Cosmos Internet Services wrote these acceptable usage policies and parameters to ensure that all users home and business get a "fair go" on the internet. The intention is to allow fair usage for everyone with minimal inconvenience when the acceptable usage policy is enforced.

These definitions below do NOT replace our standard terms and conditions but rather serve to put a more human explanation to a lot of legal talk.

There are only really 6 criteria where the acceptable usage policy may come into effect. In a nut shell;

• Users who blatantly abuse the system in so far as unlimited access is concerned at the expense of other users.
• Users who cause other users or anyone else on the internet to complain about their behavior.
• Users who cause problems to our systems.
• Users may be lifted to a higher rate or disconnected where they are using the system beyond what is reasonable. See definition of unlimited access below. 
• Users who stay on for more that 8hrs with idle time of more than 20 minutes.
• Users who SPAM or Hack other users.

Unlimited Access - Acceptable Usage Definition and User responsibilities.

By unlimited Access, users will not be charged any hourly or download charges associated with their usage of the internet. 

It does not mean that users can stay connected 24hrs a day, 7 days a week using up available modem lines to the detriment of other users. 

It also DOES NOT mean that you can log on to 2 sessions. If a user is found logging on (or dialing in) more than once at the same time then the user will be charged again for the extra account. We are diligent and get reports every 5 minutes for users who log two or more times at the same time. 

This rate was introduced as a means of making the accounting practices of an ISP simpler to both the User and the ISP. A single charge, every month or year. No surprises, no nasty excess hour or download charges.

Users who abuse what we would consider a 'reasonable' time or meg download will be warned that they are breaching the acceptable usage policy. Users who consistently abuse the acceptable usage policy may be lifted to a higher rate or disconnected altogether.  

We are not about irritating users but we must be fair to everyone.

In the event modems are 95% engaged, Cosmos will automatically disconnect the oldest users with idle time on the system. These users may then reconnect immediately if desired. In any case, Cosmos policy is to increase the size of the modem pool when modem utilization reaches 95% average consistently over a four week period.

REMOTE SUPPORT or ADMINISTRATION

Typically this support caters for setup of internet connections, minor modem or connect issues, problems accessing the internet or email and the like. We support de-facto standard Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape range of products.

It does not cater for fixing problems experienced by virus or hardware/software problems in your computer systems.  

It does not cater for internet tutorials or tutorial of how applications (for example, but not limited to: ASP, PHP, html or ICQ) should and should not work.  

It does not cater for repairing a failed operating system.

In these situations, we can help where we can but take no responsibility or liability for any loss of data, software or hardware. 

WEB SITES

Cosmos allows up 10 Meg (depending on the service chosen) for user web space. This is PLENTY of hard disk space for people who are planning to have their personal or corporate web sites hosted on Cosmos web servers. The conditions are (but not limited to) the  following:

• You should NOT have any materials that will offend others or any laws on the Planet Earth (especially Australia).
• You should NOT have any materials that will infringe any copyrights or trademarks.
• You should look both ways before crossing the street.
• For your own sake, your web space should not be used to store any intellectual property or any of your companies information that you deem is *for your eyes only*
• Your web sites should look smart and be fast.
• You should keep a local backup copy of your site on your PC. We, at cosmos, live in the real world and our systems are complex. As much as we attempt to backup all systems, some smart bugger out there with nothing better to do on a sunny day may, one day, find a way into our systems and cause some malicious damage. Murphy's Law, they will probably go after you first.
• Any CGI/ASP/PHP etc.. applications must be identified to Cosmos Staff first and analysed for any potential impacts to other users.

ALSO: The web hosting is limited to 1000 Hits per month, this means your site can be hit 1000 times a month with no additional charges. However, this DOES NOT mean you can have 1 file that is 10 Meg long hit 1000 times.

We are diligent and observant ISP operators, we do monitor web traffic and we will inform you if your site pops up on our monitors by breaking one or all of the rules above. If no steps are taken to remedy, we will remove your website and replace with a link to the Cosmos homepage. 

Generally, if your web site is a 'normal' web site, it will transmit around 500 Meg a month (approx 1000 hits per month for an average 50K web home page)

SPAM and other Mail related activities

Cosmos frown heavily on using it's services for mass mail-outs of unsolicited mail or 'junk' mail. Please be aware that Cosmos will not and do not condone the use of our mail server as a mass mail-out host end of story. We have had some people in the past do this and has caused our servers to get blocked from sending mail internationally. 

There are several worldwide databases ORBS black list, SPAMCop etc that 99% of ISP's subscribe to to prevent unsolicited mail coming to our users. These databases are updated automatically by users who report they are getting unsolicited mail from another mail server. It's all very automatic and instant. Since 99% of ISP's use these databases, when Cosmos gets reported, NO MAIL from cosmos gets delivered to any other servers. As you can imagine, this is not good for ALL users. To avoid the pain of having to Warn then disconnect you, please refrain from sending SPAM emails.

For definition of SPAM, please click here.