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This page is provided as a service to our customers and the Internet community. If there's something missing, incorrect or something you'd like to see listed here, feel free to email faq@vns.net with your suggestions. Table of ContentsWhat is a FAQ?FAQs are lists of Frequently Asked Questions. If you've got a question worth asking, chances are that same question has been asked by others, over and over and over. You can find all the USENET FAQs in Hypertext format - completely searchable and automated at the Internet FAQ Archives. Back to TopWhat is the Internet?The Internet is a network of computers connected to each other by high speed telephone lines. No one person or organization runs the Internet. Sections of the Internet are run by ISPs ( Internet Service Providers ) and Telcos ( telephone companies ) while other sections are run by government agencies, schools and business. Back to TopWhat is spam and why don't I want any?Spam is the misnomer for junk email. Anyone who's ever received any already knows why they don't want any. Spam also goes by the name UCE - unsolicited commercial email. Spam is one of the unfortunate side-effects of the commercialization of the Internet. Those who used the Net in the "good old days" (ie: just a few years ago) probably remember a spam-free Net. On the other hand, the commercialization of the Net has also brought a great deal of innovation. To make matters worse, the longer you use your ISP, the more spam you're going to get. The reason: As you send e-mail, post in newsgroups, fill out registration forms, and so on, your name gets picked up by "spambots"—software programs that harvest e-mail addresses. So how can you eradicate spam? Unfortunately, there is no sure fire way to eliminate 100% of junk email, but the following steps can help to reduce your exposure to junk email.
Lastly, check out these sites for more information on spam:
[ Back to Top ]Tell me about Usenet news[ Back to Top ]What's an email client?[ Back to Top ]What's a news client?[ Back to Top ]What are proxies and NAT?[ Back to Top ]Why do I need filtering software?[ Back to Top ]What's a DNS server?[ Back to Top ]How does name resolution work?[ Back to Top ]What's Internic/Network Solutions and why do I need a .COM?.com/.net/.org/.edu - what is all this? [ Back to Top ]What is routing?[ Back to Top ]What's the difference between various access methods?There are numerous questions that must be answered when you are considering an Internet connection. Is this personal or business? What is your budget? Where are you located? How much traffic will you be processing? These are some of the kinds of questions that VNS can help you answer. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can also be a great source of information when considering your Internet connection. Ultimately, these are the companies that will connect you to the Net. For a listing of ISPs, please check these resources:
Regarding connection types, following is a quick and dirty list of some of the most popular ways of connecting the the Internet, along with approximate cost, pros and cons:
[ Back to Top ]Why doesn't a 56K modem transfer at 56K?[ Back to Top ]What's FTP?File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is an Internet protocol which allows for easy transfer of files between computers. [ Back to Top ]Which is better - Mac or PC (or Linux)?It seems this holy war has been brewing since the first Mac rolled off the assembly lines in Cupertino. And really, for no good reason. Just like people, Macs and PCs (and now Linux boxes) are neither better or worse - they're just different. Each platform has it's own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your perspective. It used to be that one platform was easier for doing certain tasks but these days, for the most part, you can achieve whatever you need to on any major platform - PC, Mac or Unix. The most important thing to consider is Internet support, which is now ubiquitous and application support. Once you know that the applications you need to use are available on a particular platform, it's really up to your own personal preference. As of today (circa late 1999), the PC enjoys the widest application support base but major applications (ie: graphics and office productivity) are available for both PC and Mac. Additionally, Unix has enjoyed a tremendous growth surge over the last year, thanks to Linux. Linux is a flavor of Unix that is extremely user friendly (as far as Unix variants go) and is currently enjoying exceptional growth. [ Back to Top ]How can I network my home?[ Back to Top ]What is TCP/IP and why is it important?Since the internet is built on many different types of computer equipment, there needs to be a common language that everyone speaks. TCP/IP is the communications method with which all these different computers speak. TCP/IP defines standards for communications, file transfer and host connectivity. If a computer can run the TCP/IP protocol, the computer can communicate with other computers on the internet. [ Back to Top ]What is a Domain Name?A domain name is a Web site's address on the World Wide Web. Examples of this are vns.net, microsoft.com, compaq.com or sun.com. The .com extension stands for commercial business. Other domain name suffix's that are loosely adhered to inlcude .net for networks, .edu for education, .org for organization and .mil for military use. Each domain name is assigned to a TCP/IP address so it can be resolved by domain name servers. [ Back to Top ]How
do I connect multiple machines to the Internet with a single connection?
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