[Ham-Computers] Question about email and DSL

[jeff]

On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 23:35, Brian K. Gaskamp wrote:
> I'm leaning toward getting DSL here after seeing a great price offer, BUT
> can Outlook Express still be used as my email?
> A lot of people that have DSL that I have seen have switched to Yahoo mail
> or something similar.

DSL, cable, and dialup are three different ways you can connect to the
net.  Outlook Express doesn't really care how you connect, as long as
you connect and have the proper settings.

Inside Outlook Express, your POP3 and SMTP server settings may change,
depending on whether you keep your current email provider or switch to
the DSL provider for email.

Regardless of which way you go, make sure to keep your virus protection
up to date (NO EXCUSES!), Windows patches at the latest version, and if
you don't have a firewall, get one (on my Windows boxes, I use Zone
Alarm- a free, very good product at www.zonelabs.com).  I'd also turn
off Message Preview and jack up all of my Outlook Express security
settings if I were to use OE.

Also, investigate your DSL provider.  Where I live (PA, USA), there are
many options, but every single one of them goes through Verizon to
install the actual line.  This is not really stated anywhere.  My
experience with Verizon has been uniformly crappy.  *IF* they manage to
show up within 4 weeks of the alleged install date, they're missing
parts (or brain cells).  Or the service isn't turned on.  I've lived
through this at work many times.

If you go with DSL provider `Bob's DSL' and something happens, they're
still going to have to go through Verizon to check the problem if it's
not in their equipment.  Talk about a nightmare!  This is the reason I'm
still paying outrageous amounts of money to Comcast for cable internet.



Good luck.