If you have only ever used a home ISP service, such as AOL or Freeserve, you will find the combination of PlanetFusion and PlanetHosts services rather different. As with many "professional" products, it is designed for the more informed client who has grown out of some parts of their existing service, and is willing to trade them for greater power and flexibility.

Here are the main differences...

Probably the most immediate difference is the confirmation sheet versus the CD-ROM. On face value a CD-ROM which "does everything at the click of a button" may seem the easier option, but following the simple instructions on your confirmation sheet it takes only a few minutes to set things up the professional way. It gives you much more control and ultimately could save you a lot of problems.

ISP's CD-ROMs usually install a great deal of software which you do not need, cluttering up and slowing down your computer. They frequently brand your browser with your ISP's name, set your home page to their site, and have a bad reputation for upsetting other dial-up connections or disabling them completely.

On the other hand, armed with the details on your confirmation sheet it is a quick and simple job to set up Internet dial-up access or e-mail accounts using the "wizards" already built into Windows and Outlook.

To set the home page, go to the page you want, then

• In Internet Explorer choose "Tools", "Internet Options", then under the General tab, in the Home Page box, click "Use Current".
• In Netscape Navigator choose "Edit", "Preferences", then in the "Navigator" category , in the Home Page box, click "Use Current Page".

The threat posed to your business by viruses and malicious exploits of weaknesses in your system or browser are constantly growing. PlanetHosts helps to protect you and your business contacts against these dangers by scanning all incoming and outgoing mail with state-of-the-art antivirus software using virus definitions that are updated daily. If something is detected it is quarantined and both the sender and the intended recipient are automatically notified.

PlanetHosts e-mail is also extremely powerful. Because your account includes a domain (such as mydomain.co.uk) your e-mail addresses will have the format john@mydomain.co.uk. Use the link in your confirmation sheet to access your control panel: from here you can set up e-mail user names (sarah@mydomain.co.uk, sales@mydomain.co.uk), unlimited aliases (johnsmith@mydomain.co.uk, jsmith@mydomain.co.uk etc), e-mail forwarding to another address (optional, may be an address on your account or any other address you choose), and even vacation messages (again optional, and a feature usually only available on networks).

Using the details supplied on your confirmation sheet it is a quick task to set your e-mail program to send and receive e-mail for any of the users you have set up.