Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Charter.net?
  
  It is the new, customizable customer Web portal that provides High-Speed Internet customers with easy access to free web content such as video, news, sports, entertainment, weather; premium subscription services such as gaming & music; and key account features such as email - all in one location and accessible with one login. Charter.net offers premium online content from the top Internet subscription and entertainment sites such as MLB.com, Encyclopedia Britannica, Shockwave.com™ UNLIMITED and more - all at an incredible savings when compared to direct subscription rates! Set www.charter.net as your home page, customize the content to fit your needs, and have a one-stop shop for digital entertainment & news!
• How do I log in?
  
  You can click on the login button in the upper right or the system will automatically prompt you to log in when you perform an action that requires it. The log in prompt allows users to select “remember me”. Doing this sets a cookie, which saves your authentication information and eliminates the hassle of having to log in again.
• What is my www.charter.net user name?
  
  The username is your complete Charter e-mail address including the domain (example@charter.net). Your portal login password is the Charter e-mail password.
• How do I change or retrieve my password?
  
  The e-mail owner can change or reset a password for an e-mail/charter.net account:
  
  1. From the My Charter Account page, click the Manage My E-mail Accounts link. The Add or Edit E-mail Accounts page displays.
  
  2. Click the Edit hyperlink to the right of the account you want to change. The Edit E-mail Account page displays with the current password displayed as a single asterisk.
  
  3. To change the password, type the new password in the Password field. While the actual typed values will not appear, an asterisk will display for each character typed.
  
  4. In the Confirm Password field, retype the new password. Click the Save button. The E-mail Account Confirmation page displays.
• What's happening if I constantly have to log in for access to my subscription services or to customize www.charter.net?
  
  You may have "Cookies" turned off for your Web browser. Cookies allow the Charter system to recognize you and "find" your login and credentials as you navigate throughout the many content partners in your subscription. To switch Cookies on, click on Tools, Internet Options, and Privacy. Select a Privacy setting of 'Medium' or lower, which will enable Cookies and provide a seamless subscription content viewing experience.
• How can I customize my homepage?
  
  There are many ways to customize your homepage:
  Drag & Drop
  Personalizing your layout has never been easier. Click on any component on the page and hold down your left mouse button. Then you can drag the component up or down and drop it anywhere you choose.
  
  CustomizeAdd sports, stock watch, entertainment and other content by clicking on the Customize link usually found at the top of the page. With just a few clicks you can make the charter.net home page your homepage.
  
  Localize
  Set the weather for your neighborhood, add your local movie theater on the movies page and add your local TV listings. It is all easy to do and at your fingertips.
• Why do I have to re-enter my password?
  
  If you enter your username and password into Charter.net and select the "remember me” button, you will not be prompted to log in again for 90 days. For email, the timeout is shorter - 24 hours. So, if you click on email 23 hours after logging in, you gain direct access without a prompt for your password. If you click on email 25 hours after logging in, you will be prompted for your password.
• Who do I contact if I can't access my premium online content or my login fails?
  
  If you can't access your content because of a failed password or broken link, please contact a Charter Customer Care Representative by going to www.charter.com to obtain your Support Centers Phone number or locate your Charter Cable Bill. Your Contact Center phone number is located on your billing statement.
• What are the system requirements for www.charter.net?
  
  The following are recommended for the best www.charter.net experience:
  
  

  • Windows 98/2000/XP/ME, Vista, MacOS X, Unix
  • IE 6 or 7 or Firefox 1.5 or 2
  • 256MB RAM
  • Real Player 6.0 or higher
  • Flash Player 7
  • Windows Media Player 10
  • Shockwave 8.5
• How do I know if my system has the latest Plug-Ins, or Media Players?
  
  Please find the link to our "Get Plug-Ins" located at the footer of www.charter.net. This link allows customers to simply click and have their desktop scanned for available Plug-ins and those needed for optimal use of the services available through the portal. Clicking on this link will result in a window advising of any Plug-ins needed with links to download the software. RealPlayer is the only plug-in required to view the portal content. The rest may be required to access premium content.
• Why don't some of the player controls or plug-ins work for me when using Netscape?
  
  If you already had RealPlayer installed before you downloaded Netscape you will have to re-install RealPlayer in order to make the controls work properly. A free download is available Here.
• How can I optimize my homepage display?
  
