Need Some Advice....

Can anyone give me some advice on ISP? I have been all over the internet trying to find something that is fast without a dial up number, but the prices that they are asking for is $399.99 for three months, and the cheepist I have found is $49.99 a month but I think that there are some hidden cost in the program.

I would really appreciate some help please.

I have a local internet service. It is 14.95 a month. Are there any local one's in your area? I have had no real problems with them at all.
I know there are some free ones around. They are not in my area so I can't get them, go to a search like www.google.com and look up free ISP's or just ISP service.
I sure hope this helps!!!!!
http://www.google.com/search?q=free+isp+service&btnG=Google+Search


sue

This message was edited Thursday, Nov 22nd 8:19 PM

Windsurffer, are you looking for an Internet Service Provider (ISP), like AOL or Prodigy; or an alternative to a dial-up modem connection, like an ISDN line or cable modem or DSL?

Most ISPs range from free (be prepared for a lot of pop-up ads) to $10-$20 per month.

If you're looking for a way to connect to the internet other than through your phone line ("dial-up connection"), then you're probably looking at $50 per month. We use an ISDN connection, which is faster than dial-up and serves as our phone connection as well (we can have multiple PCs connecting to the internet plus a separate phone line simultaneously.) The cost for the set up - including a special ISDN modem - was around $400. The monthly fee is $56, including all taxes and surcharges. Which isn't bad, since we would pay at least $35 for a "regular" phone line.

Cable would have been better, but at the time we moved in, cable wasn't an option in our neighborhood. Our friends who have it say it runs around $50 per month also.

One note of caution with using your ISDN line as your phone line: when lightning zapped our modem last summer, it also ended our ability to make phone calls, something which wouldn't have happened if we had maintained a separate analog phone line. Going without internet connection for three weeks hurt; going without a phone line for that long hurt twice as hard.

She's looking for broadband internet access. Since cable is our only option where we live, I have not shopped around much. When Adelphia finally rolls out cable internet, they'll be our sole choice for broadband!

GW that's about the way it is here we only have one cable internet here and that is Road Runner. We don't have DSL in my area because I do not live in the city according to our zoning. You sure could fool me with all the stores and traffic, but what can you do.
I think that it might be something wrong with the computer, it keeps doing crazy things. We took it in last weekend
and he sujested that I download my printer from the internet and that if we have anymore problems we are to bring it back to Best Buy. They will send it back to the manufactor and if it still keeps messing up we will get another computer. Now that doesn't mean we will get another computer while ours is away so that means I am going on withdrawl again :(
I guess I will end up going back to Road Runner and eating a little crow.
I hate MSM, AOL, and any other slow ISP that won't let you online or always bumping you off.
AOl is always trying to keep you in their little community and I don't like their email service, oh well I could go on and on but I won't.
So I'll be taking the computer in this weekend, see you all when I get back.

If it's an eMachine, the replacement won't be any better, so I hope for you that it isn't. I was beginning to think your problems sound like the ones I've had. My very first ISP was FlashNet, and they were growing too fast for the customers they had. It did that bumping and not being able to get online thing. Made me very nervous, and I would also quit and play games, just itching for a way to use the puter. It seems there are many people who use it without a hitch, and I am green with envy. I can't even use a television without problems. I often blame it on the microwave tower on the back of the property. Here's wishing you the best of luck.

Aimee, did you have problems with Emachines? I am on my 3rd one and I love it! Of course we did add more RAM but other than that it has been smooth sailing. When we had problems with the keyboard they sent me a new one overnight at no charge and even included a game program on disc to thank me for my patronage. This new one is faster and more dependable than my GF's $3'500 custom job! I just wish they came with larger monitors but the large screen is next on my list.

Zany, I had nothing but problems, from the time I first unpacked it and hooked it up. Then I had problems getting them to admit it was their product, finally found a good tech who said, heck yes, send it back for replacement. Then UPS took over, and it was over 8 months before we finally tracked it down, as it went back and forth between Tx. and Ca. several times. The new one was also flawed, and I was too sick to follow up for a long time. Just now thinking about bugging them again, as I bought the extended warranty. My ISP has eMachines, and the tech guys there tell me they have the same problems I do, especially frequent screen freeze. I didn't get a monitor, just the tower, keyboard and mouse, and it was originally tied up with one of those Compuserve deals, but by the time I began using it, they had abandoned those deals. No refund, just no service contract. I totally despise this monster, even the junky mouse irritates me. I bought a Hewlett-Packard Pavilion at a yard sale, to use while the eMonster was lost, and I love the HP, but didn't get the OS CD, and some programs are going bad and need to be fixed with the CD. Guess I should have added that to my list for Santa. I went online to search for the CD, and might end up getting one there if I can't find it cheaper locally. I have seen things like that at HalfPrice Books in Austin, just need to go there more often. But I have learned it isn't always my incompetence, sometimes it's the net traffic overload and sometimes it's my phone line and sometimes, usually, it's the monster. It seems strange to read about someone who actually loves an e.

