FAQ's

Q: I cannot log on to Cybervale’s network my computer is telling me that either my user name or password is not valid on the domain.

A: First check to ensure that your caps lock key on your keyboard is not active. Your username and password are both case sensitive. So for example, if you type “someuser” and “somepwd” as your user name and password the system will log you on (assuming that they are valid user names and passwords). However if you type “SOMEUSER” and “SOMEPWD” or have any other variation of your user name or password then the system will not allow you to log on.
Also note that there can be no spaces in either your username or password. Finally if all attempts fail please contact a Cybervale representative at 663-8735.

Q: I cannot log on to Cybervale’s network my computer is telling me that the modem did not detect a dial tone.

A: First make sure that the modem is installed and the phone line is running to the modem correctly.
Check to ensure that you have no voicemail messages on your phone line.
Ensure that you do not have any software (FaxSupervisor etc) that is using the modem at the same time that you are trying to log on.
Attach a handset to the phone and if you hear a dial tone it may be a modem fault. If you don’t hear a dial tone it could be line, jack or a general problem with Cable and Wireless Jamaica.

Q: I cannot log on to Cybervale’s network my computer is telling me that there was a hardware failure in the modem or other connecting device.

A: Contact a computer technician and have them inspect the modem. You may call Cybersurf at 988-7873 if you are in the parish of St. Catherine.

Q: How do I change my password?

A: You may can log on to Cybervale’s website and click on the change password button (http://www.cybervale.com/change_passw.php3. If you are unable to reach our website please contact a Cybervale representative at 663-8735.

Q: How do I check my e-mail on Cybervale’s website?

A: Simply go to www.cybervale.com and click on check your email, or type http://webmail.cybervale.com then enter your username and password in common letters and click on login.
Be aware that if you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express that these applications will download the mail off our server so you will only see mail that has arrived after you last downloaded your mail.

Q: When my account expires does Cybervale give me a “grace” period in which to make a payment.

A: All Cybervale customers are afforded five (5) calendar days in which to make a payment after their account expires

Q: If I pay my access fee after the five-day grace period, will Cybervale charge me a reconnection fee?

A: Cybervale does not charge any reconnection fee. However if there is an outstanding balance on your account this fee must be paid before you can regain access to our network and its associated services.

Q: What is spyware?

A: Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet (where it is sometimes called a spybot or tracking software), spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Data collecting programs that are installed with the user's knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared. However, spyware is often installed without the user's consent, as a drive-by download, or as the result of clicking some option in a deceptive pop-up window.
The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an Internet user on their computer. However, the existence of cookies and their use is generally not concealed from users, who can also disallow access to cookie information. Nevertheless, to the extent that a Web site stores information about you in a cookie that you don't know about, the cookie mechanism could be considered a form of spyware.

Q: How do I block unsolicited E-mail (Spam) in Microsoft Outlook Express?


A: Spam, or Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail is a growing problem for all Internet users. While Cybervale has implemented software on our mail server that will block most spam sent to a customer’s account, from time to time Spam will leak through. Therefore, it is important that you the customer also take steps to limit the amount of Spam that you will actually download onto your computer.
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS™
Step 1
Open Outlook Express and from the top menu bar select Tools, Message Rules, and Mail with your left mouse button.

Step 2
If you do not currently have any mail rules created the New Mail rule dialogue box will appear. If you already have one or more mail rules in place you will get a window with a summary of those rules. If you get the summary, click on New.
In section 1 put a check mark next to "Where the message body contains specific words".
In section 2 put a check mark next to "Delete it".
In section 4 delete what is there and type in your own name for this rule.
Step 3
In section 3, click on contains specific words your left mouse button.
Step 4
On this screen you will be asked to specify which words to block.
Type in the word you want blocked in the top line and click Add.
You will not need to go into the Options on this screen because the default settings are correct to block mail containing the word you specify here.
After entering the word or words you want on this screen click OK.
Special Note: Keep in mind that this rule will be triggered only when all the conditions you specify are met. For example, if you wanted to block mail messages with the words red, blue, or green and you added all three words to this window, the only mail that would be blocked would be those messages containing all three of the words. Mail with any one or two of them would still get past the filter. To block multiple words its usually better to create a separate rule for each word; red, blue, and green.

Step 5

Section 3 of the mail rule will now contain the word you added on the previous screen.
Click OK to continue.
Step 6
A summary of the Mail Rule will be displayed on the Mail rule tap of the Message Rules window.

