You've Got No Mail - how to maintain electronic communication through Internet connection failure - Brief Article

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine,  July, 2001  by Kimberly Lankford

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INTERNET | Stay in touch even if your E-MAIL PROVIDER goes bust.

SCOTT HAUGE, an insurance agent in San Francisco, was working on a busy day in March when his Internet connection suddenly went out. He lost all Web access, couldn't read or send e-mail, and fretted that he wouldn't know if his clients tried to reach him.

Hauge quickly discovered that his digital subscriber line (DSL) provider had gone bankrupt and shut down its service to about 100,000 people nationwide. It took Hauge three and a half weeks of phone calls and hassles to transfer his DSL account to another provider.

Losing your Internet connection and access to your e-mail account can cause big problems for anyone--whether you have high-speed or dial-up access from your home or business. Here are some tips for minimizing the disruption:

Monitor the financial health of your Internet provider, whether it's a DSL, cable-modem or dial-up company. DSL Reports (www.dslreports.com) monitors Internet providers that are closing or are in financial trouble; it recently listed nearly 40 firms on its Company Deathwatch page.

Have a backup access plan. If you have DSL or a cable modem, it may take weeks to replace your access (see "Mad As Hell About DSL," on page 84), but a dial-up service, such as America Online, can fill the gap temporarily. Have a CD-ROM with installation software handy (you can usually get one free at an office-supply store) so you can get up and running again quickly. Or sign up for a free Juno account (www.juno.com) if there's a local access number for your area.

Have a backup e-mall plan. Even if you get new Internet access, your old messages may wind up in limbo. Some Internet providers let you forward your e-mail to another account while they're still in business (though they may charge a fee). If you're too late, you'll usually need to send all your contacts a mass e-mail telling them your new address. Keep a copy of your contact list on your hard drive.

Get a free account. If you don't want to tie your e-mail to an Internet provider, sign up with a big site (such as Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail) that you can access through any service.

COPYRIGHT 2001 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group