Dial-up Maintenance -- 07/18/07

Please be advised that O1 Communications will be performing scheduled maintenance in San Jose, CA on the Thursday, July 19, 2007, during our service window of 2:00am - 5:00am Pacific. It is possible that dialup customers in LATA 722 and 736 may be impacted during this time period while maintenance is completed.

Power Outage -- 08/28/06

Until today, we felt we were completely protected against power failure. PG & E found a clever way to prove us wrong. All of our servers are protected by 10 minutes worth of uninteruptable power supply, which is in turn backed up by a generator that comes up after two minutes of power failure that will provide 6 days of power if fuel is not available, and forever if it is. Today, PG &E, presumably because of some problem, started turning our power off two minutes at a time. Each time, the UPS would run until the generator came on, and the generator would turn off when the power came back on, as designed. Of course, the batteries were somewhat depleted. When this happened for the fourth time in a short period, there was no longer enough battery to last until the generator came on. We will be reprogramming the generator to always run for a minimum of 60 minutes whenever it starts, thus preventing this problem from ever happening again.

Usenet News to be Discontinued -- 06/27/06

Usage of the tdl usenet server, news.tdl.com, has dropped to the point that it makes no financial sense to continue running a news server. News servers are an enormous expense from the standpoints of time, hardware costs and bandwidth. For your convenience, we will leave the server up until July 15, 2006, after which time it will be retired. Many things have contributed to the decline of news popularity, including the Web, eGroups, and archive services. As long time Internet users who fondly remember the days of shell access, 1200 baud modems, Gopher and Usenet, it is with some sadness that we have made this decision.

Dial-Up Planned Outage -- 12/07/05

Please be advised that O1 Communications will be performing scheduled radius maintenance during their service window of 2:00am - 5:00am PDT, on 12/07/05. It is possible that dialup customers may experience trouble authenticating intermittently during this time period until maintenance is completed.

Telnet Access Removed -- 04/08/05

In our continuing effort to maintain security on all of our servers, we have disabled insecure telnet from them. It will now be necessary to use an SSH client to access your shell accounts.

Hosting Services Changes -- 02/15/05

Effective immediately, we are pleased to announce larger disk quotas and more included bandwidth for our existing customers, and now have a low cost ftp only account for new users. All existing accounts have already been upgraded to the new levels. The new account structure can be seen at our services page
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01-Planned Dial-Up outage -- 02/11/05

O1 Communications will be performing scheduled maintenance the morning of 2-14-05, during our maintenance window of 2:00am to 5:00am PST. We will be performing routine IOS security upgrades to core routers that may result in a brief interruption of service in California. Downtime should be no longer than 5-7 minutes. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience in this matter.

News Server Outage -- 01/24/05

The news server will be down for most of the day for maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Phone Number Change -- 8/02/04

Everyone should now be using o1 Comminications phone numbers. If your dial-up number ends in 2751, you don't need to do anything. If it doesn't, go to this convenient page to find your new number and for help in making the change on your computer.

Welcome kj.net customers -- 3/08/04

We are pleased to welcome former Kendrick Jansen Company Web customers to the Diamond Lane. kj.net will continue to provide web development while we concentrate on reliable and affordable hosting solutions.

New Account Manager for TDL and ECIS Users -- 09/03/03

In a major step forward, we have now added virus filtering capability, greater anti-spam control, and given you a tool to change your own password on easy to use Web-based Account Managers. Those with an @tdl.com address should go to TDL Account Manager, and those with @ecis.com addresses should go to ECIS Account Manager to get started. We believe these features will cut down the volume of unwanted email to a tolerable level.


Mailbox Limits Changed for @ecis.com and @tdl.com Addresses -- 08/27/03

Because of increasing mailbox sizes due to spam and viruses, we have doubled the maximum mailbox size to 20 Meg, and, at the same time, taken the limit off of maximum message size. If it will fit in your mailbox, you can send it or receive it. Please remember that large messages take a long time to download for people with modem connections, and also that many remote mail servers will not allow your large messages, so be careful when you send them.


Spam Filters Updated -- 08/22/2003

Spam filters have been updated on both TDL and ECIS to the latest configuration. You need do nothing, but should notice a reduction in spam for a while.


New Virus -- 08/02/03

A new virus was released into the wild yesterday, and is spreading quickly. It is currently arriving in an e-mail claiming to be from "admin@YourDomain.com. The payload is in a .zip attachment, and currently gets by all anti-virus software. This message is not from us. We do not use admin@tdl.com or admin@ecis.com. Do not open the zip file, as that will infect your computer with the virus. The virus is too new to know how to clean it, or what damage it does.

Other than the obvious, this represents a serious new problem, in that you can now add .zip files to the list of potentially infected attachments. Be wary of any attachment ending in .zip, .exe, .dot, .com, .bat, .doc, .xls or .scr.


Update -- 08/04/03 This is indeed spreading rapidly, and all the major anti-virus venders now include protection for it, so update your virus library. We also know more about the payload. The virus exploits a security problem in Internet Explorer, and infects you through a malicious, but harmless looking html file. It then searces your hard drive for email addresses to send itself to. It sets up its own mail server to do the sending, and also mails your personal information to email addresses hidden in the virus itself.

