Help in Using and About the StratoNet Mail Filtering System

**IMPORTANT**

You must be sure to Log into your Message Center.
StratoNet is not responsible for any E-mail which may be filtered to the Message Center and/or Deleted.

A notification E-mail is sent informing you that E-mail is being held in the Message Center, it is your responsibility to Log in and review any E-mail being held.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About
Junk E-mail Help
Message Center Faq's
Junk E-mail Faq's
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Faq's
Wireless E-mail
Wireless Faq's
Useful Tips


In the process of trying to Serve our customers better, StratoNet has brought you a way to manage your E-mail and only get the E-mail you want.

E-mail is a great application that brings friends and family together, and helps us conduct business in a more productive manner. But your E-mail experience can be even more enjoyable, safe, and productive -- that is why StratoNet has brought you the following services:

  • Junk E-mail Assistant: Filters junk E-mail from cluttering your E-mail Client inbox, with personalized filters to meet your unique needs.

  • Virus Assistant: The StratoNet message center automatically protects our clients from malicious and costly E-mail viruses. This service is already pre-configured in the message center, so that you will not have to worry as much about recieving harmful computer virues. However, StratoNet, Inc. still suggest that it is imparitive to have an anti-virus program on your personal computer.

  • Wireless E-mail: Forward copies of your E-mail to your existing cell phone, pager or pda devices.

StratoNet lets YOU control your E-mail!
The StratoNet Message Filtering System gives you the freedom to define and determine how you use these E-mail services through personalized settings. Be sure to utilize these settings and controls to get the most out of your E-mail service.

Fast and safe E-mail delivery
These E-mail services are made available to you with no noticeable delay in your E-mail delivery. In addition, StratoNet follows only the strictest of privacy and security standards.



The Junk E-mail Filtering System

*NOTE*

1. Your Mail Filtering System will not be accessable until the receipt of your first E-mail message.
2. At that time, you will recieve a notificaiton from StratoNet letting you know your mail filtering center has been turned on.
3. You should log in to your mail filtering center with your StratoNet E-mail Address: ie. userid@strato.net and your StratoNet Password.
4. Once logged in you will have to click the "junk E-mail" link and then verify that the "Junk E-mail" link is "GREEN" and turned "ON" if NOT, click on the "ON" button to activate your filtering center.
5. Now you will have complete control over what E-mail you choose to receive and not recieve.



The Message Center is your personal area where potential junk and virus-infected E-mail is held. The Message Center is also a starting point for you to configure the settings of other E-mail applications.

You should review the detained messages and choose to delete or deliver them. You can also safely read the contents of a virus-infected E-mail without the risk of harming your system -- and then delete or deliver the infected E-mail.



All E-mail messages are kept in the Message Center or Trash for 7 days after original receipt of the message. As a reminder, you'll receive a regular message directing you to the Message Center to review detained E-mail. If a potentially dangerous virus-infected message is detected, you are immediately notified via E-mail. It is recommended that you check your Message Center often at first so your filters "learn" to be more effective and accurate.





Junk E-mail Assistant

The Junk E-mail Assistant will filter unsolicited commercial E-mail once you activate the service, by selecting ON from the Junk E-mail configuration page. To improve the effectiveness of your filtering, you should further adjust the settings with the Filter Categories, Filter Sensitivity, Approved Senders, and Blocked Senders.

To increase the accuracy of your junk E-mail filters, you should add the E-mail addresses of your friends, family, and work associates to your Approved Senders list. This allows all familiar senders to bypass the filters. Second, you can adjust the Filter Sensitivity and Filter Categories to meet the level of protection that suits you best. And for the annoying mailing lists and senders, Blocked Senders list is also available to block all messages from those senders.

You will receive a regular summary of quarantined messages. You should visit the Message Center often to help the service adapt to your needs. There is a possibility that "legitimate" messages may be mistakenly detained in the Message Center. If you "Deliver" the message, you will be given the opportunity to add the sender to your Approved Senders list, increasing the accuracy of your filters by allowing E-mail from that sender through.



Junk E-mail - Category Filters

Junk E-mail Category Filters will increase the sensitivity of your junk E-mail filters to potentially objectionable content, such as "Get Rich Quick" or "Sexually Explicit" messages.

The category filters are not strictly content filters and no person reads the E-mail. The Junk E-mail Assistant intelligently recognizes characteristics that are typical to junk E-mail of these category types.

  • Sexually Explicit - E-mail that advertises X-rated websites, sexual activity, and other adult themes generally not appropriate for individuals under the age of 18.

