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Internet: What's It Costing You?
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: okthen Date: 24 Oct 00 - 02:56 PM like Bron, i'm with aol, this my first month @ £15 and free calls. so for it's saved my £60-£70 very few other problems. all in all it seems better than the NTL deal i was keen on at the start of this thread cheers bill |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Fortunato Date: 24 Oct 00 - 01:21 PM We use NetZero. It costs nothing. In the DC area I have several access phone#s available. It has never go down and I have never failed to get and keep connection. The ads box can be a bit annoying at time if it covers an area I am using frequently. It can be moved within its parameters. Haven't tried Juno.com but I hear its free and may have no ads. regards, Fortunato |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Little Hawk Date: 24 Oct 00 - 11:38 AM My innocence? And quite a bit of my time. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Tony Burns Date: 24 Oct 00 - 09:45 AM $19.95/month (CDN)unlimited access. A friend of mine signed his uncle up with http://www.netzero.com/. It is a free service in Canada and the USA. You give up a small section of your screen to advertising in exchange for unlimited access. Your only connection expense would be if you are not within local calling distance of one of the many access points. DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with the company and have not tried it myself. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Llanfair Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:53 AM We stuck with AOL, and are now on the flat rate of £14.99 a month all in. Suits me fine, as my phone bill a year ago was nearly £300!! cheers, Bron. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: WyoWoman Date: 24 Oct 00 - 03:21 AM About $40 per month for cable modem -- high-speed, always on. Except, of course, when the email goes down, which it seems to do with alarming frequency. But it's nice and fast ... ww |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: alison Date: 23 Oct 00 - 11:34 PM $19.95 (Aus) per month... unlimited access.... but the way the Aussie Dollar is .... it's about twice what you're paying in the US... slainte alison |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Jon Freeman Date: 23 Oct 00 - 09:05 PM Here is a UK update: World Online took the following move:
There are three service options, Freedom 24, Freedom Lite and Telephone Line Only. I have just signed up with RedHotAnt who are offering a 24/7 unmetered deal for an annual fee of £90 plus a one off set up fee of £40. Which in my mind works out around £11 per month for the first year - £4 cheaper than World Online with no 100 hrs limit (and I am on line more than 100 hrs per month...). The also offer an off peak service which I think is £30 + the £40 setup. I don't know how reliable they will prove to be but it seems to me to be a reasonable deal (plus the 24/7 one supports things like cgi and pearl scripts - I have some playing to do!) Jon |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Grab Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:51 AM In the UK, cable companies are best (and most reliable) for Internet connection. If there's a cable company in your area, go for that. Kingston Comms, NTL, etc all give out free unlimited Internet access as part of the package. Trouble is that in the country, there's no cable access so you're stuck with BT lines. There are schemes for this where you change to another provider for billing purposes and get free unlimited Internet access from them - LocalTel, etc. This seems to be OK, but some of the smaller companies are running out of money and going bust. The curious fact though is that it costs BT more to monitor who's calling where than it does to actually put the call through. The figures I got from a friend in telecoms were that around 80% of the processing in telecoms systems is just tracking where the calls come from and go to, and how long they are - only 20% is actually devoted to putting the call through. Ditching the "price per minute" structure for calls in favour of a fixed price per month would not only benefit Internet users, it would also make things cheaper for general phone users by requiring less infrastructure. Grab. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: mcpiper Date: 08 Sep 00 - 06:52 AM WHATS IT COSTING ME! So far, my eyesight, my sanity, a hell of a lot of sleep, deep and meaningfull quality time spent with family, but I'm hooked. I LOVE IT. mcpiper |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 08 Sep 00 - 05:10 AM I'm on a "Freenet" system. It's a real deal at $20Cdn for one year. They use a Lynx Text Browser on it for that. For $100Cdn a year, Chebucto Community Net offers Graphical Browser capabilities. Still pretty good. I don't know if the $100 gives unlimited access or not. For $20 there are time constraints based on time of day. Note that this is separate from the phone line charges, which is probably around $20Cdn per month. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Gypsy Date: 08 Sep 00 - 12:40 AM I love my server, I love my server, I love my server! Had no idea that you could pay so much for the internet. And have LIMITATIONS on how long you could play. Ugh. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Callie Date: 07 Sep 00 - 05:37 PM Oh dear. I'm working on a big project from home, and my employer pays for my internet access. Their bill must be enormous. Worse still - at the end of October, I have to start forking out my own money! Callie |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: oggie Date: 07 Sep 00 - 05:01 PM Hull being unique in the UK as it has it's own telephone service (now a PLC but owned by the council until last year) our deal is unusual (and about to change). Currently I pay œ15.00 a month plus local charges which is 5.5p foe any length of time - so long as the line holds I'm fine but if I start getting the 'boot' it mounts up. From next month will be œ30.00 per month but no call charges. All the best Steve |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Jon Freeman Date: 07 Sep 00 - 02:47 PM Malcolm, the UK situation is not clear at the momment. I got this from WorldOnline the other day: You may have heard or read in the press about Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who have withdrawn their unmetered internet services. The main reason behind these withdrawals has been the cost to Internet Service Providers. Unmetered internet access means a customer pays a fixed charge and can then use the internet as often and for as long as they want. ISPs, however, are still charged a metered or 'per minute' charge by BT to deliver customers internet calls to their service. This metered charging by BT was due to change under a system called Flat Rate Internet Access Origination (FRIACO). This was to result in an ISP being charged a flat price per annum to have internet traffic delivered to 'ports' in BT exchanges. Other Licensed Operators (OLOs) like MCI Worldcom, Energis and Colt could then pick up that traffic and route the calls to the ISP for a flat fee. The FRIACO system was due to be implemented in June of this year but still, due to 'the ironing out of the detail' between Oftel, BT and the OLOs, there is no viable wholesale flat rate package currently available to ISPs. In addition, there is no definite date as to when FRIACO will be commercially available. World Online is committed to delivering unmetered internet access to its customers. In light of the delays in the availability of FRIACO, World Online is currently having to review its products and pricing. We are consulting widely with our customers before any plans are finalised. If any changes need to be made in the near future, they will be reviewed once a FRIACO product is available to us. In the event of there being any changes, we will be giving all our customers at least twenty one days notice. In the meantime, if you have any comments on this matter, please send them to: Jon
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: stubblejumper Date: 07 Sep 00 - 01:40 PM I have free i s p Supanet. Five pounds 99p per month on BP surftime limited access . Access is 6pm to 6am weekdays and unrestricted weekends. Really good connections. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Mrs.Duck Date: 07 Sep 00 - 01:21 PM We're on unlimited freeserve at £9,99 a month but that also entitles us to up to £10 free non-local calls so if I ring a few frinds as well I technically can be on the net all day for nought! |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Barbara Date: 07 Sep 00 - 01:16 PM I've got $15 a month to my isp with local access and unlimited hours. They have a cheaper rate, I forget what for 100 hrs a month, but, alas, Mudcat took me over the top. Blessings, Barbara |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Catrin Date: 07 Sep 00 - 09:23 AM World on line at the moment, having just transferred from BT. It does seem to keep kicking me off though and sometimes i have to redial four or five times before I get a connection which is really frustrating, especially if I'm in a hurry and just wanted a quick glimpse. I was sold on the NTL thing and thinking of changing until I realised (just now) that you can't access HearMe with it. Is it worth it? Catrin |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Skipjack K8 Date: 07 Sep 00 - 08:37 AM Lord knows, Brendy. It seems a complete buggers muddle to me, but I dont understand all this wave divisional multiplexing bollocks. Seems to me that UK.com is fair game for singling out, but I am suffering a fair degree of techno-fear Skipjack |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Brendy Date: 07 Sep 00 - 08:25 AM What is the craic with the English phone system? I always knew that peoples' connectivity varied; I've seen horror stories from people in Idaho, or wherever mentioning that they only have connection for certain parts of the day. That's fair enough, I suppose. USA's a big country, with a fair bit of 'wilderness'. Norway's a fairly big country (well, it's certainly a 'long' country, anyway), but they have a small population, and the State telephone network is quite good. There are certain areas, though, where the GSM mobile phone won't work; up in the mountains, etc. Have none of the English service providers got their act together? Are there just too many suppliers, and too many promises being offered customers to switch back to BT, or whoever, that they find hard to fulfil? B. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Skipjack K8 Date: 07 Sep 00 - 08:05 AM UK. I'm stuck with BT, and Freeserve, paying a fortune, traumatised by an unsuccessful bid to convert to OneTel, have a shite line on something called DACS and have virtually given up trying to connect to the net at home. Fortunately my employer is very understanding. Can someone come round my house and sort me out? Skipjack |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Bagpuss Date: 07 Sep 00 - 07:55 AM Anyone thinking of joining World-online: Just thought I'd let you know that I got a letter this am saying that because of BT being slow with this flat rate thingy, there may have to be some changes to priceing structure if they delay any more. But they said they would give us 21 days notice of any change. Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: CarolC Date: 07 Sep 00 - 07:11 AM I have AOL, and I'm not particularly happy with it, but I haven't been able to download the software for any of the free ones (could AOL have a block on it?), and I can't install Juno using the disk, because that process requires that I have the disks for my Windows operating system. (My brother-in-law has them and he lives in another area.) Also, I think there is a problem with getting a local access line for some free servers in my area. Any tips? Carol |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Banjer Date: 07 Sep 00 - 06:45 AM I have GTE (General Telephone) at $19.95 per month with 150 hours free (My highest months usage has been 105 hours to date) The phone line is about $15.00 per month, but I would have it even if I didn't have the computer. My mother lives on a fixed retirement income and cannot afford any extra bills. I have set her up with a computer and have tried several of the free access ISPs. Juno seems to be the best. We also tried FreeInet, and a free service from K-Mart, among others. They are all OK but you must keep in mind that nothing is 'FREE'. They all have some form of advertising to wade through. But all seem to have good connections. I have shunned AOL becasue of all the horror stories I have heard about it and from what some of the folks have written in this thread, the stories are not unfounded. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: okthen Date: 07 Sep 00 - 03:56 AM malcolm douglas put your name down for NTL the 3 month waiting list is a drag, but when it comes you don't have to use it. cheers bill |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 06 Sep 00 - 10:16 PM Until a couple of weeks ago, I had a toll-free connection with Ezesurf (UK) but sadly they've gone bust. Mind you, for a one-off payment of about £40 I saved well over £250 in call charges. I'm looking at an alternative at present, but would be very interested in other people's (UK) experiences. Malcolm |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: GUEST,Lyle Date: 06 Sep 00 - 09:23 PM bob schwarer: How do you like Roadrunner -I'm thinking of going to them. Right now with phone lines and all, it will be about the same price, but it will be a mess to change email addresses. Lyle |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: okthen Date: 06 Sep 00 - 04:45 PM last month my internet bill was £87 ($139)this is with aol at 1p per minute, am waiting for ntl to send me disc,i hope they hurry. a friend of mine says it's probably cheaper to get my own satellite dish and connect direct, i thought he was joking but am not so sure now! oh for free local phone calls that some people have. cheers bill |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Roger in Sheffield Date: 06 Sep 00 - 04:06 PM Too much. I have several 'free' ISP's which provide good connection. The call time and dial up charges make these expensive though. Last month I tried BT Internet which has a fixed monthly charge and free dial up - the service is very slow and sometimes non existant. The World Online deal sounds good - what is the connection like jon? The NTL deal looks good too - is it not possible to use explorer at all?? Roger(UK) |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: ac362 Date: 06 Sep 00 - 04:01 PM In the UK there is IC24 who are giving free access including phone time for a limited period. Mon-Fri 8.00-12.00 pm Sat & Sun 10.00am-5.00 pm It won't last forever (8-(> |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Bill D Date: 06 Sep 00 - 03:44 PM MaryMac...I MUCH prefer separate email & browser programs...and a separate reader for newsgroups too, if you ever do that. I had AOL for my kid for several years...just because kids want AOL..*sigh*..it was in MY name, but I NEVER used it. There are free email, newsreader and browser programs that are many times superior to AOL's interface and intrusiveness. I use Eudora for mail, Netscape as browser and either Agent or X-News for newsreader, but there are several others which are fine. In fact 'almost' anything you need can be done for free, clever programs, internet access...etc...check this link for Pricelessware...the BEST in freeware
