Support | West Side Communications

General Information

Customer Support

Webmaster – webmaster@westsidetel.com
Support – techsupport@westsidetel.com
Customer Care – customercare@westsidetele.com

Billing – (304) 983-2211
Fax – (304) 983-9951
Support – (304) 983-9378
Internet – (304) 983-9378
Main Office – (304) 983-2211

High Speed Internet Modem Status Lights LEDS: Status indicators are short explanations of the DSL status lights of some modems used by Westco customers

FTP host address: users.westco.net

Mail Server Information:
POP3 mail server: mail.westco.net
SMTP mail server: mail.westco.net
IMAP mail server: mail.westco.net

DNS numbers:
Primary: 162.255.190.50
Secondary: 162.255.190.54

If I have a service or billing problem, who should I call?

If you have a question, problem or complaint with the services provided by West Side Telecommunications please contact our Customer Care Department at 304-983-2211 or via email at customercare@westsidetel.com.

Billing and Payment

When is my payment due?

Your payment due date is indicated on page 1 of your bill. If you are unable to make a payment on your account by the due date, contact our Customer Care Department to discuss a possible extension or payment contract.

What payment options do you offer?

Online – Simply click on the ebilling tab in the right hand corner of our website. First time users will need to register for access. All your account information will be transmitted using a secure format. Once registered, you will have immediate access to view and pay your current bill by credit card. You may also view and print previous bills.

Where can I get billing support?

For billing support over the phone, call our billing support number at (304)983-2211 or 1-800-296-9113 to speak with a billing representative. Also, you can contact us through email at customercare@westsidetel.com

Mail – Simply mail your payment and the remittance stub in the envelope provided.

In Person – Visit our office during normal business hours. For your convenience, check or money orders can be placed in our drop box after normal business hours.

Recurring Credit Card – Sign up online or call our office to setup your account for recurring credit card payment. Your total balance due will be automatically charged to your credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

Recurring ACH Payment – Sign up online or call our office to setup your account for recurring ACH payment. Your total balance due will be automatically charged to your chosen bank account.

What if I am having trouble paying my bill?

Please contact our Customer Care Department at 304-983-2211 to discuss a possible extension or payment contract.

What are Lifeline credits and how do I know if I qualify for assistance?

Residential customers who qualify may be eligible for a monthly fee reduction on their telephone rates through the Lifeline Program. For more information, please contact our Customer Care Department at 304-983-2211.

Internet

How to Fight Spam Mail

Want to earn a college degree, improve your sex life or earn more money? Chances are, you have recently received an email professing to help you do all of these things…. spam. Originally just a canned sandwich product, the word spam now also refers to unsolicited email, which most of us think of as electronic junk mail.

Spam is not just aggravating — recent increases in the amount of spam being circulated have made it a serious problem for businesses, as well as home users. There are ways to fight spam. Perhaps if everyone followed these suggestions, spam would disappear.

Don’t Open Spam

When you see an email that is obviously spam, don’t open it. Just delete it. Some spam contains a hidden return receipt code, which notifies the spammer when you open the email. This tells him that he has a live address and will put your email address in line to receive even more spam. (A good firewall will notify you when information is being sent from your computer and prevent return receipt codes from executing without your knowledge.)

Don’t Click on Links

Even if the product looks great, don’t click on the link in any unsolicited email that is trying to sell you something. Never buy anything offered via spam. Purchasing, or even simply clicking on an item just to look at it, will tell spammers their plan is working. This will keep the spam flowing.

Don’t Reply to Spam

If the email has an unsubscribe link, don’t use it. You may think this will get you off the spam list, but it does just the opposite. A response only confirms the accuracy of your email address and will result in more spam being sent to your address.

Don’t Give Your Credit Card Information to a Spammer

Smart spammers use many ways to get your credit card information. Symantec, a reputable software company, has found that spammers have been sending out email that advertises Symantec products at 90% off. The deal looks great. It looks very real. But it is a scam to get your credit card number.