  The portal is optimized for viewing at a 1024 x 768 screen resolution. The narrow view allows you to view the portal at an 800 x 600 screen resolution. At this resolution the images appear larger on the screen. In narrow mode some of the content is realigned to fit within the smaller area. This also frees you from having to scroll left to right to view content. To change screen resolution, you should follow the instructions below:
  
  Windows users can change display settings by going to “Control Panel” and selecting the “Display” icon. Within the “Settings” tab, change the resolution to the desired setting.
  
  Mac OSX users can change display settings by going to the “Applications Folder” and selecting “System Preferences”. From there, chose “Displays” and select the desired resolution from the “Resolutions” list.
• Why is my browser having trouble displaying the page?
  
  Versions of Internet Explore older than Internet Explorer 6.0 will not display the portal properly. You will also likely receive a pop up error regarding login. To solve this problem, you will need to download Internet Explorer 6.0. Clicking on “Get Plug Ins and Downloads” in the footer of Charter.net will guide you to the download.
• What are channels?
  
  Channels are the content specific destinations you can access through the directory on the left side of the homepage. One click access from the left Directory navigation makes it easy to get in depth coverage of News, Sports, TV, and a whole bunch of other topics.
  
  News
  Stay up to date on all the news, current events and more by checking back throughout the day. We have you covered on all the late-breaking news you need to know about.
  
  Sports
  Charter gives you up to date news, scores and more on your favorite sports. We cover all the major leagues, college and more.
  
  Living
  A place to shop, plan a trip, find a new job…your favorite brand names are here. Expedia can help you save big on your next trip. When you’re ready to change jobs, CareerBuilder can help. Buying a car, check out Autobytel. Or enlist the biggest comparison engine on the Internet with Shopzilla, then simply purchase online.
  
  Video
  You’ll find behind-the-scenes footage from popular TV shows, video of the latest news headlines, trailers for upcoming movies and classic favorites, and a lot more, all in one place. Check back often for specials like season previews of the hottest cable series and full episodes of programs you enjoy.
• Where is my Email?
  
  You can access your email by simply clicking on the orange “Check Email” component located at the top of the right column on the homepage. No need to log in separately, once you are logged into the portal you will automatically get into your email. And to protect your email content you will be logged out of your email session after 24 hours even if you click “Remember me.”
• What is @ The WaterCooler?
  
  It's a place where the hottest videos, games, and other media live. It’s gossip and the stuff everybody is talking about – music, videos, and more. See what all the buzz is about on new artists, movies, and other cool topics.
• How do I add or remove stocks from the Market Watch component?
  
  If you have stocks that you want to add or remove from your Market Watch component, you simply type the stock symbol you wish to add or remove in the "add/remove" field and click “go”.
• Where does my personal information go?
  
  Charter has worked hard with technology and information policies to protect your personal information. For more information on how Charter protects your information, please read our Privacy Statement located at www.charter.com.
• What are “Premium Services”?
  
  Premium Service Packages are a great way to make the most of your High Speed Internet connection. Our collections of top-notch subscription sites offer you games, downloadable music, sports videos, and so much more; all at a significant discount.
  

  Current Charter Premiums Services Include:

  Variety Pack Online™ - $7.99/month

  • American Greetings
    Find and send the perfect eCard for every occasion from their collection of over 5000. Want something interesting, select a Talking eCard, and send laughter to friends and family. When you throw a party, distinguish yourself with custom Create & Print cards and invites.
  • Shockwave Unlimited
    Never get bored with over 400 games and puzzles to choose from. 24/7 access so mom can stay up all night playing. Amazing, no time limits on play or games.
  • Encyclopedia Britannica
    Impress your teachers with references they trust from over 120,000 articles. Astonish your friends with presentations that come to life using audio and video clips. Whenever you need a reference or resource, the full 32 volumes of knowledge are easily searched for just the right answer.
  • Clever Island
    Have fun learning with 90 educational games. Activities updated monthly. And there are progress reports for mom and dad.
  • MLB
    9 Minute condensed games: This MLB exclusive allows you to watch the whole game before lunch is over. Listen to your favorite team from your favorite radio announcers while you work. Live Audio brings every game right your desktop.
  • NHL
    NHL® Premium Videos and Game Notes is an all-inclusive premium subscription service. Videos include condensed NHL game footage, online and all commercial free. NHL Game Notes™ provides fans with online information and stats on their favorite NHL team and their opponents through the regular season, playoffs, and Stanley Cup.
  • Premium Weather
    Get historical video of the most incredible storms. The weather fanatic has lots of storm videos to watch again and again.

