A portal is another name for a homepage. The Mediacom portal is located at www.mediacomtoday.com. We encourage you to make this your homepage - the page your computer will automatically open when you access your internet browser.
back to top ↑The portal or homepage is a robust and dynamic source of information and services, including national and local news, sports, and entertainment. By logging in, you instantly access your Mediacom email, and also customize the content and location of information on the page, making it truly unique to your interests and desires.
back to top ↑You log in to the portal/homepage with your Mediacom email address and password. You can call 1-800-332-0245 to obtain an email address and password if you do not have one. Login access is available in the upper right hand corner of the portal.
back to top ↑There are two ways to make the Mediacom portal your homepage:
In Internet Explorer:
In Firefox:
The portal has a homepage, plus many other pages that you typically access by clicking on components or channels. When you go to another page, simply click on your browser's "back" button or choose "Home" at the left side of the page. If you have not set www.mediacomtoday.com as your homepage, and you navigate to other URL addresses on the web (which will sometimes open a separate browser window), when you want to get back to www.mediacomtoday.com, you have 3 options
This is another great reason to make the Mediacom portal your homepage on the Internet.
back to top ↑Email can be accessed by clicking the "Check Email" button in the upper right corner of the Mediacom portal homepage once you have logged in using a valid Mediacom email address.
back to top ↑Use the "Pay My Bill" link located in the upper right corner of the Mediacom portal homepage to pay your Mediacom bill and manage your account online.
back to top ↑To download programs necessary to support portal content, such as flash, shockwave or other plug-ins, go to the "Media Assistant" link at the bottom right of the portal homepage and then select the program you are interested in downloading by clicking on the name. You will be taken to another page that will give you directions for downloading.
back to top ↑Yes, in order to access the portal your browser must be set up to allow cookies.
back to top ↑Cookies are simple pieces of text sent by a server to a web browser. Cookies are not harmful to your computer; they are used for authenticating, tracking, and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences used in customizing the portal or the content on the portal.
back to top ↑Please contact Mediacom customer service at 1-800-332-0245
back to top ↑A component is a section of the portal that is complete within itself offering dynamic and specific information. It can be moved or removed within the space of the portal when you are logged in. For instance: "3 Day Forecast" is the Weather component on the portal homepage.
back to top ↑To add content, you must first log in to the portal. Once logged in, click on the "Add Content" button in the welcome bar. From here, you may select any component you'd like to add through the categories provided.
To remove, simply click on the 'X' in the top right corner of each desired component.
When logged in, hover your mouse over a movable component. A hand will appear. When you see the hand, you may click and drag the component up or down within the column.
back to top ↑Several things can be customized within the TV Listings component if you have added it to your homepage. Click on "Settings" in the upper right hand corner of the component. You can adjust the following:
Click "Submit" after making your changes. This will return you to the Mediacom homepage, where you can see your changes.
Using "Advanced Search" from the TV Listings component, you may search for shows by name, date, channel or category. You can sort them by date or title. And you can select how you would like your results displayed.
Use Quicklinks for fast and easy access to your favorite websites. Safely store your information, and get one-click sign-in for many websites. To customize this component:
The "Local Channel" can be found in the directory on the left side of the homepage. It is named "Local" and once the zip code has been set it will have the name of the city as "In City Name". The Local Channel can be customized whether you are logged in or not - by clicking on the local channel and then entering your desired ZIP code and clicking "Go". If there is a local component on the Mediacom homepage, the content there will also change to reflect the ZIP code input on the Local channel.
back to top ↑Within the Weather component, there is a box where you can enter any ZIP code. Simply enter a ZIP code to see the weather conditions in the place you are interested in. Entering a ZIP code will change the location in the component; to change it back enter the original ZIP code. You can also change whether the display is reported in Fahrenheit or Celsius by choosing the corresponding icon in the top right of the component.
back to top ↑The Market Watch component functions in three ways:
Premium Services are premium content packages available exclusively for Mediacom subscribers. The content comes from many of the best of the web's service providers. By bringing them together for you on the Mediacom portal, we are able to offer you a special deal and add the cost directly to your Mediacom bill.