  • Get Rich Quick - Schemes such as multi-level marketing, unsolicited job offers, and other opportunities that request financial participation.

  • Although this content may be acceptable to minors, it may be confusing or misleading. Racially Insensitive - Offensive messages based on gender, nationality, race, creed, and religion.

  • This type of E-mail may be emotionally sensitive as well. Special Offers - Messages which aren't necessarily financially-oriented, but does promote a call to action, such as pyramid scheme and similar unsolicited offers.



    Junk E-mail - Filter Sensitivity

    Filter Sensitivity adjusts the tolerance levels of the E-mail filtering criteria, including the category filters. If you find not enough junk E-mail is being directed to your Message Center, this is the setting to adjust. However, the more stringently you set the sensitivity, the greater the opportunity a "legitimate" message might be mistakenly quarantined.

  • Lenient - More junk E-mail may appear in your inbox, however, there is less chance that "legitimate" E-mail will be unnecessarily directed to your Message Center as junk E-mail. The Lenient setting identifies messages that are listed in Internet-based junk E-mail tracking databases.

  • Moderate - Most junk E-mail will be detected, with the possibility of only a few legitimate E-mail messages mistakenly filtered. If you are not sure which level to select, or if you want middle-of-the-road filtering capability, select Moderate. This setting creates a matrix that blocks the majority of potential junk E-mail messages, however, could make errors on the side of delivering the messages, rather than directing to your Message Center.

  • Aggressive - Less junk E-mail will appear in your inbox, however, there is greater chance legitimate E-mail could be mistakenly detained in the Message Center. Select Aggressive if you want to keep your inbox as clean as possible. With this setting, Internet junk E-mail is checked against tracking databases, the identification network, and lists of known junk E-mail types. To be safe, make sure your Approved Sender list includes your most important senders before selecting this setting.

    Tolerance for junk E-mail often changes - initial excitement for special offers and sales, often turns to intolerance of any frivolous time-consuming communication. To meet your changing needs, these configurations can be changed at any time.



    Junk E-mail - Approved Senders

    Add E-mail addresses to the Approved Senders list if you want E-mail from those senders to bypass the Junk E-mail Assistant, regardless of what filters may be active.

    You can add or delete senders to the list manually as you would block senders. Addresses can also be added to the Approved Senders list automatically when you deliver E-mail from your Message Center and it asks whether you want to add that name to the Approved Senders list. Select the addresses that you want to add and click continue.

    Mailing Lists and E-mail-based newsletters can also be approved to bypass the filters. E-mail headers for Mailing Lists are not all formatted like your personal E-mail and require some extra attention to pre-approve. First, go to the Junk E-mail settings, and click on Approved Senders, then click on the "Mailing Lists" link. Look at a copy of the mailing list that you want to add - if their E-mail address is located in the TO: field, then add it to the Approved Mailing List. If the Mailing List's E-mail address is located in the FROM: field, add the E-mail address to the Approved Senders List.

    Please note that mailing list addresses are often long and can change slightly from issue to issue. To ensure the newsletter isn't quarantined, you may want to add only the domain of the mailing list. For example, add "mailinglist.com" and ALL E-mail messages from that domain will bypass the filters.



    Junk E-mail - Blocked Senders

    Add E-mail addresses to the Blocked Senders list if you repeatedly receive objectionable E-mail from the same individuals or organizations. This list might include a spammer, someone who keeps sending you chain letters, or a subscription that you can't unsubscribe from. By adding a sender to the Blocked Senders list, all messages from that sender will be directed to the Message Center.

    If you decide that a message from a blocked sender should be delivered to your inbox, simply select Deliver, and it will be sent to your inbox. You may modify this list at any time by returning to this setting.

    Message and Delivery Confirmation

    Review the detained message. DELETE the message if you don't want it, DELIVER it to your E-mail inbox if it is a message that you want to keep, or you can return to the Message Center. When you deliver the message, you will be asked whether you want to add this sender or mailing list to your Approved lists which allows that sender to always bypass the Junk E-mail filters. This is an excellent way to improve the accuracy of your Junk E-mail filters.

    Trash Folder

    After you deliver legitimate E-mail or delete junk E-mail, messages are moved to the Trash Folder for later reference. This also guarantees your Message Center retains a copy of the delivered E-mail until it arrives at your desktop. Keep in mind, all E-mail will permanently be deleted 7 days from time of first receipt to the Message Center, regardless if it has been moved to the Trash Folder.

    Message Center FAQ

    How do I set up my Message Center?

