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Protect Yourself | Protect Yourself, part 2 | PayPal | The Internet is Dead (not) | Email like the Big Boys
Email like the Big Boys
LIKE THE BIG BOYS.
You've seen it in big companies or in a movie: click 'send,' the other computer says 'ding,' and your mail or file is instantly delivered. What you don't see is the software they paid $3500 for (Microsoft Exchange Server), the fulltime email administrator ($40,000 plus benefits) and perhaps a dedicated server computer ($4,000-8,000).
Most churches and ministries can not afford these costs. But if your church office is networked, you can get most of the same benefits for $70-250 up front, and under $40/month (or free, since you probably have what you need already).
What you need: a proxy server, an ISP account (which you may already have), and a web hosting account (which you may already have).
THE PROXY SERVER:
This is the hardware and software that lets all of the computers in your office share a single internet connection. Your local ISP, computer support business or technology committee can install it for you.
In Windows 98, one free way to do this is with "Internet Connection Sharing" that lets one PC and modem be shared with others. Better, though, is a dedicated piece of hardware that doesn't slow down your PC, or require one PC to be turned on all the time.
These dedicated proxies plug into your network, and either have a modem included, or connect to an external modem.
Cost, about $200, one time only.
ISP ACCOUNT:
This is the company you dial to connect to the internet. You probably already have an account, but need to be sure it is an "all you can eat" account that will not charge you for extra minutes.
Let your provider know you intend to keep the account connected throughout the business day and share it among several computers for email. Most will not care, but may steer you to a particular type of account.
Cost, about $17/month.
WEB HOSTING ACCOUNT:
If you already have a website with your own domain name, then you already have a host. They provide the web pages when people log on to your site.
They also typically include 10 or more email accounts for no additional charge. Additional email accounts usually run less than $1/month. Create one account for each member of the staff.
Cost, about $20/month.
CONFIGURATION:
The details depend on your Proxy Server and your email software. But in general, try these settings:
EMAIL: Check for new messages (automatically) every 5 minutes.
PROXY: Dial automatically, disconnect after 10 minutes of no use.
This combination provides a "near instantaneous ding" on new mail (OK, five minutes, but that is faster than the post office). And it will keep your connection open throughout the workday, while shutting it down 10 minutes after everyone goes home. Some ISP's will disconnect you after 8 hours of continuous use, but the PROXY will reconnect within the next five minutes when an email account tries to connect again.
Next month: How to make those 10 email accounts seem like 50!
-Ned
Sharing Christ on the WEB!
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