Surfer Beware Safeguards When Using A Public Access Computer How To Reset Your DSL Modem Follow These Tips After a Lightning Storm or Electrical Surge Going on Vacation This Summer? Here's How to Check Your Hartel.net Email While Away From Home Corded Vs. Cordless Phones What Are The Pros and Cons? Not Signed Up for Bundles? You Can Still Save Money and Get Great Values --Why Wait? Parental Controls Now Available SecureIT Adds Services For The Same Price -- AND It's Available Everywhere! Conference Bridging Free Trial Offer! Save Gas Money & Help the Environment! Web Design from Hartel.net Professional Web Designer Hired Ask The Help Desk How Do I Use The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Feature When I Send E-mail Messages To Multiple People? Local Website Of The Month Our Featured LOCAL Website Of The Month is... Sites Of The Month Great Sites To Check Out In June! Short Tutorial Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers

Hello Hartel.net Subscribers! Since we're entering the summer travel season, this month's issue is your tour guide through vacation-related topics. While at hotels, you may want to use public access computers to check e-mail messages or reserve tickets — we teach you how to protect your private data following such online sessions. Want to e-mail everyone about your recent trip? You'll learn how to do it without compromising the privacy of the recipients. Need ideas for fun getaways? Visit our Great Sites list for a taste of Hersheypark, pet travel tips, and a movie preview that takes you onboard an ark. The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to: Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax or security issue that may affect you An update on new services and other local interests An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question Some fun, seasonal websites to check out A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading! - The Hartel.net Team

Surfer Beware - Safeguards When Using A Public Access Computer

You may sometimes need to access the Internet from a computer other than your own — such as a public access computer at an Internet café or library, or the ones offered by hotels you'll be staying at during your summer vacation. Using a shared computer can be convenient, but you must take extra precautions to safeguard your personal information. Here are some tips to remember:

• Do not check the "Remember my ID" or "Remember my password" options. If you check either of these options, you'll remain signed in after you close your browser.
  
  
• Never leave a computer unattended while signed in. Someone could easily access your personal information.
  
  
• Use caution — a sneaky shoulder surfer may try to watch your fingers as you type your password. Use your hand and body to shield the keyboard or number pad to minimize the risk of a thief acquiring your information.
  
  
• Avoid using public access computers for online banking, sending e-mail messages containing personal information, or making online purchases. If you do use public computers for these activities, be sure to sign out of your online accounts, delete the cookies, delete the history, empty the browser's auto fill feature, clear the browser's cache, and close the browser. For instructions on how to do these tasks for specific browsers, see "Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers" in the tutorial section below.

How To Reset Your DSL Modem - Follow These Tips After a Lightning Storm or Electrical Surge

After some service outages or electrical power surges caused by storms and lightning, you may need to reboot your modem to regain connectivity to the Internet and Email. The following are instructions on what you should do:

• If you lose connectivity, check to make sure the power light on the DSL modem is solid green.

• If so, please disconnect the electrical power from DSL modem at the power source (for example, the wall outlet or surge suppressor). Please do not disconnect the power at the back of the DSL modem and do not disconnect any other cables on the modem.

• Turn your computer off.

• If you have a router, turn it off or disconnect the power from the router at the wall outlet or surge suppressor. Please do not disconnect the power at the back of the router or any other cables on the modem.

• Please leave the power off for one (1) minute.

• After one (1) minute, reconnect the power at the power source for the DSL modem.

• Wait one (1) minute for the lights to become solid again.

• If you have a router, turn it on or connect the power from the router at the wall outlet or surge suppressor.

• Turn on your computer.

• You are ready to begin browsing again.

• If you cannot connect, please follow these steps again.

• If the modem does not connect after a second try, please call our tech support number at 254-3902.

Please print and keep these instructions near your computer.

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Going on Vacation This Summer? - Here's How to Check Your Hartel.net Email While Away From Home

Did you know that you can check your email from any PC with Internet access? It's easy! Here's how to get started.

1. Make sure you know your email address and password
2. Direct your browser to www.hartel.net
3. Click the "View Your Mail" icon towards the bottom center.
4. In the UserID box, enter your email address MINUS the "@hartel.net".
5. In the Password box, enter your email password.

