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> High Speed Internet, Suggestions?
Elspeth 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 03:42 AM
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I'm on dial-up, and unless I can come up with a reasonable alternative in the next couple of weeks, I'm gonna be stuck on dial-up for the next year.

We pay about $14 a month for our internet. Roadrunner is $45. Is there something out there more reasonable?

And if you get dsl, don't you then have to tack the charges for another phone line onto the cost?

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. We live in a metropolitian area, so most plans/programs should be available.

Help..... I can't listen to the new celtichearts soft music station with my dial-up plan........

Oh, and I don't want an e-mail address that dumps 20 or so garbage e-mails in a day. We only get about 5-10 a week after being at this adress for 3 years.


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CelticRadio 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 04:34 AM
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QUOTE (Elspeth @ Jan 12 2004, 05:42 AM)
I'm on dial-up, and unless I can come up with a reasonable alternative in the next couple of weeks, I'm gonna be stuck on dial-up for the next year.

We pay about $14 a month for our internet. Roadrunner is $45. Is there something out there more reasonable?

And if you get dsl, don't you then have to tack the charges for another phone line onto the cost?

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. We live in a metropolitian area, so most plans/programs should be available.

Help..... I can't listen to the new celtichearts soft music station with my dial-up plan........

Oh, and I don't want an e-mail address that dumps 20 or so garbage e-mails in a day. We only get about 5-10 a week after being at this adress for 3 years.

Have you looked into a cable service. Sometimes local towns have a cable service or a regional cable service that might be a little cheaper. Also, not sure about this but I keep seeing some modem dial ups that have supposedly 5x accelerator built in. Maybe someone else might know more about this.

I think the cheapest I have seen broadband service is 29.95.

Try DSL Reports to find the cheapest dsl in your area.


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Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 05:05 AM
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I second Paul's suggestion. DSL is available for as low as $30 or 35/month, depending on where you are, and does not require a second phone line. I use Frontier DSL, which has been very dependable, and can't imagine going back to dial-up, which is slow and ties up a phone line.


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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 06:15 AM
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QUOTE (Elspeth @ Jan 12 2004, 04:42 AM)
And if you get dsl, don't you then have to tack the charges for another phone line onto the cost?

Well you could always try your local phone company as well. Am paying $39.95 here which if I was to add a second phone line and stay on dial up would actually be more expensive.

Now to answer your question on having to get a second line no this is not the case. I just got highspeed myself this past Thursday and the tech explained to me why you don't need a second line. Here is what she told me.

In your current line there are different frequencies high and low. Your phone line you talk on uses low frequency and the highspeed internet uses everything else. This is why you can surf and also get calls and such because in a sense your phone line is like a train track that runs side by side. Now you may accidently get the highspeed (AKA Bullet train) Running on the phone lines (local train) side of the track. So make sure to prevent this make sure whom ever comes in to do the install to make sure they add filters on each of your voice phones so you do not get a bleed over from the two. I know I couldn't hear it on one phone but another was getting a clicking noise until she put in a filer and it cut out the clicking. All a filter is is a short phone line that gets inserted into the phone hook up and it has a small device attached which you then plug the phones line into and this filters out the clicking noise. So make sure they do this if you do get this. Also she said it isn't good to run DSL through any type of splitters or surge protection unless it is their special spliter. I know I had to have this cause my fax and modem run off same wire. Now I do have it running through one non accepted splitter and it still works fine so you maybe OK but try to avoid if possible she said.

Hope this helps and wasn't to technical. If it is please ask and I will try and clarify. smile.gif
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Cpl. A.J. 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 07:47 AM
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I just got SBC/Yahoo DSL two months ago, and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm paying $26.95 for service that has a download speed up to a maximum of 1.5 meg (my actual download speed hovers at around 1.3M). By going for the "do-it-yourself" kit, you can waive the installation fee. Self-installation is a snap, as it only involves plugging in filters and, finally, your line from the computer. All the equipment I needed, including and ethernet card and the DSL modem, came with the kit. Since I was a new subscriber with SBC for local telephone service -- I had to switch when AT&T dropped local service in Connecticut -- they waived every sign-up fee there was.

As another poster noted, you have both DSL and voice on the same phone line with no conflicts. Other advantages are that the line is always "on" (no dialing and logging in), all three of the computers in our house can be online simultaneously, and you can use your phone normally at all times. (It was a real hoot the first time my phone rang while I was surfing, and I was able to talk while leaving the computer online.)

