FAQ

Subscription

1. Does Magix allow me to access the Internet from places other than my primary installation? 2. How much email storage space do I get? 3. What is the minimum Magix sign-on period? What is the penalty if I decide to cancel before the period is up?

Installation

1. If I am shifting house or relocating my Magix service to a different telephone number and/or PC, what are the charges involved to reinstall the Magix modem and software?

Billing & Usage

1. How am I charged? 2. When do charges begin and end? 3. How can I check my usage hours? 4. If I sign up for Magix in the middle of the month, will I be allocated the full number of free hours entitled in my plan?

TimeBank

1. What is Time Bank? 2. For how many months will my unused free hours be carried forward? 3. What is the maximum number of hours I can carry forward to the next month? 4. Will I lose my unused hours if I change my plan? 5. Will I still get to carry over my unused hours if I change my user ID? 6. If I transfer my account to my sister, for example, will my unused hours be transferred to her account? 7. How can I check the number of unused hours carried forward?

Global Roaming

1. What are the benefits of the Global Roaming service provided by Magix? 2. What are the countries and cities that I can roam from? 3. How will I be billed? 4. Will my free hours be used to cover my roaming usage? 5. Is there any special software or configuration I need to have if I want to use Global Roaming services? 6. Is it compulsory to use these software for roaming connection? 7. When I am overseas, logging in via iPass roaming service, is there any difference from the usual way I log in for dialup access in Singapore? 8. Which is the correct password to use for roaming? 9. Why is the phone number listed in the phonebook not working? 10. What if I need roaming assistance? 11. Why is my Internet access sometimes a bit slow?

Technical

1. What is ADSL? 2. How does ADSL compare to cable modems? 3. Can I run both dial-up modems and ADSL modems? 4. What is the function of the micro-filters, supplied together with my Magix modem? 5. How do I connect the micro-filter? 6. How many micro-filters do I need? 7. Can the ADSL modem be used as a fax modem for faxing documents? 8. Will the speed of the Magix ADSL service be affected when someone is making a call at the same time? 9. Why does my connection speed to the Internet occasionally slows down when I am accessing an overseas website? 10. How can the speed of the Internet be improved?

Usage Alert

1. What are the benefits of Usage Alert? 2. Do I need to pay or subscribe to Usage Alert notification service? 3. How do I enable the Usage Alert notification service? 4. The "Enable Usage Alert" checkbox is checked, what does this indicate? 5. Do I need to set my usage alert hours every month if it is the same? 6. Can I set my usage alert to notify me at different usage hours for that month? 7. Can I set the Usage Alert hours as, for example: 10.5 hours?

Subscription

Q   1. Does Magix allow me to access my account the Internet from places other than my primary installation? A Yes, you can access your Magix emails or surf the Internet (at dial-up speeds, usually at 56kbp/s or less) from other locations, local or overseas, using an analog dial-up modem because Magix provides you with a Dial-Up & Roaming Account free of charge.     Back To Top   Q   2. How much email storage space do I get? A Your account comes with 6 MB of storage space. If you require additional email disk space, please email sales@magix.com.sg. Additional email space can be subscribed at $5.35 (inclusive of GST) per MB.     Back To Top     Q   3. What is the minimum Magix sign-on period? What is the penalty if I decide to cancel before the period is up? A You may terminate your Magix account at any time. However, there will be an additional surcharge if your account is less than 12 months old. For more information, kindly refer to our Terms & Conditions.     Back To Top

Installation

Q   1. If I am shifting house or relocating my Magix service to a different telephone number and/or PC, what are the charges involved to reinstall the Magix modem and software? A Please refer to our table of Service Charge for more details.     Back To Top

