Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Sometimes called simply "the Net," this is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer. It is also possible to talk directly to users at other computers. Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. No matter where you are, you can get in touch with people in any part of the world through this amazing network.

A system of Internet servers that support specially formatted documents. The documents are formatted in a language called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) that supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files. This means you can jump from one document to another simply by clicking on hyper links. Not all Internet servers are part of the World Wide Web.

Once you are on the Internet, the possibilities of what you can do, learn and discuss are immense compared to any other way of communication. Here's what you can do:
Exchange information with others in minutes, effortlessly and inexpensively
Receive the latest information on any topic
Transfer data
Educate yourself
Recreation and entertainment
Shopping
Develop a more effective work style because you don't have to be physically present to talk to clients or consumers.

E-mail: Compose your messages before you get on the Internet. Browse: While at a Web site, if you want to explore different links, open them in new windows rather than coming back to the page again and again. To do this, right-click the link and select the 'Open in a new window' option. Downloading: If you are downloading software or files, close all unwanted browser windows to make the download happen faster. Search: Use a search engine if you're looking for some specific information.

Short for Internet Service Provider, a company that provides access to the Internet. For a fee, the service provider gives you a software package, username, password and access phone number. Equipped with a modem, you can then log on to the Internet and browse the World Wide Web and Usenet, and send and receive e-mail. In addition to serving individuals, ISPs also serve large companies, providing a direct connection from the company's networks to the Internet. ISPs themselves are connected to one another through Network Access Points (NAPs). ISPs are also called IAPs (Internet Access Providers). Primenet, VSNL, AOL and CompuServe are some examples of ISPs.

All ISPs give you the option of dialing a local number. So you can access the Internet at the price of a local call. But if you don't have an ISP server in your town, you'll have to dial in to the nearest city that has one. This will cost you long distance rates.

The software you use to access the World Wide Web is called a Web browser - because you can browse through any of the information provided on the web, anywhere in the world. There are several Web browsers that make it easy to access the World Wide Web; two of the most popular being Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

The World Wide Web (or web, for short) is a vast array of information, accessible through the Internet. To access a particular web site, you start by typing in the web site address (also called an URL or Universal Resource Locator) in the address bar at the top of your browser. Once you have started, you can find your way around the World Wide Web by clicking on hyper links on pages. Hyper links are displayed as highlighted text. Any page in the World Wide Web can be hyper linked to any number of pages, anywhere in the world.

If you know the Web site address of a site, just type it in the address bar of your browser and press the Enter key. Otherwise you can make use of any of the search engines (like Altavista, Yahoo, Lycos) to submit your queries to find the topic or web site of your choice.

No you are not anonymous while on the Internet. When you log in to your ISP you are assigned a unique IP address. Whenever you go to a web site, chat room or forum this address can be traced. Is this dangerous? Not really! With millions of visitors to the Internet each day, most Web sites wouldn't have the time to track everyone down. Also, your Internet service provider would have to be willing to give out your name. Through the use of cookies, Web sites can tell if you have been there before, by checking your cookie file. Some people are upset by this, but cookies also provide "remember me" features which enable great features on the Internet.

A cookie is information that a Web site puts on your hard disk so that it can remember something about you at a later time. Typically, a cookie records your preferences when using a particular site. Using the Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), each request for a Web page is independent of all other requests. For this reason, the Web page server has no memory of what pages it has sent to a user previously or anything about your previous visits. A cookie is a mechanism that allows the server to store its own information about a user on the user's own computer. Cookies are commonly used to rotate the banner ads that a site sends so that it doesn't keep sending the same ad as it sends you a succession of requested pages. They can also be used to customize pages for you based on your browser type or other information you may have provided the Web site. Web users must agree to let cookies be saved for them, but, in general, it helps Web sites to serve users better.