    1. Once you have logged into the Message Center, please click on the link at the top that is labeled 'Junk Mail'. Once there, make sure that the 'ON' button is selected.
    2. Click on 'Filter Categories'. This will take you to the next page where you decide what type of filtering you would like to take place. You may select all or any combination of the filters available. Simply click on the check box to select and click again to unselect.
    3. Click on 'Save Changes' to save or 'Cancel' to cancel and begin again.
    4. Next, click on 'Filter Sensitivity'. You make the choice here to be more aggressive in your spam/junk mail captures.
    5. Click 'Save Changes' to save or 'Cancel' to cancel and begin again.
    6. Approved Senders allows you to add the E-mail addresses of those with whom you regularly communicate. This ensures that their messages will automatically bypass the junk E-mail filters.
    7. Blocked Senders and Approved Mailing Lists works similarly but adding addresses here will quarantine all messages from that sender in the Message Center.

    Does the Message Center offer POP access?
    No, at this time the only way to enter the message is via a web browser.

    What if I don't want these E-mail services?
    This service is user-configurable, allowing you to simply turn off one or all E-mail services. StatoNet has setup default settings for our customers. If the settings are too intrusive or not effective enough, you are welcome to adjust them at any time.

    Will it still work if I change my E-mail service provider?
    No, this service is unique to your E-mail address.

    Does the service work when I send mail or only when I receive it?
    The current E-mail applications only work on inbound E-mail.

    How can I read a quarantined E-mail?
    Once logged in you will be taken to the main Message Center page where you can view your quarantined E-mail.

    What happens to E-mail I delete from the Message Center?
    Once E-mail has been deleted from the Message Center it is placed in the 'Trash Folder'. When the 7-day period has expired the message is deleted. You can open the Trash folder at any time during this 7 day holding period to review and delivered previously deleted E-mail.

    What happens to E-mail that I deliver from the Message Center?
    When you deliver E-mail from the Message Center to your E-mail address, it is forwarded directly and immediately to your inbox. A copy is also placed in the 'Trash Folder' for a period of 7 days. Once the 7-day period has expired the messages are deleted. You can open the Trash folder at any time during this 7 day holding period to review and redeliver previously delivered mail.

    Do the E-mail services make E-mail slower?
    There is no noticeable latency especially since E-mail delivery does not typically occur in real-time. We use enterprise-class servers that are capable of processing millions of messages per day-each message within milliseconds.

    What operating systems are supported?
    Mac, Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP and Unix (Solaris and Linux).

    What browsers are supported?
    Version 4 (v4) and above of Netscape and Internet Explorer.



     Junk E-mail - FAQ

    What makes the Junk E-mail Assistant filters different from the spam filters found in my E-mail application?
    The mail filters found in E-mail products have a number of limitations and often assume a "one size fits all" solution. You are often expected to develop your own filter rules from the limited tools provided. Further, you must still download E-mail before the mail client can filter it, possibly wasting time and bandwidth while waiting to read mail, such as spam, that you would not want anyway.

    With the Junk E-mail Assistant filters, all E-mail processing is done behind the scenes before it arrives in the inbox. This saves time and bandwidth by not forcing you to download superfluous E-mail, such as unsolicited offers. Moreover, improvements are done without modifications to your E-mail services or E-mail client. The Junk E-mail Assistant performance is superior, identifying up to 95% of your junk E-mail.

    How do I know junk E-mail is being filtered and not my regular (legitimate) E-mail?
    An advanced filtering technique is used built on heuristic rules, lists of approved and blocked senders, and databases of known junk E-mail to maintain the effectiveness of the rules system. Despite these advanced measures, some good E-mail may get caught since the concept of junk E-mail is subjective (one man's trash is another man's treasure). To remedy this, we let you set a lenient-to-aggressive tolerance for filtering suspicious E-mail: lenient filtering potentially lets more junk E-mail through, but also minimizes the risk of legitimate E-mail from getting mistakenly directed to the Message Center; conversely, aggressive filtering catches more suspicious E-mail at the risk of mistakenly diverting normal E-mail to the Message Center. You're notified with regular summary reports of your Message Center activities. With the right configuration, less than 1% of valid E-mail is falsely identified as suspicious.

    Does someone read personal E-mails?
    No. All E-mail processing is done through automated filters. Further, it is unlikely that a particular E-mail stays around long enough since a single message is processed within milliseconds and does not write valid messages to disk. In the event a "suspicious" E-mail is discovered, it will be directed to your private Message Center pending your review.

    How do I get notified when E-mail is quarantined as suspicious junk E-mail?
    A regular report is sent via E-mail of newly quarantined E-mail. However, you can log in to the Message Center at any time to monitor and review detained messages using your StratoNet E-mail address and password.

