Support - Disconnected

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Support

I often get disconnected from your system,
especially when composing long Email messages.

Our system will automatically disconnect inactive connections after approx. 9-10 minutes. This is to prevent customers from staying logged onto our service continually, without actually using it. If a large number of users would begin doing this, other users would eventually suffer from degraded service and busy signals when dialing in. Yes, we do provide unlimited usage, but NOT unlimited connection (or in other words, a permanent connection). If you are actually using the service continually, you will never be automatically disconnected. Only users which are inactive for 10 minutes or more will be disconnected. This practice improves service for all customers.

Many users, however, do not stay connected all day, but are sometimes disconnected when composing a long Email message, etc. There are several ways to keep this from happening:

1) Compose your Email message 'offline' and then 'Connect' to send them. To do this, simply start Netscape. If you are prompted with your dial-up connection screen, just click cancel and Netscape will start. You will get an error when Netscape starts, because it is trying to access your homepage, and cannot find it because you are not connected to the Internet. When this error comes up just click OK or Cancel, and then go into your Email. Once again, if you have it configured to automatically check your Email, you may get an error message. Just ignore this if it happens - Netscape can't find our Email server because you are not connected to us. Just start a new Email as usual, then click send. The next time you connected to the internet, your message will automatically be sent when you check your mail.

2) The other option is for those of you who still want to write your Email while still connected. To keep your connection alive, you have to create 'activity' (sending or receiving data). There are a few ways to do this. One is to switch back to your browser window and click 'Reload'. The other is to simply check your Email by clicking on the appropriate button ('Send and Receive' in most cases). Either method will cause data to be sent and/or received, this resetting the 10 minute clock.