Web space refers to the amount of hard disk space on your ISP's servers (expressed in MB or Megabytes) where the files that make up your web site are stored. You need web space to develop a web site. Many people use web space to create home pages. You can use your web site to tell the world about your family, your hobbies, your businesses, in fact it can be about anything you wish (as long as it does not contravene with your ISP's terms and conditions). Web sites are now extremely important promotional tools.

A modem is a device that lets your computer communicate with other computers over a standard telephone line. It is short for modulator/demodulator. This term means that the modem converts the digital information from your computer to an analog signal that can travel over phone lines, then the receiving modem (at your ISP) converts the analog signal back to a digital signal.

Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications networks. The messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files stored on disk. Most mainframes, minicomputers, and computer networks have an e-mail system. Some electronic-mail systems are confined to a single computer system or network, but others have gateways to other computer systems, enabling users to send electronic mail anywhere in the world. E-mail is a great way to communicate with other Internet users around the world. Companies that are fully computerized make extensive use of e-mail because it is fast, flexible, and reliable.

To send e-mail, you need
• A computer with the proper e-mail software loaded. A mail client like Microsoft Outlook Express is
  necessary (to access your POP mailbox) or you can use your browser to access web mail.
• A Modem and Telephone line
• An account with an ISP such as Primenet
• The recipient's e-mail address

Yes! E-mail messages come in simple text format-just by reading them you won't get a virus on your computer. Viruses are usually transmitted as attachments. Be careful while opening them. Make sure that you have a good anti-virus program installed on your PC that can protect from such viruses. If you get an e-mail message from a non-trusted source along with an attachment, it is better to read the mail and then delete it. In case you are suspicious about an attachment, check its authenticity with the sender of the message.

Chat is the real-time communication between two users via computer. Once a chat has been initiated, either user can enter text by typing on the keyboard and the entered text will appear on the other user's monitor. This is also known as Internet Relay Chat or IRC for short. Most networks and online services offer a chat feature.

A virtual room where a chat session takes place. Technically, a chat room is really a channel, but the term room is used to promote the chat metaphor.

Letting children have their own e-mail address is fine. First explain to them though, that you will have to monitor it. Before your child opens his or her mailbox, go through and check the contents. This may be eavesdropping, but there is no such thing as privacy on the Internet. The e-mail that you receive could have been read by anyone along its trip to you. Also, at some point they might probably receive pornographic spam. Better safe than sorry here.

Making a family Web site is a lot of fun, but please remember these points as you create it! Unfortunately, a predator could locate you or your children if you give out too much information.
- Do not give out your last name
- Do not give out your location or telephone number
- If you include links to other pages (such as your church or school), they most likely will contain
  information about your town
- Do not use your e-mail address on your page, especially if it contains your last name. If you really
  want the ability for someone to contact you, consider getting a generic e-mail address. It would be
  best if an adult checks this e-mail address for messages.
- Be careful of what pictures are posted. Study the backgrounds of the pictures, is there something on
  them that would give away your location? (Baseball team jerseys, Signs, etc.) Sharing can be fun,
  but sharing too much information can be dangerous. Please keep this in mind as you create a home
  on the Web.

For children, absolutely no, without your permission and you being there. For an adult, it is a different story. Be sure to meet in a public place for the first time.

Shopping online is great! You can get many bargains online. You could also get ripped off. There are many things you can do to protect yourself. For instance, make sure you are transmitting credit card information on a secure server. Through a secure server you will able to purchase any item you wish without having to worry about your credit card information being violated. When you request a secure document with your SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) compatible browser, depending on how the browser is configured, it may display an alert message saying that you are requesting a secure document. Just click on continue. The page should load, indicating that security is in effect.

SSL provides data security between application protocols (such as HTTP, the protocol used by the Web) and the networking protocol TCP/IP. SSL establishes a secure connection between the server and an SSL-capable browser and then encrypts and decrypts information as it flows through the port. SSL can assure that transactions are private and that information has not been altered during transmission.

You can get the Primenet Internet Starter Kit CD-ROM from various outlets in your city/town- in superstores, book shops, computer hardware/software shops and various other locations. This CD is your key to connecting with Primenet.