    What if I want to receive junk E-mail?
    Click on the Junk E-mail link at the top of the Message Center, and click on OFF. Before you do this, you should try to set your Filter Sensitivity to Lenient to see if that amount of protection satisfies your needs.

    However, if too much legitimate E-mail is detained, first try setting "Filter Sensitivity" to moderate or lenient and/or uncheck any "Filter Categories" that are unwanted. It also helps to explicitly list certain E-mail addresses to allow their messages through the filters, regardless of content. Do this by entering valid addresses in the Approved Senders field.

    What happens in the event that the E-mail pre-processing servers fail?
    A large number of enterprise-scale servers dedicated to processing E-mail are deployed. However, in the event of a catastrophe, all your E-mail will be delivered to your StratoNet inbox in which you can use your default E-mail application, ex. Outlook Express.

    How often is E-mail deleted from the Message Center?
    E-mail messages are kept in the Message Center for 7 days following the receipt of the message--this includes any messages that have been moved to your "Trash Folder". After 7 days from first receipt, any message will be deleted. StratoNet will send an E-mail activity report on a regular basis to remind you to check your Message Center. You can also access the Message Center at any time using the link off the homepage, and log in with your StratoNet E-mail address and password..

    What if I receive spam, what should I do with it?
    If junk E-mail reaches your StratoNet inbox, and appears in your E-mail inbox, you can simply delete the message and if you do not wish to recieve E-mail from a particular domain or E-mail address, log into your message center and add them to your blocked senders list. It might also be useful to try increasing the sensitivity level in the configuration or turn on specific filter categories.

    What if legitimate E-mail is quarantined in the Message Center?
    Unfortunately, some legitimate E-mail may be erroneously directed to your Message Center. This is due to the subjective nature of E-mail messages and what could possibly be considered junk E-mail. If a significant amount of valid E-mail is being misdirected to the Message Center, a list of approved senders can be built, thereby minimizing the possibility of detaining a valid E-mail in the future.

    From the Message Center, click "deliver" for any legitimate E-mail and you will be asked if all messages from this sender should be delivered--that sender is then added to the "Approved Sender" list. Next time, messages from that sender will not be detained unless the Virus Assistant is active and detects a virus from that sender. You may also manually build your approved senders list by visiting your junk E-mail settings.

    Does the Junk Mail Assistant watch for obscene language and other questionable content?
    The Junk E-mail Assistant is tuned for identifying unsolicited commercial E-mail (UCE), otherwise known as spam or junk E-mail. This is somewhat different than filtering specifically for content, like most E-mail filtering. For example, a friend sends a joke containing obscenities. This originates from a known source, whereas a message of unknown origin containing obscenities that refers to a pornography site WOULD likely be directed to the Message Center. Of course, you have the ability to explicitly block any address--in case you want to restrict E-mail from a known source.

    Does the Junk Mail Assistant watch for E-mail only written in English?
    Yes, at this time English is the only language supported.

     Virus Assistant

    Virus scanning is simple - the virus protection is already defaultly turned ON. It is highly recommended that you leave virus scanning on if the option is available *Currently StratoNet does not allow this option - however, it does not impact your E-mail performance and more importantly, McAfee's leading in-line virus protection service can protect you from malicious and potentially harmful viruses.

    If a virus is detected, your message will be safely detained in the Message Center and you will be immediately notified via E-mail. The virus infected message is safely viewable without fear of transmitting the virus to your operating system or installed software. You can then deliver it "as is" or delete it entirely.

    We stay up-to-date with virus outbreaks by leveraging McAfee's AVERT (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team) to update the virus patterns in real time. McAfee also provides desktop virus software for comprehensive protection software.

    Disclaimer
    The virus protection assistant is constantly kept up to date through McAfee's worldwide virus tracking centers. As malicious viruses break out and mutate, McAfee's AVERT (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team) updates the virus recognition software with the latest virus definitions, allowing us to identify them and render them harmless. Although this service will protect you from virtually all incoming E-mail-borne viruses, it is important to know that this service, and others like it, cannot guarantee that your system will never be infected. The best anti-virus solution is a layered approach that protects SMTP, HTTP, and desktop resources.

    Virus Scan Assistant FAQ

    Is Virus Assistant up-to-date on its virus definitions?
    Yes. Virus Assistant updates virus definitions continuously. Not only will virus scanning of malicious E-mail viruses prove extremely valuable to you, but it also saves valuable time by scanning messages behind the scenes. You are only notified when a virus is found in a message. Virus Assistant utilizes McAfee?s AVERT (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team) to stay current with virus definitions. AVERT is a worldwide virus-monitoring network that continuously looks for new viruses and subtle changes in old ones so that virus definitions stay current.

