Specifications

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Mail Configuration Tip -- Archiving mail when using multiple clients is difficult. One trick I’ve
found useful is to have your main computer remove mail from the POP server. The rest of the
machines retrieve mail but do not delete the message from the server. Then when you get back to
the main machine it retrieves all the intervening messages and removes them from the server.
Mail Configuration Tip – I use Microsoft Outlook mail client configured with multiple mail
accounts. One account is set as the default. New mail is sent using the SMTP server configured for
that account. However if you reply to mail received from a different account Outlook uses the
SMTP server defined for that account. This is the source of some confusion. If you set Outlook up
incorrectly sending new mail will work fine, but you will be unable to send replies.
Security Tip -- Be careful opening e-mail attachments. This is a common method of spreading
viruses and Trojans. Configure your anti-virus program to scan email and attachments prior to
opening them and quarantine infected mail.
Security Tip -- The aforementioned warning has been issued many times. What is less well known
is that simply reading e-mail can infect your system. ActiveX controls or VB scripting can be
embedded in the body of a mail messages. Reading the message activates the virus.
12 Fax – E-mail on Paper
Originally we did not want to use fax at all, preferring to interact with clients via e-mail or telephone. We
found it very difficult to get away from fax completely so we sought a solution that did not require a “real”
fax machine.
For incoming fax we use the eFax fax service. Basic service is free; if you want a local or 800 number they
charge a monthly fee. Each customer is assigned a unique phone number in our case 928-223-4815. When a
fax comes in it is converted to a file and e-mailed to the subscriber. Special eFax software is used to read
the attachment. The attachment can be saved and imported by other programs.
To send a fax we use the Phone Tools utility Dell bundled with the PC. This allows direct faxing of
electronic documents or scanned hard copy. The multiline office phone includes a data jack that allows the
fax modem to be switched to any phone line.
This works well for the limited number of faxes we send and receive.
13 USENET – Unfiltered Opinion
Most ISPs carry USENET news groups. USENET gives you access to ongoing discussions on a wide verity
of topics. There are an incredible number of groups to choose from, our ISP carries more then 40,000 news
groups. Most groups have an online FAQ that describes what the group is about to limit off topic posts.
Newsgroups are a valuable source of up to date information. Given the incredible number of users it is
likely that someone will be able to provide an answer to your question.
We use Outlook Express as the newsreader.
News server authentication can occur automatically when you connect to the ISP or require explicit
authentication. Requiring explicit authentication allows access to Usenet regardless of how you connect.
Security Tip -- Spammers commonly harvest email addresses from Usenet posts. It is common
practice to use a fake mail address on Usenet. Do no simply make up an email address – it may turn
out to be someone else’s real address, instead use an invalid Top Level Domain. My Usenet mail
address is [e-mail].