| : Frequently Asked Questions |
Frequently Asked QuestionsFor New or Prospective Customers
Q: What is an ISP, and what are they good for? A: Netdoor is an ISP -- an Internet Service Provider -- that serves as your gateway to the Internet. Using a 56k modem or connecting through our Super Fast DSL access, Netdoor connects you to millions of computers across the world. Your Netdoor account will allow you to share ideas with people from other countries, to take classes online, and to shop for everything from automobiles to zydeco music. The possibilities are endless. Q: What is the difference between an Internet Service Provider and a commercial 'on-line' service like AOL? A: An Internet Service Provider (like Netdoor) links you directly to the Internet, whereas commercial 'on-line' services connect you first to their own network, and then indirectly to the Internet. Commercial 'on-line' services rely on their own proprietary software, and moderate all behavior on their network (including chat and discussion groups). Commercial 'on-line' services by nature restrict access to the Internet through censoring of newsgroups and particular web addresses. Netdoor provides you with unrestricted access to the Internet and all of its resources. Q: Why is Netdoor the best ISP in Mississippi? A: We feel that we are the fastest and most reliable ISP in Mississippi, and we strive to provide you with faster connections and fewer busy signals than any other ISP in Mississippi. We offer free software to make connecting to the Internet easier than ever, and we provide the best technical support anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also, unlike other local providers, Netdoor is a Mississippi owned and operated company. We combine technical know-how with a down to earth attitude, and that makes for a wonderful relationship with our customers. Q: Where do you provide service? A: Netdoor provides service to over 60 locations throughout Mississippi. Q: What are your prices? A: Our most popular service, our Full Access Solution, costs $20 a month, and can also be purchased in quarterly or yearly installments. There is a ten percent discount for yearly billing. We also offer DSL and other high-speed services to our customers. For more information on pricing and availability for these and other services, please click here. Q: Do you offer any discounts? A: Due to the rising costs of providing Internet access, we are unable to offer any discounts at this time. Q: Why should I use your service if I find a cheaper provider? A: At Netdoor, we've lived by the philosophy of "you get what you pay for," and we hope that you do too. We only use the best name-brand hardware and equipment here at Netdoor, and that helps us to provide you with the best service around. We believe that the quality of our customer service coupled with the quality of our hardware makes your $20 a month well-spent. If you're still not convinced, you can read our own analysis of Mississippi ISPs. If you have wondered how we compare to the competition, we welcome you to take a look. Q: What do customers get for their $20 a month for a residential account? A: For $20 a month, our customers receive virtually unlimited dial-up access, 5 e-mail accounts with 10MB of disk space each, 10MB of space for a personal, non-commercial Web page, and optional access to a UNIX shell account and anonymous user FTP area. Along with this comes Netdoor's unparalleled customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year for all of our customers. For more information, click here. Q: Is there any sign-up or activation fee? A: No. There is no sign-up fee and there are no activation costs. The only thing you will need is our Free NETDOOR Advantage Pack CD software. Q: What kind of software will I need, and how can I get it? A: All you will need is Netdoor's free Advantage Pack CD. This CD contains all the software you will need to connect to the Internet, and it can be found in many locations. To find the location nearest to you, click here. If you would prefer to have a CD sent to you instead, you can either click here and fill out a request or just call one of our friendly representatives at 969-1434 (in Jackson) or 1-877-NETDOOR(outside of Jackson), and they will be happy to mail it to you free of charge. Q: Do you have provisions for parental control regarding children accessing some websites? A: We do not provide any kind of control medium for parents of children. The Internet is considered to be something which should be used under parental guidance. There are some software publishers who have content control programs available for this purpose, however. You may want to look on the web for programs such as NetNanny and Cyberwatch. These programs are independent of Netdoor, however, and we do not provide support for their usage. Also, the newest versions of both major browsers come with built-in ratings protection features that let you control what kind of web pages can be viewed on your computer. Q: What are my hardware requirements? A: The minimum system requirements for Netdoor are: For a PC:
Q: Does Netdoor support 56k modem connections? A: All of Netdoor's modems support US Robotics® x2 technology and the new V.92 standard. Q: I have a 33.6 or 56K modem, yet I can't connect that fast. What's wrong? A: This is probably the most asked question here at Netdoor and, unfortunately, it is one of the few things over which we have little control. The most crucial factor responsible in determining your connection speed is the quality of the phone lines in your location, and bad line conditions can adversely affect your modem's connect speed. If your modem is connecting at a speed below your expectations, the slow connection is probably due to crosstalk or other interference on your phone line. However, if a particular web site seems to load slowly, the problem could be caused by a large volume of Internet traffic, or by problems with the particular site's web servers. If you're not connecting to us as fast as you'd like, you might consider getting your local phone service provider to check your lines for crosstalk or other problems. When doing so, it is best not to mention modem problems, as phone companies are only required to provide 9600 baud data connections by law. Instead, mention line noise or crosstalk as the reasons for your concern. For more information on successfully troubleshooting your connection, click here. Q: Will I be able to connect to the Internet any time I want? A: Yes. Unlike many large commercial services that are overpopulated and under-equipped, Netdoor has a more than sufficient number of modems for your use. It is a very rare occurance that you will receive a busy signal when dialing Netdoor. Occasionally, we will perform maintenance on our equipment, but this will only affect those online anywhere from 4 AM to 6 AM. Q: Do you want to make more money? A: Sure. We all do. However, Netdoor will not tolerate users who send unsolicited e-mail (generally referred to as spam), attempt to resell our service, or host a commercial web page on a personal account. Such activity will result in termination of service. For more information on our Acceptable Use Policy, please click here. |