    Who is McAfee?
    McAfee provides industry-leading protection against today's most dangerous viruses and tomorrow's threats. McAfee and your StratoNet, Inc. made this possible by inserting virus-scanning technology into your mail flow. This relieves StratoNet and you from maintaining individually installed virus detection and the hassle of maintaining current virus definitions.

    Does it cost to repair my infected E-mail?
    Virus scanning and detection is freely available.

    How am I notified that virus-infected E-mail has been detected?
    You are notified immediately via E-mail when an infected virus is detected in an E-mail message. From the Message Center, you can safely review the infected E-mail text.

    Is McAfee desktop software available for my PC as well?
    Yes, you can purchase desktop virus protection software from McAfee. Visit McAfee at www.mcafee.com for more info.

    Wireless E-mail Introduction

    Wireless E-mail helps you get more value from your E-mail service by allowing you to intelligently route selected E-mail messages to your wireless phone, pager, or forwarded E-mail accounts. The Wireless E-mail service is offered to you exclusively by StratoNet, Inc.

    Wireless E-mail works by helping you define one or more wireless devices (phones, pagers, PDAs, etc.) and one or more forwarding rules, then matches your incoming E-mail messages against your forwarding rules, and sends the selected messages to one or more of your wireless devices. All E-mail messages are also delivered to your regular E-mail inbox, regardless of whether Wireless E-mail forwards a copy to your wireless device. This way, you're ensured of receiving all your messages.

    Accessing Wireless E-mail

    By logging into the Message Center, you also gain access to the Wireless E-mail service, StratoNet has enabled the service to work for you. The Message Center is the starting point for accessing Wireless E-mail. After logging into the Message Center, click on the "Wireless" link to view your summary page.

    Forwarding Rules

    Wireless E-mail Devices

    Defining a wireless device for your Wireless E-mail service is simple and straightforward. First, type in a name for your device, such as "My Phone" or "My Pager". (Wireless E-mail will check each name to ensure it is unique.) Then, click on the button that matches your device: Phone, Pager, or PDA. In the pull down menu associated with each device type, you will find a list of wireless service providers. Select the carrier that provides your wireless service. If your wireless service is not included in the list, read the "Wireless Carriers" section for help on setting up your wireless device.

    In the "Device number or username" field, enter either the telephone number (7-, 10-, or 11- digits) of your wireless device, or the username associated with your Wireless E-mail account. For PDA devices and in the cases where your service provider was not listed, enter the entire E-mail address (username@domain_name).

    The last device option, "Compression", has two settings, "Off" and "On". Selecting "Off" will instruct Wireless E-mail to include the entire E-mail message in the message that is forwarded to your wireless device. Setting Compression to "On" will allow Wireless E-mail to remove extra information from the message header, and will eliminate any replies and signatures included in the message body.

    • Wireless E-mail considers all lines in the message that begin with the ">" character to be replies.
    • Wireless E-mail considers all lines including and following a line starting with two dashes ("--") to be a signature.

    Clicking on the "Save this device" button, will store your settings in the Wireless E-mail database, and return you to the Wireless E-mail summary page. The "Cancel" button will also return you to the summary page, but none of the settings you entered or changed will be saved. The "Test" button will, in addition to saving the settings, send a test message to your device, using the settings entered. You will then be taken to a Device Testing page that will give you additional information on how to confirm that your device is set up correctly. This page will contain information specific to your selected service provider.



    Wireless E-mail Forwarding Rules

    The power of Wireless E-mail is the flexibility and control it gives you in deciding which E-mail messages are forwarded. Wireless E-mail gives you two ways to determine which messages are forwarded to your wireless devices. You may forward messages that are from specific senders, messages that contain certain keywords or phrases, or messages that have a combination of senders and keywords. Using these rules separately or in combination gives you the power to effectively manage your Wireless E-mail messages.

    Keyword Rules

    Keyword rules are defined by entering one or more words or phrases. This setting will scan the entire E-mail message and select any message that contains a match with any of the words or phrases that are in your defined keywords list. You may define a different list of keywords for each Keywords rule. Remember to give these Keyword rules a unique name that describes the content of the messages. Clicking on the "Save" button stores your changes in the Wireless E-mail database, "Skip" will move you to the next forwarding rule, and the "Cancel" button will return you to the summary page, without recording any changes.