The following premium services packages are available to you through the Mediacom portal.
While on the Mediacom portal homepage, click on any of the Premium Services links in the directory or on any ad for a premium service. You will be taken to a page to learn more about the selected premium services package. This page will also allow you to subscribe to the premium services package and have the cost added to your Mediacom bill.
back to top ↑back to top ↑Anti-Virus - protects against viruses, worms and Trojan horse programs
Anti-Spyware - protects against a wide range of spyware threats
Personal Firewall - stops intruders, blocks malicious programs, and helps protect your personal information
Anti-Spam - makes sure you get messages from people you know, while redirecting messages from people you don't
Anti-Phishing - protects you from phishing attacks, Internet fraud attempts, and malicious websites
Parental Controls - allows you to control and manage Internet access for the whole family
Data Backup and Transfer - helps you backup and restore your important personal data and PC settings, or transfer them to a new PC
For Anti-Spam:
Microsoft Outlook 2000 or higher, Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 or higher, or Windows Mail
One or more POP3 or MAPI email accounts
Also supports data migration from Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and
Windows NT 4.0
Your Mediacom email address can be found on the work order or documentation left with you at time of install. If you cannot locate that information please contact customer service here. Please be sure to have your account number available to expedite your message
back to top ↑You will receive a confirmation email that will include your license key. You can copy and paste key when prompted
back to top ↑This software is being provided as part of your Mediacom Online service and would no longer be valid upon termination of your Mediacom account.
back to top ↑If you are running another Anti-Virus or Firewall product you will need to uninstall it, but don't worry, it's simple. Your Internet Security Suite download process includes how to uninstall other software depending upon the operating system you are running.
You do not need to uninstall anti-Spyware to install CA Anti-Spyware
back to top ↑A firewall monitors all incoming Internet traffic and allows only what is known or trusted. The traffic enters through "ports" on your PC. There are over 65,000 ports available through Internet Protocol. Trying to manually restrict these would be impossible. Firewall software does this by opening ports that need to be open and closing off ports that do not. It also makes your computer invisible to the Internet making it harder for "Hackers" to gain access to your PC
back to top ↑If you have a reason to believe that you have a virus on your computer, please follow the steps outlined in this document:
Locating Your License Key:
During the installation, you will be asked to insert your license key to unlock the product. The license key is a 20 character alpha-numeric code.
You can locate your license key within the welcome email that was sent to you by your Mediacom. If you did not receive the welcome email containing the license key, please contact us for further assistance.
Inputting Your License Key:
Here are some tips when entering in your license key:
back to top ↑Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the code.
Try copying and pasting the license from your welcome email. Make sure you do not copy any extra spaces on the end of your license.
Do not include the 10 digit customer number
If the NEXT button (during install) is grayed out the problem is probably that you didn't finish entering the license.
Please take special care when entering the numbers and letters. Some commonly confused characters are1 (number one), l (lower case L), and I (upper case i)
The number 0 (zero) and O (letter O).
The letter X (X), and the letter K (K).
The number 3 (three) and the letter J (J).
The number 4 (four) and the letter H (H).
The best way to know where your download saved, is to pay close attention to the "Save As" window at the beginning of the download process. Once you have clicked the download button and selected the option to save the file, you will be given the "Save As" window, which shows you exactly where your download is being saved to on your computer.
If you know the filename, you can do a search on your computer for it.
Do not rename the file you're downloading, it may cause installation problems
A Trojan is a malicious program that masquerades as a legitimate program. It may look like it is a system file or a patch or even a game but when activated, it runs some other malicious activity.
CA Anti-Virus will automatically delete Trojans when they are detected if they are not "in use" by the system. If the file is "in use" by the system, please follow the steps below to remove it from your computer:
Attempt to delete the file manually:
The Anti-Spam Quarantine Panel displays only NEW, un-reviewed messages that have been quarantined; the Anti-Spam Folder contains un-reviewed messages, messages that have been blocked, and messages that were reviewed using the Quarantine Panel but which were not Approved. Generally, the Quarantine Panel provides the most convenient way to scan new quarantined messages. The Anti-Spam Folder is used when searching for a specific message that one suspects was quarantined.
back to top ↑No. Anti-Spam gives you full control over all of your email. Depending on the email address of individuals who send you email, Anti-Spam delivers messages to one of two mail folders:
back to top ↑Inbox: only email from Approved Senders is delivered to your Inbox
Anti-Spam Folder: email from unknown senders is delivered to your Anti-Spam quarantine folder for later review
Anti-Spam can be used with AOL mail if you install additional software (e.g. eMail2Pop) that can access AOL mail and make it available to Microsoft Outlook. For more information about AOL2POP and instructions for accessing AOL mail from Microsoft Outlook, please visit http://www.email2pop.com
back to top ↑Both Outlook rules and Anti-Spam compete with Outlook to receive notifications of new messages. Unfortunately, Outlook doesn't guarantee a delivery order for these notifications, so sometimes Anti-Spam might get notified first and sometimes Outlook rules might be notified first. This means that sometimes an Outlook rule may move a message into another folder before Anti-Spam has a chance to look at it and determine whether or not it is spam.
A related issue you may run into is that new mail notification may not appear to work when you receive mail that Outlook rules filtered into another folder. The reason for this is that in order to prevent Outlook from notifying you of new mail when you receive spam, Anti-Spam takes over new mail notification. It only does this notification when there is new mail in your Inbox when it runs. So if your Outlook rules runs first and moves a message into another folder, Anti-Spam won't notice this new email and won't notify you. As a workaround, it's possible to edit some of your rules and set them to play a sound in addition to moving the message into a folder.
These are both known issues and we're looking into resolving them for a future release
back to top ↑Visit http://home3.ca.com/Support/techsupport/issplus.aspx for more information.
back to top ↑A computer virus is a form of malicious software - also referred to as "malware" (derived from the combination of the words malicious, and software).
The forms of malware that anti-virus products commonly protect against include:
Viruses - a small program that attaches itself to another program or document, and replicates with the potential to cause damage.
Worms - specifically engineered to make extensive use of email to spread them rapidly.
Trojans - programs that pretend to be something harmless but have a damaging or otherwise malicious intent.
Zombies - programs that install themselves on PCs, and remain dormant until an external event triggers them into action. These could do damage to your PC, steal your personal information and send it to an unauthorized email account, or even open up remote control access to your PC.
All of these forms of malware are commonly referred to simply as "viruses".
back to top ↑Anti-virus products provide protection by detecting viruses, and then disabling or removing them from your PC. Detecting viruses is the job of the anti-virus "engine", which scans your PC, looking for the tell-tale signatures of these malicious programs. Once detected, the software will take the appropriate action, such as clean, delete, or quarantine.
back to top ↑Viruses today are typically spread via email, but can also be spread by sharing disks, network drives, or Internet downloads. Viruses cannot spread on their own and must be run (or executed) by someone to cause damage. Boot sector viruses spread when a user inadvertently boots their PC from an infected disk. Macro viruses can spread by simply opening an infected document
back to top ↑The type of damage viruses can do varies dramatically. Some of them do a great deal of damage to files, or even destroy the contents of a hard drive, while others install programs intended to corrupt or steal information from your PC.
back to top ↑CA serves major corporations, government entities, and educational institutions worldwide. CA Anti-Virus gives home users powerful technology used by these organizations, in a format that's both easy-to-use and affordable. The CA Security Advisor Team, a global network of threat research labs focused on PC protection, detect and design protection against virus threats 24/7.
back to top ↑Since new viruses are released on a daily basis, it is critical that the anti-virus software you use is updated with new virus signatures to provide protection against the most current threats. CA Anti-Virus provides daily, fully automatic updates to help defend against the latest threats
back to top ↑CA Anti-Virus is configured to automatically check and update virus signatures via a standard Internet connection. This process is completely automated and does not require user intervention.
back to top ↑Heuristic scanning engines enable CA Anti-Virus to detect even unknown viruses by analyzing file characteristics to prevent potential infection. Once a specific virus is added to our detections, CA Anti-Virus will also detect other iterations or variations of that virus. This way, when a new virus is created that uses a similar "fingerprint" as the previous virus, CA Anti-Virus will automatically detect the new virus.
