FAQs

To help you get the most out of your Rainbow Communications services, we answer your FAQs below so you can troubleshoot your issue and get back to surfing, talking, and watching!

Have a question that you don’t see listed below? Contact us and we’ll get you an answer.

Billing

Customers will receive their bill on or around the 1st of each month.

Bills are due on the 15th of each month.

Services are billed for the month with the exception of long distance and Pay-Per-View charges, which are billed for charges from the previous month.

For example, an October 1st bill will include October’s phone, Internet, and TV service charges, plus the long distance and Pay-Per-View purchases accrued during September’s billing cycle.

Customers can pay their bill through the following methods:

  1. Call us at 800-892-0163 during office hours.
  2. Pay online here.
  3. Drop a payment off at one of our office locations in Atchison, Everest, Hiawatha, or Seneca.

Paying through a third-party payment processing service is not recommended. 

High-Speed Internet

A firewall is a program or a device that blocks unauthorized access to your computer(s)/network, such as viruses, identity thieves, and hackers. Companies also use firewalls to control employee connections to the Internet and information being transmitted from their computers and network. In a nutshell, a firewall is like a computerized security dog that watches incoming and outgoing traffic and decides whether to allow a connection/interaction or not.  

There are several different types of firewalls and they all do the same thing: protect your computer from intruders. So, it's very important to keep your computers firewall turned on and have an active antivirus program.

To learn how to turn your firewall on or off on a Windows computer, check out Microsoft’s how-to guide.

You will either have a rainbowtel.net or carsoncomm.com email address, depending on when you became a Rainbow customer.

The settings for RAINBOWTEL.NET email customers are:

  • Incoming Server (POP/IMAP): mail.rainbowtel.net  (POP = 995, SSL enabled;   IMAP = 993, SSL enabled)
  • Outgoing Server (SMTP):  smtp.rainbowtel.net (465, SSL enabled; server requires authentication)

The settings for CARSONCOMM.COM email customers are:

  • Incoming Server (POP/IMAP): mail.carsoncomm.com  (POP = 995, SSL enabled;   IMAP = 993, SSL enabled)
  • Outgoing Server (SMTP):  smtp.carsoncomm.com (465, SSL enabled; server requires authentication)

The email username will be in the format: username@rainbowtel.net or username@carsoncomm.com

Before you begin, you will need to have the following information:

  • Your Rainbow Email address and password
  • The email settings for your rainbowtel.net or carsoncomm.com account

Rainbowtel.net email customers settings

  • Incoming Mail Server: mail.rainbowtel.net (POP = 995, SSL enabled; IMAP = 993, ssel enabled)
  • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.rainbowtel.net (465, SSL enabled; service requires authentication)

Carsoncomm.com email customers settings

  • Incoming Mail Server: mail.carsoncomm.com (POP = 995, SSL enabled; IMAP = 993, ssel enabled)
  • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.carsoncomm.com (465, SSL enabled; service requires authentication)

Next, follow one of these instructions on how to set up your smartphone

For iPhone users

  1. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars
  2. Click Add Account
  3. Select Other > Add Mail Account
  4. Type in your name, email and password. The description will autofill.
  5. *Type in your name as you want it to appear in your outgoing messages to recipients.
  6. Click Next
  7. Under the “Incoming Mail Server” box for the “Host Name” type in “mail.rainbowtel.net” or “mail.carsoncomm.com” depending on your email address. For “User Name” type in your email address in the following format username@rainbowtel.net or username@carsoncomm.com
  8. Under the “Outgoing Mail Server” box for the “Host Name” type in “smtp.rainbowtel.net” or “smtp.carsoncomm.com” depending on your email address. The User Name and Password is optional, however, we suggest going ahead and typing it in. Again, using the following format for the User Name username@rainbowtel.net or username@carsoncomm.com
  9. Click Next. It will take a few minutes to verify the account information.
  10. Click Save

For Android users

  1. Click on the email icon on the home screen.
  2. A box will pop up with 4 more icons, click email again.
  3. Once it’s opened it will take you to the account setup. Type in your email and password and click next.
  4. It will check the incoming and outgoing server. Once it’s authenticated it will take you to account settings. You will have the option of the frequency you want your email to check for more messages. The default is 15 minutes. Keep in mind, the more frequent it checks for emails, the faster your battery will die.Click next.
  5. The next screen will have your email address and it may ask you to type in your first and last name as you want it to appear when sending an email. Click next.
  6. It will say “Waiting for sync”. Once the sync is complete your email is ready to use.

If you require additional assistance setting up your email, please contact our technical support at 800-892-0163.

Most routers have instructions on the manufacturer’s website that will explain how to set router passwords.

