connecting to the Internet

Jon Ford austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Sat Sep 18 00:49:33 2004


<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV class=RTE>
<P>I&nbsp;used to have two lines devoted to dial-up&nbsp; internet&nbsp;plus a regular dial-up just&nbsp; for the telephone. I do frequent automatic updates on my softwarem, and with dial-up it just took too damn long!</P>
<P>I came out about even by switching to SBC-Yahoo, which allows me to have wi-fi connection to their modem (like Mike, we got on our neighbor's connection for a while but it was too slow for us). The DSL modem also allows us a super-fast &nbsp;ethernet connection, which I use for our big desk-top computer. Wi-fi signal tends to degrade if you go through two many walls-- my son lived in our back-room for a couple of months, and his laptop connection to our modem (in the front room) was very slow.&nbsp; Last time my daughter got an apartment, she got Comcast cable &nbsp;for her TV and Internet and didn't have a land phone at all--she just used her cell.&nbsp;This is a very popular option for students and people who move around frequently. This cable and DSL stuff is now getting so cheap that it's the bast way to go, and eventually I suspect dial-up will die out. </P>
<P>Jon</P>
<P>Jon<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;From: "Michael Eisenstadt" &lt;michaele@hotpop.com&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Reply-To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;To: &lt;austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Subject: Re: connecting to the Internet 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 11:35:55 -0600 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Interesting subject Clark. Of course we all have enough 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;hands in our pockets to extract their montly due: gas, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;electric, phone, rent/tax, did I mention groceries? 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;I have been using dialup since forever but, and this 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;is an odd coincidence, I thought I should check out 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;whether I was in range of a wifi (wireless) access 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;point. This requires a little antenna gadget which 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;connects to the computer with a USB cable. So 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;I plugged it in (2 days ago) and low and behold, I 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;found I was linked to a wifi access point named 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;default. It runs at best about 8 to10x faster than dialup 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;but varies. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;And the price is right. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;I have been wondering who default is, I think it is 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Ephraim 2 apartments down who once told me 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;he has DSL or cable but also runs a wifi network 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;between his computers. Or someone else. I am 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;waiting for Ed Penak to tell me whether there is 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;a way to identify one's wifi access point. Ed is 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;going to law school in Houston but comes home 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;for the weekend. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;----- Original Message ----- 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;From: "Clark Santos" &lt;clarksantos@argolink.net&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;To: &lt;GHETTO2@LISTS.WHATHELPS.COM&gt;; &lt;austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:17 AM 
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Subject: (no subject) 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; Since nobody is talking this morning, have the aliens done it or is it a 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; republican ploy to control the internet. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; I am changing from dial up internet service to cable with earthlink, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; which uses a time-warner cable hookup. They also have a digital 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; telephone service called unlimited talk, which offers phone service with 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; all amenities and unlimited long distance for $29.95, which they assure 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; me will be $32.39 on the bill with TT&amp;L. They have the same service with 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 500 minutes LD (US &amp; Canada) for $24.95 or $27.17 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; with TT&amp;L, 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; With my current phone service, having 200 minutes LD, costing $46.15 and 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; dial up costing $10.00, i figure by installing airport and charging my 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; renter one half the cable fee, i will increase my internet speed by 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 50-70 times, and have unlimited long distance for only $53.00/mo., 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; thereby saving 1/10 of what a bottle of my scotch costs. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; Has anybody on the ghetto list had experience with the earth link phone 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; service? If so, please let me know of any problems. 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; El Patron de electronico 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; &gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
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