Get inexpensive Internet service
Obtaining Low-Cost Internet Access
For $22-$24 a month -- the price of dial-up Internet service with a national Internet Service Provider (ISP) -- you should be able to obtain dialup Internet service from a local ISP along with support and software to help you get started. (In more remote areas, large providers like America Online (AOL) or Earthlink may be the only options that allow you to connect with a local phone call, so always check the access numbers before you sign up.)
If you can get by without telephone technical support, many areas have smaller Internet Service Providers who charge only $7 to $10 per month. In most places, Mac users can also use MacDialup.net, a Mac-only provider that charges $10 a month for 100 hours of internet access. With a low-cost ISP, there might not be a phone number to call and you might not receive an installation CD. Signing up might require web access in a library, at work, or at a friend's house, so that you can obtain your dialup numbers as well as detailed instructions for setting up your computer to access your new account.
When choosing an ISP, some of the things to look for are unlimited usage, an email account with a name you can choose, and personal web space. If you are shopping for your organization, you should also see if your ISP can set up your "domain name" (www.myorganization.com) and then help you connect that domain name with the web space that comes with your account. 20Mb of web space is enough for most organizations, though if you are creating a photo library, or storing hundreds of pages of pages of files in "PDF" format, or an hour of music (MP3 or OGG or RAM files) you will need more space than that.
You can usually find the name of an ISP in the Business section of your local paper. OneNW recommends that you check the BoardWatch Magazine list of ISP's organized by area code. Before signing up, go to the ISP's web site to make sure they have a dial-in number that is a local call. Then try dialing the number during peak hours (4:30pm, 8pm). If you find that the number is often busy, choose a different ISP!
To sign up, you will usually need to send your credit card number to the ISP by fax or through the web. Once you do this, you will receive notification with the following information:
1) Your new e-mail address and password.
2) The address of your personal web space, should you choose to use it.
3) "Domain Name Service Addresses" (numbers with 4 dots separating them) used by your ISP.
4) Addresses you will need in order to send or receive email (called SMTP and POP addresses).
The final step before you can user the Internet is to set up the information within your operating system. You can find some excellent tips on how to do this at http://www.gis.net/tech/index.html , the support section of Galaxy Internet service, a low-cost provider operating on the East Coast. You will need to enter the dial-up number you tried earlier as well as your domain name service numbers. Plus you will have to enter the addresses used to send or receive email in your email software. Have someone who has done this before help you if you are trying it for the first time!
What about getting a "Free" ISP?
Late in 1999, several companies have begun offering "free" Internet access. The catch is that in order to use these services you need a specially configured web browser that tracks where you are going and constantly displays advertisements. The constantly refreshing advertisement will slow down your connection to the Internet. Plus, you have to download the browser in the first place, which could take an hour or more on a slow connection.
Still, if you can afford the inconvenience, these services might be worth checking out. (Some people have had success using a free service to connect, and then hiding the window for the free service and opening up a standard, advertising-free web browser.)
Here are some links for "Free" ISPs: