Internext Acceptable Use Policy

Usage Guidelines and Acceptable Use

To help ensure that all customers have fair and equal use of the service and to protect the integrity of the network, Internext reserves the right, and will take necessary steps, to prevent improper or excessive usage.

The action that Internext may take includes, but is not limited to, limiting throughput, preventing or limiting service through specific ports or communication protocols, and a complete termination of service to customers with improper or excessive usage. This policy applies to and will be enforced for intended and unintended (e.g., viruses, worms, malicious code, or otherwise unknown causes) prohibited usage. Online activity will be subject to the available bandwidth, data storage and other limitations of the ADSL access service, which Internext may, from time to time, revise at its own discretion and without prior notice to the customer.

Examples of use, which may result in excessive data transfer, include, but are not limited to:

			Activity	Usage Behaviour	How to minimise this type of usage
			Downloading large files or large quantities of files	Downloading files like movies, MP3s, games and software using software such as Napster, Kazaa, E-donkey etc.	Refrain from using automated download programs. You may not install automated search and retrieve programs or similar automated and manual routines, which generate excessive amounts of network traffic
			On-Line Gaming	On-line gaming can average data transfer of between 10 - 60 Mb per hour.	Limit the usage of data transfer when playing games on line. Alternatively use local gaming sites
			Mail / News Groups / CHAT	Email, Newsgroups and Chat clients are used to communicate online, however when files with suffix of "avi", "jpeg", "mpeg", "gif", etc are sent to customers they can contain very large amounts of data.	Be careful when subscribing to sites, which automatically send information with large attachments. Be aware of “background download” programs.
			Fraud	Customers who do not protect their equipment by using a firewall or proxy server create a possibility for remote access to the PC, which may, by using the use of various programs, determine their username and passwords or the PC can be used to transfer data via the owner’s account.	Secure your PC by setting up a firewall or proxy server.
			Browser Use	Automated copying of website content can result in high usage levels.	Manually select the content that needs to be copied.

Customers may not engage in any activity that compromises or threatens Internext’s ability to provide the ADSL access service in a reasonable and efficient manner to all other customers.

Examples of prohibited use include, but are not limited to, running servers (that put traffic on the network) and hosting multi-user interactive forums, such as chat rooms.

The ADSL access service may be used only for lawful purposes. Transmission, distribution or storage of any material in violation of any applicable law or regulation is prohibited. This includes, without limitation, material protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property right used without proper authorisation, and material that is obscene, defamatory, constitutes an illegal threat, or violates export control laws.

Violations of system or network security are prohibited, and may result in criminal and civil liability. Internext will investigate incidents involving such violations and may involve, or will cooperate with, law enforcement agencies if a criminal violation is suspected.

Examples of system or network security violations include, without limitation, the following:

• Unauthorised access to or use of data, systems or networks, including any attempt to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures without express authorisation of the owner of the system or network.

• Unauthorised monitoring of data or traffic on any network or system without express authorisation of the owner of the system or network.

• Interference with service to any user, host or network including, without limitation, mail bombing, flooding, deliberate attempts to overload a system and broadcast attacks.

• Forging of any TCP-IP packet header or any part of the header information in an email or a

• newsgroup posting.

• Knowingly distribute computer viruses or other malicious computer programs.

• The infringement of other’s intellectual property rights or the breaching of any laws or infringement of any third party rights, including without limitation, copyright.

Download Limitations and Technical Measures to Prevent Abuse of the ADSL Access Service

Internext reserves the right to implement technical mechanisms which prevent usage patterns in violation of this AUP. Internext further reserves the right to take such action as may be necessary to protect the integrity of the system, including, but not limited to, system monitoring, as well as protocol management and shutting down of ports affected by viruses, worms or other malicious code.

Legal rights

Nothing contained in this policy shall be construed to limit Internext’s rights or remedies in any way with respect to any of the foregoing activities, and Internext reserves the right to take any actions that it may deem appropriate with respect to such activities, including without limitation: investigating suspected violations of this AUP, taking action to recover the costs and expenses of identifying offenders and terminating their access to and use of the ADSL access service, and levying cancellation charges to cover Internext’s costs in the event of termination of access to the ADSL access service. In addition, Internext reserves all available rights and remedies with respect to such activities at law or in equity.

This AUP may be clarified or modified periodically and Internext reserves the right to modify this policy at any time, which changes shall become effective as soon as they are posted to the Internext website (www.internext.co.za).

This policy forms part of the customer’s agreement with Internext regarding the ADSL access service.

Electronic mail

Your service with Internext includes the ability to send electronic mail via various mail relay services (SMTP). Misuse of the SMTP service may result in blacklisting of the user id. The following examples are non-exclusive and are provided for guidance to customers.

1. Use of your e-mail account to send unsolicited bulk (UBE) or commercial messages (UCE) is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, bulk-mailing of commercial advertising, informational announcements, charity requests, petitions for signatures, and political or religious tracts. Such material may only be sent to those who have explicitly requested it.

2. Using your e-mail account to collect responses from unsolicited bulk or commercial e-mail is prohibited.

3. Sending mass unsolicited mail or deliberately sending very large messages or files to one or more recipients ("mail bombing") is prohibited.

4. Forging or removing e-mail headers is prohibited.

5. Use of e-mail to harass or intimidate other users is prohibited. Harassment, whether through language, frequency of messages, or size of messages, is prohibited. Sending a single unwelcome message may be considered harassment. If a recipient asks to stop receiving e-mail from you, you must not send that person any further messages.

6. You may not forward or otherwise propagate chain letters, whether or not such messages solicit money or other items of value, and whether or not the recipient wishes to receive such mailings.

7. Internext services may not be used to collect replies to messages sent from another ISP, where those messages violate this Acceptable Use Policy or the Acceptable Use Policy of the other ISP.

8. Internext reserves the right to delete messages or files which have remained on its servers for excessive periods of time as determined by Internext, in its sole discretion.