back to top ↑There are several independent organizations that test and certify anti-virus software. CA Anti-Virus is tested and certified effective by ICSA Labs, Virus Bulletin and West Coast Labs.
back to top ↑Spyware is the common term for a wide variety of non-viral programs that are typically installed onto a user's PC without their knowledge. Spyware can steal your personal information, switch your home page, re-direct your web searches, display annoying ads, slow your PC to a crawl, or even control it remotely. Spyware comes in many shapes and sizes; some are simply an annoyance, while others threaten security and privacy.
Common types of spyware include:
back to top ↑Spyware - tracks information about you, your computer, and your surfing habits
Adware - displays unwanted advertising that can slow your computer to a crawl
Keyloggers - can record every keystroke you make, then steal your passwords and other personal data
Browser Hijackers - can change your browser home page and search results
Remote Access Trojans (RATS) - allows attackers to remotely control your computer
Spyware can enter your PC through everyday web browsing, unauthorized software downloads, peer-to-peer file swapping, email attachments, instant messaging and chat sessions, bundles with legitimate software, hacker website downloads, and "drive-by" installs from websites
back to top ↑Spyware can lead to anything from PC crashes to increased spam to identity theft. These threats are rapidly proliferating and represent a major security and privacy risk. Anti-spyware software is designed to detect and remove these threats.
back to top ↑Your anti-virus protection is important - it detects and removes viral threats. But your PC can be infected with other dangers such as spyware. Anti-spyware software is designed to stop these threats, which have unique properties that can remain hidden on your PC and cause havoc. CA Anti-Spyware detects and removes a wide range of spyware threats, making it a powerful complement to your anti-virus defense
back to top ↑Free anti-spyware products typically do not offer all of the features and functions available in CA Anti-Spyware - such as real-time protection, a spyware information database, logging, support and automatic updates. Also, free products typically cannot afford to invest heavily in research and development, meaning their products may not be as effective in detecting and removing a wide range of threats. In addition, free anti-spyware products usually do not offer the same level of customer service and technical support.
back to top ↑A firewall is an important first line of defense for computer security. A firewall is software or hardware that acts as a barrier between your PC and the Internet. It prevents unauthorized programs or users from accessing your PC, and hides your Internet-connected PC from view. All information leaving and entering your PC must pass through the firewall. It ultimately helps keep hackers away from your personal and confidential data.
back to top ↑In today's world of computing, several layers of protection are needed in order to defend your confidential data from hackers. Every PC connected to the Internet is a potential target. Computers are under constant attack from cyber vandals. Whether your connection is dial-up, DSL, or always-on, a firewall is necessary to stop intruders from getting into your PC
back to top ↑Firewalls help protect against hackers and online intruders who steal personal and confidential data that could lead to identity theft. Firewalls inspect each "packet" of data as it arrives on either side of the firewall - inbound from the Internet, or outbound from your computer. The firewall determines whether it should be allowed to pass, or if it should be blocked
back to top ↑Yes. CA Personal Firewall stops unauthorized access and hides your PC from possible hacker attacks. Firewalls protect you from things that anti-virus software and anti-spyware software are not designed to find.
Anti-virus software detects and removes viruses, while anti-spyware software detects and removes spyware, adware, and other non-viral malicious code. Accordingly, CA Personal Firewall is the perfect complement to anti-virus and anti-spyware software, providing a key component of a multilayered security strategy
Spam is the common term for electronic 'junk mail' or unwanted messages sent to a person's email account.
back to top ↑Today, a large percentage of all email is unsolicited, unwanted spam. The billions of spam messages circulating across the Internet can disrupt email delivery, degrade system performance, and reduce overall productivity. Deleting spam emails seems like the simple solution, but if you add up the time spent deleting every spam email you receive, you lose a significant amount of productivity.
back to top ↑Spam messages can contain offensive material, can be used in fraudulent phishing attacks designed to steal your personal information, and can even be used to spread viruses. Spammers can also take control of your computer in order to send spam to others, from your PC. These compromised home computers - collectively referred to as 'botnets' - can be used to send bulk emails by the millions.
