Does accelerated dial up web surfing really work?

[BB]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

I have been using the Earthlink Accelerator on dial-up since they originally introduced their HTML Accelerator (a couple of years ago?). It works fine both with IE and Firefox. I just ordered the new (and free) install CD (2005)--supposed to have an updated version of the Accelerator.

Usually makes normal HTML pages load pretty quickly (I can believe the 3x speedup claim). If I want the full resolution graphics, I just turn of the proxy setting (in Firefox) or "Stop EL Accelerator" for IE. If you are on DSL or other faster connections, the Proxy service claims to automatically disable itself as they cannot accelerate an already fast connection (especially with their overhead).

I have had earlier problems (year+ ago?) with the proxy service going down at times and downloading .exe and .zip files getting corrupted--but that all seems to be a distant memory now. But it was simple to get around by temporally bypassing the proxy service.

The only downsides are that you are required to "login" to the proxy service--so privacy is an issue (only for proxy functions regarding .html, not ssl encrypted pages, ftp, telnet, etc.). Also, I find in my older accelerator software client version that I have to occasionally delete the *.log and temp/* directories or the files just grow and grow in size (one reason I am going for the updates).

Lastly, when using the Earthlink CD--earlier CD versions would automatically load their Earthlink email software, browsers, etc... Kind of cluttering up your machine if you prefer to use other software. I will see what the new disk does next week.

Happy New Years!

-Bill

 

[geepondy]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

I go thru a proxy server using adsubtract Pro don't I? Am I compromising my security at all by doing this?

 

[BuddTX]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

I tried the EV1 excelerator. (BTW, EV1is 10.83 total / month and I have had great reliability with them)
http://www.ev1.net/english/dialup/webjet.asp

While I was very happy with EV1, I did NOT like the WebJet.

I took it off my PC, and was happier.

HOWEVER, I have since switched to SBC DSL, and for 26.99 / month it is just AWESOME! I will never go back to dialup.

I think it is a very good value,not 54.99 + for RR, and at 1.5 MB dl / 128 KB upload, it is "fast enough" . Almost all Internet Surfing is Downloading, and 1.5 MB, that is something like around 30 times faster than a 56 K connection, PLUS you keep access to your phone line.

 

[BB]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

geepondy,

You are sacrificing a small amount of privacy (do you trust your proxy company), but probably not your security... Especially if your browser is set up like my Earthlink proxy:

HTTP Proxy: localhost PORT 8080
SSL Proxy: (blank, and all of the rest too)

Remember, your ISP has your login information, the destination web site knows approximately (via IP address and computer name) or perhaps even exactly (login and/or cookies).

Your security may even be improved if your proxy company blocks spyware and known sites of "questionable" worth.

If you really want to improve your privacy and security:

<ul type="square">[*]Avoid spyware in thinks like Kaza (sp?) and other "freeware" and downloaded games/code/stuff of unknown origin.
[*]Use Adaware, Spyware Blaster, Spyware Search and Destroy, Firewall (like Zonealarm or a hardware firewall), and good anti-virus software.
[*]Load Firefox (or other non-IE) browser. Don't use IE.
[*]Load Thunderbird (or other non-Outlook/Outlook Express) email client. Don't use Outlook.
[*]Don't let kids load software on your computer--ever.
[*]Keep Microsoft patches up to date for your OS (or change your OS to something else)...
[*]Keep backups of everything you don't want to lose.
[/list]
The above is a basic start and has keep me pretty happy for a long time.

Some items, like Norton Anti-Virus have other features like ad blocking. I like what Norton AV does (in terms of blocking most ads), but it is really bloated--takes several minutes extra to boot and get on the Internet while everything loads.

Others like FireFox and Thunderbird are much safer programs than IE plus they can block all pop-ups and you can train them to ignore ads (with extension). I really don't need to run the Anti-Spyware stuff now--but I do just in the odd case where I need to run IE on a particular web site or if my wife grabs the computer and forgets. With FireFox you can block all cookies except the few you wish to keep (like the www.candlepowerforums.com login cookies).

Zonealarm is neat because it will ask every time a new program tries to access the Internet (this is one advantage over a hardware firewall)--I have used this feature to clean spyware and other questionable programs out of friends' computers. It was scary to see how much their PC were compromised by their teenagers in just a few weeks of playing...

Doing the above will really help your privacy and security (i.e., spyware and viruses will even make secure https/ssl connections to your bank web site useless if they are on your local computer)--even if you lose a little bit of privacy with your proxy server company.

-Bill

 

[Chris_Medico]

[ QUOTE ]
geepondy said:
My parent's can only surf at 28.8k via a dial up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope I'm not asking the wrong question here but why are they limited to 28.8k on their dial-up connection? Are they getting 28.8k on a 56k modem?

Chris

 

[Haesslich]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

One note - if you're using web accelerator software, make sure your PC itself is not too slow, CPU-wise and not too limited, RAM-wise; if it's already nearing its limit, then you've just added another load to the CPU and will find pages load no more quickly than before. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you have to use dialup... maybe you should look at tweaking the PC instead - checking for spyware, making sure unnecessary programs aren't running (especially 'fast loaders' for various utilities), and maybe turning off the automatic loading or displaying of graphics unless they click on them at the site. If they're using 28.8 these days... well, a lot of webpages four years ago assumed you were using 56K already. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cobb]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

I have dial up, several modems, all claim to be a max of 56k, at least downstream, upstream is 42 k or something. Anyway, I get a connection of 47k-19,2. I just deal with it since I share aol at a fraction of its cost and could ntoa fford dsl or cable. Ive searched, no open wifi networks near by either.