Billing & Usage

Q   1. How am I charged? A You are charged 5 cents per minute, after the free hours, when accessing the Internet using your Magix ADSL service or analog dialup modem. It is charged in per-minute block. Kindly be informed that dialup service is non toll free.     Back To Top     Q   2. When do charges begin and end? A The access charges begins when you power up your modem and network activity is detected by Magix billing system. Network activity occurs when there is data sent between your PC and the Internet or between your PC and Magix servers. There is network traffic whenever you surf the Internet, and/or access your emails. Please note that web pages with moving banners will be sending data to you constantly. Also, please note that certain background programs are web-based and so will generate network traffic. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you disable such programs from your PC. For example, you will also need to disable ICQ and frequently - scheduled anti-virus listing updates to prevent constant network activity being charged to your account.     Back To Top    Q   3. How can I check my usage hours? A Our BillCheck service allows you to check your current usage as well as your remaining free hours balance for the month and Time Bank minutes.     Back To Top     Q   4. If I sign up for Magix in the middle of the month, will I be allocated the full number of free hours entitled in my plan? A Yes, you will get the full free hours of your plan. If you cannot use them all, there is no need to worry since our TimeBank service will automatically carry them over to offset against your next month's usage.     Back To Top

TimeBank

Q   1. What is Time Bank? A Time Bank allows you to carry forward your current month's unused free hours (based on your service plan) over to the next month so that you can offset them against your next month's usage.     Back To Top     Q   2. For how many months will my unused free hours be carried forward? A Time Bank allows you to carry forward your unused free hours for one month.     Back To Top      Q   3. What is the maximum number of hours I can carry forward to the next month? A All your unused hours will be carried forward, subject to a maximum number equal to the free hours of your subscription plan. For example, if you are a Premium Plan subscriber, with 10 free hours every month, the maximum you can carry forward to the next month is 10 hours.   Jan Feb Mar Entitled Free Hours 10 10 10 Used Hours 2 5 25 Unused Hours 8 5 0 Carried Over from previous month 0 8 10 Total Unused Hours 8 13 0 Eligible for carrying forward 8 10 0 Billable hours (in excess of free hours) 0 0 5     Back To Top     Q   4. Will I lose my unused hours if I change my plan? A No, because those hours are yours for as you long as you remain a Magix subscriber. In fact, to give you the maximum advantage when you change your plan, your unused hours will be brought forward to your new plan.     Back To Top      Q   5. Will I still get to carry over my unused hours if I change my user ID? A Yes. Time Bank will automatically credit your unused hours to your new user ID.     Back To Top     Q   6. If I transfer my account to my sister, for example, will my unused hours be transferred to her account? A Definitely. All unused hours will automatically be transferred over to the new account.     Back To Top     Q   7. How can I check the number of unused hours carried forward? A Simply click on BillCheck.     Back To Top