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: IvanB Date: 06 Sep 00 - 01:16 PM I have Freeinet which gives me unlimited access for free (I do get a very small ad panel which I find unobtrusive), but it's only available for the PC to my knowledge. When I travel I take a handheld, so I have another ISP which provides unlimited access for $9.95 a month. Lately, I've been finiding it increasingly hard to access even my paid provider. Add that to the $24 I pay for a second line and I'll probably replace the paid provider with cable when it becomes available. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Lox Date: 06 Sep 00 - 01:04 PM I'm on NTL too. I was with BT before I got my computer, but NTL persuaded me to make the switch when they offered me a second phone line for free and no internet charges whatsoever. If you're In Britain and you're not on NTL, try and make the switch. The only drawback is that BT use Internet Explorer and NTL use Netscape Navigator = no hearme...Boo-Hooo-Hooooooooooo.......... |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Marymac90 Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:53 PM AOL is $22 a month. I have been told it's a memory hog, and causes a lot of freeze-ups, etc. I know I always freeze up if I ever try to use any of their bells and whistles (news services, etc.) Do other people (besides Kendall) find that AOL causes more problems than they solve? A friend of mine says it's better to have your own email and browser programs, which I don't need with AOL. Is that true? My housemates intend to get hooked up to a cable in the not-too-distant future, and I would like go on that with them. Marymac |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: SDShad Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:48 AM From my desk at work as a Communications Network Analyst, $0.00, natch. Free dialup from home to the University, plus whatever the monthly is for a second phone line--I'd have to check my phone bill. As soon as a broadband solution becomes available at home, either cable modem or DSL, one or both of which should happen in the next four months or so, then our costs'll go up, but at those speeds it'll be worth it. Chris |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: kendall Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:37 AM I had a row with my isp, and they gave me free access until the end of this year. On Jan.1 it will go back to $19.95 per month for unlimited service with no toll charges. It is also a local server, so, I can walk into their office if I get my dander up. (Cant do that with AOL,the worst server in the business). Juno offers free access and e mail basic service, and, premium service is $9.95 per mo. not bad. I have them for backup right now. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Den Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:28 AM $29.95 (Can.) a month for unlimited access and e-mail plus 5 megs of space on their server for a site, from Sympatico. Den |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Quincy Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:23 AM UK...Unlimited Freeserve 24/7..£9.99pcm + BT Line rental (needs to be BT for freeserve deal) |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: MMario Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:11 AM t3 line from work -$0.00 |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Grab Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:00 AM UK: I've got NTL. Took ages (over 3 months) for them to get me the CD, but once they did, it's fine. Top transfer rates, never engaged, no call charges at all, and phone calls are cheaper than BT. Grab. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: GUEST,Jon Freeman Date: 06 Sep 00 - 08:15 AM UK wise, the WorldOnline 24/7 deal costs £5 per month above thier standard telephone line rental which is the same as BT's rates. They provide free off peak access for the cost of the line rental. Jon |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: bob schwarer Date: 06 Sep 00 - 07:45 AM $39.95 for cable(Roadrunner). Used to pay $19.95 for 24/7 plus a separate phone line that was very noisy. Got to where I could tell the phone company what was wrong. Actually the cable is less expensive than the telephone modem and separate line. Bob Schwarer |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Bagpuss Date: 06 Sep 00 - 06:24 AM Bill, Have PM'd you with the details. Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Amergin Date: 06 Sep 00 - 06:07 AM I pay 15 US a month with a local provider..... |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: bill\sables Date: 06 Sep 00 - 06:01 AM Bagpuss, Please send me details of your ISP Cheers Bill |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Bagpuss Date: 06 Sep 00 - 05:55 AM In Britain, for most people the cost comes from the phone charges, not the ISP (there are plenty of free ones). But I am with an ISP which gives me free unlimited internet calls for an extra £6 on my phone line rental. I think its pretty much the best deal in the UK that I have found so far. Bagpuss |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Thomas the Rhymer Date: 06 Sep 00 - 03:52 AM 20 dollars a month, Phone lines aren't good, so 26-28000 is as fast as I go... I'm looking into DSL, but I'll need a new computer to really notice it... If I got another phone line, I would probably get more gigs, cause people could get me on the phone sometimes, and then I could afford all that great stuff! Oh Bother! |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: jacko@nz Date: 06 Sep 00 - 02:29 AM I guess we have it good NZ has free local calls (about US$15 a month line cost to have a phone) and we have caught up with the UK free service provider idea So it basically costs me nothing |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Brendy Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:51 AM Sorry.. a cent per minute (got a bit confused with all the noughts, there, for a minute.) B. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Brendy Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:46 AM Oslo, Norway: $50 per month for cable (unlimited access) Dialup would cost just a little over a cent per five minutes. My calculations are rough, but not too far off the mark, and they err on the conservative side. B. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Joe Offer Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:39 AM Gee, I guess I'm paying too much. I've got MSN at $19.95 a month. Until lately, the service was excellent - but now I have trouble connecting from 6 PM to midnight. I hate to change my e-mail address, but maybe I should. Then it's an extra $18 or so for the phone line. Maybe I should get DSL? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: GUEST, Banjo Johnny Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:34 AM Juno is charging me $10/month for unlimited access, a home page, and email. I don't have a separate phone line, so I pay the telco $3/mo for "Call Notes" which is like an answering machine that takes messages for me while I'm online. But let's say you are paying $20 and using 200 hrs per month. That is ten cents per HOUR. Where can you find a better bargain??? == Johnny in OKC |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Gypsy Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:22 AM We pay 14.95 a month, and get 2 free months with every referral. If you pay for a year in advance, i think you get an additional 15% off. Don't have a separate phone line, if i'm researching on the net, don't really want to have the phone ring! |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Bill D Date: 06 Sep 00 - 12:02 AM I had a chance to get 5 years for $5.95 a month when my ISP was trolling for customers...but couldn't get the $$$ together...I did get my first 2 years for $6.84 a month...now it costs me $14.95..(and 'may' go up next March)...still a good deal for 24/7 live tech support and unlimited access with several alternate phone #s...(plus 42,000 newsgroups....I live in major metro area with lots of competition. There are MANY cable companies and DSL services trying to sell the fast stuff right now, but they aren't quite cheap enough yet...maybe next year. |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Escamillo Date: 05 Sep 00 - 11:59 PM Not living in Argentina you will miss many natural and urban beauties of this country, but you will surely pay less for a connection. I pay 32.00/month to the Internet supplier for unlimited use (but they rarely give me more than 33600 bps), plus 30.00 to the phone company for 60 hours/month. The extra hour is 0.40 at night and 0.75 in labour time. I usually pay 32 + 45 = 77.00/month. Un abrazo - I'm gonna hang now - Andrés
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: GUEST,Tina Date: 05 Sep 00 - 11:48 PM AOL knows you would have to stay on line 24 hours for 29 days to use 700 hrs. It's their little joke. 500 hrs. would be close to 21 days at 24 hrs. a day. they need to hear a lot of complaints about it. Regards Tina |
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Subject: RE: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Mbo Date: 05 Sep 00 - 11:32 PM I got a local Eastern NC ISP...$19.95 a month unlimited access. |
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Subject: Internet: What's It Costing You? From: Ebbie Date: 05 Sep 00 - 11:29 PM Periodically I am reminded that we are not all paying the same amount for internet access. I'm wondering- where is the biggest bargain? For instance, a separate modem line (not cable) costs me $12.92 a month and I pay another $5.99 for 'Net access and unlimited usage. I consider that pretty good. It sounds like for some 'Catters, all usage is 'long distance'; is that so? How does one afford that? Another question: Do the BIG companies like America OnLine (AOL) offer the same deal all over the world? In the U.S., AOL is currently offering 700 free hours (in a month) for sign-up. (Don't know why they don't say, one free month! Perhaps 700 hours sounds like more.) I remember when they were offering 250 free hours- who knows where they'll end up! Ebbie |
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