Drop off food donations for area food pantries at you local Amherst Communications Office between October 1 – November 30 2025.  With three non-perishable unexpired items minimum you will receive an entry into our drawing for various $100 gift cards to area businesses! Below is the list of requested items:

Juice
Applesauce
Mushrooms
Cereal
Pancake Mix & Syrup
Jelly or Jam
Canned Meats (spam, chicken, pork, corned beef hash, stew)
Canned Fruit
Baked Beans
Spaghetti O’s
Ravioli
Soup
Mac N Cheese
Rice
Stuffing Mix
Gravy jar or Mix
Salad Dressing
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
Pickles
Saltines
Snack Crackers
Graham Crackers
Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap
Deodorant
Lotion
Shampoo
Conditioner
Toilet Paper

A small group of our Amherst Communications customers area have received an email message about an email migration. If you have received this message, it is legitimate, and requires action. Feel free to call us if you have any questions or concerns. Below is a copy of the message that you should have received:

Dear wi-net Email Customer, 

We’re reaching out regarding your wi-net email account. On Tuesday, August 19th, at 10:00 PM, Amherst Communications will be moving all wi-net emails to new hosts. To ensure your email continues to work properly, we need to confirm that your email settings are correctly configured on all your devices prior to the migration. 

If the settings aren’t updated correctly, you may lose access to your email account after the migration. 

Below is an example of the correct email settings. If the Mail Server Name differs from what’s currently in your setup, you’ll need to update them.

📩 Incoming Email Settings (IMAP):

    • Mail Server Name: mail.wi-net.com
    • Port: 993
    • Authentication: Enabled
    • SSL: ON
    • Username: Full email address
  • Password: Your assigned account password

 

📤 Outgoing Email Settings (SMTP):

    • Mail Server Name: smtp.wi-net.com
    • Port: 465
    • Authentication: Enabled
    • SSL: ON
    • Username: Full email address
  • Password: Your assigned account password

 

You can find step-by-step instructions for checking and updating your settings using the links below:

 

If you need assistance checking your device settings, please contact us at 715-824-5529. We’re happy to help!

A small group of our customers in the Union Plainfield area have received an email message about an email migration. If you have received this message, it is legitimate, and requires action. Feel free to call us if you have any questions or concerns. Below is a copy of the message that you should have received:

This is an important notice regarding your Uniontel.net email account. On Tuesday, August 19th, at 10:00 PM, Amherst Communications will be moving all Uniontel.net email services to new servers.

At the start of this migration, your email service will be temporarily unavailable. Once the migration is complete, you will need to update your email settings on all devices before you can send or receive messages again.

 Do not change your settings before the migration. The new settings will only work after the migration is complete.

Please note: After migration, you will no longer use your old username to log in. You must use your full email address as your username on all devices.

 

📩 Incoming Email Settings (IMAP):

  • Mail Server Name: mail.uniontel.net
  • Port: 143
  • Authentication: Enabled
  • SSL/TLS(StartTLS): ON
  • Username: Full email address
  • Password: Your assigned account password

 

📤 Outgoing Email Settings (SMTP):

  • Mail Server Name: smtp.uniontel.net
  • Port: 587
  • Authentication: Enabled
  • SSL/TLS(StartTLS): ON
  • SMTP authentication is required
  • Username: Full email address
  • Password: Your assigned account password

 

You can find step-by-step instructions for checking and updating your settings using the links below:

 

If you need assistance checking your device settings, please contact us at 715-335-6301. We’re happy to help!

 

 

📱 Set Up Your Email on an Android Device

You can add your email account to your Android phone using the built-in Email app or any third-party email app that supports IMAP. The steps below walk you through setting it up manually with the correct server settings.

🔑 What You’ll Need

  • Your full email address (e.g., yourname@wi-net.com or yourname@uniontel.net)
  • Your email account password
  • Wi-Fi or mobile data connection

🛠 Step-by-Step Setup Guide

We recommend using IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) for your email. IMAP keeps your messages stored on the server and synced across all your devices.

1. Open Your Email App

Use your device’s built-in Email app or download one such as:

  • Outlook
  • Samsung Email
  • Gmail (with manual setup)

2. Enter Your Email and Password

  • Email address: your full email address
  • Password: your assigned email password

Tap Manual Setup or Next, depending on your app.

📥 Incoming Mail Server (IMAP)

Field Value
Protocol IMAP
IMAP server Amherst Communications email domain users use: mail.wi-net.com

Union email domain users use: mail.uniontel.net

Security type SSL/TLS
Port 993
Username Your full email address
Password Your email account password
Authentication ON

📤 Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)

Field Value
SMTP server Amherst Communications email domain users use: mail.wi-net.com

Union email domain users use: mail.uniontel.net

Security type SSL/TLS
Port 465
Username Your full email address
Password Your email account password
Authentication ON
🔐 Important: You must enable SMTP authentication even if the app says it’s optional. Without it, you won’t be able to send emails when not connected to Amherst Communications’ or Union Telephone’s network.

✅ Finalize & Test

  • Tap Next or Sign in
  • Wait for the app to test the server settings
  • Set your account name and display name for outgoing messages
  • Finish setup

🚘 Need Help?

  • Double-check that SSL is ON and authentication is enabled for both IMAP and SMTP
  • Confirm your email address and password are correct
  • Still need help? For support call 715-824-5517

 

At Amherst Communications, we prioritize the security of our customers. Recently, we detected a phishing attack targeting some of our email users, and we want to make sure you have the information needed to stay safe.

