Dialup Internet Review

Internet access can mean many things nowadays, from mobile data plans to broadband connections.  As the number of options has multiplied, it has become easy to forget the original technology that got this nation online in the first place: dialup Internet access.  Today dialup continues to command a significant percentage of the market, and with good reason – it is every bit as easy to use today as it was a decade ago.  In fact, a number of clever innovations have made dialup far more efficient, leading thousands of people each year to the comfort of this traditional standard. 

Dialup Internet service works by using your phone's traditional line to carry data.  If you pick up another line while your computer is using the connection, you are likely to hear something that sounds like static.  This is actually the sound of digital information passing back and forth – proof positive that nothing more mysterious than sound can actually be used to encode email, photographs and more!  Dialup Internet access is an elegant solution to the problem of Internet service because it requires no hardware or special equipment.  This is why such dialup Internet service providers continue to reign supreme in areas where fiber optic technology hasn't yet arrived – if you have a phone line, you can get online from anywhere.

The great advantage of dialup Internet is its price – most of the top plans in the nation start at under $10 a month.  The software comes free, and you only need a phone cord and modem to attach your computer to the world at large.  Most computers nowadays come with a built-in modem – two jacks on the back of the tower for your phone line to hook into.  If you don't have this feature, you can always buy a freestanding dialup Internet modem for under $50.  Sign up with one of the better-known Internet service providers listed on our website and you get access numbers which you can dial to get online in a matter of seconds.

One of the more popular options for dialup Internet service is the slate of so-called "high speed dialup services" you see advertised all over the Web.  Although no technology can actually make your phone line exceed 56 Kbs (kilobytes per second – a little sluggish for everything but Web browsing), these new services do indeed make your online experience far more efficient.  The way they do so is to "compress" data as much as possible, essentially reducing the amount of information your computer needs to display pages while you surf.  When coupled with clever software on your end, these internet service providers' solutions can make dialup Internet access more pleasurable and productive than you might imagine. 

There are more ways to take save money on dialup Internet access than ever before.  If you are looking for an inexpensive way to read the news, instant massage or simply keep up with your emails, you may find there is considerable life left in the dialup approach.  Use our free Internet comparison tool to find dialup Internet service providers in your area who have earned high marks for consumer satisfaction, and be sure to compare features before you commit.