  Charter Music - $9.99/month

  • Streaming Music
  • Subscription Downloads
  • PC Subscription Downloads
  • Portable Downloads - allows customers to transfer an unlimited number of songs to their portable device (to-go enabled MP3 players) at no additional cost. Customers can access these songs as long as they subscribe to your service. Go to www.playsforsure.com to see if your device is compatible.
  • Permanent Downloads/Burns - for only $.99 per song (albums only $9.99) you can burn your tracks to a CD or transfer to your MP3 player. Charter Music lets you listen before you buy.
• What are my system requirements to access Variety Pack Online™ premium services?
  
  Due to the high resolution and use of video with our premium content providers, we recommend that your computer meet the following minimum hardware and software requirements.
  
  * Variety Pack Online™ premiums may not be optimized for MAC users, and browsers other than Internet Explorer.
  
  

  • Any Intel or AMD processor, 400mhz or faster
  • Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
  • Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (cookies enabled)
  • Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher
  • Real Player 6.0 or higher
  • Macromedia Flash Plug-In (required for Charter Music)
  • Shockwave Plug-in (required for Shockwave.com™ UNLIMITED)
  • Active X Plug-in (for streaming video over IE)
  • 256 MB RAM
  • 16-bit sound card and speakers
  • 65,000-color video display card
• How often am I billed for Variety Pack Online™ or Charter Music?
  
  Both subscription services will simply be included on your monthly Charter statement. No credit card or separate monthly bills are required; just easy access to the best online premium services and music!
• Can anyone else access my Variety Pack Online™ or Charter Music subscriptions?
  
  Unless you share your login information with others, only you will be able to access your premium online subscriptions. To prevent others from accessing your premium content, please keep your login information confidential.
• I sometimes see pop-up advertisements while viewing my Variety Pack Online™ premium online content. Can I stop the ads?
  
  Charter cannot turn off pop-up ads that are part of the premium service or content providers' offerings. These ads are a service of content providers to promote special offers.
• I can't view my Variety Pack Online™ premium online content when the video window appears. What is wrong and how do I fix it?
  
  If you can't view the www.charter.net home page or a premium content video stream:
  
  a. Certain content providers may require that you enable Javascript and ActiveX Controls to properly view their pages. For Internet Explorer, click on Tools, Internet Options, Security. Make sure that Java and ActiveX are enabled for your browser, and then save the system changes. Alternatively, you can enable Cookies at this time in the Privacy settings. The "Default" security setting will switch on all three features at once. Click to "Apply" the changes.
  
  b. You may have outdated or incompatible versions of video playing programs on your computer. To check for the latest version of RealPlayer, Flash Player, Shockwave or Windows Media Player, click on 'Get Plug-Ins' located in the footer of www.charter.net. This link allows customers to simply click and have their desktop scanned for available Plug-ins and those needed for optimal use of the services available through the portal. Clicking on this link will result in a window advising of any Plug-ins needed with links to download the software. RealPlayer is the only plug-in required to view the portal content. The rest may be required to access premium content.
  
  c. Finally, you may be experiencing Internet congestion that is causing slow download and streaming speeds. If the video player tries to re-buffer the stream more than three times during the video, close the video pop-up window and select a smaller stream. Internet congestion is common at peak usage hours, and unless it persists for more than an hour you do not need to contact Charter.
• Can I leave my email, messaging, and other programs running while viewing my Variety Pack Online™ or Charter Music content?
  
  Depending on the speed and RAM of your computer, you can keep several programs running at the same time, including your premium content subscriptions. However, certain programs that require a lot of virtual memory, such as graphics programs or a Web camera, may impede your system's ability to process a video stream from your premium online content. If you have consistent problems with system resources, or crash the browser more than once, you should close such programs when viewing premium video streams at the same time.
• Why can't I login to my Variety Pack Online™ services (for example, Shockwave.com™ UNLIMITED or American Greetings) directly from their websites?
  
  Variety Pack Online™ provides a unique bundle & discount for Charter High-Speed customers accessing the premium content through the Charter.net Portal. In order to provide this service, you must login through your Charter portal page located at www.charter.net.