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Troubleshooting Tips
Common PC Problems
Your computer will not boot up. You’ve lost your Internet connection or your screen freezes. Computer problems like these can strike terror in even the toughest among us. But don’t panic. What seems like a complicated problem may actually have a simple solution.When trouble strikes, first go through these troubleshooting checklists.

Your computer will not boot up (turn on):

  1. Make sure the monitor is turned on.
  2. Check all the connections – to the computer, from the computer to the power strip, and from the power strip to the outlet – and press firmly into place. Sometimes even a slight bump to a component can break a connection.
  3. Plug something else (like a lamp) into the electrical outlet to see if the outlet has gone bad.

You’ve lost your Internet connection:

  1. Check to see if the phone or Ethernet cord is firmly plugged in and connected.
  2. If your Internet service is through a phone line, check the function of that line by plugging in a phone and seeing if there’s a dial tone. Call for line service if you don’t hear one.
  3. Wait a few minutes and try again. Sometimes this is a temporary problem. Also, try restarting your computer.
  4. If none of these troubleshooting tips restore your service, call Internet Tech Support at 515-597-HELP (4357).

The screen has frozen up:

  1. Try a warm boot, which means restarting the computer without fully shutting it down first. A warm boot can be accomplished by pressing the CTRL - ALT - DEL keys simultaneously, or by selecting the restart command from an operating system menu.
  2. If a warm boot doesn’t work, a cold boot is the next step. This means you turn the power off on your computer, and then back on again. A cold boot forces the computer to turn off without shutting down applications one by one, so you may lose unsaved data. But hopefully, you’ll at least be able to restart your computer.

It’s probably time to pick up the phone and call a computer expert if these techniques fail to work. Remember, it’ll be cheaper and easier for an expert to fix your problem if it hasn’t been compounded by hours of desperate do-it-yourself maneuvers.

Week or No Signal Message

This is an issue we see frequently. Please note this is normally not an issue with your digital cable but rather an issue with your TV not being on the correct input to be viewing your digital cable.

First check to see that the digital box is turned on and not in "standby" mode. If the tv and digital box is turned on then this is most likely an input issue.

To correct this issue, you must find the correct input that your digital box is connected to your TV. This varies widely by TV brand but generally you can cycle through your inputs by pressing the "Video Source" button on the remote provided by Huxley Communications. If this does not work, please use the remote that came with the TV. You will be looking for a button marked "Input" or "Source" or "Video Source".Occasionally the source list may be found under a "menu" button. For further assitance you should refer to your TV manual or contact the manufacturer directly.

Once the TV is on the correct input, you will again see the correct programming and no longer see the "weak or no signal" message.

Bad Reception On Local Channels

Huxley Communications serves several communities that are in very close proximity to the local broadcasting stations’ transmitters which are located in Alleman, IA. The problem with being located close to these towers is the off-air signal that is broadcast in our area is very strong.

For a number of years, Huxley Communications has chosen to rebroadcast those local stations on translator channels 19-22 to avoid the possible problems caused by this issue. Because channel line-up space and bandwidth capacity is limited, we were forced to eliminate these translator channels. The problem of bad reception can be corrected and is caused by faulty inside cable wiring.

Please check all the cable connections in your house to ensure that nothing is loose and all connections are secure and are in good condition. If no obvious problems exist, contact our office to schedule an appointment to have technician come to your home. There may be a charge for a technician to enter your home.

HuxComm Email On Your Smartphone

Your Huxley Communications email will work on your iPHONE, Droid, Blackberry or other smartphone device. Set-up varies by device by here are the settings you will need to know in order to access your Huxley Communications email on your phone.

Domain: huxcomm.net

Incoming server (POP3): mail.huxcomm.net
Outgoing server (SMTP): mail.huxcomm.net

Incoming port number: 110
Outgoing port number: 25

Username: Unique to you
Password: Unique to you (remember your password is case sensitive)

Wireless Network Security

WIRELESS NETWORK SECURITY

Hackers love unguarded wireless networks. Believe it or not, there are documented stories about people with laptops driving around looking for unguarded wireless networks to steal personal information or to use the bandwidth for illegal activities.

Protecting your home’s wireless network from hackers, viruses, and bandwidth theft is essential. Here are some basic tips to get you started in the process.

  1. Activate wireless network security features such as data encryption, a firewall, and antivirus and spyware protection. These features must be running when your networking is operating.
  2. Put the network’s router or access points in the center of your home. Typical wireless networks transmit radio signals about 300 feet. Keeping these devices away from windows limits the opportunity for bandwidth theft.
  3. Change your login and username as soon as the network is up and running. Hackers often try well-known default logins and usernames to attempt access to wireless networks.

For detailed information on how to administer your router provided by Huxley Communications, please contact our office and speak to a customer care representative.

Spam

SPAM, the slang term for unsolicited commercial e-mail, is becoming more than a nuisance, it is an electronic epidemic! A recent statistic estimated over 90% of e-mail is now Spam.  Spam emails can be extremely annoying, especially when you receive it in large quantities.  As an internet service provider this is an issue that we face head-on every day.  We have several tools in place such as e-mail filters that catch thousands of these unwanted messages, but thousands more can still get through our equipment. Huxley Communications is well aware of this ongoing problem and we receive several calls a week asking for help!  Since there are limits to what we as your internet service provider can do to help protect your e-mail address and your privacy, here are some things that you can do to help control spam yourself.

  1. Never give your primary e-mail address to anyone you wouldn’t give your personal phone number to!  This is a good practice that can help keep your address from getting on a spammers list.
  2. Create a “junk e-mail account” with a large online e-mail hosting company like MSN or Yahoo!  Then give your junk e-mail address out when shopping online or doing other casual internet activity such as chat rooms.
  3. NEVER respond to spam offers or reply to be “taken off the list”.  This only aggravates the problem and you will receive exponentially more spam!
  4. When registering with a web-site, read the terms and conditions thoroughly and make sure you understand what you are agreeing to.  Many well-known companies sell your information to marketing companies. In many cases you probably give them permission to send you spam without even realizing it! Also when registering with a site make sure you “opt-out” of receiving additional e-mail from “our partners” or additional information on “our products and services”.  If you check that box, you will most likely receive spam.
  5. Avoid forwarding chain letters and other “paper trails” These types of e-mails can contain hundreds of legitimate addresses and if spammers get their hands on them it is a goldmine.
  6. Protect your computer and personal information by installing virus protection that contains a firewall. This can keep your computer from being targeted by spammers and used as a “zombie computer”.
  7. Be careful of “phishing”. This is when an official looking e-mail asks you to provide confidential information via e-mail. Do not provide any unsolicited private information to anyone!
Programming Your Digital Remote

STEP 1: Turn on the TV set.

STEP 2: Press the TV button and the OK/SEL button simutaneously for 3 seconds. The TV LED light will turn on for 30 seconds indicating the unit is ready to be programmed.

STEP 3: Point the remote control toward the TV and enter the 3-digit code number assigned to your brand. (You can download a list of popular remote codes HERE on page 2.) PLEASE NOTE: If the 3-digit code number you just entered is correct, the TV will turn OFF. If it did not turn OFF, continue enterting code numbers listed for that brand until the TV turns OFF.

STEP 4: After you have entered the correct code number and TV has turned OFF, press the POWER button to turn the TV back On. Now it's time to test the VOLUME and MUTE buttons for the TV to make sure they work. If any of the functions do not work as they should, repeat from STEP 3 using the next 3-digit code number listed for that brand.

STEP 5: Once you have found the correct 3-digit code, save it by pressing the TV button one more time. The TV LED light will blink twice to confirm that the code was successfully stored.

If the above 5 steps do not work you can use the auto-search method:

STEP 1: Turn on the TV set.

STEP 2: Press the TV button and the OK/SEL button simutaneously for 3 seconds. The TV LED light will turn on for 30 seconds indicating the unit is ready to be programmed.

STEP 3: Point the remote toward the TV and press the (CH ↑) or (CH ↓)  button one step at a time or keep in pressed. The remote will emit a series of ON/OFF commands. Release the (CH ↑) or (CH ↓) button as soon as the TV turns OFF.

STEP 4: After you have "found" the correct code number and TV has turned OFF, press the POWER button to turn the TV back On. Now it's time to test the VOLUME and MUTE buttons for the TV to make sure they work. If any of the functions do not work as they should, repeat from STEP 3 going in the opposite CH direction.

Weak Or No Signal On Digital Cable

This is an issue we see frequently. Please note this is normally not an issue with your digital cable but rather an issue with your TV not being on the correct input to be viewing your digital cable.

First check to see that the digital box is turned on and not in "standby" mode. If the tv and digital box is turned on then this is most likely an input issue.

To correct this issue, you must find the correct input that your digital box is connected to your TV. This varies widely by TV brand but generally you can cycle through your inputs by pressing the "Video Source" button on the remote provided by Huxley Communications. If this does not work, please use the remote that came with the TV. You will be looking for a button marked "Input" or "Source" or "Video Source".Occasionally the source list may be found under a "menu" button. For further assitance you should refer to your TV manual or contact the manufacturer directly.

Once the TV is on the correct input, you will again see the correct programming and no longer see the "weak or no signal" message.

BEC Router With Wireless Setup

Huxley Communications provides a modem at no cost to all DSL customers that provides internet access to one computer. Upon request, we can provide a BEC router/modem that has 4 hardwired ports and wireless capabilities. If you currently have a BEC router installed in your home and would like to activate the wirlesss, please follow these instructions.

STEP 1: You must first hardwire into the router. Wait 60 seconds or so. From the hardwired computer open up your web browser and type 192.168.1.254 into the URL bar. This is the gateway IP address of the BEC router.

STEP 2: If you are successfully connected, the BEC admin homepage will appear. You will be prompted for a username and password. If the username and password box does not appear, re-enter the gateway IP address in the URL. In certain situations, this may take several attempts. The default username is "admin" the default password is "admin".

STEP 3: On the home page of the BEC administration page you will see on your left hand side a short list of menu items. Please select "configuration. Under the configuration drop down menu select "LAN". Under LAN select "wireless".

STEP 4: Once the Wireless window is open, on your right hand side you will see a radio button to enable the wireless (WLAN). Please do so. You will also see a place to enter a wireless network name (ESSID) This can be anything you want it to be.  Apply your changes and save the configuration.

STEP 5: Back on the left hand side under the LAN menu select security options. On the right hand side of the screen you will see a drop down menu that allows you choose a security option. From the drop down menu select WPA-Pre Shared Key. In the first white box enter a WPA key. This can be anything you want and is case sensitive. This needs to be a minimum of 8 characters. Apply changes and save the configuration.

STEP 6: Log out of the administration page

STEP 7: Your wireless network is now active. You will need to search for available wireless networks on your computer or wireless device and log on. This process varies slightly by make and model and the device you are using. Please refer to your manufacturer on the specifics of setting up your wireless connectivity with your hardware device.