If you are finished, click OK.
If you would like to add another rule click on the “New” button and follow the FAQ again from the top.

Q: What causes slow browsing?

A: If there is a telephone, answering machine, etc., plugged into the back of the modem, unplug it from the back of the modem. The modem is supposed to ignore devices plugged into it when it is online, but that is not always the case.

Try disconnecting additional telephony devices (fax, phones, answering machines, alarm systems, etc.) from the phone line, even if they're in a different room.

Also try running the phone line directly from the back of the modem to the wall, without passing through surge suppressors, splitters, phone line extenders, etc. This is a basic and useful step in modem troubleshooting.

Also the presence of viruses on your computer and programs that secretly utilize your bandwidth can also cause slow browsing. Be aware also that if you are downloading content off the internet depending on the number of downloads and or the speeds at which you are downloading the content can adversely affect your browsing speeds.

Q: What causes frequent disconnections?

A: One reason could be Line Noise.
Some of the causes of line noise include:
Dampness and moisture in the phone lines. Old or low quality phone lines. Multiple features on your phone line (call waiting, caller id, etc.) may slow your connection speeds as these services pull from the purity of the phone line like a distraction. Cordless phones attached to the same phone line may cause some interference. Having your phone cord too long or your computer too far from the jack. Your phone cord wound from the jack to the computer may cause it to act like an antenna. Your phone cord being ran next to a power supply, radio, speakers, or other source of interference. Someone picked up another phone on the same line while you are online. All these factors contribute to line noise and may be the cause of frequent disconnections.

One solution to line noise problems is to call your phone company and have them check the phone line.

Call Waiting: If you have call waiting enabled and someone calls when you are online, you will likely be disconnected. The solution is to set your line to disable call waiting while you are online.
To do this, open My Computer and then Dial-Up Networking. Right click on the Cybervale icon. In the Properties window, enter *70, before the phone number you are currently dialing. E.g. *70,9395861

Idle Disconnect: If you are connected to the Internet but are not doing anything that causes data to move through the network (for example if you leave your computer or spend a long time viewing a certain page) you may be disconnected.
To disable this feature in windows 95/98, simply open My Computer and then Dial-Up Networking, and right click the Cybervale icon. Select the properties option then configure in the dialog window.
Next select the connection tab at the top of the new window, and then remove the tick beside Disconnect a call if idle for more than X minutes.

In Windows 2000 and Windows XP
Double click on the shortcut to Cybervale on your desktop and then click on Properties.
When the properties of the connection are displayed click on the Options tab and you will see a Redialing options subsection.
Locate the Idle time before hanging up box, click on the drop down box and select never.

Modem Settings: Sometimes modems are set by the operating system to operate at speeds that can cause more errors and disconnections. To check this, click on the Start Button, select Settings, and Control Panel. Under the Control Panel, open System. Click the Device Manager tab, and click the + symbol next to Modem to display the installed modems on your computer. Click the name of your modem and then click the Properties button at the bottom of the window.
At the bottom of the window you will see a Maximum Speed setting, which by default is set to 115,200 on most systems. Try setting this to 57,600.
E-mail Set to "Hang Up When Finished": Some e-mail programs such as Outlook Express have an option when downloading a large e-mail message to automatically hang up from the Internet when finished. If you find that you are being disconnected as soon as your mail is checked, this is most likely the problem. To fix this follow these simple instructions.
In Outlook Express, click on the 'Tools' menu. Click on the 'Options' option. Click on the 'Connection' tab. Remove the check mark from "Hang up after sending and receiving". Click on 'OK'

Hardware Problems: Sometimes frequent disconnections are an indicator of a modem malfunction. This may even be the case with new modems. Modems tend to generate heat, which can cause flaws in the electronic components.

Q: Why do websites sometimes take a long time to load?

A: If there are a great volume of persons trying to reach a website at the same time, then it may result in the website taking a longer time to load as compared to those times when the demand is less.

Q: What is the Internet?

A: The Internet is a global network of computers that communicate using a common language. It's similar to the international telephone system -- no one owns or controls the whole thing, but it is connected in a way that makes it work like one big network. There are over forty million people that have e-mail access to the Internet. That includes you.

Q: What is the World Wide Web?