    Sender Rules

    You can create one or more Sender rules and have each send matching messages to one or more wireless devices. Each Sender rule is defined by entering either a "Family name", or one or more E-mail addresses (or domain names), or both. E-mail addresses must be in the form "pat@domain.com" and domain names must be in the form "@domain.com".

    Clicking on the "Save" button stores your changes in the Wireless E-mail database and returns you to the summary page. The "Cancel" button also returns you to the summary page, but without recording any changes.

    Priority Rules

    When selected, messages marked Urgent or with a High Priority will be forwarded to your device. Most client software like Netscape Messenger and Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express come with this feature, while most web-based E-mail systems do not.

    Time Settings

    Part of Wireless E-mail's power is the ability to manage the time frame during which you want to receive messages on your wireless devices. Wireless E-mail provides two time settings for message delivery: 1) Always and 2) Always except during Quiet Time. To define your Quiet Time, click the Time Settings link at the bottom of the summary page.

    Quiet Time

    Your Quiet Time settings are defined by selecting both the starting and ending time, (and optionally) the "And all day on weekends" setting. The starting and ending times are set by entering your desired times (HH:MM) in the text fields and selecting the AM or PM setting. For example, the default settings for Quiet Time are "from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM". This setting means that, for rules that select the "Always deliver except during quiet time" option, any E-mail messages that are received between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM will NOT be forwarded to the selected wireless device.

    Time Zone

    To complete the Quiet Time setting, Wireless E-mail needs to know which Time Zone you live in. Using the pull down menu under "Set your time zone:", select the Time Zone that is closest to your home. If you want Wireless E-mail to take Daylight Savings Time into account, please check the "Use Daylight Savings Time" box.

    Summary Page

    After you've set up your first wireless device and forwarding rule(s), your Wireless E-mail summary page will look something like this:

    The Wireless E-mail summary page shows you each device you have setup, any rules you have defined for each device, and links to change these settings. At the top of this page are the "On" and "Off" buttons. Clicking on these buttons alternately enable and disable your Wireless E-mail service. Enabling Wireless E-mail activates your current message forwarding settings, while disabling Wireless E-mail de-activates all message forwarding settings. On the left side of this page, the type of your wireless device is represented by one of three pictures: a phone, a pager, or a PDA. Underneath this picture is the name you gave this device. Clicking on this link takes you to a page where you can change your device's settings. The "Time Settings" link takes you to the Wireless E-mail Time Settings page.

    The right side of the page shows the settings for forwarding your E-mail messages to this device. You may select either "Forward All Messages" or "Forward Important Messages". Your choice is indicated by a check in the checkbox to the left of the rule heading. Clicking one of these checkboxes disables the other set of forwarding rules. Disabling the "Forward Important Messages" rule does not delete or otherwise change these settings. When a rule option is disabled, the corresponding text is grayed out.

    The "Forward All Messages" option instructs Wireless E-mail to forward a copy of each and every incoming E-mail message to your wireless device, while the "Forward Important Messages" option will cause only the messages that meet your sender and keyword information to be forwarded to your device. Under the "Forward Important Messages" heading, Wireless E-mail shows the names of your Sender and Keyword rules, not the actual addresses or keywords defined by each rule. This way, you can assign multiple addresses or keywords to a single named rule.

    Clicking on an underlined rule name takes you to a page where you can modify the selected rule. Clicking on the "[add new Keyword/Sender rule]" links allow you to add more selection criteria for this device.

    Beneath the Keyword and Senders rules is an "All messages marked important or urgent" option. E-mail messages that are marked as High Priority or Urgent to your wireless device will be forwarded. E-mail clients (Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, Netscape Messenger Outlook Express) and some web- based E-mail services have the ability to mark a message as Important, Urgent, or High Priority before sending it. If the sender of a message marks it in one of these ways and you have checked the accompanying box, Wireless E-mail will forward the message to your wireless device.

    At the bottom on this page is the "Add a device" button that sends you to the Activation Wizard. During the Wizard, you will be able to copy your first device's rules to your second device. You will also be able to modify the second device's rules independent of the first device's rules.

    Wireless Carriers

    Follow these simple instructions if your wireless carrier is not available in the pull-down menu of the Device Set Up page:

    1. Select PDA, even if you are using a phone or pager.
    2. Select "Generic E-mail Address" as your service carrier.
    3. Enter the entire E-mail address of your phone, pager, or pda (for example, yourphonenumber@carrier.com). You can easily obtain this address by contacting customer support at your wireless carrier.

    If your wireless carrier IS listed in the pull-down menu and you want to get the contact information on that carrier (to confirm you have text messaging enabled or for other purposes), simply follow these instructions.

