Technical Specifications

Dial-up modems typically have a maximum theoretical speed of 56 kbit/s (using the V.92 protocol), although in most cases only up to 53 kbit/s is possible due to overhead and FCC regulation. These speeds are the maximum possible; in almost all cases transfer speeds will be lower, averaging about 32 kbit/s. Other factors such as line noise further reduce achieved transfer rates. Dial-up connections usually have high latency that can be as high as 200 ms or even more, which can make online gaming or videoconferencing near impossible. Some games, such as Star Wars: Galaxies and The Sims Online are capable of running on 56 K dial-up. Gamers with dial-up connections are often disconnected from game servers due to the "lag", or high latency, of the connection.
If you are a gamer, we obviously recommend broadband.

To avoid incurrent telephone charges always make sure you use a local phone number. Many ISPs offer thousands of dialup numbers, so that in most case you are simply dialing a local number and will not have additional phone charges.

In the last few years many ISP (dial-up providers) offer accelerators (X3 X5....). This is usually a software layer between your PC and the ISPs servers that will compress certain types of data (HTML, images etc...) in general they work very well.

 

List of CCITT standards:

• Bell 103M & 212A: Older standards, Bell 103 transmits at 300 bps at 300 baud and 212A transmits at 1200 bps at 600 baud.
• V.21: Capable of only 300 bps, it is an international standard used mainly outside of the U.S.
• V.22: Capable of 1200 bps at 600 baud. Used mainly outside the U.S.
• V.22bis: Used in the U.S. and out, it is capable of 2400 bps at 600 baud.
• V.23: Used mainly in Europe, it allows the modem to send and receive data at the same time at 75 bps.
• V.29: A one-way (half-duplex) standard that is used mostly for fax machines. Capable of 9600 bps.
• V.32: A full-duplex standard capable of 9600 bps at 2400 baud. V.32 modems automatically adjust their transmission speeds based on the quality of the lines.
• V.32bis: A second version of V.32, it is capable of 14,400 bps. It will also fallback onto V.32 if the phone line is impaired.
• V.32ter: The third version of V.32, capable of 19,200 bps.
• V.34: Capable of 28,000 bps or fallback to 24,000 and 19,200. This standard is backwards compatible with V.32 and V.32bis.
• V.34bis: Capable of 33,600 bps or fallback to 31,200.
• V.42: Same transfer rate as V.34 but is more reliable because of error correction.
• V.42bis: A data compression protocol that can enable modems to achieve a data transfer rate of 34,000 bps.
• V.44: Allows for compression of Web pages at the ISP end and decompression by the V.44-compliant modem, so transmitting the same information requires fewer data packets.
• V.90: The fastest transmissions standard available for analog transmission, it is capable of 56,000 bps.
• V.92: Transmits at the same speed as V.90 but offers a reduced handshake time and an on-hold feature.

How to select an ISP

Here a list of points that could be important when selecting an ISP:

• What is the price of the services (this will range from about $10/month to $25/month)
• What speed is offered by the ISP (for maximum speed make sure they support V92)
• If you will need some help make sure this company can provide the good support (many support centers nowadays can be frustrating)
• Make sure the ISP has one or more local phone number (so it will not cost you anything to connect)
• If you plan on traveling make sure they also offer a local number, where you will be located.
• If your ISP limit the number of hours of connection per month (pretty rare nowadays) make sure you will not need to use the internet usage fit that allocation. It might be best to go for an unlimited type account (most ISPs offer unlimited dialup connection time)
• Try to choose an ISP that offer an "accelerator", a good accelerator will make web surfing (HTML pages) seem like you are using Broadband.
• Any other software like (anti-spam, anti-virus, security, site-restrictions) can be a plus. Although you can buy these software on your own, don't base your decision just on these "add-ons", since they are usually "marketing gift" that are not as powerful then the commercial versions.
• If you plan on using multiple emails addresses or hosting your own website, check the ISP's offering and add-ons prices, if application.

 

Once a "dialup customer", do not hesitate to switch to another ISP, if you determine that

• Your ISP is using old equipment (slow speed...)
• Your ISP has over-subscribed their modem bank (busy signals...).
  This is usually a think of the past but their might still be some ISPs in this situation.
   

Best Dial-up: NetZero or PeoplePC ?

Best Dial-up Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Review

All Dial-Up Plans offer 30 Days Money Back (NetZero) or 30 Days Free Trial (PeoplePC)

 

 

 

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Dial-up Plans Details

 

 

Best 4 Dial-up plans on the market

 

Month to Month NetZero Plans

Month to Month NetZero Plans (First Month Free)

 

 

 

• How do NetZero and PeoplePC Dial-Up Accounts Compare to the Other Expensive Internet Service Providers (ISP)?

The Netzero or PeoplePC Dial-Up Account offers the same Internet Access as other expensive ISPs, such as AOL®($23.90/month), EarthLink($21.95/month) and MSN ($21.95/month) at less than half the cost! Experience fast connections, reliable Internet Service with thousands of access numbers nationwide and other great member benefits such as free email, free instant messaging, and free virus and spam protection.

Service Comparison  NetZero AOL EarthLink MSN AT&T1 SBC / Yahoo! Prices Monthly Access Cost $9.95*  $23.90 $21.95 $21.95 $16.95 $15.95 NetZero Saves You - 58% 54% 54% 41% 37% Account Features 2-Minute Online Download Yes No No No No No Answer Phone Calls and Remain Online (V.92) Yes No No No No No Personalized E-mail Address Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Web Based E-mail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Content-Rich Startpage Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

• How can I switch to NetZero and cancel my existing Internet service?

