SWCP's friendly Technical Support staff is here to assist you with a wide range of Internet-related issues. You may save yourself a call by trying the following first: 

• If you can't connect at all, check the physical connection of all plugs and jacks, especially the phone line or Ethernet cable to the computer.

• If that doesn’t work, turn the power off to the computer and your DSL modem (if you have one), wait a minute, and power up again. This is especially effective for Windows machines.

• If the connection is slow or drops, check the phone line for static, skips, or interference. A bad line will severely degrade both dial-up and DSL.

• If you're having password authentication problems, check to make sure the Caps Lock key is off.

Often these simple actions will clear up difficulties. In future issues, we will have other useful tricks, and cover what information you will need when you do talk to Tech Support, and what our technicians can or cannot do for you.

Having the following information handy may assist your technician to solve your problem quickly when you call:

• Your login name or customer number. It helps!
• If you’ve called before about the same problem, let the tech know right away. We have an excellent Trouble Ticket system for tracking lingering problems, but it only works if  we know that your difficulty hasn't been resolved. 
• Description of the problem, including when it started, how often and how long, and any other odd computer behavior you might have noticed, including pop-up ads that appear suddenly, and Internet activity when you're not actively doing anything online. Those could be signs of viral intruders or spyware nasties. 
• If you see any error message write it down if you can. Try to remember exactly what you were doing when it appeared, likewise if the system freezes or crashes. 
• Your operating system and program version. If you don't know, don't guess; it can be important, but it's very easy to find out, and we'll tell you how if we need to know.
  

The most important thing is: If you have a problem, call. We can’t fix it if you don’t tell us about it.

If you’re calling with an Internet software usage problem, note:

• Software and version that you are using.
• Any software, upgrades, or updates that you added recently.

If you cannot dial in or your dialup connection drops or is unreasonably slow, the following might be handy:

• Phone number your dialer is configured to call.
• Modem brand and model.
• Also, note if there is any unusual amount of noise on the line when you call. Often phone line quality can be adversely affected by high winds or rain, especially older lines.

If it's DSL related:

• DSL modem or router brand and model.
• Flashing, red, or unlit lights on the DSL router.
  

To summarize, these are the types of problems that our crack Tech Support team is best at helping you with:

• DSL router problems.
• Modem disconnects.
• Below normal speeds downloading and/or uploading.
• Cannot reach some Internet site.
• Email getting bounced, repeated, or not downloading.
• Setting up and maintaining our server-side spam filters.
• Anything Internet or networking related.
• Account or online security questions.

However, SWCP Tech Support cannot do everything. We’re sorry, but our technical support is limited to Internet-related problems only, and only those access services we work with.