Fight Back -- methods to regain control of your computer -- 07/31/03

The explosion of spam, pop-ups, spy-ware, ad-ware, and other intrusive and unethical advertising methods has become serious enough that we are getting many support calls about these problems. First, understand that these have nothing to do with your choice of Internet Service Provider. These "features" are either present in Web pages you visit and e-mails you receive, are installed as part of some program you intended to install, or they are installed by a Web page or a malicious e-mail without your knowledge.

Spy-ware is software that mails information about you to interested third parties. Ad-ware generates pop-up ads on your computer as soon as you connect to the Internet. In most cases, these will be present on your computer without you even knowing it. The only way to stop these is to install special third party software to deal with them, much in the same way that you should be using a good virus filter program to protect your computer from viruses.

The following programs are solutions that we have heard good things about. For each of the problems, many solutions are possible, and some are probably just as good. We have no affiliation with these companies, and can't assist with their installation and use, but decided it was time to provide some options that might help you regain control of your Internet experience.

To install a spam filter on your computer:

To find and disable spy-ware:

Note: if you provide a similar product, and would like to be considered for inclusion in this list, send a plain text message to support @ tdl.com


Dial-Up Number Emergency Maintenance -- 07/17/03

A serious security problem has been discovered in the most popular brand of routers, and O1 Communications will be making security patches today and tomorrow. This could cause brief periods of dial-up outages. This security problem affects nearly everyone involved in providing Internet service, including us. We will be rebooting routers late this evening, which also may cause brief outages.

New security vulnerabilities are found frequently, and patched as soon as they are discovered with no interruption of service, but sometimes the patches are more difficult to apply, and the severity of the vulnerability is such that it is unwise to wait for scheduled down-time. This is one of those cases. We take security very seriously at tdl so you don't have to worry about it. I know you will be understanding if one of the brief outages affects you.


Dial-Up Number Scheduled Maintenance -- 06/17/03

The dial-up company used for ECIS access numbers is performing maintenance to their network in San Jose, and has advised us that outages are possible between 2 and 5:00 am 6/18/2003 and 6/19/2003.


Spam Filters Updated! -- 3/17/03

Spam filters have been updated today for both tdl and ecis customers with the newest filter definitions, so, hopefully, your amount of spam will be reduced for a while if you are using the filters.


Welcome ECIS Customers! -- 3/01/03

The Diamond Lane is pleased to welcome the former customers of ECIS to our internet family. We are committed to making the changeover as smooth and troublefree as possible, and we hope that you will be as happy here as we are happy to have you here. Please don't hesitate to call or email us if you have any questions, problems, or comments about the service. The phone number is (925)706-4280 and the email is support@tdl.com. Once again, welcome!


Health Update -- 2/07/03

The operation was completely successful, and I am already home from the hospital. Now, it is just a matter of recovering from the 6.5 hour surgery.


Message from Chris in support -- 2/05/03

Many of you have been wondering why I have not been answering the support phones recently. I have a cancerous growth on my left kidney. Today, they are removing the kidney at UCSF, and hopefully all traces of cancer with it. I expect to make a complete recovery, and it is likely that I will be back on the phones March 1.


Virus Filtering No Longer Available -- 1/23/03

New versions of E-mail programs are including odd HTML code and our virus scanner was tagging these suspicious messages are viruses. After many complaints from people who would much rather receive viruses than miss any E-mail, we are forced to disable this service. You will now have to provide your own virus protection.

It is not enough to simply install a virus checking program and forget about it. You should update the virus dictionary frequently (I will be updating mine daily). Also, be wary of any E-mail program that previews attachments, and never open an attachment that you were not expecting, even if it appears to be from someone you know.


News Server Off Line for Maintenance -- 11/08/02

We are performing an upgrade on the news server, and it will be off-line for approximately 36 hours, starting this morning. It is necessary to keep up with the volume of news posts.


TDL Announces Virus Pre-filter for tdl.com Addresses -- 06/29/02

We are pleased to announce that we are now running a commercial virus scanner on all mail that goes through tdl.com. We have chosen F-Prot based on performance, daily virus dictionary updates, and ease of integration. F-Prot is a stable, mature product that has quietly been available for years. Please read the attached FAQ carefully.

FAQ

  1. I have my own domain name. Will this protect me.

    No, it will only protect people whose e-mail address ends in @tdl.com. We are developing and testing a solution for both virus protection and spam filtering for virtual customers, and hope to announce it shortly. Watch this page for an official announcement.

  2. Does this mean that I don't have to run a virus checker on my computer now?

    Absolutely not. No virus scanner is perfect, and new viruses might arrive in your mailbox before they are listed in the virus dictionary. Further, there are other ways to get a virus, including software installation, Web pages, and chat programs. Additionally, many of you have extra mail accounts elsewhere, and these wouldn't be protected by our server.

