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for name@domainname.co.nz
550 5.1.1 <name@domainname.co.nz> ... User unknown

What does HTTP Error 403 on a webpage mean?

This means that the owner of the site has turned off permissions for either that page or its parent directory. If you get this error message and really want to see the page, you should contact the owner of the site and tell them what URL you were trying to access when you got the 403 error. Permissions get changed as much by accident as on purpose; the author might appreciate knowing.

A note about determining the owner of a page: If the URL is simply http://www.something.com/, it's a good idea to write to webmaster@something.com - 'something' being the domain name.

What does HTTP Error 404 on a webpage mean?

This means that the URL as you've typed it doesn't exist. Check the spelling and try again, but be aware that people take pages down all the time on the Internet. If you're pretty sure that the page is there, contact the owner of the site about the 404 error you got. See previous note about determining the site owner.

What does HTTP error 500 on a webpage mean?

This means that there was a program running on the webserver, like a CGI script, that didn't work correctly. You can't fix it, and you can't move past it, but you can let the author know that it's broken. See previous note about determining the site owner.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your hard drive by a web page to be used in a subsequent page. Typically, a cookie is used as a convenient way of telling a subsequent web page what information you have done on a previous page. Examples of where a cookie is used are to remember a login name and password entered on a previous page or a "shopping cart" feature on a retail site. They are also sometimes used by advertisers to keep track of which pages a particular user is viewing their advertisements on.

Do cookies affect my privacy?

Not really. A cookie cannot scan your hard disk or read your files. Cookies are limited to information that you voluntarily enter into forms on web pages. Also, if one web site creates a cookie on your hard drive, a different site cannot read it. For example, if www.golden.net created a cookie, it couldn't be accessed by www.microsoft.com but could be accessed by any page in the www.golden.net site.

Can I disable cookie use in my web browser?

Certainly. Most web browsers that support cookies have an option in their settings to disable or disallow them. You should be aware that if you disable cookies in your browser, features such as "shopping carts" would not function normally.

How do I use my free 5MB personal website?

The first step is to learn HTML. HTML stands for Hyper-Text Markup Language - it's not a programming language but a formatting language that tells the browser how to lay out the web page. There are two parts to the page. The HEAD tag contains information about the page, such as title, meta tag data, and author information. The BODY contains the page layout instructions - text formatting, color designation, and element positioning. Understanding how HTML works and what its limitations are will help you design cleaner, faster-loading, and more compatible pages. Code the HTML in any text editor (such as Notepad) and save the file with a .htm or .html extension. Open in your web browser to see what you have built.

To learn HTML for yourself or just to get a better idea of what it is, check out the tutorial at WebMonkey.

After you are comfortable with HTML, you may want to try using an editor. Without a doubt they make life easier. There are two basic types of editors - text or code based editors and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors. A good one is Macromedia Dreamweaver (free downloadable 30 day trial).

Once you are happy with your website, you will need to upload a copy of it to our webserver using FTP. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is simply a method of moving files from one computer to another. Tools available today make moving files an easy task. Microsoft FrontPage and Dreamweaver users will want to use the tools within those programs to publish their sites. For information on how to do this, see the help section of your program. Others should explore utilities called FTP clients (clients are software that reside on the client computer - your computer). A simple, easy to use FTP client is LeechFTP (free download).

The details you will need to log in to the Ezysurf Homepages server and upload your files are:
Hostname: homepages.visp.co.nz
Username: [Your usual Ezysurf username]
Password: [Your usual Ezysurf password]
Port: 21 (this should come up by default)

When you have uploaded your page, it will be viewable on the internet at http://homepages.visp.co.nz/~yourusername/

To find out more about getting your own website with your own domain name - like www.jackswebsite.co.nz or www.janeclark.com - click here.

For more help with creating or uploading your web pages, call our Helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638).

Can I have additional email addresses?

You can email us your request to have additional email addresses added to your current account at help@ezysurf.co.nz.

