AOL vs NetZero

We now have High Speed Internet at both houses and trying to decide if we keep AOL or switch to Net Zero. I can get both for the same price, ie. around $10.00 per month. I use dail up at timeshares that do not have Wireless or other high speed Internet and when I go visit my Mother and other relatives. What is your opinion on the two? We have had AOL for years and couldn't consider switching and keeping our AOL account and now we can switch and still access our AOL email.

Check what dial-up numbers they have around the country. I recently stayed at a place where I could not get a local number for Netzero and would have had to go with long distance calling had the phone allowed it (it didn't). I cursed myself for not having taken the precaution of carrying around one of those free AOL cds to see if they had a local number. BTW, for those of you who don't go back far enough in internet, the service was called Netzero because it was free. There were a lot of free services competing for customers and I had three or four on my computer at one time. With broadband isp services becoming more common, I think the dial-ups are headed back that way.

There a literally HUNDREDS of internet providers out there that use one or more of several large networks of nationwide/international access numbers. Many are priced in the $5 - $10 per month range.

Be sure to get one that allows you to access via a plain Dial Up Network (DUN) connection. Avoid those that require you to use their own proprietary dialer and/or browser.

There are several sites devoted to rating and comparing dialup ISPs. Here are several:

http://www.freedomlist.com/
http://www.myispfinder.com/
http://www.findanisp.com/
http://www.thelist.com/

I've been using www.poetworld.net for several years as a backup to my broadband and for use when on the road. They have an excellent array of local access numbers. I chose them based on excellent reviews and comments on the above sites, and they have been very good. $7.95/mo.

I would NOT recommend "carrying around one of those free AOL cds". AOL is extremely invasive to your system and getting it all cleaned out later is very difficult for the casual computer user. Also, the 'net is full of people complaining that they can't get AOL to stop billing them after their 'free' period expires.

If you have high speed internet thru or cable or phone company, you can keep your AOL email address for free. AOL has info on the website about their new FREE AOL.

The problem of what to do when your on the road is more difficult. Dial up is so slow, I just don't use it and wait till I can get a high speed connection.

Dial-UP ISP

AS a previous poster noted there are many low cost dialup services. I have been using Toast.net for quite a while now with excellent experience and rate.

TheDuke

TheDuke said:

AS a previous poster noted there are many low cost dialup services. I have been using Toast.net for quite a while now with excellent experience and rate.

TheDuke

Click to expand...

Toast.net was my ISP from '97 til '01 or so. I still use them for my webspace (see links in my sig block below) and email server in a bring-your-own-internet-access sort of arrangement. They always provided excellent service and perhaps the best technical support I've experienced from any company of any kind. The only reason I left them as my ISP was broadband cable finally became available in my area.

In the last year or so they've removed the connection hour limits from their $9.95/mo package ($2/mo less if you pay by the year). I'm quite likely to go back to them for my backup/travel dialup service - current pricing is less than I'm currently paying for my toast.net webspace/email plus poetworld.net.