What free internet services are out there now?

[mrsinbad]

I use DSL when I am at home, but my mom doesn't have internet access, so I will have to resort to dial-up when I visit her. I am sooooo out of touch with the free internet services, I don't even know if they exist any more. What would you guys recommend?

 

[nerdgineer]

If you mean free access to the internet, i.e. a free Internet Service Provider, the choices are very few and limited. Here's a review.

Once you have access, there are lots of free things offered to you, which your mom probably won't care for.

 

[WNG]

Try finding a Fonera access point if one exists in your area.
Sign up for a free account and get free isp access.

There are many grassroots wireless access campaigns going on, I know one in Montreal, and one in Manhattan.
Maybe one in your part of Nassau county.

Worst case, there's always a net cafe, or try war driving.

 

[mrsinbad]

Sorry, Iyes, I meant free ISP provider. I will be visiting my mom once in a while and will need internet access as opposed to visiting a St*rbucks, but the grassroots wireless access intrigues me... tell me more WNG... And thanks for your replies and the review nerdgineer.

 

[nerdgineer]

... or try war driving.

mrsinbad's mom may not be thrilled about the ethics of parasiting on someone else's ISP access...

 

[Coop]

mrsinbad's mom may not be thrilled about the ethics of parasiting on someone else's ISP access...

Actually, wardriving has NOTHING to do with parasiting on someone else's ISP access. Wardriving is just finding and mapping wlan accesspoints.

Maybe mobile internet is an option? if its just for checking email and stuff, a GPRS connection would be fast enough. Maybe cellular providers in your area offer edge/3g/hsdpa services?
Otherwise you could look into just getting an entrylevel dsl package. Here in NL the cost of occasional dialup through a free ISP often exceeds the the cost of the cheapest dsl offerings.

 

[Empath]

War driving isn't piggybacking, but the use of it here indicated the use as a means of free access. It also has nothing to do with Mrsinbad's search for a free dial-in provider he can access while visiting his mother.

Continued discussion that skirts up against our non-illegal requirements will risk closing the discussion. Basically, we're not going to have a thread about unauthorized access, including simple parking outside of an internet cafe.

 

[WNG]

Here ya go Mrsinbad!

http://www.freenetworks.org/