As my articles tend to point out problems that local users are experiencing, I felt this topic would be timely even though you won’t read it until over a month after it already happened.  I’ve been getting lots of phone calls and e-mail messages asking for help, but the only advice I’ve been in a position to give is for them to consider changing to another provider if they can’t get the new tech support folks to fix the problem.  Please read the end of this article for some suggestions.

I must disclose first that I have had a long and satisfactory history with STIC.Net, having been a customer of STIC.Net since late 1995.  Since October 1995, STIC.Net tech support would regularly refer the customers to me for on-site help whenever they couldn’t resolve the customer’s issues over the phone.  This working relationship between STIC.Net and me was very convenient for all parties involved.  The STIC.Net customer got their computer up and working at a reasonable price, without having to disconnect and haul it into some shop to be fixed.  STIC.Net got another satisfied customer out of the deal when I fixed their problems, and I got paid for doing it.   What a deal!

Four days before the change-over, we got an e-mail messages alerting us to some new “security measures” which they would be implementing on July 26th, warning us that if we didn’t make those changes we might not be able to send e-mail outbound.

They referred us then to netfaqs.com for some generic help screens to configure our e-mail programs if/when you had problems doing this.  To a non-technical person this procedure and explanation might seem reasonable, but to someone like myself who regularly works with mail servers for multiple ISP mail providers, this screamed “for sale” to me.  Adding the domain name (i.e. @stic.net”) to your dial-up user name is a common practice when using a national access system.  World-Net.net uses the same technique when you use their national access system, but when local you don’t have to do that.  The reason is that the other servers frequently have the same user names (the part in front of the @ sign) and thus you need the full address in order to be unique on that national network.

Apparently on July 26 while making their "security upgrades" to their mail server, STIC.Net in fact laid off all but one employee, sold or moved all their equipment out of the building, and kept attempting to tell all of us that they were simply making some "security upgrades" to their mail server.

The new owners (IKANO) have actually taken much effort to keep all customers happy by sending more e-mail support messages in the past three weeks than the past three years.  Their telephone tech support is now up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  That’s the good news.

But I'm getting reports that many of you are still having problems.  I'm getting reports that some of you are looking for alternatives, local alternatives to the Internet Service Provider change.  That’s the bad news.

Because of these calls and complaints, I looked around to see what I could do to help those of you who don't want to mail your payments to Utah. Most of you don't know that for the past five years, I've had my web and mail servers co-located with another local Internet Provider just around the corner from where STIC.Net used to be.  They have been in business, locally owned and operated for almost as long as STIC.Net was.

This local Internet Service Provider is called World-Net. I have contacted the owners of World-Net and negotiated a "deal" on behalf of all of my referrals from STIC.Net.  They have agreed to match STIC.Net's normal rate (usually $9.95/month) and to waive their normal setup fee of $25.

They offer the same dial-up or ISDN services as STIC.Net with a similar web based interface for your e-mail if you prefer, or you can use your normal e-mail program. They do NOT offer cable service.  They also offer web-hosting packages and have agreed to meet or beat the rates you might be paying at STIC.Net for hosting if you have a web page there.  The primary drawback is you need to change your e-mail address and that means changing your e-mail settings and telling all your friends about your new address.  If you change over to them, they can help you automate the change over if you are using Outlook Express and Windows.  They can provide support via phone to help you configure it, or you can bring your computer to their office to get it changed over.  (It's really not very hard to change it.)

Their web site is found at world-net.net/ and their office is located at 2538 E. Bitters, between Broadway and Wetmore Road. To get the rate matched and setup fee waived, simply call 210-226-6666, select #2 for billing and tell them I referred you to them.   If you have any questions or any problems, feel free to contact me as well by calling 210-771-7075 or sending e-mail.

Last but not least, I’m still seeing lots of computer systems out there with out dated anti-virus software, or no anti-virus software installed.  Do yourself a big favor and update it today, or install a new version.  You might think you are safe because you only open mail from people you know, but what happens when that person gets infected?  Hmm? It does happen more than you may want to believe.