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Guerri Stevens
July 26th, 2010, 09:39 AM
For the second time in a fairly short period, we are without internet
access, our modem having died. This happened midafternoon on Friday,
and Hughes, our provider,refused to send a new one by overnight
shipping, even though we were willing to pay extra for that service.
We are out in the country, and there is no cable or DSL.

I have wondered several times whether it would be worth getting, say,
an inexpensive dial-up service, if such things still exist. Yes, it
would be slow, but at least we could keep up with Email. Does anyone
know whether this is still possible, and who provides it, and/or are
there other options? Yes, we could get a different satellite provider,
but around here Hughes is deemed to be the best.

-- Guerri, who feels cut off from the world!

Dodi Schultz
July 26th, 2010, 09:59 AM
Guerri wrote:

> I have wondered several times whether it would be worth getting, say,
> an inexpensive dial-up service, if such things still exist. Yes, it
> would be slow, but at least we could keep up with Email. Does anyone
> know whether this is still possible, and who provides it . . .

Take a look at Netscape. I used it (before I switched to DSL) after
CompuServe dropped its Classic ISP service in '09. It's reliable.
$9.95/mo., IIRC (unlimited access). In fact, it turned out to have three
or four times as many nodes in my area as C'Serve had offered. At the
time I hooked up, they were offering one month free, but that may have
been a special deal for former C'Servers. Anyway, you might want to
check it out: www.getnetscape.com / 800-716-7445.

There's also an outfit called NetZero. Don't have any experience with
it, or know anyone who does, but I've seen it advertised (though not
recently, come to think of it; dunno what that means).

--Dodi

Toni Savage
July 26th, 2010, 10:02 AM
my "backup" for my internet service is*my Blackberry... might not offer enough
other benefits for the cost, but.... (my favorite non-business thing to use it
for is Googling things while we are*out at dinner, having a discussion!)


*-- Toni Savage



----- Original Message ----
From: Guerri Stevens <guerri (AT) tapcis (DOT) com>
To: Dixonary <dixonary (AT) googlegroups (DOT) com>
Sent: Mon, July 26, 2010 10:39:54 AM
Subject: [Dixonary] OT: Internet Alternatives

For the second time in a fairly short period, we are without internet
access, our modem having died. This happened midafternoon on Friday,
and Hughes, our provider,refused to send a new one by overnight
shipping, even though we were willing to pay extra for that service.
We are out in the country, and there is no cable or DSL.

I have wondered several times whether it would be worth getting, say,
an inexpensive dial-up service, if such things still exist. Yes, it
would be slow, but at least we could keep up with Email. Does anyone
know whether this is still possible, and who provides it, and/or are
there other options? Yes, we could get a different satellite provider,
but around here Hughes is deemed to be the best.

-- Guerri, who feels cut off from the world!

EnDash@aol.com
July 26th, 2010, 11:12 AM
I think AOL may still offer dial-up service. Inquire at aol.com


In a message dated 7/26/2010 11:02:54 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
tonicsavage (AT) yahoo (DOT) com writes:

I have wondered several times whether it would be worth getting, say,
an inexpensive dial-up service, if such things still exist. Yes, it
would be slow, but at least we could keep up with Email. Does anyone
know whether this is still possible, and who provides it, and/or are
there other options? Yes, we could get a different satellite provider,
but around here Hughes is deemed to be the best.

Tim Lodge
July 26th, 2010, 03:32 PM
Guerri

Here in the UK, I have Pay As You Go dial-up Internet access with
Orange, which I use as a backup if my broadband goes down.

I tried to find out if a similar option is available in the US, but
Google and Bing only return UK sites when I search for it. It might
be worth Googling "Pay As You Go dial-up Internet access" from your
side of the Atlantic. It might save you having to pay a monthly
subscription just as a backup to your satellite service.

-- Tim L

Guerri Stevens
July 27th, 2010, 09:06 AM
Replying to all at once: thanks for the ideas. I will look into
Netscape, and also try to remember what dial-up service I was using
before - Earth something (Earthlink? Earthnet?). I don't know about
AOL - I thought you had to use special AOL software for it, but maybe
not.

Another idea I had was to get another computer (or Blackberry, maybe)
to use for Internet. I dislike bringing mine to the library or other
places that have WiFi because I always worry that the security might
not be good. A dedicated machine would mean all I might lose would be
my Internet stuff, mainly Email.

-- Guerri

Dodi Schultz
July 27th, 2010, 09:41 AM
Guerri Stevens wrote:

> Replying to all at once: thanks for the ideas. I will look into
> Netscape . . .