Keep Your Email Address Private

Don’t post your primary email address anywhere on the Internet. Don’t use it for chat rooms, instant messaging, Internet bulletin boards or newsgroups. Instead, set up another email address with your Internet Service Provider or use a free email service, such as Hotmail, to set up an alternative email address. Use this secondary address in public Internet areas. Use your primary email address for friends, relatives and business associates.

How to recognize a computer virus

Do you have a good anti-virus program? Do you keep it updated regularly? If not, your computer is bound to contract a virus of some type. Even if you do keep up with healthy computer habits, it is sometimes still possible (unlikely, but possible) for a virus to attack your computer.

Is It Really A Virus?

You may suspect that your computer has a virus, but how can you really tell? Viruses often cause erratic behavior. Smiley faces may pop up, the screen may turn blank, the computer may crash, or it may constantly reboot. The trigger that activates the virus can be almost anything. For instance, the virus can be activated the minute it is installed. Or it may start its dirty work the next time you start your computer. In some cases, a virus can reside inside your computer in an inactive state, waiting for a certain event (like a certain date) to happen.

From the moment the virus infiltrated your computer to the time that it made itself known to you, you could have innocently spread the virus to others. A very disconcerting sign that you have a virus is when friends call or e-mail to let you know you have sent them a virus-infested e-mail.

A Scan Is Necessary

So you suspect your computer has a virus. How can you find out for sure? You scan your system for viruses with a software program. If you already own an antivirus program and your computer is operable, you can start your antivirus program and initiate a scan of your entire computer. However, chances are if you contracted a virus, the virus definitions that your program is using are out-of-date. So first, visit the Web site of your antivirus manufacturer and update your antivirus software by downloading the latest definitions.

If you don’t have antivirus software, you can purchase it online or you can use Panda Software’s free ActiveScan. This software will scan your computer and report any infections.

Use Your Antivirus Manufacturer’s Web Site

If the virus scan finds an infection, it will give you the name of the virus or viruses that you have contracted. If your computer is contaminated, you need to take immediate action. Depending on the severity of the virus, the health of your computer, as well as the security of your computer data, may be at risk. Look up the virus at one of the antivirus manufacturer’s Web sites. Symantec, McAfee, and, Panda Software are all informative sites. Sometimes the manufacturers will have a software program that you can download for the removal of the virus. Removal instruction may be offered as well. Viruses vary in severity. Some are easy to eliminate and repair. Others can be very nasty, and repairing their damage could involve some complex reprogramming. If you are lucky you may be able to remove the virus yourself. If, however, you have contracted an invasive virus, don’t hesitate to leave the work to a local computer professional.

Spyware Acts Like a Virus

A different type of vicious programming has started to invade computers around the world. Spyware (sometimes called Adware) is uninvited software that is transferred to your computer without your explicit knowledge. It often piggybacks on software that you download from the Internet. Spyware causes erratic behavior in a computer that is very similar to the behavior caused by viruses. Often spyware is characterized by unusual windows popping up on your computer, but your computer can be infected by spyware even if there are no annoying pop ups. If your virus scan shows no viruses, but your computer is still acting weirdly, you should suspect spyware. Use a free spyware detection program like Ad-aware or SpyBot Search & Destroy to find and eliminate spyware.

Develop Healthy Computer Habits

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be sure you have a good antivirus program installed on your computer and update it regularly. You will also want to make sure that your Internet browser and operating system have had all the necessary security patches applied. Prevention is the name of the virus game, and you do need to make friends with a good antivirus program. My earlier tutorials will fill you in on details about What a Computer Virus Is, How to Update your Antivirus Software and How To Update Windows.

Don’t forget to download a good spyware prevention program, as well. A recent Earthlink report showed an average of 28 spyware programs on each of the computers they scanned. Spyware and viruses can both be dangerous and can cause computer users a lot of aggravation. So be careful out there and be sure to keep your computer free from both viruses and spyware.

What should I do if I think my computer has a virus?

If you believe your computer may have been infected, you should run a virus scanning program and then follow the advice of your antivirus software on how to remove the virus. If you want to learn more about protecting your computer with antivirus software, we recommend you go to either McAfee’s Website or Norton’s Website and follow their instructions on how to remove the virus.

If you do not have a virus program running on your computer, you can download a free copy of Avast 4 Home Edition 4 from Downloads.com.