 

[geepondy]

Interesting question. Nobody in the town can get above 28.8k, regardless of modem used. Two possible explanations. The first I heard was "too much copper" as the phone connection office is more then five miles away. The second is more plausible to me. My friend from town swears at one time, he could get 56k. He thinks or was told that rather then add new necessary phone lines to the town, the phone company decided to cut the bandwidth on the existing lines to get more lines out of the bandwidth they have. Does this make sense to any of you telco teckies? Could the "too much copper" explanation hold water. It is a very small town, actually two towns combined with a total population of just over a grand. The whole county, smallest populationwise in Vermont has a population of less then ten grand with some areas not even encorporated into a town.

[ QUOTE ]
Chris_Medico said:
[ QUOTE ]
geepondy said:
My parent's can only surf at 28.8k via a dial up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope I'm not asking the wrong question here but why are they limited to 28.8k on their dial-up connection? Are they getting 28.8k on a 56k modem?

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

For those that don't know, The Telephone Company (telco) has two wires running from every house to the town's central office (CO). The CO is where the equipment resides that makes telephones work. Each phone service needs it's own pair of wires. If you have two phone numbers there are 2 sets of two wires.

If you are living in a small community far from the main community, there's a chance that the Telco used a concentrator of some sort. The concentrator uses X number of lines that are quite clean (electrically) going to the central office. It then has X times some number of lines that go to people's houses. This allows the Telco to get service to new developments or quickly growing areas without having to string miles and miles of cable.

Of course, there are many other tricks used to increase the number of houses a cable can support or to increase the distance from the Central office that can be served. There are SLC 96, Remote satellite COs, Range extenders, digital auxiliary main lines and many other tricks.

The trick that makes a 56K modem work at better than 33.6K requires a copper path all the way from the CO to your house. There can be no distortion or audible noise, or it will fall back to a lower speed.

Of course, there's also the possibility that your ISP is having the phone calls remoted to another office somewhere. Just like remote call forwarding. You can not have 56K to a distant city.

You can make some guesses with a simple test. Call a friend's modem who is in town. If you get better than 28.8 there's a good chance that your line is OK and the ISP is remoting the service. If not it does not prove much.

Take this with a grain of salt. It's been years since I was a teclo tech and years since I was an expert on modem communications. Yes, I once was.


Daniel

 

[eluminator]

I think 28k is common. Where I used to live I could only get 24k. Since I've moved I get 40k. Much better.

 

[geepondy]

Nobody in town gets over 28k, not even 33k. Often times the speed will drop back to 26.4 or slower. My brother, 7 miles and one town away gets 50k, no problem. I think my parent's are porked, high speed internet wise unless satellite internet progresses and gets much cheaper which it doesn't seem to be doing. But even 50k would double my parent's speed. Based on my friend's comment of being able to get 56k or thereabouts at one time, I do believe the telephone company is playing tricks of some sort.

 

[gadget_lover]

Re: Does accelerated dial up web surfing really wo

As a former telco kinda guy, I can tell you it's not playing tricks in the same way that leaving a sack of burning dog poop on your door step is playing tricks.

It's much more likely due to trying to keep prices down while providing service where they might not be able to otherwise. Adding cable and associated equipment is expensive. We had similar problems when a local developer decided to add a 300 house development near the city limits just outside the range of a normal phone line. We put in cable for 500 lines based on the initial 200 homes that were planned, not knowing that he was selling executive homes pre wired for 4 lines each and that he increased teh number of homes. The only way we could handle the demand for fax lines and modem lines was to put in concentrators.

We could have said, wait till next year when we add more cable, but that would not have sat well.

Some towns are served by small, localally owned and operated telcos. They frequently have to economize to get service to everyone.

Daniel

 

[The_LED_Museum]

[ QUOTE ]
Chris_Medico said:
I hope I'm not asking the wrong question here but why are they limited to 28.8k on their dial-up connection? Are they getting 28.8k on a 56k modem?

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm routinely getting no more than 48.0K on a 56K modem.
Maybe their telephone line is ***really*** crappy, or they're using a 28.8K modem.

 

[geepondy]

Like I said nobody in town get above 28.8k. And I having built my dad's pc outfitted him with a V90 US Robotic sportster which I deem to be one of the best modems available. Also this is no small telco, struggling to keep things afloat. This is good old Verizon. To further put icing on the cake, Vermont is the only New England State that Verizon does not offer umlimited local dial up so they are stuck with measured service although that caps out at $22 or something like that. Some of the bigger towns around, the ones with two, three, even four or five thousand people have cable and I think high speed internet access is finally available for them. I was hoping satellite internet might be more affordable but last time I checked, it was still like $500 setup and $50 monthly fees with speeds not as fast as cable or DSL.

 

[Chris_Medico]

[ QUOTE ]
geepondy said:
Interesting question. Nobody in the town can get above 28.8k, regardless of modem used.

[/ QUOTE ]


Well, unfortunately that does answer the question right there. The problem is most likely with the local phone company. The transmission scheme used for v90 (56k) is different than the scheme used for v34 (28.8/33.6k). The telco equipment has to be setup correctly or it won't work. Its unlikely that the copper is the problem unless you are a LONG way from the telco equipment. For v90 to work there can be no concentrators or repeaters in the path to your house.

Its a good thought to call your friend across town to see if you can get a v90 connection but you'll only get a v34. v90 can only be done with a special host modem and a special telephone connection. Two v90 modems talking to each other can not duplicate that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I had the same problem here getting any good dialup speed. I talked to the local office to see how the lines were routed and there was a concentrator used between the CO and my home. The good news is that they installed a DSLAM at the concentrator and I now have ADSL. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif