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| Home | Services | Support | About Us | Links | Contact Us |
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Our customer support is free and is offered to SSMNET customers only.
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Support: Frequently Asked Questions
Dialup Questions Q: What kind of software do I need? A: You will need two major pieces of software; dialup connection software and a browser. The dialup software makes the connection to the internet, and the browser allows the user to browse or surf the World Wide Web. There is a third piece of software that most users require and that is an email program. The two major browser companies provide an email program with their browsers. Most new computers come pre-installed with Internet connectivity software. Q: How long does it take for my account to be activated? A: If the signup is received before five o'clock PM, service is activated the same day. SSMNET will send you, via snail mail, a Welcome Letter which will include all of the user names and passwords you'll need to get on-line, and send/receive email. Q: What if I need help? A: No problem, just give SSMNET a call at 763-572-2340 or 1-877-891-2340. Customer Support will help get you on-line. Q: What if I still need help after talking to a Customer Support representative? A: If the Customer Support representative cannot resolve your connectivity issue over the phone, SSMNET will send a representative out to your home (residential only) to set up your internet connection. Q: When does my service start? From the first time I log-in? A: No. Service is active the day of sign up. Q: Can I have an extra mailbox? A: Sure. For an extra $1 per month additional private e-mail boxes can be set up under your account. Q: I have more than one person living with me. Can we use the same account? A: All users sharing an account are limited to one user at a time. SSMNET does not allow two simultaneous logins with the same userid and password. Q: Can I choose my User ID? A: No. The Service ID will be assigned in sequence. Remember that an email alias is different from a User ID. SSMNET will always set up one free alias which will "point" to your User ID. Go to the top Web Hosting Questions Q: Can I get hosting for a Cold Fusion site? A: Yes. SSMNET has dedicated Cold Fusion servers. Additionally, SSMNET supports MySQL, PHP, and Perl. For additional development tools hosted by SSMNET, please call 763-572-2340 Q: Can I get performance statistics on my web site? A: Yes, upon request SSMNET will enable statistics on the requested site available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Q: What's the difference between throughput data and storage data? A: Storage data is all the files uploaded and stored on an SSMNET server from the client. SSMNET does not technically "limit" it's storage space for corporate web clients. However if the usage becomes excessive we will contact the client and suggest a better solution. (This includes all the HTML documents and graphics.) Throughput data is the amount of traffic per month a site receives. Whenever data is transferred from the Internet to a browser, traffic is added. SSMNET does not limit data transfer on a monthly basis. . However if the usage becomes excessive we will contact the client and suggest a better solution. SSMNET offers to monitor site traffic at no charge to the customer. Ask about free statistics from SSMNET. Q: Can I get my own domain name? (mycompany.com, mycompany.org, etc.) A: Yes, it is generally recommended to have a domain name for doing any kind of business on the web. Q: How do I register it? A: SSMNET provides name registration for our customers. To register a custom domain name that ends with .com, .org, .net, or .edu, call us at 763-572-2340 or 1-877-891-2340. Because the process can be confusing for new web hosting customers, SSMNET can register the requested name for the customer. Q: What if my name is already taken? A: Try choosing a variation of the name or changing it's suffix (.com, .net, .org, etc.) Q: How long does this take? A: The entire process takes anywhere from 2 to 3 days to complete. Q: How much does this cost? A: SSMNET charges $20 per year to "own" a domain name and charges in 2 year intervals. Q: I already have a domain name and a web site, how do I transfer them to SSMNET? A: If you already "own" a custom domain name, and you want to move it to SSMNET from your current Web Hosting vendor, your registrar should provide an easy way to modify your registration information. This can usually be done from the registrars website. It's just a matter of asking them to update your hosting information. In terms of timing, the modification process generally takes 1 to 2 days to complete. In terms of cost, it's free. Q: What about security? I need to get secure information from my customers off the web such as credit card information. A: To send information securely over the web, a Secure Socket Layer is highly recommended. The process begins by submitting an interactive form (the html document designed to record a person's name, address, credit card number, etc.) which is in our secure environment. That document resides apart from the rest of the site, and hard-links must be provided (or non-relational href's) to and from that page. All information sent via the form is encrypted. Most browsers have built in indicators which notify clients that they have entered a secure area. SSMNET offers SSL as part of