Global Roaming

Q   1. What are the benefits of Global Roaming service provided by Magix? A It allows subscribers who are overseas to access their Magix account to surf the Internet and access their emails without having to make costly IDD calls. Even though you are in a foreign country, you pay the country's local phone charges, saving you costly phone bills. The great news is this service is automatically enabled for every Magix account upon sign-up and it is free of charge! You simply use your email user ID and password to access your account via an overseas ISP who is affiliated with iPass. The foreign ISP will then connect you back to Magix services such as email.     Back To Top     Q   2. What are the countries and cities that I can roam from?   A iPass is affiliated with ISPs from almost every major city around the world. You can verify whether there is an affiliated ISP at your destination by checking the phonebook included in the iPass software or by viewing their growing list of ISP partners at their website, www.ipass.com.     Back To Top     Q   3. How will I be billed? A For your convenience, your monthly Global Roaming charges will be added directly to your monthly Magix bill.     Back To Top     Q   4. Will my free hours be used to cover my roaming usage? A No. Your Global Roaming usage is accounted for separately from local usage and will not be deducted from your free hours. Your free hours will only be utilised for local Magix usage.     Back To Top     Q   5. Is there any special software or configuration I need to have if I want to use Global Roaming services? A To better personalize your Global Roaming options, you will need Microsoft Connection Manager for the iPass network. The application is available for free download at www.ipass.com.     Back To Top     Q   6. Is it compulsory to use these software for roaming connection? A Certainly. In fact, it's probably a good idea to do so, in case the country you are visiting only has coverage with one network.     Back To Top       Q   7. When I am overseas, logging in via iPass roaming service, is there any difference from the usual way I log in for dialup access in Singapore? A Just two things to note. You have to enter the domain name in addition to your user ID when you log in to the roaming service. For example, you will need to type 'johnny@magix.com.sg' instead of just 'johnny'. Also, you have to set the Outgoing Mail SMTP Server in the email client software to "roaming.magix.com.sg" instead of "mail.magix.com.sg" when in Singapore.     Back To Top       Q   8. Which is the correct password to use for roaming? A Please use your present email password as your roaming password when you log in.     Back To Top       Q   9. Why is the phone number listed in the phonebook not working? A There are a few possible reasons for this. a) Occasionally, the local ISP may change or delete the phone number. Always update your phonebook before your next trip. b) You may encounter difficulties dialing in if several users are trying to log in at the same time. Try dialing another available number or the next nearest city number, or wait a few minutes before trying again. c) If you can connect successfully to another number, it may also be due to the initial access number or site being temporarily unavailable. d) If you are unable to connect to the other access numbers, this may indicate that your modem is not well connected to the phone line or that you have a modem compatibility problem. Consult technical support or your modem manufacturer. e) Many hotels require you to dial a number to get an outside line. Make sure that you are dialing the required prefixes and local dial code for the region.     Back To Top       Q   10. What if I need roaming assistance? A If you are overseas and encounter roaming difficulties, please call the helpline of the local ISP in the country you are in for further assistance. The local ISP help line number is available in the dialer phonebook. You can Contact Us via email to adslhelp@magix.com.sg or technical helpdesk 1800-777 2900 for technical assistance to set up your roaming service e.g. dialer, before you travel. We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the user guide of the dialer, iPass you have chosen by visiting our Global Roaming page. It contains useful information on the system requirements and settings as well as how to get connected.     Back To Top       Q   11. Why is my Internet access sometimes a bit slow? A It may be due to one of the following: a) A noisy telephone line often causes slow transmission speed. This is often the case in hotels. This can cause modems to work at a slower baud rate than their top speed because the modem has to correct for data errors. Most access numbers support connections of at least 28.8kbps but can be hindered by the telecommunications network in the specific country. b) Proxy servers are used by many ISPs to speed up Internet access as they operate like a huge memory of web pages so that popular sites are served from a local source instead of using overseas bandwidth. If the proxy server is set in your browser, disable it until you are accessing your account again from your home ISP.     Back To Top