  3. Do you guarantee that a virus can't get through your mail server?

    No, we can't guarantee that a virus can't get through. Recent viruses have been very cleverly coded, and it is not impossible that someone will write one that will fool our mail scanner.

  4. If virus scanners are not foolproof, why did you bother?

    At a minimum, the viruses scanner greatly reduces your chances of receiving a virus via e-mail. Since it deletes the viruses, they don't fill up our server sitting in your IN box, or take up your valuable time while you are downloading them. Recent viruses have quickly reached epidemic proportions, and the bottom line is that we are doing everything possible to protect our customers from them.

  5. What do I have to do to use this virus scanner?

    You don't need to do anything. This new scanner will scan every incoming and outgoing messages looking for virus signatures. If it detects a virus, it deletes the virus, and sends the rest of the e-mail with an added message that a virus was removed.

  6. Does this mean that you are reading our e-mail, and depriving us of privacy?

    No. This is a software process that looks for the occurrence of strings of characters that identify viruses. The software doesn't have the ability to understand the message content, so it is no more intrusive than is the SMTP server which receives the message and places it in your mail box.

  7. Why did you write this long FAQ?

    I was trying to answer all of your questions, saving both of us the time it would take for you to call support to get your answers.


    Nanospace Servers to be retired -- 03/25/02

    Because of contractual obligations, we are forced to retire the nanospace domain name and the nanospace servers on or about May 1, 2002. Those dial-up customers who are using mail.nanospace.com and an @nanospace.com e-mail address will have to begin using their tdl.com e-mail address by that date. Set-up information is as follows:

    E-mail address: YOUR_LOGIN_NAME@tdl.com
    USERNAME: YOUR_LOGIN_NAME
    PASSWORD: The same one you use for dial-up
    INCOMING Server: tdl.com
    OUTGOING Server: mail.tdl.com

    It is not all bad news. First, the only people that will have your new address are the ones you notify, so you should lose most of your spam along with the change. Also, we have user-configurable spam filters available on tdl.com.

    Those with virtual domains on the nanospace servers will be moved to a tdl Web server, where your mail will also be handled. Contact support@tdl.com to schedule your domain move.

    Please do not wait til the last minute to make the above changes. For those who wish to switch to your tdl.com e-mail address immediately, let us know, and we will forward nanospace mail to your new address until the server is retired.


    Billing Change -- 03/25/02

    We are pleased to announce that we can now accept AMEX as payment for services.


    PHP Upgrade -- 03/01/02

    PHP has been upgraded on the shell4 and shell5 servers from 4.1.1 to 4.1.2.


    SPAM Filtering for tdl.com Addresses -- 02/25/02

    TDL is pleased to announce optional spam filtering for those with tdl.com e-mail addresses. At this time, the filtering is not available for those with their own domain names. If your address ends in @tdl.com, and you would like to identify or automatically delete spam from your e-mail, go to the configuration page. You will be asked for your username and password, then taken to the configuration page. Select whether to mark only or delete, and select the strictness of the filter. Spam assassin will analyze all of your incoming mail, and identify messages it thinks are spam by adding to the subject, and giving the reasons for its decision in the body of the message. We suggest starting with the default settings, which are to mark, and to use the severest filters.

    Watch what is marked as spam for a few days. If you are happy with the filtering decisions, then change it to automatically delete. If it is identifying mail you want to receive as spam, which often happens on opt-in lists that you do wish mail from, enter the addresses in the text box provided, one address per line. No matter what the filter setting, mail from the addresses listed in this box will pass the filter. Once you are happy with your filter level and list of allowed addresses, change the mode from mark to delete. Keep in mind that anything deleted by the filter is really deleted and can't be recovered. We hope you find this feature helpful in reclaiming your mailbox from the e-mail marketers.


    PHP Upgrade -- 02/15/02

    PHP has been upgraded on the shell4 and shell5 servers from 4.0.0 to 4.1.1.


    W32.Sircam.Worm Virus alert -- 07/23/01

    A new virus is spreading rapidly, and can't be blocked at our servers, as the Subject of the message is random. Do not open any attachments unless you verify the file name with the sender first. For those using Outlook or its varients, update your virus library immediately. This is an especially insidious virus. For more information visit Symantec.com.

    New Diesel Generator -- 02/20/01

    We have installed a new diesel backup generator with 4 day fuel supply to keep our uninterruptible power supply charged in the event of a prolonged power outage.

    www.tdl.com server upgrade -- 12/16/00

    TDL has upgraded www.tdl.com. The upgrade was not planned. A system failure at 4:00 am Saturday gave us no choice but to replace the server.

    New Server Configuration and Account Structure -- 6/29/00

    TDL is proud to announce our next generation Web server, with greatly enhanced capabilities. We have also created a new account structure for Virtual Domain accounts to go with this. To learn more about the new Web server, visit the shell4 homepage. Existing customers may transfer to the new server and account structure with no set-up fee. For information on the new account structure, go to Virtuals.

    Customer Referrals -- 9/1/98

    Send a new customer to tdl and get a free month ($20.00 value). Make sure they give your username when they sign up so you receive credit.





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