Widomaker
Reminder to Widomaker DSL Internet Subscribers
We have been informed that some Widomaker DSL subscribers have recently been contacted by Verizon and have been asked to switch their telephone service from the traditional telephone service (POTS) they have now to new fiber based service.
Switching your telephone service from traditional service to fiber based service will (among other things) prevent your Widomaker DSL service from working, and reduce the choices you have regarding Internet service providers.
We want to remind all Widomaker DSL subscribers that making ANY changes to their telephone service may cause a temporary, or permanent (depending on the type of change), interruption to their DSL Internet service.
If you are considering making any changes to your telephone service, we suggest that you contact us first to discuss it, so we can determine if it is likely to cause an interruption in your Widomaker DSL Internet service.
Windows XP Support Ending on April 8 2014 (EOL)
On April 8 2014, Windows XP, now 12 years old, will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Widomaker will also end support for Windows XP at the same time. Additionally, Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook 2003 will no longer be supported (prior versions are already unsupported).
Web Hosting Server Migration from Plesk to cPanel
Update 4/29/2014: The migration has been postponed until further notice.
There are some upcoming changes that may affect Web Hosting customers who have a domain name hosted with Widomaker. Please pass this message along to your IT staff or Webmaster.
{Resolved] Storm Related DSL Outage in the Governor’s Land/Two Rivers Area of Williamsburg
The telephone company has confirmed that there is a DSL outage in the areas along Route 5 by Governor’s Land, Two Rivers, and Chickahominy Riverfront Park, in Williamsburg, VA. The outage began on Friday, February 21, 2014, at 12:42PM ET, when the recent strong storm passed over the area, causing downed trees and power outages.
The telephone company is currently working to resolve the matter, and will update us as soon as they have completed repairs. At this time the telephone company has not provided an ETR (estimated time of repair).
Update 6:55PM ET:
Customers have been able to connect again beginning around 6:24PM ET.
[Resolved] DSL Outage in Kingsmill and Busch Corporate Center Area on 2/6
As of, 2/6/2014, there is a Verizon outage affecting the telephone company DSLAM or Remote Terminal equipment that services DSL connections in the Busch Corporate Center and Kingsmill areas of Williamsburg, VA. Verizon is aware of the issue and is working to get it resolved. Verizon hasn’t provided an ETR (Estimated Time of Repair) at this time.
Update 2/7/2014 1:00PM:
Customers began connecting again around 8:00AM. Per Verizon, the outage has just been cleared. They’ve advised to have end users powercycle their modem and re-test the connection. Customers who still have trouble should contact us immediately.
[Resolved] Mail & Web Server Maintenance 12/28/2013
As of 3:55PM ET, on 12/28/2013, Widomaker is performing emergency maintenance and repairs on one of our servers. While this maintenance is going on, some services may be occasionally unavailable.
The services that may be affected are…
- Incoming and outgoing mail service for widomaker.com e-mail accounts (mail.widomaker.com and smtp.widomaker.com).
- Widomaker’s web page (www.widomaker.com and home.widomaker.com)
We are working on repairs as quickly as possible and hope to have these services restored soon.
Updates may be found here on Widomaker’s weblog (http://weblog.widomaker.com).
Update 5:55PM: Services have been restored.
Anti-Spam Upgrade for widomaker.com E-Mail Accounts
This week Widomaker will be upgrading the anti-spam systems for widomaker.com e-mail accounts. Please note that this will only affect customers who use an e-mail address that ends in “widomaker.com” (or an alternate form).
The new Widomaker.com Anti-Spam System provides more options, better accuracy, and increased speed of processing. The only difference that e-mail users should notice is less spam or junk e-mail in their mailbox.
The anti-spam filtering methods and system have been specifically designed to avoid false positives. However, if you notice that a legitimate message has been rejected as spam, please notify us so we can look into the issue.
Optionally, a personal anti-spam control panel is available and a periodic protection report can be e-mailed, in PDF format, to a customer’s widomaker.com e-mail address. Any customers interested in receiving this report should contact our office to enable that option. A very small monthly fee applies for this option.
The PDF report outlines a summary of the spam and viruses that the filtering service has protected your e-mail address from receiving.
To view the report, a PDF reader is required. You may already have a PDF reader installed on your computer. If not, there are several free PDF readers available.
US-CERT Alert: CryptoLocker Ransomware Infections
US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) has released an alert regarding a malicious program called, “CryptoLocker”.
US-CERT is aware of a malware campaign that surfaced in 2013 and is associated with an increasing number of ransomware infections. CryptoLocker is a new variant of ransomware that restricts access to infected computers and demands the victim provide a payment to the attackers in order to decrypt and recover their files. As of this time, the primary means of infection appears to be phishing emails containing malicious attachments.
Please review the full alert at the following link…
https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-309A
Additional information can be found in the CryptoLocker Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ by bleepingcomputer.com at the following link…
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptolocker-ransomware-information
Watch TV & Movies Online with Amazon Prime Free Trial
For Widomaker customers, an Amazon Prime membership is a great addition to your Widomaker “Standard” or “Premium” DSL package*. Using Amazon Prime over your Widomaker DSL, or other “unlimited” broadband Internet connection, provides you with the following benefits…
- Instantly watch over 40,000 movies and TV episodes with titles for everyone
- Borrow books from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
- Get unlimited FREE two-day shipping with no minimum order size
Sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
* “Basic” DSL customers may contact Widomaker to upgrade their DSL package to “Standard” or “Premium” DSL for faster connection speeds that will work best with Video streaming services like Amazon Prime.
Upcoming Office Closures (Dates in October & November 2013)
Widomaker’s main office is usually open by appointment, 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday. However, for several upcoming periods in October and November (2013), the office will be closed, office appointments will not be available, and walk-ins will not be accepted. Telephone support will still be available during these periods. Customers should always contact our office by telephone for assistance (757-253-7621), and should always call before stopping by the office.
The following are the dates that the office will be closed:
Friday October 25 2013 – Thursday October 31 2013
Monday November 4 2013 – Friday November 8 2013
Tuesday November 19 2013 – Thursday November 21 2013