A: The World-Wide Web is a term used to describe all of the information and multimedia content available on the Internet. To access this information, you use an application called a web browser. *Microsoft Internet Explorer is a web browser application. Internet Explorer lets you search, find, view and download information on the Internet. "Hypertext" makes the web an easy place to navigate. Using a file format called "HTML" (hypertext markup language), "hypertext" lets you "hyperlink" or jump from one page on the web to other pages -- those pages can contain images, movies, sounds, 3D worlds, just about anything. The pages and files can be located anywhere on the Internet. The "hyperlinks" are the connecting strands that form the World Wide Web. When you are connected to the web, you have equal access to information anywhere in the world; there are no additional "long distance" charges or restrictions.

*Netscape Navigator is also web browser application

Q: Why do I log in at less than 56 k when using my 56 k modem?

A: For 28.8 or 33.6 modems, normal connect rates will be between 21.6 and 28.8. For 56 k modems, then you can reasonably expect speeds between 46 k and 52.9 k. Keep in mind that the connect rate reported at log on is just a snapshot of that moment and your actual rates will fluctuate during the time you are connected.
You can try disconnecting any other telephones, answering or fax machines hooked to any other phone jacks or you may want to run a dedicated line from your computer phone jack straight to the phone box on your house, bypassing other house phone jacks and circuits that may be causing line noise or other interference. You can check modem setup; be sure maximum speed is 115k (this is port speed for most 28.8 or 33.6 modems), data compression is on and flow control is set to hardware.
Regarding 56k modems and initial connect rates, some of the same factors apply. In addition, the distance between you and your local telephone company's CO (Central Office) or local exchange and the number of analog to digital conversions along that route will also affect your ability to connect faster. Generally, if you live more than 3 miles from your CO or local exchange, you may not be able to connect any faster with a 56k modem than you did with a 33.6 or 28.8 though, it is possible you may see some improvement in throughput.


Q: What is V.92?


A: V.92 is the new dial-up modem specification from the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) that introduces three new features that will add convenience and performance for the modem user. The three features are quick connect, Modem-on-Hold™ (MOH) and PCM Upstream.


Q: How do V.92 modem speeds compare to ISDN, ADSL and Cable speeds?


A: The V.92 modem is a regular dial-up modem with increased upload speed. ISDN (64-128Kbps), ADSL (640Kbps and up), Cable (1000Kbps and up) and other broadband connections have a higher "raw power" connection speed so they will continue to be faster than a V.92 modem.


Q: What will quick connect do for me?


A: Very simply, quick connect will shorten the time it takes to make a connection by remembering ("training") the phone line characteristics and storing them for later usage. Typically, the modem handshake (all that noise you hear) takes from 25 to 27 seconds. Surveys indicate that people are quite irritated at this length of time. Quick connect will cut the modem handshake time to approximately 18 – 20 seconds for most calls, a significant improvement.


Q: What will MOH do for me?


A: Many households use the same phone line for both voice calls and data (Internet), so when the user is browsing the Internet, an incoming call cannot get through. MOH allows you to receive an incoming call and stay connected to the Internet Service Provider (Call-Waiting service from your phone company is all that is required). It also works in reverse; you can initiate a voice call while connected and keep the modem connection.


Q: What will PCM Upstream do for me?


A: PCM Upstream boosts the upstream data rates between the user and ISP to reduce upload times for large files and email attachments. A maximum of 48 Kbps upstream rates is supported. PCM Upstream will work particularly well with new equipment such as Internet-connected digital cameras, which primarily upload rather than download information.


Q: Will I be able to upgrade my V.90 modem or will I have to buy a new V.92 modem?


A: Some of the older V.90 modems that were upgraded from x2 or K56Flex to V.90 do not have the hardware needed to implement V.92. In those cases, you would have to buy a new modem to get V.92 capabilities. We recommend Singlepoint Cnet, Lucent (agree and ibis) and Netodragon. Other wise you may check on line for V.92 drivers for your modem.


Q: How much time will I have if I choose to take an incoming call?


A: Cybervale allows 4 minutes of hold time for MOH, there after you will be disconnected from the Internet. You may continue on your telephone call and dial-up again when you are finished.


Q: Can I stay on the Internet and make a phone call?


A: Yes. Initiating calls is easy with MOH. First, a MOH application is executed. This program suspends the data connection between your modem and the ISP so you can pick up your phone and make an outgoing call in the usual way. The application puts the modem "on-hold", flashes the hook, and a dial tone appears on the extension handset so you can make a call. When your call is complete, the modem will detect an extension on hook, flash the hook twice, and return to the data (Internet) connection. However, you may need to request Three Way Conferencing from your phone company to utilize this function.