Technical

Q   1. What is ADSL? A ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It is a cutting-edge technology that transforms ordinary phone lines into high-speed digital lines for ultra-fast Internet access. Because of its high digital quality, ADSL technology vastly improves telecommuter networking functions and the speed of on-line multiplayer gaming as well as real-time video streaming capabilities. ADSL provides you with simultaneous Internet and voice/fax capabilities over a single phone line since it maximizes the capacity of your line. This means that you can surf on the Net and use the phone or fax at the same time. It lets you enjoy high-speed Internet access and Video-On-Demand services, with high data security (compared to cable modem technology), 24 hours a day.     Back To Top     Q   2. How does ADSL compare to cable modems? A ADSL gives you a private and secure connection over a single telephone line, while cable modems share their bandwidth with multiple users. In essence, this means that connection speeds for cable modems will vary according to the number of users who are using the same line. Cable modems are also limited to homes which can support two-way cable modem transmissions, whereas ADSL is available to anyone with a phone line. Moreover, you will require additional new cabling to support cable modem, while ADSL can work on your existing phone line.     Back To Top    Q   3. Can I run both dial-up modems and ADSL modems? A Yes, but we do not recommend it. You could experience slowness during surfing, while incurring the additional cost of maintaining two active connections.     Back To Top     Q   4. What is the function of the micro-filters, supplied together with my Magix modem? A When you subscribe to Magix service, your home telephone line will be converted to an ADSL line. A micro-filter is used in conjunction with your phone line to improve your Magix connection quality. It filters away high frequencies, so that the ADSL signal will not be affected when the phone is being used. As a result, your phone line can be used to surf the Internet at high speeds and at the same time, you can make or receive phone calls, all without interference.     Back To Top     Q   5. How do I connect the micro-filter? A It is connected between the telephone wall socket and analog device (for example, telephone set, analog dial-up modem etc). If you fail to do it, it will cause disturbance on the Magix connection. As a result, the ADSL line may end up resynchronising continuously when the analog device is used at the time.     Back To Top     Q   6. How many micro-filters do I need? A You will need one micro-filter for each activated phone socket. SingTel recommends that you have up to 3 phone extensions (1 main + 3 extension) for each telephone line. Please Contact Us at our Installation Hotline if your home phone system configuration requires you to install more than four micro-filters.     Back To Top      Q   7. Can the ADSL modem be used as a fax modem for faxing documents? A The ADSL modem cannot be used as a fax modem for faxing documents because it does not have dialing functions. However, you can easily overcome this by subscribing to SingTel's FaxPlus services which enables you to send and receive faxes through the Internet. However, if a normal dial-up fax modem is connected to the phone port of the ADSL modem, users can also fax via the normal dial-up fax modem and, at the same time, use the ADSL modem for Magix.     Back To Top      Q   8. Will the speed of the ADSL be affected when someone is making a call while access is being made into Magix service at the same time? A No. The advantage of Magix over normal modems is that it utilizes a separate bandwidth from your telephone, allowing you to make/receive calls while enjoying the high Internet access speed at the same time.     Back To Top   Q   9. Why does my connection speed to the Internet occasionally slows down when I am accessing an overseas website? A Magix provides fast access speed to the Internet. But access speed is just one of many factors which affect the throughput speed experienced by the Internet user. Other factors are : i. Web server speed. A user would receive data from the Internet only as fast as the web server can send them out. Typically, web servers are optimized to enable more simultaneous user sessions rather than faster throughput speeds because people are more forgiving toward slower speed than to be locked-out due to too many users. ii. Speed of the link connecting the web server to the Internet. Due to the high cost of international bandwidth, most servers are connected to the Internet through links that are no faster than 2Mbps or even 64kbps. iii. Nature of Internet traffic, which is not deterministic. ie sometimes there are blockages on the Internet which is beyond the control of an ISP. iv. Speed of Singapore's link to the Internet. Heavy traffic especially during peak hours can sometimes cause congestion to overseas sites.      Back To Top      Q   10. How can the speed of the Internet be improved? A The Internet infrastructure is constantly being upgraded to handle the rapidly increasing use of the Internet. Many servers operate at 56kbps. In addition, the Internet backbone has grown in an unplanned fashion and a connection may see 20 or more routers. All these create a significant delay in overall throughput speed. A great deal of work is underway to improve the Internet experience by: i. increasing server access speeds ii. improving backbone and NAP (Network Access Point) bandwidth iii. increasing router speed iv. introducing ATM into the backbone for much lower latency v. implementing proxy or cache servers for frequently visited web pages to create local access, at least for these pages     Back To Top

Usage Alert

Q   1. What are the benefits of Usage Alert? A Usage Alert is a service designed to help you monitor your monthly usage time. You may specify a preferred usage level, for example 30 hours per month. When your actual usage hours for that month have exceeded the specified preferred usage hours, you will be notified via e-mail on the following day.     Back To Top       Q   2. Do I need to pay or subscribe to Usage Alert notification service? A No, it is offered to all users free of charge.     Back To Top       Q   3. How do I enable the Usage Alert notification service? A Simply log in to the BillCheck page, select 'Usage Alert' option and confirm on the 'Enable Usage Alert' checkbox.     Back To Top       Q   4. If the "Enable Usage Alert" checkbox is checked, what does this indicate? A This means that Usage Alert is enabled and you will be notified when you hit the usage limit you have set in 'Usage Alert Hours'.     Back To Top      Q   5. Do I need to set my usage alert hours every month if it is the same? A No, the same settings will remain until the next time you change them again.     Back To Top       Q   6. Can I set my usage alert to notify me at different usage hours for that month? A Yes. You can specify the number of hours you want. After you receive a notification, you can go back to the Usage Alert activation page to change the usage limit again.     Back To Top       Q   7. Can I set the Usage Alert hours as, for example: 10.5 hours? A No, as Usage Alert works in hour-blocks.     Back To Top