How do I close my account?

If you are wishing to cancel for service or technical reasons please call our helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638) (24 hours a day) first and have us check your settings. This has saved many customers the inconvenience of changing providers only to find the problems were on their computer or related to the condition of the phone line.

To disconnect please send us your request in writing using one of the following contact points:

• Email accounts@visp.co.nz (recommended method as you get a reply email with a tracking number for your request)
• Fax us "Attention Accounts" on 09 977 3535
• Send us a letter to this address:

Attention Accounts
ICONZ Ltd
Private Bag 92-142
Auckland
New Zealand

Please include your full contact details including a daytime contact phone number. If you require more information contact our Helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638). For people calling within the Auckland toll free region, please call 09 977 3570, and select the Accounts Department option.

It is our policy not to accept cancellations or account changes that may result in a monthly dollar value change over the phone, as a result, please email your request to accounts@visp.co.nz.

How can I stop spam?

We treat spam complaints very seriously. Please forward us a copy of one of the emails and details of how often you are receiving these emails so that we may investigate.

We will need the Internet Header information. To access this information in Outlook 2000:
- Left click on the folder that contains the message
- Right click on the message
- Left click on Option
- The Internet Header information is now displayed. Copy the information into the email that you will send to us.

Call our Helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638) for more help with accessing the Internet Header information.

What is a firewall?

A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server, that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks. (The term also implies the security policy that is used with the programs.) An enterprise with an intranet that allows its workers access to the wider internet installs a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing its own private data resources and for controlling what outside resources its own users have access to. Basically, a firewall, working closely with a router program, examines each network packet to determine whether to forward it toward its destination.

A firewall also includes or works with a proxy server that makes network requests on behalf of workstation users. A firewall is often installed in a specially designated computer separate from the rest of the network so that no incoming request can get directly at private network resources.

There are a number of firewall screening methods. A simple one is to screen requests to make sure they come from acceptable (previously identified) domain name and Internet Protocol addresses. For mobile users, firewalls allow remote access in to the private network by the use of secure logon procedures and authentication certificates.

A number of companies make firewall products. Features include logging and reporting, automatic alarms at given thresholds of attack, and a graphical user interface for controlling the firewall.

How do I setup email forwarding?

The Ezysurf Network will allow you to do email forwarding, however it cannot be setup by yourself. To setup forwarding, you will need to email a request through to help@ezysurf.co.nz which states your current email address, where you want your email forwarded too, and contact details so that we can let you know when its been actioned.

What is "Error 629: The port was disconnected by the remote computer"

This is a ubiquitous, catchall error message with Windows Dialup Networking. It is given for a variety of reasons including a misconfigured dialler, or even that a modem connection could not be established.

First check to make sure your DUN (Dialup Networking) has TCP/IP selected, but not 'IPX/SPX Compatible' and not 'NetBEUI', and that the 'Log on to network' is not selected. Similarly, for Windows NT, make sure the 'Domain' field is left blank in the username/password dialog.

If you still get the error message, make sure that TCP/IP is installed, and finally proceed to looking at your modem's configuration.

If you are still having problems with this, call our Helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638).

What does this neomail error mean?

There are two forms of error messages containing Neomail in them. The most common one is the "Your request didn't contain the proper session ID cookie -- access denied!". If you get this, don't panic. Simply follow the below steps to correct the problem:
- Click on Tools
- Click on Internet Options
- Click on the Privacy tab
- Click on the Advanced button
- Place a tick in "Override automatic cookie handling"
- Place a tick in "Always allow session cookies"
- Click the OK button
- Click the OK button
- Try again

If you receive another error message when logging onto Webmail, contact our Helpdesk on 0800 THE NET (0800 843 638).

How do I setup Out of Office Autoreply so people know when I am away?

Unfortunately Ezysurf does not provide an Out of Office Autoreply email service for its customers. If you want to do this, you will need to configure your email program to do this. Please refer to the Help section of your email program to information about setting this up.