our Enhanced Web Hosting package. Q: Does SSMNET offer a reseller program? A: YES, SSMNET is currently running a reseller program tied into our referral program. Call for details. Go to the top Web Design Questions Q: Is there a limit on how large of a site I want designed? A: There are no limits on size. Everything will be worked out on an individual basis since a large site is different in everyone's eyes. (i.e. a site may have many pages, but not much content making it small in size, whereas another site may have only a few pages, but lots of content, making it 'large' in size) Q: I am really new to the web; I'm not sure what kind of site I even need! Can you help? A: Of course! We give free consultations on web sites in regard to size, content, layout, etc. but ultimately, the decision is yours. Q: What is your philosophy behind a good site? A: We believe in four main concepts: Easy Navigation, Fast Download, Relevant Information and Visual Interest. When a customer comes to your site all of these elements are equally important. Easy Navigation prevents someone from getting lost in a mess of confusing pages; they get in, get what they came looking for, and leave. Fast Download prevents a customer from leaving a site before it downloads. The average attention span of the average web surfer is barely 30 seconds. Relevant Information is therefore also important since you want to communicate your message quickly and effectively. Visual Interest captures a customer. It is possible to create a quick loading site that is visually interesting. These 4 things are always important to us, you, and your customers. Q: How long does the whole process take? A: Once again, this is influenced by many factors, including the size of the site, the level of communication between you and us, and the tweaks and fixes for the final production. Q: What do you use to design the sites? A: SSMNET uses standard html coding tools. Programming is done in either standard HTML or Cold Fusion depending on the customer's needs. Q: Once I have my site I want to make my own updates. Can I do that? A: Yes! You can make your own updates, however you will need an understanding of HTML and an FTP program. SSMNET can also create an administration page for any website that we create with Cold Fusion. Q: Once I have my site I don't want to make updates. Can you guys do that? A:SSMNET can make most updates at any time. However, there is a charge of $55.00 per hour for standard HTML and $75.00 per hour for Cold Fusion (minimum of one hour) for labor. Q: Do you have a portfolio of your previous work I could look at? A: Yes! In the Web Design Section of SSMNET's website, you can see our portfolio of the sites we have done. Q: Ok, so how much does it cost me in the end? A: All costs for Web Design services are worked out on an individual basis and written up in a contract agreed upon by both parties. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for this FAQ, please don't hesitate to call 1-763-572-2340. Go to the top Billing Questions Q: How does the billing process work? A: The first bill is for either partial month or full month of access and the setup fee. Each additional bill is sent out on the 1st of the month. Q: What type of payment do you accept? A: SSMNET accepts checks, major credit cards (Visa or MasterCard), money orders, cashier's checks, and cash (must be delivered in person). Q: When is it due? A: The full amount of the invoice is immediately due upon receipt. Q: What if my check bounces or has NSF? A: Because we are charged a fee from the bank, you will be charged an additional $20 for every bounce or NSF check. Q: What if I sign up in the middle of the month? A: SSMNET Prorates the first month of billing. (e.g. a user signs up half way through the month, the monthly charge is only half) This prorating does not extend to the setup fees. Q: Do you give refunds? A: Yes, but only for unused, prepaid services. SSMNET does not give refunds for services the user has chosen not to make use of in the past. For special cases, please call the customer support line for more information. Q: If I cancel my account, do I receive a refund for the remainder of the month? A: No. Each payment is made a month in advance for one month. Accounts remain active until the last day of the month in which they were canceled. Q: I canceled my account, but I'm still getting billed? What's going on? A: If the user still has a balance due, SSMNET will continue to send statements. SSMNET does not always receive payments before billing goes out. Users are encouraged call the customer support line to settle any discrepancies with account balances. Q: Is there a trial period? A: No. At sign up, the user is obligated for the first month of service and any setup fees. Q: Why was my account disabled? A: Invoices are sent out the 1st of each month. Accounts that are not paid in full by the 30th are subject to being disabled, meaning all services under that account will be temporarily unavailable. Accounts that are disabled can only be reactivated by payment to the account, including a $10 reconnect fee. Accounts that have diabled twice due to non-payment are required to pay via our monthly automatic credit card charge. If you have any questions / concerns regarding your billing statement, comments / suggestions, on any of the policies outlined above, please contact any one of our friendly customer support representatives at 763-572-2340. Go to the top |
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