Both NetZero and PeoplePC offer free assistance and tools to  makes it easy to move to them and start saving money today! Don't let your current ISP make you feel trapped. Moving is a lot easier than most think. You will save money while enjoying a fast dial-up connection. If you're currently using AOL at $25.90/month switching to NetZero HiSpeed 3G will save you nearly $200/year!

• Who is NetZero?

NetZero is the Internet Access division of United Online, a public traded company (NASDAQ: UNTD). It is a member of the S&P SmallCap 600 index and the Russell 2000 index. NetZero has been offering Internet Access since 1998, making it one of the leading ISP in the nation. NetZero is one of the few nationwide Internet Service Provider. As of March 2006, United Online has 60 million registered accounts.

• Who is PeoplePC?

PeoplePC Online, an EarthLink company (NASDAQ: ELNK), is a leading provider of high-quality, value-priced Internet service through its PeoplePC Online brand. Earthlink is one of those older dialup firms (like AOL) that could not afford to lower the prices for their millions of customers, so they offer cheaper prices for the same service to new customers who sign-up with PeoplePC brand.

• What is Accelerated Dial-Up?

Accelerated Dial-Up speeds up your Web surfing using your existing phone jack and modem and gives you the fastest web surfing you can get without the high cost of broadband. Basically when using an Accelerator the data on your dial-up connection is compressed. Most web pages and images are full of "empty spaces". Using compression techniques, Accelerators can reduce the size of most web pages by 5 or more. Since the web page is now 5 times smaller it will load 5 times faster. It's that simple!

• What gets Accelerated?
  

 

• Why should I consider Accelerated Dial-Up instead of Broadband ?

Both Accelerated and Broadband will save you time by letting you surf the Web much faster than standard dial-up. But, unlike broadband, with Accelerated Dial-Up you don't need to install or pay for additional equipment like modems or routers. Simply download the Accelerator software from NetZero or PeoplePC and within minutes you will have the fastest web surfing you can get without the high price of broadband.

• Does NetZero Support any additional Operating System besides Windows?

NetZero was originally designed for the PC Windows environment, but different versions are now available for other operating systems. If you have an IBM PC compatible machine, you can use NetZero with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/VISTA.
We also support a Linspire (Linux) version of NetZero. If you are running a Macintosh with OS 9 or OS X, you will also be able to run NetZero.

• What about those lesser known Internet Service Providers that offer similar low prices?

Most simply resell internet access from wholesale dialup providers. Those companies in turn negotiate access numbers with the companies that really own the equipment and network. Sometimes you end-up using the older un-reliable access points the larger ISPs are willing to offer at a discount. Because of all these intermediaries involved, you are likely to experience problems (merges, bankruptcy, communications problems ...etc..). Those problems happen all the time, who needs to deal with that?!
 

Best 4 Dial-up plans on the market

 

 

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Not a Trial, a 100% FREE Dial-Up.
 

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FREE Dial-Up Questions & Answers

• How does NetZero 100% FREE Dial-Up Account Compare to the Other Expensive Internet Service Providers (ISP)?

Our 100% Free Dial-Up Account offers the same Internet Access as other expensive ISPs, such as AOL®, EarthLink and MSN. Now you can get NetZero 100% FREE! Experience fast connections, reliable Internet Service with thousands of access numbers nationwide and other great member benefits such as free email, free instant messaging, and free virus and spam protection.

• Who is NetZero?

NetZero is the Internet Access division of United Online, a public traded company (NASDAQ ticker UNTD). It is a member of the S&P SmallCap 600 index and the Russell 2000 index. NetZero has been offering Internet Access since 1998, making it one of the leading ISP in the nation. NetZero is the only nationwide FREE ISP. As of March 2006, United Online has 60 million registered accounts.
 

• How reliable are the FREE Dial-Up Connections? How fast are they?

Our FREE Dial-Up has thousands of Access Numbers nationwide to make it easy for you to get online with fewer busy signals and disconnects. NetZero allows you to access the Web at dial-up speeds of up to 56 Kbps (the fastest dial-up internet connection available)! All Internet Access Numbers are capable of 56K connections. Additionally, most of our access numbers support V.90. Want to see how fast our internet connections are? Get our 100% FREE Internet Service Now!

• Do I get an email account with my Free Dial-Up Account?

Absolutely! When you get our 100% Free Internet Access, you also receive a Free Email address with up to 1 GB of storage. That’s plenty of room for you to receive, store, file and organize thousands of emails. Plus, with the Message Center you can check your email account from any computer with Internet Access in the World. Additionally you can set up multiple free email addresses for the many members in your home. Even if you are not interested in using our FREE Dial-Up, you can still use your FREE Email accounts via our internet browser based Message Center. Get our 100% FREE Email Service Now!

• Are there any other FREE Internet Service Provider offering Dial-Up?

While there were dozens in the late 90s, today FREE Dial-Up Service has virtually disappeared. In fact, today AOL Dial-up charges $24.95/month like most large ISPs! This leaves the NetZero 100% FREE Internet Service offer standing alone. The good news is that NetZero still offers absolutely free Dial-Up Internet Service. It's real easy to sign-up (no credit card required) download the software and you can be surfing the web 100% FREE. All it takes is about 2 minutes. Try it NetZero Free Dial-Up today!

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If you know any other 100% Free Internet Dial-Up offer, please post a comment or send us an email. Thanks!