Tim240z Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 I need something for home. At this point DSL is still not available in my area...Why that is, in the 21st century, I don't know.....it's not like I live in the sticks or anything.....200 of the Fortune 500 Companies are based in my town! Anyway, I digress: I don't have cable....and I won't pay the rip-off subscription rates either, so cable modem is not an option. We are embarking on an addition to the house (w/ a second floor), and I was considering satellite (Direct TV), then I could use satellite ISP service, but I don't want to do that until the addition is done, for obvious reasons. Anyone have any recommendations on dialup ISP service? Are any of the 'free' ISP services any good for the interim? If not, what is the cheapest, reasonable (functionality/useability) service out there? Thanks, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Tim - I've been on DSL for the last 2 years, but for several years previous to that, I was on AT&T dial-up (http://www.att.net) and was very happy with it. I've used MSN (sucked), AOL (really sucked) and Free Alta Vista (doesn't exist anymore). The free services stick you with pop-ups that kill your bandwidth. At $16.95/mo. unlimited, ATT is in the middle of the road from a price perspective, but the service was always good, plenty of access numbers and I know they have won awards for their service. If I ever move to an area w/o DSL, I wouldn't hesitate before signing-up again for AT&T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Earthlink. We were Verizon (previously GTE) customers for 8 years (starting with ISDN) but they cancelled our account in error and could not reinstate it! At home my wife and I use Earthlink DSL. At my shop I'm in the same boat as you, no cable and no DSL. Earthlink offered me satellite at $69.95 per month if I bought the equipment for... $800! I use dial-up for $16.95 per month, typically get a 48K connection, and am never dropped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 Thanks for the suggestions guys!! I just got off the phone with Earthlink and ordered their cable service (no TV signal required, or paid for). So for free installation, and $29.95 per month< I'll finally have high speed access at home, plus 8 email accounts with 10MB of webspace per email address!! What I can't understand: Doesn't the cable company realise that they are losing $$$ by forcing consumers to purchase thier TV package to be able to then pay extra for the high speed internet connection? I mean, for crying out load, Earthlink is using the Cable Company's cable, the Cable Co. is providing the installation, and the billing comes from the Cable Co.!!! Seems like someone at the Cable Co (Time Warner) must have their Head up their @ss!! Again thanks.... John C. strikes again!! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Sweet deal. I had no idea you could get cable broadband from anyone other than your cable provider. I gotta file that one away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flyer4100 Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Do you know how far you live from your telco exchange? If your roughly within a range up to 18,000 feet then it should be available dependant on how your cabled.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 ...So for free installation, and $29.95 per month< I'll finally have high speed access at home, plus 8 email accounts with 10MB of webspace per email address!!.... Whoa. I'm being raped by the Comcast IMO; strongarmed into buying television cable when I did not want to, and they will raise the price (as per their sales info) in the next few months. If Earthlink is the alternative, then I'll have to go that way. The fact that @home.com--->@attbi.com---->@comcast.net = PITA makes me think of what alternatives are out there. My opinion has nothing to do with apparent reality, but just dead reasoning makes me think that cable or DSL should be about $29.95 per month, no more. Grrr. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Want aZ Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Thats alot better than I get. Although I am out in the sticks, Fort Leonard Wood, In case any of you know where that is. For those of you who dont let me give you a picture...In the state of Missouri, Draw a line from St Louis to Kansas City, Then go to the middle of the state, Drop 75 miles south of that line and that is where FLW is. I'm 147 miles from St louis, and 80 miles from Springfield. Although I do have DSL it is from Sprint, our sole phone provider, and Rip Off Artist Extrodinaire, I'm being gouged to the tune of $49.95 a month for DSL. Have friends that just moved to the DFW area, they are paying 49.95 for Local phone, Unlimited Long Distance, AND DSL !!! I cant wait to get out of the military!!!! Damon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 I think our local cable company offers an internet connection only. No TV package required. We are lucky in that I have two different cable companies providing a fibre link to my curb. Every year we call both companies and play them off each other. My cable TV and internet link are 1/3 that of a buddy who lives 3 blocks away, but who just outside of the second cable company's service area. If you still wanted dial up, then Erols was good to us for the years we had it. BTW, you can also get phone service through your cable. Might save some $$ on the package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruez Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 Anything but AOL..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmyntti Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 When you finish the upgrade on your house I wouldn't bother with the Satellite internet. I am an IT manager for a constructin company and have 5 Starband systems. They are a PITA to work with and they are not nearly as fast as they claim, not much better than dial up and they cost way to much ($80 per month). The only reason I use them at work is for remote job sites that don't have phone lines installed. My cable modem at home is almost as fast as the T1 I have at work and never has gone down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted August 2, 2003 Author Share Posted August 2, 2003 Well, I just had the cable modem installed. man this connection smokes!! It rivals the network at work!! Cool!!!! High Speed Internet at home!! And alway s on...NO MoRE WAITING FOR DIALUP! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nic-Rebel450CA Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Doesn't the cable company realise that they are losing $$$ by forcing consumers to purchase thier TV package to be able to then pay extra for the high speed internet connection? Tim Well, if you really want to know the specifics of it feel free to PM me, I used to work for EarthLink so I could explain how the cable company really isnt doing much of anything... I figure that's just a rhetorical question tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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