There are basically two kinds of connections: Dial-up and ISDN.

Dial-up: This connection lets you connect to the Internet through the local ISP with the help of a modem and a telephone connection. This is the connection most people use at home.

ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is an all-digital telephone service that provides reliable voice and data communications using the same wiring as the existing telephone network. ISDN provides two 64kbps connections that can be combined into one 128kbps connection. Each of the two 64kbps channels operating independently can be used for voice and data communication.

Facilities like free email box and web space.

Our services includes the following:
Dial-up access PSTN
ISDN dial-up connectivity
Lease Line Internet Access
Virtual Private Network
Web Hosting
Co-Location Services

The CD-ROM has Primenet Kit and lots of freeware softwares. The Primenet kit will install a program group on your machine, which contains:

1. Auto Dialer
2. Registration Dialer
3. Installation Manual
4. Frequently Asked Questions

The extensive manual and FAQ will give you step-by-step help for registering and connecting to Primenet and also provide answers to most of your queries.

The freeware softwares on the CD-ROM will help you in your day-to-day computing and surfing. Please read the disclaimer before using any of the software listed below:

1. Anti Virus
InoculateIT Personal Edition.

2. Browsers
Internet Explorer v 5.0 / Netscape Navigator v 4.74

3. Desktop
Screensavers / Calculator

4. Software (Development)
jdk 1.1.8

5. Games
Demorash / Diablo / Nfsdemo

6. Internet
-chat
  ICQ / MIRC
-Email
  Eudora
-FTP
  Cute FTP
-Proxy
  Naviscope

7. Miscellaneous
Media Player / Winzip 8.0 / Iphone 5.0/Acdsee
Acrobat Reader

Registration is a breeze if you install the software from the CD-ROM (Primenet software and Internet Explorer). After you finish installing Primenet Kit you will be asked whether you want to get registered, if you click on 'yes' Primenet Registration dialer will be activated. Click on 'connect' button. It will start dialing to Primenet's Registration server. Just fill the form as per instructions to get yourself registered. In case, you click on 'No', you will be taken back to the presentation. To start the registration process later, double-click on the 'Primenet Registration icon' on your desktop. The registration dialer will be activated as explained earlier in this answer.

- Primenet will become your Internet Service Provider
- Your default home page will become www.primenet.in
- Primenet auto dialer and registration dialer will be installed on your system and icons will be created
  on your desktop.
- Primenet FAQ's and Manual will be dumped in your hard disk and will show in the start up menu.
- Primenet wallpaper will be included in the desktop background list and can be activated when desired.

None of your earlier settings will be disturbed or deleted in any way. All the connections will remain accessible.

To check the number of hours remaining, click on 'account info' on the web site (www.primenet.in). Go to 'account status', log on with your username and password to see your account details.

Renewal packs are available with our sales partners and several retail outlets in your city. To renew, click on 'account info' on the web site (www.primenet.in). Go to 'account renewal', enter the two purchased renewal keys to recharge your account.

In this case you have to provide certain specific information to our customer care executive. The same will be validated with your previous information, which you have already provided to us. After successful validation you will be asked to remit a minimum charges of Rs. 100/- (One hundred only). After that we will give you one temporary password which you can change as your own later.

To change your password, click on 'account info' on the web site (www.primenet.in). Go to 'change password', enter the old password, new password and confirm it. Click on 'change' button to process. Your new password must be of 6 characters and alpha-numeric. That means that all characters cannot be alphabets and all cannot be numeric also.

If you are not able to access a particular site, the reasons may be:
The particular site may be down
The site which is running on Web server may be down due to upgradation/problems.

If you are not able to access any sites on the Internet, the reasons may be:
-You have not established the connection to Primenet
-Bad connection
-Browser configuration problem

The term "56kbps modem" is a bit misleading. What would be a more appropriate name is "56kbps capable modem". The maximum speed of your modem is a combination of many factors like:
- the quality of your telephone wiring
- the distance between your telephone and your telephone exchange
- the kind of switching equipment your phone company uses
- the way the phone company is routing your call
- the data transfer speed between your computer and your modem, the modem driver, your system
  configuration, etc.
- Your modem is capable of handling speeds up to 56 kbps under optimal line conditions. But the
  majority of phone lines will only be able to make a connection at a lower speed.