I do highly recommend it for reliable dial-up (assuming it has nodes in
your area).

> . . . and also try to remember what dial-up service I was using
> before - Earth something (Earthlink? Earthnet?).

I think you mean Earthlink. I believe--but am not sure--it offers both
dial-up and broadband.

Whatever ISP you choose, I strongly urge that you employ an e-mail
client (I use Thunderbird, which is free from Mozilla) to handle your
mail rather than doing so (and keeping your address book) at a website.

--Dodi

EnDash@aol.com
July 27th, 2010, 09:53 AM
You do, but they give it to you for free.


In a message dated 7/27/2010 10:06:36 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
guerri (AT) tapcis (DOT) com writes:

I don't know about
AOL - I thought you had to use special AOL software for it, but maybe
not.

davidh
July 27th, 2010, 11:34 PM
I think Netzero gives a few hours free per month.
But you have to use their dialer and use MS IE.

Guerri Stevens
July 28th, 2010, 08:55 AM
I also use Thunderbird, and keep my address book on my own computer. A
nuisance at times like this, when I am using the library's computer, but
nevertheless, safer. Especially having just read about Toni's experience!

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 10:41 AM, Dodi Schultz <DodiSchultz (AT) nasw (DOT) org> wrote:

> Guerri Stevens wrote:
>
> Replying to all at once: thanks for the ideas. I will look into
>> Netscape . . .
>>
>
> I do highly recommend it for reliable dial-up (assuming it has nodes in
> your area).
>
> . . . and also try to remember what dial-up service I was using
>> before - Earth something (Earthlink? Earthnet?).
>>
>
> I think you mean Earthlink. I believe--but am not sure--it offers both
> dial-up and broadband.
>
> Whatever ISP you choose, I strongly urge that you employ an e-mail client
> (I use Thunderbird, which is free from Mozilla) to handle your mail rather
> than doing so (and keeping your address book) at a website.
>
> --Dodi
>
>
>

Guerri Stevens
July 29th, 2010, 09:21 AM
The problem for me is not whether or not the AOL access software is
free or not, but whether I have to use something special rather than a
generic internet browser.

-- Guerri

On Jul 27, 10:53*am, EnD... (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:
> You do, but they give it to you for free.

EnDash@aol.com
July 29th, 2010, 10:13 AM
AOL uses its own version of IE and its own screen interfaces -- which I
find user-friendly and excellent. However, they also have a Web alternative at
AOL.com, which can be used with any browser. I'm not sure, though if that
access can be gotten by dial-up. You'd have to ask them.

-- Dick


In a message dated 7/29/2010 10:21:53 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
guerri (AT) tapcis (DOT) com writes:

The problem for me is not whether or not the AOL access software is
free or not, but whether I have to use something special rather than a
generic internet browser.

Dodi Schultz
July 29th, 2010, 10:31 AM
Guerri wrote:

> The problem for me is not whether or not the AOL access software is
> free or not, but whether I have to use something special rather than a
> generic internet browser.
>

Didn't you say that you already use T'bird?

--Dodi

Tony Abell
July 29th, 2010, 01:29 PM
You can use a regular browser with AOL's web-based email interface, and it's
comparable in features to Yahoo web mail.

Don't confuse AOL's modern email web interface with the old stand-alone AOL
access program, which I think AOL users can still elect to use. It has its own
(obsolete) captive version of IE for the browser, and the email interface is
apparently the same as it was fifteen years ago. From what I can tell, it's
rather primitive, not even allowing a human-style name to be included on the
From: header line. A strong hint that the stand-alone program is being used to
send email is the From: field always being simply huffnpuff2331 (AT) aol (DOT) com, never
Joe Blow <huffnpuff2331 (AT) aol (DOT) com>.

------------------------------------------
On 2010-07-29 at 10:21 Guerri Stevens wrote:

> The problem for me is not whether or not the AOL access software is
> free or not, but whether I have to use something special rather than a
> generic internet browser.

> -- Guerri

> On Jul 27, 10:53*am, EnD... (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:
>> You do, but they give it to you for free.

Guerri Stevens
July 29th, 2010, 08:30 PM
Yes, I do have Tbird. But the subject in question was AOL as an online
dial-up service, and the fact that AOL requires you to use its own
software. So I would not be able to use Firefox (my browser) or Tbird to
access AOL.

The good news is as of 7:30 p.m. or so, our Internet service is working
again. After six days of being out. And it was getting so late this
evening that we were debating sending the repair guy home and asking him
to come back tomorrow, but decided it was preferable to get it done
tonight, no matter how long it took.