Avast 4 Home Edition is a complete ICSA-certified and VB antivirus package for home noncommercial use. Avast 4 Home Edition includes On-Demand Scanner with a skinnable simple interface. Just select what you want to scan and press the Play button. On-Access Scanner does resident scanning of all files being opened, read, and written, and the behavior blocker monitors for dangerous actions of viruses. E-mail Scanner easily integrates with most mail clients and it checks both incoming and outgoing mail. It provides heuristic analysis of mail content to protect against new worms. Boot-Time Scanner scans disks in the same way and in the same time as Windows CHKDSK. With Explorer Scanner, you can right-click on the object to scan it. Screensaver Scanner can scan your PC during your coffee breaks. Virus Chest is a safety isolated folder to store infected, suspicious files. The true incremental updates are based on iAVS technology and are available at least twice a week.

»Westco Internet and/or any of its affiliates are not affiliated with any of the websites listed above and holds no responsibility for any software downloaded from any outside servers.

Why do I keep getting slow and dropped connnections?

Problems with your connection speed and frequent disconnections can be caused by several different things. We’ve tried to assemble the most thorough list of possible errors and ways they can be fixed below.

Bad phone lines:

The telephone company will only guarantee a connection speed of 28.8k, even though modems will go faster. If you have static on your line that will cause low speed or disconnections. The reasons for this are easy; Modems use sound to communicate data from one computer to the next. If you have static on the line that data (sent in a series of squeals and noises) will be corrupted and impure, this causes problems with the connection. There are a few common causes for static on your line.

Moisture in the line:

Phone lines will often gather moisture inside the protective coating around the wire. This is bought on by condensation and in the case of older lines, the protective covering dries out and allows water to filter inside. How can it be fixed? The only way to fix this problem is to completely replace the section of line.

Junction Box:

Most homes with more than one connection to one phone line will have a single line that runs from the box on the side of your house to a junction box or a jack beneath the house and the other lines split off from that. This can cause a variety of problems from a weak signal due to having more splits than the signal is able to support, or the junctions gather condensation which can rust the connectors or allow water into the line. How can this be fixed? Replacing the junction and affected lines is about the only way to correct this problem.

Long Phone Lines:

Some homes may have a limited number of phone outlets in their home and it forces the customer to use overly long lines stretched through their home so that they can connect their computer to the phone line. The biggest problem with this is that phone cords purchased in stores aren’t installation grade lines. The cords are more fragile and don’t carry a signal as well as some of the more professionally used lines. Some customers may also use several different cords patched together with adapters and other miscellaneous methods. This can also cause a degradation of signal strength as each additional connector causes a loss in signal and the potential to pick up outside signals that can carry on the line. How do you fix these problems? Have a professional install a new jack in your home as close to the computer as you can. They will use higher quality lines and wall outlets so that you can get the best signal possible.

Proximity to External Electronics:

If you are forced to use a longer cable than recommended you may want to be sure that there are no powerful electronic devices in the vicinity of the line. Such powerful electronics such as Microwaves, Stereos, Televisions, and Washing Machines will put out an electro-magnetic field that causes high amounts of static, this in turn will cause static on your phone line and either slow down your connection speed or disconnect you altogether.

Modem Driver:

Sometimes through Windows a driver will become corrupt and may slowly stop working properly. There are a few ways that this can be corrected. The first way, which is what we recommend, is to call your computers manufacturer so that it can be reinstalled.
The second way is to visit www.56k.com or www.windrivers.com and download the latest driver for your modem. We cannot assist you installing your modem drivers so be careful and make sure that you have the correct one. To check what kind of modem you have follow these steps:

Double-click on My Computer
Double-click on Control Panel
Double-click on Modems
Your Modem will be displayed here

Network Settings:

In order to have a good stable connection your Network settings must be properly setup. If it isn’t you will have a wide range of troubles. To check your Network settings you need to do the following:
(NOTE: Anytime you enter your Network settings and don’t make a change you should click the CANCEL button to exit so that Windows doesn’t attempt to reconfigure your network. This is vital because your Windows Installation disk may be required and without it some errors to your system could occur.)

