Best ISP

[JohnR]

I tried to search here for "best isp" 'coz there were some postings months ago but all I got was almost every posting by ChrisP.

Is it worth paying for AOL or something similar simply so that I can log on from abroad or browse the internet from home on cold winter nights, or do I just carry on using a free ISP and paying BT for the calls?

 

[lanason]

Well I use BT anytime and this give 150 hours free net ing per month average of 6 hrs a day.. Not a bad service but I'm outa reach of Braodband.

I was with demon who were brill but a bit more expensive

Adrian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>More Pics of Kelisha</A> /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[byron]

I have 4 ISPs., 3 dial up and pay for and 1 anytime account which is with freeserve. I find ISPs go up and down in quality so from time to time I will change one from dial-up to anytime and cancel the other. There is one which is not too bad at the moment which is called Boltblue (formerly C&W)

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[DavidJ]

I've had great success with AOL. I use my laptop with my mobile and get on to a local AOL site (my boats in the Med) I've used it in France and Italy incl Corsica & Sardinia. I buy a local Pay as you Go SIM card which works out at about €1 per minute. It's slow of course at 9600.
Health warning though. During installation AOL does seem to bury itself into your system. All is ok until you want to change to another ISP.....I never have so havent hit a problem.
David

 

[byron]

Bear in mind AOL uses different technology from the rest of the world and some net stuff will not work with it, all though in many cases there is a 'fix' for these on-going problems.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[ChrisP]

So that's where they all went.

ChrisP;o))

What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!

 

[c_j]

Plenty of isp's now give you the option to view your email box via a web browser. It also gives you read, write and delete options so you can leave it all on there if you wish for download via conventional email whan you return home. I have the laptop/mobile phone setup but find it better to check the mail via web as outlined above. The two I use are BTconnect anytime (14.99 per month up to 12 hours per day) and Plusnet. I have freeserve accounts but they crawl at times.
We are too far in sticks for broadband, but we do have isdn but since I upgraded to XP I can now longer connect at 128kbps and have to make do with 64. I phoned BT to complain and they told me that 128 had never been supported on BT connect and that it was a fluke I was connecting at that speed before. To be honest it makes little difference if a download takes 20 or 40 minutes cause the call is free anyway and I would just leave it to get on.



CJ
chris@stone.uk.com

www.stone.uk.com

 

[DavidJ]

True, including the Boatone chat which I tried to get on the other night. Most of these problems can be solved by clicking onto Internet explorer once in AOL and 'doing it' from there.
David

 

[jimg]

Re: AOL

True,
I have used AOL for several years, but I only use it as the ISP. As soon as I am connected I just fire up Internet Explorer, which is what you do with any other ISP

 

[byron]

Re: AOL

Sorry to disallusion you. There is lots of software that will not work with AOL for some of this there is no 'Fix'. Now! this may be OK for you if all you want to do is go on the net and see something, for anything half way serious then AOL fail miserably, apart from which as anyone in IT will tell you AOL install their own crap all over your hard drive which IMHO is
deliberately designed to constrain you to their system.
Personally I regard AOL as no better than a Virus.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[jimg]

Re: AOL

Hi Byron,
I agree that that their browser interface is crap, but tell me what software have you come across that does not work with AOL installed? I have never found any.
I have worked in IT since 1965 ( boy were they big b*st*rds in those days! ) and I have heard stories like this so many times, but usually it is because techies do not like "tight" integrations that they cannot tinker with and screw up, IMHO of course..
Cheers
Jimg

 

[byron]

Re: AOL

<font color=blue>I honestly can't sit here and cite cases and instances but the fact is AOL doesn't seamlessly integrate across the board and cannot be fully uninstalled from a PC short of a total reformat. That in itself is reason enough not to pollute one's machine with it.
Anyways... this is all IMHO and I do not expect everyone to agree with me. </font color=blue>

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[jimg]

Re: AOL

Byron you are entitled to your opinion even if it has no real basis or facts behind it. 34 million people use AOL and these old wives tales always appear and are like Chinese whispers.
You should never need to reformat to deinstall software, there are plenty of free or paid for tools to tidy up your Windows registry etc. If you were close by, I would happily show you

 

[byron]

Re: AOL

34 million people use AOL

That's about the equivalent of their annual advertising budget.

old wives tales

This they aren't

tidy up your Windows registry

Windows Registry is well left alone unless one really understands what one is doing even if using proprietary software.

The plain fact is that nothing short of a total reformat will fully remove AOL. To draw an analogy it's like removing I.E. from a Windows installation.

However, you have your views the rest of us have ours. I can't be bothered with the subject anymore.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[JEG]

Re: AOL

I changed from aol earlier this year & certainly suffered because of their system.
In brief, an aol logo became attached to some of the files my documents which were in situ before I used their 'service'. Following the uninstall some were lost.
I just wish I understood enough to use linux - but perhaps that merely demonstrates my ignorance of these matters.

 

[david_e]

Re: AOL

I agree with Byron, I know didly squat about PC's, but half of my Internet stuff is screwed up by installing a free trial AOL disc.

 

[hlb]

Re: AOL

Tried ASOL once. Buggered up my screen that had taken me years to understand. So binned it. Then spent weeks on the phone trying to get them to not charge me. Then got someprat on the phone trying to convince me that I wanted it really. So told him to **** ***. Oh nevermind.

One thing I have found though. I've got Freeserve anytime. I was going to sack them for ever cutting me off. Bought new computer and it wizzes along and never got cut off.

<font color=blue>
No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer<font color=blue>




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