You will then view your email account on our webserver, more commonly known as "viewing your webmail". You can click on the Subject of each email to read the text of the email, or you can simply delete the emails or leave them untouched if they aren't of interest to you. Please note that any emails remaining in the webmail folder's Inbox will be downloaded like normal when you return to your home or business and open your usual Email software (such as Outlook Express or Outlook). Any emails that you delete while in webmail are deleted on a permanent basis.

While webmail is a fantastic way to keep caught up with your email while away from home, there are just a few basic rules to remember:

1. Be sure to test your webmail account prior to leaving, so you're accustomed to its use.
2. Make sure that the PC you're using while on vacation doesn't save your password.
3. And NEVER give your password to someone who assists you on a public-access PC.
4. Remember that if you've recently received email in your normal email software such as Outlook Express, you likely won't have any emails remaining in your webmail account.
5. Please realize that if you delete an email from the webserver, it will not be available for downloading later when your return to your home or business.
6. Try to keep the number of emails residing in your webmail account to a minimum.
7. Be sure to logout when done reading your email.
8. Be sure to read the other articles in this newsletter on keeping your data private.

So webmail just isn't for business people anymore. Anyone can take advantage of checking their emails while away from home -- whether on a business trip or on a vacation!

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Corded Vs. Cordless Phones - What Are The Pros and Cons?

Cordless and corded phones are both great for making phone calls. But there are two important differences that we'd like to explain below.

• Cordless phones rely on electrical power to the base station to place and receive calls, and must routinely have their battery charged. In an electrical power outage, cordless phones will not work whether the battery is charged or not. And in some instances, some cordless phones have actually "locked up" all the phones in a home and made them useless, whether the phone was cordless or corded! The remedy is to unplug your cordless phone from both the electrical outlet and phone jack if this ever happens.
  
• Corded phones are powered by a small electrical voltage from the digital switch in our office. During a power outage, corded phones will still be able to place and receive calls. The power from the digital switch is supplied by large batteries in a power outage, and a backup generator is also used as secondary backup.

During last winter's ice storms, many people with cordless phones across Nebraska were left without phone service when the electrical power grid went down. However, those people with corded phones were still able to place and receive calls.

"We're only a phone call away, but you must have a corded phone to do it", said Bill Dendinger, general manager of Hartington Telecommunications.

Other comparisons:

• An answering machine in your home will also not work in a power outage.
• Voice Mail from Hartington Telecommunications will work during a power outage since the system is located in our digital switching office, where backup power automatically takes over whenever the commercial power grid is affected. You can receive messages on the Voice Mail system even if there is no power to your home, and you can even check your voice mail messages using your home's corded phone.

So while modern conveniences like the cordless phone are great tools, it's very important to have a corded phone plugged into a phone outlet somewhere in your home. In the event of a power outage, you are able to call 911 for emergency services, and you are able to receive phone calls from neighbors who may need emergency assistance.

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Not Signed Up for Bundles? - You Can Still Save Money and Get Great Values -- Why Wait?

It's never too late to signup for bundles with Hartington Telecommunications. That means it's never too late to start saving money while upgrading your services!

Signup for any of our bundles and receive 100 free long distance minutes per month, and additional long distance minutes are only 8 cents per minute! All of our bundle plans also include three calling features of your choice such as Caller ID, Voice Mail, and others. You simply choose which features you want!

And with the Broadband DSL or VIP bundle, high speed Internet has never been so easy -- get free high speed Broadband DSL installation and a free DSL modem when you signup. That's a savings of $130.00!

And with speeds of up to 1.5Mg per second (1500k per second), whether you're using an old dialup connection or whether you're on our introductory 128k DSL package, it's well be worth your time to upgrade now. The speed increase is amazing!

See our flyer below for more information and call us at 254-3901 or stop by today!

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SecureIT Plus Parental Controls - Parental Controls Now Available at No Extra Charge

Parental Controls are computer options for controlling what is seen and accessed on your PC. The Nebraska State Patrol has long stressed the importance of having parental control software on all computers with young family members. It is estimated that "70% of sexual advances over the Internet happened while youngsters were on a home computer. One in five kids ages 10-17 have been propositioned for cybersex." (Newsweek -- Legal Facts, Vol 2)

Hartington Telecommunications is pleased to announce the enhancement of our SecureIT Plus product with the addition of parental controls! This enhancement will bring you the added protection of content filtering, access and time management controls, and monitoring/reporting capabilites....features to help ensure the safety and security of your family on the Internet.