Double-click on My Computer
Double-click on Control Panel
Double-click on Network

Now you should see a list of components, and below are the three components that are essential to good connection with our service.

Client for Microsoft Networks
Dial-Up Adapter
TCP/IP

If you don’t have these three components in your network, please call 1-888-937-8260 so that one of our Tech Support Agents can assist you in placing them there.

IP Header Compression:

IP Header compression is used by systems to pack certain information in the packets of data that are sent across the TCP/IP connection. In a little more basic terms, this information is used to authorize and verify the information coming across from your computer to our servers. Why will this cause problems with your connection speed? It’s like two people talking different dialects of the same language, and when that occurs you have a more difficult time understanding each other. They are both expecting the sentences to contain certain structure and content, and when they aren’t there it takes a few moments to understand and process that info. Same thing with computers. To correct this problem, follow these steps.

Double-Click My Computer
Double-Click on the Dial-Up Networking icon
Right click on your Westco icon

Click on the Server Types tab at the top of this box (This box will be labeled Networking in Millennium Edition)

Near the bottom you should see a button labeled TCP/IP Settings. Click the TCP/IP Settings button and look at the bottom of the next screen that pops up. You should see an option for Use IP Header Compression, make sure it is checked.

Modem Strings:

In many cases your manufacturer will place modem strings in your modem settings to assist your modems operation. Modem strings are sets of commands to force or disable certain modem functions and in the earlier days of telecommunications these strings were highly needed. With current technology however, these strings mostly bog down and cripple the effectiveness of your modem. If you suspect that you have modem strings in your modem setup, and your modem is a 33.6 or higher, call your manufacturer or our technical support number to have these strings removed.

If the connection speed problem persists, contact the modems manufacturer for hardware tech support or to update the drivers. You didn’t pay half price for the modem, why expect half usage?

How do I connect to/disconnect from the Web?

1. The first way to connect is to double click on your internet explorer icon on your desktop. This should display a connection box.

Verify the userid and password are correct and then Just hit the connect button and your on your way.

2. The Second way to connect is with a shortcut on your desktop.

Once you double click on this shortcut icon you will then see the the connection box. Verify the userid and password are correct and then Just hit the connect button and your on your way.

How do I disconnect from the Web?

Once you have connected there will be a small icon beside your clock. It will be a picture of 2 computers hooked together.

If you double click this icon, a window will open with a disconnect button. Click the disconnect button to close your connection.

Phone

Where does West Side Telecommunications offer telephone service?

Laurel Pointe (304-983)

Core, WV (304-879)

Daybrook, WV (304-798)

Core, PA (724-878)

What can I do about unwanted telemarketing calls?

The National Do Not Call Registry has been established to address consumer concerns about unwelcome telemarketing calls. The Registry applies to all telemarketers (with the exception of certain non-profit and political organizations) and covers both interstate and intrastate telemarketing calls. Commercial telemarketers are not allowed to call you if your number is listed in the registry.

You can register any of your phone numbers for free and they will remain on the Do Not Call Registry indefinitely. You may remove your number from the list at any time.

Consumers may call 1-888-382-1222 and TTY users may call 1-866-290-4236. You must call from the phone number you wish to register.

You may also register on the internet at www.donotcall.gov.

Inclusion of you telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry will be effective for 31 days following your registration.

Calling Features

Why do some calls display on my Caller ID and others show out of area or unavailable?

When the originating number has chosen to block delivery of their name and phone number to persons they call, your Caller ID unit will likely display PRIVATE. In some cases the network serving the originating caller or some facility between them and West Side’s network may be capable of recognizing and passing Caller ID information. In these cases, your Caller ID unit will likely display UNKNOWN.

I have a non-published number, why is it showing up on a caller ID device when I make a call?

Non-published numbers are not listed in printed directories, nor are they available through directory assistance. If you wish to block your number from caller ID devices, it can be done one of two ways. First, you can block your phone number and name on a per call basis by dialing *67 immediately prior to placing each call; or, for a fee you may also subscribe to Caller ID Blocking to automatically block your telephone number and name from appearing caller ID devices for all outgoing calls.

General Information

Tech support 304-983-9378

ftp host address:
users.westco.net
Mail Server Information:
incoming mail server: mail.westco.net
outgoing mail server: mail.westco.net
DNS numbers:
Primary: 67.210.52.30
Secondary: 162.255.190.54

Having trouble with Webmail? To access webmail from anywhere in the world, you will enter your user name and password in the spaces provided. You can also enter your full name in the “Long Name:” space provided. This will display your name as you wish it to appear to anyone to whom you send email. When you click on “Check Mail”, any new email will be retrieved and displayed. If you receive an error message, the most likely reason is that either your Username or Password is incorrect.

Still having problems ?

Contact Tech Support 304-983-9378

24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK

Outlook Express

Outlook Express is an e-mail application included with Internet Explorer 5 and 6. When you installed Internet Explorer 5 or 6, it may have taken your current e-mail settings to be used for Outlook Express. Therefore, Outlook Express may already be configured with your Westside e-mail configuration! If it isn’t, or if you would like to add an e-mail address to Outlook Express, follow the procedure below. You can configure Outlook Express to check as many e-mail addresses as you like.

1. Start Outlook Express.

2. Choose Accounts from the Tools menu. The Internet Accounts window will open.

3. Click the Mail tab. This will show you any e-mail accounts that are currently set up in Outlook Express.

4. Click the Add button. A menu will pop up: choose Mail.

5. The Internet Connection wizard will appear to guide you through a series of configuration steps for the e-mail address you want to add.

6. The Your Name screen will appear.

7. Enter your name as you want it to appear in e-mails: John Smith. Click Next.

8. The Internet E-mail Address screen will appear.

9. Enter your Westside e-mail address, emailname@westco.net. Click Next.

10. The E-Mail Server Names screen will appear.

11. Enter the following information:

My incoming mail server is a POP3
Incoming mail (POP3) server: mail.westco.net
Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: mail.westco.net

Check the Box Outgoing Mail Server Requires Authentication

Click Next.

12. The Internet Mail Logon screen will appear.

13. Click the first log on using radio button and enter the following information:
POP account name: emailname (your westco user name)
Password: password(your westco password)

Click Next.

14. The Congratulations window will appear.

15. Click Finish to complete the account setup.

Microsoft Outlook

Double-click the Microsoft Outlook icon to run Microsoft Outlook. Click Tools then Services…

A Services window will appear with information services that are setup for your Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook uses Internet Mail or Internet Email for email so look for it under the following information services are set up in this profile.

If you do not have the following service setup click Add… and a list of services will appear with Internet Mail or Internet Email as one of the services.

Click on Internet Mail or Internet Email to highlight it then click OK. You will then return to the Services window and Internet Mail or Internet Email will be installed as a service.

Click on Internet Mail or Internet Email to highlight it then click Properties… to bring up your email configurations.

For Full Name enter your full name as you would like it to appear in the From field of your email messages, for E-mail address enter your MillerTel email address (emailname@westco.net , for Internet Mail server enter mail.millertel.net, for Account name enter your Westside emailname, and for Password enter your MillerTel password. Next click the Connection tab.

Connect using the modem should be dotted and Westside/My Connection should be chosen under Dial using the following connection.

Click OK for Internet Mail then OK again for Services…. You are now ready to use Microsoft Outlook to send and receive email. To receive email click Tools then Check for New mail.

If you are having problems or have more questions, call 304-983-9378 for technical support.

Get help when you need it.

Support and FAQs

General Information

Customer Support

If I have a service or billing problem, who should I call?

Billing and Payment

When is my payment due?

What payment options do you offer?

Where can I get billing support?

What if I am having trouble paying my bill?

What are Lifeline credits and how do I know if I qualify for assistance?

Internet

How to Fight Spam Mail

How to recognize a computer virus

What should I do if I think my computer has a virus?

Why do I keep getting slow and dropped connnections?

How do I connect to/disconnect from the Web?

Phone

Where does West Side Telecommunications offer telephone service?

What can I do about unwanted telemarketing calls?

Calling Features

Email

General Information

Outlook Express

Microsoft Outlook

Contact Us

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