Reliable, Inexpensive Dial-Up?

[SweetErika]

My mom asked me to recommend a reliable, but inexpenisive (preferably under $10/month since she doesn't use it much) ISP for dial-up service. We have cable, and all of the comparison sites seem to be paid advertising, so I thought I'd ask for your suggestions and first-hand experiences. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mrs Peel]

I'm not a big fan of AOL, but I think they have a dial-up option for $9.95/mo, as long as you keep your time online under a certain amount of minutes (not sure what that limit is though). They might also have a $4.95/mo option...I'd check into their various plans.

 

[H0wl]

Go Local!

Because they usually have the lowest costs. Other than that, Net-Zero and Juno are two pretty low cost ISP's.

 

[TNRkitect2b]

My mom has been using Net Zero for the last year or so with no problems. The only thing she doesn't like are the constant ads where they want her to upgrade to their Hi-Speed version. It does use a minimizable toolbar with ads on it, but is fairly unobtrusive all in all.

 

[EJFan]

netzero offers a free service if you use it under 10hrs each month. their basic service is $10/month and the high-speed is $15/month. i'm seriously thinking about changing to netzero as soon as my "FREE-O-L" expires.

i used netscape's isp for a while. it was also $10/month with a similar $15/month high-speed option. i found their service to be very impossible and then i started having connectivity problems. up 'til that point it was very good IMO.

 

[Weird Harold]

My mom asked me to recommend a reliable, but inexpenisive (preferably under $10/month since she doesn't use it much) ISP for dial-up service. We have cable, and all of the comparison sites seem to be paid advertising, so I thought I'd ask for your suggestions and first-hand experiences. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I found my current ISP at http://ispfinder.com/

I'm with a local, Las Vegs based ISP that doen't require any special software or have any intrusive advertisements -- just unlimited internet access for $20 month.

They do have some cheaper, limited, time options available but "the time used will always exceed the time allowed" is always a problem with that sort of account.

ISP Finder does have "sponsored" links, but they have a lot of unsponsord links as well. Best of all, they have a rating system with comments for most of the listed ISPs so you have some idea of what you're getting into.

 

[kinkybrat]

peoplepc.com


they have a deal now, 3 months for 1/2 price...then it's i think 7.95/month


the one we use is galaxy (or gis.net) , that started at 9 /month ....i think it's somewhere around 14 now.

 

[SweetErika]

Thank you all very much! I checked them all out and I think we'll go with one of the ones that offers a free trial so we can test the speeds and service. She's switching because AT&T isn't willing to provide her with service at the blazing fast speed of 26.6 anymore for $4.95/month. They want to charge her $20 for the same crappy service.

Anyway, I really appreciate the suggestions. For those of you who are considering switching, I'll let you know how her new service works out!


Erika

 

[Weird Harold]

She's switching because AT&T isn't willing to provide her with service at the blazing fast speed of 26.6 anymore for $4.95/month. They want to charge her $20 for the same crappy service.

Why not buy her a new modem for her birthday? (or a belated Labor Day gift.)

A used internal 56K modem is going to be about the cost of a pack of gum (even less if she's got an old ISA Buss computer; a small computer shop might just give you one out of their scrap bin.)

28.8 connections are like 300 bps connections were in the days of personal bulletin board systems -- they can slow down the entire system when they connect and require far more server time for the same amount of use that they're more trouble than they're worth. She may have trouble finding a service that isn't on the verge of banning slow speed connections if they haven't already.

 

[SweetErika]

Why not buy her a new modem for her birthday? (or a belated Labor Day gift.)

A used internal 56K modem is going to be about the cost of a pack of gum (even less if she's got an old ISA Buss computer; a small computer shop might just give you one out of their scrap bin.)

Good thought, but the 26.6 connection isn't a modem or phone line issue (she has a brand new computer), it's an AT&T problem. I'm not sure if it's because the plan she has was so cheap, or AT&T just sucks...I suspect it's both.

 

[Weird Harold]

Good thought, but the 26.6 connection isn't a modem or phone line issue (she has a brand new computer), it's an AT&T problem. I'm not sure if it's because the plan she has was so cheap, or AT&T just sucks...I suspect it's both.

Aha! It's probably a phone line problem and won't change with a new ISP. It's possible she got a "tone deaf" modem but not likely.

Your mom probably need to have her phone lines checked out.

 

[SweetErika]

Aha! It's probably a phone line problem and won't change with a new ISP. It's possible she got a "tone deaf" modem but not likely.

Your mom probably need to have her phone lines checked out.

Nope, it's definitely AT&T... I've gotten up to 52 with other ISPs in the past. Really, she doesn't care about the speed because she's not online much. My idea is that if one of the ISPs we try consistently connects at 50kbps, and another at 28.8, she might as well go with the faster one if the prices are similar. Thanks though!

 

[enigmalone]

peoplepc.com


they have a deal now, 3 months for 1/2 price...then it's i think 7.95/month


the one we use is galaxy (or gis.net) , that started at 9 /month ....i think it's somewhere around 14 now.

People pc would be the choice.......I've tried them all and settled for it.

fairly fast/lost's of numbers.......and the price is great.

Enigma

 

[Weird Harold]

Nope, it's definitely AT&T... I've gotten up to 52 with other ISPs in the past.

But have you gotten those connections with her computer over her phone lines?

 

[SweetErika]

But have you gotten those connections with her computer over her phone lines?

Yes, over her lines. I think we'll give peoplepc a shot. After all, it can't get much worse than 26.6l!

 

[watergirl]

Cool.

I had peoplepc.com at my last apartment, and had no problems with them. I usually connected at 42 or 56 or whatever, and it was fine. Now I'm getting spoiled with H0wl's cable modem - bliss!

It was dreadful while I was in PA for a month - my mom has a local ISP, and depending on the time of day that I dialed in, we'd get anywhere from 38.8 on a good day, to 28.8 standard, to once, a pitiful 12.2. h0wl just laughed at me, and told me, "That's not internet! Faxes are faster than that!"

Our problem seems to be the line - she's tried the local isp, and earthlink, and peoplepc (Which is owned by earthlink, I believe) - and we're the last house on a line at the end of a dirt road, and sometimes when I would talk on the phone, I could hear ghostly other faint conversations in the background - it was bizarre....

my mom is looking into getting DSL from Verizon, now, and well, hmm. Cross your fingers for her! She is one of those PEBKAC folks (Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair,) and doesn't use the 'puter frequently enough to be very adept with it... when she is home more, though, it gets better slowly...

Good luck, SweetEricka!