Therefore, spam is not only a nuisance that affects your productivity - it can also be a serious threat to your security, privacy, and the health of your PC.
Spammers often use bulk email programs to send out their unsolicited messages to lists of email addresses that are often collected without the recipient's knowledge. There are several ways spammers obtain these email addresses:
back to top ↑Harvesting from Websites - Most companies list email addresses and contact information on their websites. Spammers use web-crawlers to search for and collect these email addresses.
Mailing Lists - Many people sign up for mailing lists for newsletters, news alerts, coupons, special offers, and other interests. Spammers can often purchase or even steal these mailing lists.
Usenet Posting - Spammers can also use bots to cruise newsgroups on Usenet in order to collect email addresses.
Coincidental - Your email address may be unique to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it may also be used by several other people using different ISPs. Spammers use the front part of email addresses and change the ISP name to create a list of several email addresses that might be valid.
Dictionary Attacks - Spammers make educated guesses on email addresses by stringing together common names and words.
Not always. Any response to spam emails confirms the accuracy of your email address, and may result in even more spam messages.
back to top ↑CA Anti-Spam is the easy-to-use, effective anti-spam solution that blocks unwanted spam. CA Anti-Spam allows you to see important messages from people you know while blocking questionable messages from people you don't
back to top ↑Phishing generally refers to email messages that appear to come from trusted companies, but then attempt to direct you to a fake website, where you are asked to provide sensitive personal information (passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on). This information can then be used by the creators of the website to commit identity fraud. Phishing emails are designed to appear legitimate, and the websites often look identical to the legitimate company's website.
Phishing attacks are not limited to email, however; they can also occur through instant messaging, in web pop-ups, or through spyware programs that may have been secretly installed on your PC.
The Internet has become a popular media for e-commerce and online banking. As the business grows, scammers find ways to fool unwary users into submitting personal and confidential details to fraudulent sites, who can misuse that information. Other sites hide their identity and tempt users to pay for goods and services they will never receive
back to top ↑The main Internet fraud methods are:
back to top ↑Pharming - A set of technical tricks that actually changes the destination of the URL that you see in your browser, and directs you to an "undercover" site. In other words, if you type www.mybank.com, you may think you are accessing your bank, but you're actually entering a scam site.
Sites "without identity" or with hidden identity - Sites that deliberately hide their ownership, making it harder to find the owner after a fraud has been committed at the site.
Sites that collect personal or confidential information and do not keep the details secure - Sites that share your private information and email address with other sites for a profit.
Spyware, Trojans & Keyloggers - Sites that secretly install malicious software on your PC, to track your use of the computer and send the information to those who intend to misuse it.
CA Website Inspector helps protect you from phishing attacks, Internet fraud attempts, and malicious websites. It provides a browser toolbar that allows you to verify the identity of the website you are visiting, and offers an easy-to-understand risk assessment informing you whether it's safe to visit the site, or send personal information to the site. CA Website Inspector also checks any links received in email, instant messenger and office applications, and verifies whether the site is safe
After installing CA Website Inspector, you'll notice an additional toolbar in your browser window. It shows you the physical address of the real owner of the site you're viewing. It also evaluates every site you visit and warns you when you access dangerous or fraudulent sites. The CA Toolbar helps keep you safe and informed while browsing, allowing you make educated decisions about trusting the sites you visit.
back to top ↑The CA Toolbar currently supports Internet Explorer 5.0+ and Firefox 1.0+.
back to top ↑The CA Link Advisor is another component of CA Website Inspector designed to keep you safe and informed while using the Internet. It works within your email, instant messenger, and office applications to show you vital information about the sites behind the links you intend to visit, before you even click on the link. It evaluates every link and provides you with the following information:
back to top ↑Which site will you really visit
Which company stands behind the site
Is it safe to deal with the site
Are there any known risks visiting the site
Despite its benefits, the Internet has also become a medium to communicate things that many households would consider dangerous, offensive, sexist, racist, or otherwise inappropriate for their family. Parental controls software is one way for parents to take the initiative to create an Internet environment that they consider safe
back to top ↑Studies have shown that children can be inadvertently exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content, or can intentionally view it; can be solicited for sex while online; or can simply use the Internet in ways that a parent would consider inappropriate or excessive.