What Happened?

Some customers received fraudulent emails pretending to be from Amherst Communications, falsely claiming their email or internet service would be terminated. These emails looked convincing because cybercriminals used a spoofed domain (airstreamcomm[.]com[.]ng) that mimicked our branding.

Unfortunately, a few customers unknowingly provided their email credentials, which allowed scammers to misuse their accounts for further phishing attempts. Once we identified the issue, our team worked quickly to block the sender and reset affected passwords.

How to Identify and Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing emails are designed to trick you into providing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details. To help you stay protected, follow these best practices:

Be cautious of urgent or threatening emails. Scammers use fear tactics to pressure you into acting quickly. If you receive an alarming email about account termination or billing issues, take a moment to verify its legitimacy.

Check the sender’s email address. Amherst Communications will always send official messages from our domain (@amherstcomm.net).

Avoid clicking on unexpected links or downloading attachments. If an email asks you to log in or update your account, go directly to our website rather than clicking on any links in the message.

Verify contact information. If an email asks you to call a phone number, confirm it by checking our website instead of using the number provided in the email.

Report suspicious emails. Marking phishing emails as spam helps email providers block similar attacks in the future.

How We Communicate with You

To help our customers recognize legitimate messages, we want to clarify how Amherst Communications will reach out to you:

  • We will never send emails demanding immediate action without prior communication.
  • If we need to contact you regarding your account, we will always provide safe, verifiable ways to confirm the request.
  • If you ever receive an email that seems suspicious, we encourage you to reach out to us directly.

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Targeted

If you suspect you’ve received a phishing email or have accidentally provided your login information, take these steps immediately:

  • Change your password to secure your account.
  • Report the phishing attempt by forwarding the email to ScamAlerts@amherstcomm.net.
  • Contact our support team:

    💬 Amherst Communications Support

    📞 Call 715-824-5529 for assistance.

We’re Here to Help!

Amherst Communications is committed to keeping your internet experience safe and secure. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. By staying informed and cautious, we can work together to protect against cyber threats.

Thank you for being a valued Amherst Communications customer!

Our 2024 November food drive was a wonderful success thanks to all of our neighbors who stopped by to donate for the area food pantries. Our shopping cart filled up so quickly that we decided to drop off food halfway through the drive, and then filled up again. The folks at the food pantry were so very thankful to all of you. Your generosity lightened the burden on a bunch of our neighbors needing a little helping hand that month. We look forward to repeating this event in the future. Thanks!!!

 

The list of nonperishable food in the month of November 2024 for area food pantries.:

Mac & Cheese
Mayo, Salad Dressing, BBQ sauce
Pickles
Cereal
Applesauce (jar or singles)
Peanut Butter-Crunchy, Jelly, Jam
Pancake Mix & Syrup
Juice in plastic bottles
Boxes of Jello & puddings
Cake mixes or brownie mixes
Hamburger Helper
Tortillas
Instant Potatoes
Popcorn
Jellied Cranberries
Corn muffin mix
Stuffing
Saltines, Graham Crackers

CANS: fruit, veggies, soups, cream of mushroom soup, tuna, chicken, Evaporated Milk
Diced Tomatoes, Refried Beans, Mushrooms are specifically needed

NON FOOD ITEMS: Paper towels, Dish Soap, Laundry Soap (liquid), TP, Dryer Sheets

We are currently in the early stages of planning Fiber Optic service construction for Gilbert Lake.

 

Click here for the Permission to Bury form that we need signed in order to add you to our future customers list for that area.

 

Click here for the info sheet with the timeline to get Fiber to your area.

You can return the Permission to Bury form to our office email at: info@amherstcomm.net

Not sure what Internet Speed you need? Find out with this quick estimator tool.

Important Update for Our Customers: Changes to WJFW and Antenna TV Access

Dear Valued Customer,

We want to inform you about a current negotiation situation involving WJFW and Antenna TV channels. Our team is diligently working to secure a reasonable agreement with WJFW. However, they are insisting on a substantial rate hike. We are committed to keeping your costs manageable, and this increase would directly affect your monthly bill.

  • Update from January 9, 2024: Currently, we find ourselves at an impasse in our negotiations with WJFW. Despite our efforts, they have refused all terms that we believe are reasonable and fair to you, our valued customer. WJFW is insisting on significantly higher rates for their content that is broadcast over the public airwaves. This demand, if met, would have a direct and substantial impact on your monthly bill. Due to this ongoing situation, we are forced into the difficult situation of having to keep WJFW offline at this time.

Current Channel Disruption:

As of midnight on December 31st, WJFW compelled us to temporarily remove these channels from our service. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and are continuing negotiations in hopes of a swift resolution.

This channel suspension did not affect the Sunday Night Football game between the Packers and the Vikings.

Alternative Viewing Options:

In the event of a suspension, you can still access NBC content, including hit movies, TV shows, and live sports like Sunday Night Football, through Peacock streaming service. Peacock offers plans starting at $5.99 per month, which is more cost-effective than the rates proposed by WJFW.

For local news coverage, WJFW’s livestream can be accessed at WJFW Live Stream.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through this process. Our priority remains to provide you with quality service and content at a reasonable cost.

For more information on TV content negotiations and how it affects you, please visit TVonMySide.com.

Sincerely,

Amherst Communications