A good friend has cable internet, and we've been comparing notes. Cable can be a faster connection, and all subscribers get the same speed. However, speeds can drop depending on how many people are online at a given time. In other words, your speed will be slower in the evenings and other peak surfing times.

Your speed with DSL depends on only one thing: your distance from the central office(CO) where all the equipment is. The closer you are, the faster you are. However, whatever speed you get is constant; that is, it doesn't matter how many people are online, it's always the same.

Call your phone company or visit your company's Web site to see what they offer. They can tell you instantly, based on your phone number or street address, exactly how far you are from the CO. Some web sites -- like SBC's -- allow you to enter your address and get an answer immediately as to your availablility.

As another poster suggested, definitely go to www.dslreports.com. They have several FAQ files that will answer literally any question you may have, plus they have forums for specific DSL providers.

A.J.
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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 07:51 AM
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I would check on any install fees though as mine was free and I also got a free router in the process. If it's free might as well let them do it so it is maximized to the best of your systems abilities. smile.gif
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Elspeth 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:02 AM
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Thanks guys! My husband's convinced dsl stands for dedicated service line and that means have to have a line only for dsl. rolleyes.gif
Other question.... Do you use an e-mail account provided by the dsl provider or one of the freebies out there?
And is there anyway to keep from getting junk e-mail?

Oh, yeah. I'm hearing alot about firewalls. Are they necessary with dsl? I've heard with cable they are a must.
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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:24 AM
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I personally would be running a firewall even on dial up. You'd be surprised how often mine gets hit at. Hackers are abundant and best to protect yourself. Nortons or McAfees are both good.

As for E-Mail I would assume you will get a mail box mahjority of ISP's have this but doesn't mean you can't also continue to use a free mail box if you wish but you'll most likely also have your ISP's mail box as well.
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Elspeth 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:33 AM
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OK, now I'm gonna really show my computer ignorance. What is a firewall?I've got the Norton Anti-Virus program. Is that all we're talking about, or is it something above and beyond that?
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Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:40 AM
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Elspeth,
Zone Alarm (which offers a free firewall) has as good an explanation as any I've seen. See ZoneAlarm Firewall.
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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:45 AM
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Well a firewall is like a sheild to help keep out hackers and such. Granted there are always holes to patch though that is why it is important to keep it updated. Updating depends on the program. A virus protection program sometimes has a firewall as well I know McAfee's does but I think you need to get Nortons Internet Security package to get their firewall so depends on which version of Nortons you're using if it has a firewall. But if you open up your program have a look around you might see options for a firewall. If so make sure to turn it on if it isn't already.
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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:48 AM
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Bare in mind if you get highspeed check also to see if your modem will have a built in firewall. I know mine does but I also run an additional firewall for double protection.

Also bare in mind when you do get the firewall it will start popping things at you asking if you want it to access the internet or not so you will get questions from a good firewall about this as you won't want everything just getting through your firewall.
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scottish2 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 08:53 AM
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In fact thanks for bringing up the firewall question. I had not chedked my internet security since getting highspeed so I just tested it and I am fully secure check marks across the board.
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Elspeth 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 09:02 AM
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I just checked my version of Norton and I don't see the word firewall anywhere. Guess, it's too old.

Here's another question....

how much of the speed of the computer is due to the connection and how much to the operating system?

Our computer's now 4 years old, and we have Windows 98 second ed. I know that's archaic.
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Cpl. A.J. 
Posted: 12-Jan-2004, 10:31 AM
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The actual speed of doing things online is a combination of both your connection and your computer. We have a T-1 line here at work, but my computer is so old that doing general surfing and research is sometimes scream-inducing. Here on Highlander, for example, it frequently takes 15-30 seconds for a simple page to display, and far longer if it's a complicated page. After posting a message -- such as this reply -- I've got time to go get a cup of coffee before I get control of my computer back. On the other hand, I can download a 6-megabyte file in about 20 seconds flat.

At home, my daughter has a 4-year-old machine, and it's pretty zippy; my two-year-old PC is very fast; and my wife's brand new computer (less than three months old) is like greased lightning. All three of our machines have Windows XP, which have built-in connectivity for high-speed internet access. You may find that Win98 is a bit slower, and may be slightly more difficult to set up.

A.J.
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