back to top ↑Parental controls software allows a parent to control and/or monitor the online activities of their child or children. Parental controls products allow parents to block offensive websites, set time limits on Internet usage, and view reports that summarize the online activities of the child
back to top ↑CA Desktop DNA Migrator helps you backup and restore your PC's "DNA" - everything about your PC that is unique to you. It also allows you to easily transfer (migrate) that DNA from one computer to the next. With just a few clicks, you can preserve user settings, address books, data files, favorites, printer settings and numerous other unique settings and preferences that you don't want to lose. With its user friendly wizard interface, CA Desktop DNA Migrator offers unprecedented control and flexibility.
back to top ↑Each person modifies their PC to fit their needs, jobs and preferences, making their PC unique. Just like humans, computers are all unique as defined by their DNA. A computer's DNA consists of system and application settings, preferences and data files and folders - everything that makes your PC unique to you - including:
back to top ↑All of your Contacts and Address Books
Your Email, Accounts, Calendars and Settings
All of your Documents, Pictures and Music
Favorites, Bookmarks and all Internet Connection Settings
Printer, Network and Wireless Settings
Microsoft Office Settings and Templates
Favorite Background and Display Settings
Shortcuts and Task Manager Settings
Settings for hundreds of the most popular applications
In the event of an unforeseen incident - for example, a virus or system crash - it's important to keep a "copy" of your PC's DNA, and have the ability to restore your PC to its original state before the incident occurred. CA Desktop DNA Migrator allows you to easily backup, protect and restore your PC's DNA after a disaster event.
back to top ↑Getting a new PC is great. What's not so great is trying to move your PC's DNA from your old computer to your new one. Without your old PC's DNA, you will spend hours, maybe days, relearning the way your new PC works. CA Desktop DNA Migrator is the quickest and easiest way to safeguard and transfer your PC's DNA to your new or upgraded PC. By transferring your DNA from your old PC to your new PC you will be up and running quickly, taking advantage of your new PC's features and functions while still enjoying the familiar desktop environment settings, data and connections of your old PC.
back to top ↑A Typical Migration takes the guesswork out of migrations by predefining the most common system and application settings, files and folders. With a few clicks you can perform a complete migration that automatically transfers:
Desktop, dial-up, networking, and system settings
Application settings*
My Documents folder and all sub-folders
Document types*
A Custom Migration takes power, control and flexibility even further by giving you the option to customize settings for special migration needs:
back to top ↑Select a Real-Time or Deferred migration
Include or exclude certain settings for:Desktop - Shortcuts, taskbar, wallpaper, display, etc.
Network - Dial-up, TCP/IP, etc.
PrintersInclude or exclude supported application settings
Include or exclude files and folders
View files and folders in a simple checkbox tree - checked items will be included in a migration, unchecked items will not be included
Create rules to include certain file types or specific folders or files from all local drives
CA Desktop DNA Migrator supports the most popular business, graphic and multimedia applications, such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Outlook Express, PowerPoint, and Word; Lotus Notes; as well as the complete line of Adobe graphic and Macromedia products
A Real-Time migration quickly streams your DNA information directly from a source system to a destination system. Performing a Real-Time migration requires that the two computers you wish to migrate be connected to each other by a local area network (LAN) or an Ethernet crossover cable.
A Deferred migration creates a self-extracting DNA file directly to your desktop or removable media. It then allows you to apply the DNA file to the destination system or keep it for system back-up or future migration.
Yes. For example, CA Desktop DNA Migrator will move Office 97 settings on a Windows 95 machine to Office XP on a machine running Windows XP.
back to top ↑Yes. CA Desktop DNA Migrator will not only migrate settings and associated mail, but can also apply them to the destination's default configuration; in other words, from the Outlook file in the older versions to the new default location.
back to top ↑