    1. Select your device type and carrier, and enter your device's phone number, PIN, or wireless E-mail address.
    2. Click on "Test and Continue".
    You should receive a test page, and at the bottom, links and phone numbers to your wireless carrier.

    Wireless E-mail FAQ

    What is Wireless E-mail?
    Wireless E-mail forwards all selected E-mail messages to the targeted wireless networks' E-mail gateways. Except for the optional compression settings, Wireless E-mail does not re-format, truncate, or otherwise modify the incoming E-mail message. In other words, Wireless E-mail forwards the entire message to the wireless network.

    Do different wireless networks treat incoming E-mail messages differently?
    Wireless Data networks can deliver the entire message to the device.
    Paging networks typically deliver the first 250 to 500 characters, depending on the device.
    Wireless phone networks generally deliver only the first 100 to 150 characters, including the From, Subject, and Time fields.
    WAP-based services and wireless PDAs initially deliver only the header (From, Subject, Time) fields to the device, allowing the user to select a message before requesting the delivery of the entire message.

    I have not received my test message from Wireless E-mail. How long should I wait?
    The time it takes a test message to be received on your pager, PDA or mobile phone may vary, depending on you wireless carriers service provider's coverage and network traffic, If you do not receive your test message within 2 hours, you can you can click 'test' again. Caution! Clicking the TEST button repeatedly will cause a flood of test messages to be sent to your wireless device. Before having the test message resent:

    1. Make sure you have a text enabled (also called alphanumeric or SMS) pager or mobile phone by contacting your wireless service provider.
    2. Make sure you have a transmission signal. You must have wireless signal, or be with in range or the wireless network, to receive the test message.

    What are the different kinds of wireless messaging?
    Wireless web messaging refers to the capability to send relatively short alphanumeric messages from a web page to a wireless device (pager, phone, or PDA). Messages to your PDA can be considerably longer. Wireless E-mail messages are sent from an E-mail account a wireless device, PC messages are sent from a personal computer with messaging software to a wireless device, and instant messaging refers to messages sent between wireless devices and chat software.

    How long are text messages?
    The length of text messages depends on the characteristics of the wireless service provider. In some cases, incoming messages are truncated. Since this differs from one provider to the other, we suggest that you check with your carrier.

    If my message is more than 100 characters, how do I receive the entire message?
    Depending on your wireless service, wireless text messages could contain from 50 to 2000 characters. This varies from provider to provider. Please check with your wireless provider.     Wireless Carriers

    When would a sent message not be received on a wireless phone?
    A wireless phone may not receive a test message if:

    a. The phone is not digital.
    b. The phone is not currently activated to receive text messaging or has only numeric messaging capabilities.
    c. The message was not addressed properly, such as spaces or hyphens in the "to" field.
    d. The phone is not powered on.
    e. The phone is not receiving a signal (for example, you are in a tunnel).
    f. The phone is out of your service coverage area.
    g. The text message memory of the phone is full.
    h. The battery is dead.
    i. You are roaming onto a provider network that does not support your provider's messaging service.

    What is the delivery time for text messages once they are sent via the Web?
    Normally, text messages from the Internet (web page or E-mail) are received within 5 minutes after being sent. However, several circumstances can affect delivery of wireless messages:

    Internal E-mail traffic
    Internet traffic
    Wireless network
    Changes in coverage

    Since I can send messages through the Web, does that mean that I also have an E-mail address associated with my digital number?
    Not always. Most text messaging services include an E-mail address, however you should check with your service provider to be sure.

    Can all Wireless Phones receive text messages?
    No. Unless you have been activated to receive text messaging your wireless device will not receive text messages. Also, your phone must use one of the newer, digital formats (PCS, CDMA, TDMA, etc.).

    Why do I sometimes receive garbled or mixed up text messages on my wireless device?
    Messages may occasionally be " garbled" if you are in an area that is receiving a weak signal. In some instances, there may be something wrong with your pager. Please check to make sure that it is working properly.

    Why am I having problems receiving text messages on my wireless device in my building?
    Some buildings are constructed in a way that inhibits the penetration of a paging signal, For Instance, some hospital rooms / areas are heavily protected for radiation and the signal will not always penetrate the building.

    Can I receive text messaging on my wireless device in Canada or Mexico (or other international locations)?
    The FCC regulates that wireless signals only go to the border. That being said, the signal cannot be stopped at the border, so it is possible that you could receive a text message outside of the U.S, but this cannot be guaranteed. Depending on the format of the wireless network and whether your service provider has a roaming agreement with the service providers in other countries.