Guerri

Dodi Schultz wrote:
> Guerri wrote:
>
>> The problem for me is not whether or not the AOL access software is
>> free or not, but whether I have to use something special rather than a
>> generic internet browser.
>>
>
> Didn't you say that you already use T'bird?
>
> --Dodi
>
>
>

davidh
August 7th, 2010, 11:06 AM
Last I heard a few years ago was that AOL gives members the option of using only a custom AOL dialer program just to get online. Once online, one can use any browser one wants, such as MS IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Google Chrome, etc.

Previously to the availability of such a standalone AOL dialer, it may have been the case that in order to use Firefox, for example, on had to have the regular big fat AOL program (which includes customized AOL browser) running simultaneously with the alternative browser such as Firefox.

I think AOL somewhere has a software download page. Very likely such a standalone dialer would be located there.

However, since AOL dial-up is not free, it may be worthwhile to investigate United Online's Netzero dial-up free service.

Guerri Stevens
August 7th, 2010, 06:54 PM
Thanks for the information. I will keep Net Zero in mind. Seems to me
there used to be another free service as well, but maybe that's gone now.

Guerri

davidh wrote:
> Last I heard a few years ago was that AOL gives members the option of
> using only a custom AOL dialer program just to get online. Once online,
> one can use any browser one wants, such as MS IE, Firefox, Safari,
> Opera, Google Chrome, etc.
>
> Previously to the availability of such a standalone AOL dialer, it may
> have been the case that in order to use Firefox, for example, on had to
> have the regular big fat AOL program (which includes customized AOL
> browser) running simultaneously with the alternative browser such as
> Firefox.
>
> I think AOL somewhere has a software download page. Very likely such a
> standalone dialer would be located there.
>
> However, since AOL dial-up is not free, it may be worthwhile to
> investigate United Online's Netzero dial-up free service.
>
>

Dodi Schultz
August 8th, 2010, 10:43 PM
Guerri Stevens wrote:

> Thanks for the information. I will keep Net Zero in mind. Seems to me
> there used to be another free service as well, but maybe that's gone now.

Netscape dialup isn't free, but it's only $9.95/mo.

--Dodi

Guerri Stevens
August 9th, 2010, 06:18 AM
We've been here nearly 4 years now, and there have been only 2 long-term
(meaning more than a day) outtages. So I've asked myself whether it's
worth $120 a year to have a backup. So far I have not answered, but I'm
still thinking it over. I doubt that cable or even DSL will not come to
our area any time soon (sigh).

Guerri

Dodi Schultz wrote:
> Guerri Stevens wrote:
>
>
> Netscape dialup isn't free, but it's only $9.95/mo.
>
> --Dodi

Dodi Schultz
August 9th, 2010, 01:33 PM
Guerri Stevens wrote:

> We've been here nearly 4 years now, and there have been only 2
> long-term (meaning more than a day) outtages. So I've asked myself
> whether it's worth $120 a year to have a backup. So far I have not
> answered, but I'm still thinking it over.

Doesn't it make you really crazy when you keep asking and you don't answer?

--Dodi

Daniel B. Widdis
August 9th, 2010, 01:59 PM
GS> So I've asked myself ... So far I have not answered

DS> Doesn't it make you really crazy when you keep asking and you don't
answer?

Dodi, you made me spit my coffee onto my keyboard. I will charge you for
any necessary repairs.

--
Dan

Guerri Stevens
August 10th, 2010, 05:30 AM
Well, if I *did* answer, I'd be talking to myself, which some might
consider crazy!

Guerri

Dodi Schultz wrote:
>
> Doesn't it make you really crazy when you keep asking and you don't answer?
>
> --Dodi

EnDash@aol.com
August 10th, 2010, 07:22 AM
They say talking to yourself doesn't mean you're crazy -- unless you
listen!

-- Dick


In a message dated 8/10/2010 6:33:08 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
guerri (AT) tapcis (DOT) com writes:

Well, if I *did* answer, I'd be talking to myself, which some might
consider crazy!

Guerri

davidh
August 12th, 2010, 01:30 AM
Thanks for the information. I will keep Net Zero in mind. Seems to me
there used to be another free service as well, but maybe that's gone now.

Guerri

United Online (NASDAQ: UNTD) is a public company, company formed by the 2001 merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services Wikipedia

Long time ago I think I did try out Juno , just for a test run , when it first was a free email-only service. Later I think it also had a business similar to Netzero (limited free ISP), before they merged.