The best resource for modem initialization strings is the documentation that comes with your modem, or the information given by your modem manufacturer.

You already have another Dial-up connection open or have some other fax or telephony application active. It can also be due to a wrong modem set up in Windows 95. Close all other communication programs and try connecting again. If this does not solve the problem, try removing the modem from the Control Panels/Modem settings. Try connecting after Windows 95 auto detects your modem again. Certain brands of computers are known to have problems with the communication software bundled with them. For more information please contact the respective vendors for further instructions.

Please make sure that all cables are properly connected to your computer, modem or LAN, your modem is turned on, and that you have selected the correct modem in your modem settings if you have multiple modems installed. If all else fails please contact your vendor to ensure that the modem is working.

Check that your telephone line is plugged in the Line socket at the back of your modem. Another reason for this could be that signal level of your phone line is too low for your modem to detect. The dialer is therefore waiting. Double-click on My Computer, select the Dial-up Networking folder and right click on the Primenet icon, select Properties, click on Configure, Connection and Advanced. Under the option Extra Setting, type X3.

The User ID and/or Password you entered could be incorrect or the modem was unable to negotiate a compatible protocol. Before you start connecting again, retype your User ID and password.

Disconnects are among the most frustrating problems you can encounter while you're on the Internet. Frequent disconnects can frazzle your nerves. Please remember that if you are having connection problems, it is our desire to help you solve them. However there are a lot of things that can cause disconnects, so troubleshooting can take some time. If they occur very often, some of the reasons could be:

- Phone line noise
- Incorrect wiring at your premises
- Incorrect speed setting in your modem properties
- Call waiting enabled in your modem properties
- Fax software installed on your computer
- Weather changes

If your phone line has Call Waiting, an incoming call could have interrupted your line connection. Disable the Call Waiting function on your phone (Note: The "disable call waiting" option in the dialer property will work only when you disable it from your telephone). If you have extension phone sockets, try disconnecting the devices connected to it, e.g. phone, fax machine etc.

Here are some things you can try:

a. Confirm the spelling of the e-mail address with your recipient. It may sound silly, but when written
    quickly, the number one (1) may look like the lowercase letter L, and the number zero (0) may look
    like the letter O. A mistyped or misspelled address is sometimes the problem.
b. Check the user name does not have any spaces in it.
c. Internet e-mail addresses are NOT case sensitive so user@Primenet.in and USER@Primenet.in are
    the same.
d. Try to send the message again. Sometimes there are temporary problems between mail servers
    that affect mail delivery. You may also contact Customer Care at Primenet to check for any
    mail delivery problems.

If you have any problem or query, you can dial at any of our 24-hour Customer Care centers and register your complaints at that number. Please note down your problem clearly before you call this number. This will help us serve you better.

A computer virus is a computer program that infects other computer programs and reproduces itself without the knowledge of pc user.

Once a virus has infected a program on your computer, it may spread to the other programs. It may or may not damage your files and application depending on the nature of the virus.

It is difficult to assess the number of different viruses, as they increase in number everyday. Although the number runs into thousands it is important to note that any few existing viruses are wide spread.

A virus can enter a computer in variety of ways. You may startup an executable program file from an infected floppy disk, or a file which you downloaded from the internet may be infected.

There is no guarantee to ensure that your computer will not become infected with a virus during its lifetime. However, you can take precautionary measures which will, if practiced methodically, reduce the chances of viruses infecting your machine. Principaly, you should invest in an anti-virus program, many of these available in both common and shareware. If you are considering a shareware version then do be careful to download from a reputable site, like shareware.com. Viruses have been known to pass themselves of as anti-virus programs.