We use Earthlink and I have never been bumped off. It has free support 24/7 and it's 19.95 a month if you pay a year in advance, 21.95 if you pay by the month. It does offer DSL but we live at the back of beyond so that is not an option for us. Hope you find something...vic

WOW! I have had such wonderful luck with the Emachines! I bought them at Costco and we got one that was bad but took it back after a couple of weeks and they handed us a new one. Not a bit of trouble with them since! Sorry to hear you have had such a hard time with them!

What do you mean by Emachines? Is that different than a regular computer?

Emachines is a popular brand of computer that is in the stores, They are in the 5oo to 700 dollar price range and come all set up and ready to go. They have most of the software you will need already installed. My newest one even has a DVD player in it. They include a restart Disc in case you mess up and need to reinstall everything. For folks like me that could never afford the more expensive systyms they are great. They are upgradable and we added some extra RAM and a CDRW to mine. In my area the only place to find them is Costco but in larger metropoliten areas they are available in computer and electronic stores also.

For a list of service providers try:http://thelist.com "has rates/areas where provided etc." just a thought,may not be what your seeking.

tink7662, WOW I NEVER KNEW I HAD SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. I WAS TOLD FOR MY AREA THERE WAS ONLY ONE. I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE THE SAME AS ME.

Zany, my eMachine had a booklet that specifically stated the dealer would not replace it, I must go through the company in California and Oregon, which has moved three times since I became involved. To their credit, they did improve with each move, and some of the techs were genuinely concerned. Mine was a gift, and I had no receipt so that originally created a snag, but was straightened out after about 9 hours on the phone. It's obvious I was dealing with a company that was constantly changing, and they had been let down by some others included in my package, like the Compuserve service that turned out to be a real headache and eMachine cancelled their contract when thousands of people complained. After much tinkering, I have this machine working so-so, but it has so many little quirks. I'm glad to know others have not found them to be as bad, because maybe that indicates they didn't intend to be. Sounds like you might have gotten some that were the result of the company's experience with their vendors. Your package is definitely different from mine.

What's funny is, I would never recommend an HP Pavilion because of the headaches we had with ours.

Every time we called, we were asked the same questions (even though they always said they were documenting everything - even after I faxed them detailed information about the problems we were having). Then, they discontinued their 800! Since every tech support call was then on our bill, I started each conversation by saying I wanted a supervisor to phone me back. At first they'd say that wasn't the way they did things, but I was firm and told them I was not going to sit on hold while they had to check with other people about problems with their system.

We went back and forth with the company for months, got a replacement mailed to us and found it had the same problems, and finally got a full refund for the thing a year later. This after I sent a registered letter to the President/CEO after calling his home number and getting a street address for him from his wife (the customer service people all gave a PO box nomatter how I explained I had to have a street address). She wasn't too thrilled, but I was very polite and apologetic, explaining I was at my wits' end and did not know what else to do.

But that did it, because the guy who originally helped us called us back very soon and arranged to have the defective PC picked up by UPS and our money completely refunded.

My daughter makes her living with computers, working for very large companies, and she always reminds me the web and computers are an unscientific new science with jillions of surprises. She has picked up computers on the curb and fixed them up for friends and her kids, bought various components online with great success, and in general played around with used and new things. She gets things extremely cheap, but I go to the same place and see nothing. GW, I think some of you are just born to this thing and some of us aren't. The lad who sold me the Pavilion liked it but thought it was too limited, but compared to my eMachine, it's downright expansive. I can't add many things to the e, and would hesitate anyway, given its problems with what it came with. My niece bought a big Gateway, fully equipped, she thought, and she paid a bundle. It sits in her home unused except for playing Solitaire, because the company has been so uncooperative about making it right. So when I get disgusted and yearn for a big computer budget, I remind myself it is no guarantee of smooth surfing.

Amiee I do have a eMachine etower/600is and it keeps doing wierd things, and thank you for the advice but with the service program we have if after three times and it does not fix the problem they have to give us a new computer, that is through Best Buy.

Zany we have 150 RAM that we add when we first bought this, and trust me we haven't even come close to using half of it, you should count yourself lucky.

Tink76627 thank you for the advice, I have been there but haven't had the time to check them out.

Aimee, my daughter also works with computers. She said although Gateway was a good computer, that you can only get parts for it from Gateway and not at the local stores. This is not true with Dell.
I just use Consumer Reports for any major purchases and have good luck with that for many, many years. It's because this rating service does NOT except advertising.