Fri Feb 01, 2008

Next week we will be disconnecting the old modem pool that covers the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo area.

We've been contacting users that are still using it but if you live in one of these areas and aren't yet dialing one of the new numbers, please call us.

(319) 512-0038 - Iowa City
(319) 550-0038 - Cedar Rapids
(319) 287-9515 - Waterloo

You'll need to adjust your username to display "user@netexpress.net" but in most cases your password will not need to change. This does not affect your email address. Once connected to the new modem pool, you may need to reconfigure your mail client to send mail through the new mailserver by enabling Outgoing (SMTP) "authentication".

Wed Dec 12, 2007

The migration to the new virtual domain email server has been completed. For those of you who use virtualmail.avalon.net to access your mail, you will need to start logging in at a new server address:
http://virtualmail.yourdomain.com/net/org

You should see all your old mail upon logging into the new server. You will only need your username, not the full email address, to log in.

Tue Oct 16, 2007

Many people have been asking about an increase in spam activity since the change to the new server. This is partly due to an overall increase in spam activity you may have noticed in recent weeks, but much of what you're seeing is the junkmail we used to block using third-party blacklists and filtering techniques.

The new mailserver does not presently utilize these blacklists to the same extent as the old server did, and more mail is being allowed through. We realize this is difficult for some inboxes out there, but it also means less questions about where your legitimate messages may have gone. Too often we have had to reject mail from good people because they wound up on the wrong list.

There are many spam filtering programs you can use at home, often they can be bundled with your antivirus software. For those of you who only use webmail you can subscribe to Postini, a third-party antispam solution used by Lightedge. Alternatively you can change your address and be safe for a while, but any address in use will eventually get spammed.

Fri Oct 12, 2007

The mailserver was migrated last evening. It is speedy and capable. You can expect a possible duplication of emails, especially if you've been leaving mail on the server. If you're missing any mail it may still be on the old server, and will be copied to the new server soon. You can also access this mail by configuring an IMAP client to connect to to 216.137.72.20.

If your password does not work, please call to establish a new one. We cannot resolve password related issues by email.

Wed Oct 10, 2007

On Thursday Oct 11, the avalon.net email system is being migrated to a new server. This should be welcome news to those of you who have had to put up with delayed mail delivery and timeouts when accessing your mailbox.

We have managed to move and synchronize passwords and email for most of our users who won't notice a difference, but some of you may have problems logging in. If you're having trouble, please call us. Local support numbers are always available on the Contact page above.

If you use our webmail system to manage your email, then you will need to be manually moved to the new server. Ideally you should be using an email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird, but webmail can be essential if you need to access your email from various locations. If you find yourself unable to access your email, please call us to establish a password on the new system. We'll help move your stored mail from the old system to the new one.

Tue Aug 22, 2007

Due to the unresolved trouble with the modem pool, the old dialup numbers are being disconnected. We have been moving dialup customers in these areas to a new modem pool. You will need to call us to get registered on the new system. The new Dialup numbers are as follows:

(319) 512-0038 - Iowa City
(319) 550-0038 - Cedar Rapids
(319) 287-9515 - Waterloo

We cannot guarantee these numbers are local calls for everyone. Please check with your phone company to clarify. You will NOT be able to connect to these numbers without first contacting support. We are working with people one-on-one to migrate service, so if you have trouble getting through please leave a voicemail and we will return it as soon as we are able.

Wed Aug 08, 2007

Many users are having issues both getting connected and staying connected to the dial-up modem pool. We are continuing to work on this problem but have been able to restore service to customers one by one. We understand how frustrating this must be and ask that you be patient while we work this out. If you are having troubles, please leave a voicemail message. We will return your call as soon as possible.

Tue Jan 30, 2007

Due to the abnormally large amounts of spam being generated these days, your mailboxes may be a bit hard to sort through. While Avalon continues to block most of the obvious junkmail headed to our customers, we must be conservative with our filtering methods to prevent legitimate messages from being blocked.

Postini is a third party service now available for your email account. Postini holds probable SPAM in a special box that you can check on. It can be very aggressive with your junkmail and prevent most of it from ever showing up. There is a high probability that Postini will catch mail from your friends and contacts, but you can always log in and allow those messages through. You can even allow those senders in the future, or make sure that certain senders are caught by Postini.

Postini is available for $2 per month. Additional email addresses on the same account will be covered for $1 per month. This is an optional service - we will continue to filter your mail responsibly on our end. Email us at support@avalon.net or call the local technical support number to add this service to your account. Be sure to ask us about other ways you can protect yourself from SPAM.