    Will I receive my text messages when I am in the mountains?
    Possibly. This depends on the coverage area of your specific wireless carrier. Please contact your service provider to verify.

    Will I receive my text messages in an airplane?
    Possibly, while on the ground, although the FAA forbids the use of wireless devices aboard aircraft once in the air. This also depends on the coverage area of your specific wireless carrier. If you are a frequent traveler, please note that some wireless providers can "store" your messages.

    Is it possible for me to receive text messages through the Internet when I am outside of my wireless providers coverage area?
    Typically no. Unless your wireless provider offers roaming features, you would have to be with in the specified coverage area to receive your text messaging, much the same as a phone call to your device.

    What information is included in my text messages?
    The wireless provider you have signed on with will determine this. Some offer as much as 240 characters per message, including the information in the "From:" "To:" and "Subject:" fields. This is not standardized and we recommend you check with your specific wireless provider.

    Will I receive the text message if my wireless phone is off or out of the coverage area when a message is sent?
    This differs from carrier to carrier. Many carriers store the messages for 72 hours and longer. Consequently, when the phone is turned back on or the user returns to their coverage area, the person will receive the message with a time stamp indicating when it was originally sent. Again, please check with your provider to be sure.

    How do I know which service provider to choose from the list of providers?
    Your wireless service provider is the company that bills you for the paging or mobile services to which you subscribe. This is different from the company that manufactures the device you use. For example, you may have a Motorola mobile phone or Glenayre pager, but are billed by Arch, SprintPCS, or AT&T, the service providers.

    My service provider is not listed, what should I do?
    If your service provider, the company who bills you monthly for your wireless service, is not listed, we will not be able to determine your device's E-mail address. Contact your carrier and find out your devices E-mail address. Then set up Wireless E-mail as a PDA and select "Generic E-mail Acct", and enter your devices E-mail address. Check "Wireless Carriers" for more information.

    What is my device identification number?
    Your device identification number is the number someone would use to page or call you. This number can be a ten (eleven in some cases)-digit phone number, a seven digit PIN, or other identifier. Please contact your pager or mobile phone service provider to confirm your device identifier.

    I've received spam as one of my messages, is there anyway to block those messages?
    Yes. While we cannot guarantee that all spam E-mail will be captured, you should customize your filters and rules for the Message Center and Wireless E-mail. The more specific the filter and rule parameters, the fewer unwanted E-mail you will receive from the Message Center. You can customize your mail filters by clicking 'Junk Mail' in the header of the Message Center.

    What are filters?
    Filters allow you to choose which E-mail messages are sent as alerts to your mobile phone or pager. You can select to receive alerts to your device when E-mail from certain senders or messages containing certain words in the subject line or body of the message are sent to your E-mail address. With filters you control the messages that are sent to your device. You can customize mail filters during your initial registration or by going into the Message Center and selecting Wireless or Junk E-mail from the header bar.

    Can I reply to a message received from a sender of a message with a 2-way pager?
    No. You will not be able to reply to an alert received from a 2-way pager. The message is not a forwarded version of the E-mail. Wireless E-mail service sends an alert notifying you that an E-mail has arrived in your E-mail inbox. This alert will contain information regarding the E-mail, such as sender E-mail address, subject of the E-mail, and part the message. If your wireless device and service provider support two-way messaging, you may be able to create a new message and, using the sender's E-mail address, send it to the original sender. Please check with your service provider for more information.

    I am not receiving any text messages. Why?
    If you have successfully registered for services with Wireless E-mail but are not receiving messages it may be due to the following:

    • Your Service Provider may be experiencing heavy traffic or a service outage. You may test your service by sending yourself E-mail to the device address or a message to your E-mail address. You may also contact your service provider.
    • Your filters setting may be limiting the messages you receive. Return to the Message Center to review your filter settings.
    • You are not in a location or coverage area where you can receive service on your device.

    How do I temporarily disable my Wireless E-mail service?
    Return to the Message Center and select Wireless from the Header Bar. Click "OFF". You will not loose your original settings. When you are ready to resume your Wireless E-mail service, return to the Message Center, select Wireless from the header bar and then click "ON".

    How do I cancel the Wireless E-mail service?
    Contact your service provider.



    Other Useful Tips...

    Delete and Deliver Messages:
    Once you log in to your Message Center to review suspicious messages, you should DELIVER legitimate E-mail and DELETE the junk E-mail. The filters will increase in accuracy by doing this.

    Check Back Often:
    Check your Message Center on a regular basis and delete junk E-mail and deliver legitimate E-mail. The service can be configured to remember your legitimate E-mail senders, and will allow those senders to bypass filters.