• Content Filtering filters the webpages that unauthorized users are able to view.
• Access Controls assist in controlling multiple computer user profiles and can be used to enable/disable the parental controls function.
• Time Management Controls allows you to set the amount of time that each child can use the computer -- day or night, and it also controls Internet surfing, chatting and game playing and can be program-specific.
• Monitoring and Reporting function allows for daily or weekly summary reports of web activity including websites visited, logging of security violations, and email notification of inappropriate access.

If you've been considering changing your Internet security software, there is no better time than the present! SecureIT Plus is a comprehensive suite of fully managed and fully automated security software featuring antivirus, Windows update management, firewall, pop-up blocker, and spyware detection and removal, all with FREE 24/7 technical support for installation assistance and in the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with any portion of the service! As an example, last month SecureIT Plus caught over 150 viruses on our customer's PCs, and blocked over 14,000 popups!

All of this is included for only $8 per month per computer! To see a demonstration and find out more information on how you can start enjoying the added safety and security SecureIT Plus can provide you and your family, please stop by our office at 104 West Centre Street, or just call us at 254-3901 or email us by clicking here.

Get added peace of mind with SecureIT Plus Parental Controls! Signup now and get your first 30 days FREE! Call us at 254-3901 today!

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Conference Bridging - Free Trial Offer! Save Gas Money & Help the Environment!

Conference Bridging service from Hartington Telecommunications allows up to 12 callers to be joined together on one phone call.

No need to travel long miles to meetings when you can meet by phone! Cut fuel expenses. Get immediate feedback from participants. Great for businesses, construction companies with remote sites, extended families, or organizations such as baseball leagues, school athletic conferences, or anytime you need to talk to several people at once.

Calls can be scheduled for anytime day or night. Controls are at your fingertips via the Internet where you can even invite attendees via email. You can see all call attendees via the Internet, mute callers, or set individualized volume levels as the call is in progress!

Plus there's no monthly fees -- pay only when you use it.

And for a limited time, Hartington Telecommunications is offering a FREE TRIAL! Call us today at 254-3901 for more details.

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Web Design - Professional Web Designer Hired

Hartel.net welcomes Andrea Schroeder to our team as a web design specialist. Andrea has over 10 years of experience in web design for businesses and personal use, from basic informative sites to more complex sites with shopping carts and dynamic scripting. Let us know your ideas for a web presence and we'll put Andrea to work for you! Call Hartel.net at 254-3901 for your free quote!

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Ask The Help Desk - How Do I Use The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Feature When I Send E-mail Messages To Multiple People?

Question: I often send e-mail messages to a long list of friends and family but I'm concerned about revealing their e-mail addresses in the "TO" field. I've heard about the BCC feature, but how exactly do I use it? I use Windows XP Home Edition for my operating system and Outlook Express for e-mail.

Answer: "BCC" stands for Blind Carbon Copy, and it's a good way to send messages to many recipients without showing the world all of their e-mail addresses. When using Outlook Express, you won't necessarily see the "BCC" field when you create a new message. So after you create a message, click your cursor arrow on its "View" menu item. Select "All Headers" and the "BCC" field will be visible right below the "CC" field of the message. Then simply enter the e-mail addresses of your chosen recipients. Please note — sometimes spam filters will catch messages that don't have anything in the "TO" field, so put your recipients in the "BCC" field but in addition put your own address in the "TO" field to avoid that problem. All e-mail client software programs have the "BCC" option. If you use a program other than Outlook Express and can't find the BCC field in your particular program, check the program's help files to locate it.

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Local Website Of The Month - Our Featured LOCAL Website Of The Month is.....

This is a series of monthly articles featuring local websites. Please contact us by clicking here if you want your website to be featured in an upcoming issue. You supply the information and we'll put it in our eNewsletter. What a great way to get your website known throughout the Hartington area!

Wintz and Ray Funeral Home

Our web site provides consumers with all the information needed to determine what they prefer to have regarding funeral services for themselves or family members. In addition to printed text we also have a number of video clips that can be watched online. We cover many different aspects of funeral service so you can click on whichever area you are interested in. By providing video messages we feel it allows people to gain a better understanding of what they want, who we are, and what services we provide.

Daily access to obituaries and video tributes is also available. Video tributes are the videos we create for families that show a number of pictures with accompanying music. The obituaries and video tributes stay online for 3 months. Online condolences can also be sent via our web page. Through the use of technology we have been able to improve the quality of the services we provide to families during their time of need.

Please visit our website at http://www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com/.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

MLB Box Scores From the Past
http://www.retrosheet.org/ -  Retrosheet.org was founded in 1989. The site lists box scores from major league baseball games. Its goal is to list the scores for every major league game ever played. Some find that the statistics debunk memories of old games. Retrosheet's purpose is computerizing play-by-play accounts of as many pre-1984 major league games as possible. It's sure to be a hit with any major league fan.

Tips for Pet Travel
http://tripswithpets.com -  If you like to include your pet when you travel, this site can help make the experience go much more smoothly. It includes travel tools, airline pet policies, state leash laws, pet friendly hotel chains, pet recreational activities, directories of veterinarians - even an "Ask the Travel Dog" advice column. The site's staff members are veterans of the online travel industry and have a great deal of experience traveling with their pets. Follow their tips to keep everyone happy, including the furry or feathered members of the family.

Cooking with Farmers' Market Finds
http://thatsmyhome.com/farmers -  It just wouldn't be summer without visits to your local farmers' market. Want some fresh ideas about how to prepare the vegetables you find there? Browse through this site to see their newest recipes like Grilled Sweet Corn with Chili Lime Butter or Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce. You can also search for recipes that feature a specific vegetable, everything from asparagus to zucchini. Dig in and enjoy the tastes of the season.

Send Support to a Soldier
http://anysoldier.com -  This site, started by a Combat Infantry soldier on the ground in Iraq and run by a retired Army soldier, is a volunteer effort designed to put "care packages" in the hands of U.S. soldiers who wouldn't otherwise get much or any mail. It offers you a way to connect with these Americans and let them know you support them and appreciate their sacrifices. You'll find complete information on the site including ideas for what items to send, as well as instructions for how and where to mail your packages.

Sweet Celebration for Hersheypark
http://hersheypa.com/attractions/hersheypark/100th -  When Milton Hershey opened Hersheypark in 1907, it featured a merry-go-round, an amphitheatre, and 5¢ chocolate bars. Now the amusement park in cocoa-crazed Hershey, Pennsylvania includes twisting steel coasters, live entertainment, and a new boardwalk with the largest water-play structure in the world. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hersheypark (and of the Hershey's Kiss), Hershey is throwing a sweet celebration. You'll find all the delicious details at this site including visitor information and lodging options.

Building an Ark for a Flood of Laughter
http://evanalmighty.com -  Opening this month is a comedy of biblical proportions, Evan Almighty, which has Steve Carell reprising his role as newscaster Evan Baxter from the movie Bruce Almighty. Evan is visited by God (Morgan Freeman) and asked to build an ark, a task that turns his life upside down and creates animal antics in two-by-two fashion. Check out this site to watch the trailer and other video clips, try your luck at ark games, or take a look inside Evan's Ark Building for Dummies book. Rated PG.

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Short Tutorial - Clearing Private Data From Browsers On Public Access Computers

Whenever you share a computer with others, particularly a public one, you'll want to protect your privacy by clearing personal data from the computer's browser prior to ending your online sessions. Fortunately, the top browsers make this process a pretty simple one. Just follow the steps below to insure that subsequent computer users don't walk away with your personal details — such as passwords or web form information — when using public access computers.

Clearing Private Data When Using Internet Explorer 7.0 And Windows XP Home Edition — After Your Browsing Session:

1. Once you've completed your browsing session and with Internet Explorer still open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu item and select "Internet Options" from the drop-down menu.
   
   
2. When the "Internet Options" window opens, click on the "General" tab.
   
   
3. Under "Browsing History" you will see the following statement: "Delete temporary files, history, cookies, saved passwords, and web form information." Click on the "Delete" button.
   
   
4. When you close the Internet Explorer browser, your private data will be cleared.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

The Hartel.net Team





Hartington Telecommunications
104 W Centre
PO Box 157
Hartington, NE 68739

Ph 402-254-3901

©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.