If you are renting a router from Rainbow, follow the links below for instructions on password protecting your router:  

If you are renting a router from Rainbow but it is not one of the models listed above, then you are probably using an outdated router that should be replaced. As technology changes, older models have slower connection speeds and can cause issues with Internet delivery.

For more information, contact a Rainbow Customer Service Representative at 800-892-0163.

Password protecting your Internet connection is a good precaution to take.

For starters, password protection helps eliminate the possibility of hackers accessing your system and prevents unwanted file sharing. If you don’t have a password set up for your router, hackers can use your connection for illegal activity, which would register on your IP address.

Also, without password protection, anyone close enough to get your signal could access your Internet, causing your devices to run slower.

Providing customers with the best Internet service possible is our goal. However, Internet performance may vary due to conditions outside of our network control. Therefore, no minimum level of speed is guaranteed.

Conditions affecting speed may include: customer location, physical equipment limitations, network congestion, server or router speeds of websites accessed, inside wiring or telephone conditions.

Check your connection speed

Having multiple devices (computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, video game consoles and streaming set-top boxes) in daily use by several family members can easily max out your Internet service and make it seem like it’s running slow.

For help determining which Internet plan is right for your household, check out our blog of give us a call at 800-892-0163.

Phone

Kansas Lifeline is a telephone discount program offered to low-income consumers.   Find out if you are eligible to particpate in this discount program by reviewing the Kansas Lifeline guidelines.

Cordless phones are susceptible to lightning and can get damaged during thunderstorms. If you experience an issue with a cordless phone, test your phones to find the faulty phone(s).

Unplug all your cordless phones and keep a corded phone plugged in. If the line works once all the cordless phones are unplugged, start plugging in one corded phone at a time to test them.

In order to utilize your home phone during a power outage, you must have a battery backup and a corded telephone. Depending on the technology in your home, the battery backup may be part of your telephony modem or a separate piece of equipment with the option to purchase.

To learn more about the battery backup options, click here to select your service area and then click into the "Phone" category. Within the phone category you will select "Battery Backup Information". 

As always, give us a call at 800-892-0163 to learn more.

 

Voice Mail

Voice mail access numbers are based on location. Find your community below for your access number.

The first time you access your voice mail, you must do so from your home phone.

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

The Rainbow Voice Mail system is menu driven. Dial your voice mail access number and listen to the voice prompts. Simply press the keys on your phone to select which option you would like.

The first time you set up your voicemail you will need to use your home phone.

From your home phone, dial your access number.

You will hear this message: "Welcome to the Subscriber Setup Menu. Initialization will take up to 2 minutes."

Next, you will be asked to:

  1. Choose and enter a PIN # for the account.
  2. Re-enter the PIN # for confirmation.
  3. Record your name as you would like callers to hear it. The system will play the recorded name back to you. Press # to keep the recording  or 3 to re-record it.
  4. Set up a greeting. You can record a personal greeting or select a standard pre-recorded one. Once the greeting has been recorded press # to accept it or 5 to record again.

You should be all set!

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

A secure PIN must meet the following requirements:

  • It must be 4-6 numbers.
  • It can’t be repeating or sequential numbers (eg. 0000, 1111, 1234, 4567).
  • It can’t be any part of your home phone number.

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

To change your voice mail greeting:

  1. Access your voicemail.
  2. From the Main Menu, press 3.
  3. To set up a personal greeting, press 1.
  4. To set up a system-generated greeting or to change the recording of your name, press 3.
  5. To change the greeting that callers hear when you’re busy, press 5.

If you don’t record a personal greeting, a generic greeting will be played.

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

It depends on the type of phone you have. A new message can be displayed through a combination of the following:

  • Flashing light on message indicator
  • “New Messages” displayed in caller ID area
  • Stutter tone when the phone is first picked up

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

The maximum message length is 60 seconds. 

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

To more quickly navigate through your messages, you can use the following shortcuts for message playback:

Action Before Message During Message After Message
Skip to message body #    
Skip to next message   #  
Reply to message   4 4
Save message and go to next   2 2
Delete   3 3
Play Inbox messages 1   1
Access deleted messages
(after playing a deleted message press 2 to save, 3 to permanently erase) 
6    
Help 0 0 0
Return to Main Menu * * *

For more help, check out our voice mail reference guide.

New and saved messages will stay in your mailbox for a maximum of 14 days.

Rainbow LIVE

Rainbow LIVE is a truly local channel that features coverage of local events and happenings. It is your go-to source for all the action in Northeast Kansas, including special events, high school sports, church services, and much more. Plus, it features content produced by viewers like you!

Rainbow LIVE VOD