How to pick up your email anywhere in the world..
The frequently asked question by those who are about to travel. If you have access to any computer connected to the Internet then the answer is simple. Log onto a great free and unintrusive web site which will do everything you want and still leave copies of all your mail to be collected when you get back home. Go to www.mail2web.com - it will do it all for FREE!

How to pick up your email via the back door.
Use this DIY email retrieval system when all else fails. Your computer already has the facility built in. Click here to find out how!

How to set up eMail Clients and Internet Browsers.
The most frequently asked question by our clients. Rather than re-invent the wheel we are happy to point you to Powereup's site where the answers are complete and nicely illustrated with screen shots.Go to http://help.powerup.com.au to find all the answers.

With the advent of Windows XP a very good beginners resource for setups of mail etc. is Windows XP Tutor.

Try Windows XP Advice and Information for some excellent assistance.

File Extensions and their Meaning.
If you have ever uninstalled software you would have seen the Alert Message that this file may be used by other programs and you are asked to confirm its deletion. To find out what these files actually do just check out ww.filext.com and your concerns will be removed.

Along similar lines are two sources http://www.fileinfo.net and for technical terms try this site.

What is the difference between SMTP and POP
Another topic which causes confusion with setting up email programs.

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, and is the main protocol used to send e-mail over the Internet. An SMTP server routes your e-mail through the Internet to the recipient's mail server. The recipient's mail server stores the mail until it's picked up. POP stands for Post Office Protocol, and the 3 means that it's version 3 of the protocol.

POP and POP3 can be used interchangeably, since POP3 is the only version of POP currently in use. POP3 lets you retrieve e-mail that is stored on a mail server. Some mail servers use a different protocol called IMAP (Internet Messaging Access Protocol) to pick up mail.

The basic difference is that SMTP is for sending mail, and POP3 is for picking it up.
I remember it by S(end)=SMPT and P(pick up)=POP3

If your email client requires port numbers to be set you can try the common defaults which for most mail servers is SMTP = 25 and POP = 110.

Surfing the Web
Did you know that if you add a forward-slash ( / ) after a web address the site loads faster?

Image Viewer
For those who do not have graphics programs installed but need to view image files the best software , in my view, is Irfanview available from www.irfanview.com. Again free and has an amazing range of features. Don't miss this one.

Computer Jargon - What does it Mean?
To find out go to this encyclopaedic site which explains it all in easely understood language. Log onto http://webopedia.internet.com .A huge resource and well worth a browse.

Where the Search Engines List You
And if you want to see whether you are ranked in the top 30 positions in the major search engines and directories just click on the link below and enter your sear term. It may mean that your webmaster has to do some work for you.
www.mikes-marketing-tools.com/ranking-reports/index.html

Domain name look up and generation
To check on domain names and all the details click here.
If you want to optimise the choice of your next domain name this tool is excellent. Just click here.

Keep Track of Your Access Details
To keep a list of all your log-on details such as User and PIN numbers there is nothing better than a highly encrypted little program which is a dream to use. Just visit http://www.citi-software.co.uk/am/ and download Access Manager....for free!
I use it and it's great!

Office Suite
An excellent alternative to Microsoft Office suites is OpenOfficew.org 2 It is fully fatured, easy to use and platform independent. A great package from www.openoffice.org/ and again totally free!

Internet Browser
There are many of these but the winner of the wars is no longer the best available. Mozilla 1.7 is a fully featured package which leaves both IE and Netscape well and truely in the rear. Get your free version from www.mozilla.org/ I think you will be very pleased with what you find.

The latest addition is Firefox. Fast and great for everyday surfing and a great contender for the title. The speed alone is worth the download - I think you will be impressed.

Keep Track of All Software Updates
To keep track of all software changes affecting your computer install the free BigFix from www.bigfix.com. So clik here to get to the download link at http://help.bigfix.com/ or log on direct at http://www.bigfix.com/support/support.html and use the "Download" link.

PC TROUBLE SHOOTING
Not free but at a nominal pricec comes The Ultimate Troubleshooter from AnswersThatWork.com. It certainly supports all their claims and is well worth while if you are in need of getting your PC to perform as it did on day one.

Internet Assistance
For a very good self help site on most things to do with your internet connections and devices have a look at the government funded www.iapselfhelp.com. The site also offers free support and assistance. Well worth a visit.

So there you have the start of an excellent resource list which best of all is free to you.
Cant’ beat that price. Use these wisely and your computer should love you and make your life much easier too. You too will be a good housekeeper.

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Cybercons provides a comprehensive range of services for business Internet,intranet, and software solutions.