Internet Service Provider

[Nomad]

We are coming to Seagrove in a few weeks to spend our winter and are looking for an ISP with a local dial-up access number. We used Z-technology last year and it worked fine but have not been able to find their website. Fear they may have gone out of business. All recommendations would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[CastlesOfSand]

We used CityNet 850-785-1969

[TreeFrog]

Earthlink has a Seagrove access number, not to mention hundreds of others. 850-468-0020.

There are getting to be a number of public wireless access points. On the east end of 30A, you've got the wine bar in Rosemary and the new Alyce Beach coffee shop. There should be something in Seaside, I'm just not personally aware of it.

A fair number of beach rentals have unsecured wireless routers, if you're into that sort of thing. I pick up (but prefer not to connect to) 2 to 4 of them at my house, depending on weather and whether they're powered up.

[pk305]

(850) 231-6966 - info@web30a.com
Located in the Lakewood Towne Center
5399 E Co. Hwy. 30-A
Seagrove Beach, Florida 32459

Great service (dial-up)
and very convenient!!
Highly recommend!

Have a wonderful winter in Seagrove!!

[Beach Runner]

Earthlink has a Seagrove access number, not to mention hundreds of others. 850-468-0020.

There are getting to be a number of public wireless access points. On the east end of 30A, you've got the wine bar in Rosemary and the new Alyce Beach coffee shop. There should be something in Seaside, I'm just not personally aware of it.

A fair number of beach rentals have unsecured wireless routers, if you're into that sort of thing. I pick up (but prefer not to connect to) 2 to 4 of them at my house, depending on weather and whether they're powered up.

I keep picking up my neighbor's wireless at my primary residence. I get a stronger signal from his than mine, and our lots are fairly large. I went wardriving just for grins on Saturday. Every neighbor had a wireless except for the rich old biddy next door.

We can pick up several neighbors' wireless networks at the beach as well, but I disable my wireless card for security reasons. I have some smart neighbors at the beach; my neighbors in GA just have money and aren't very tech-savvy, so I don't need to worry about security with them.

One of our neighbors at the beach has Sprint. He loves it. We're switching. We have Web30a, but dialup makes me want to claw my eyeballs out. It was really a negative factor when on several occasions this summer we were trying to decide whether or not to board up, and downloading all of the graphics was just too slow.

[ecopal]

how does Sprint compare to Mediacom high speed internet?
Is it as fast?
how is the support?
what is the cost?
thanks

[TreeFrog]

I can't compare Sprint to Mediacom - haven't seen the latter. Sprint is DSL, so it's serviceably quick and easily beats dialup. But Sprint's DSL in Seagrove is visibly slower than what I've experienced on DSL in urban areas. Sprint is affiliated with Earthlink - we got Earthlink EMail addresses when we signed up. I have to say I've been impressed with Earthlink's dialup speed when I find myself on the road and forced to use it for the lack of anything else. Way better than what I had with Compuserve back in the dark ages.

[Beach Runner]

how does Sprint compare to Mediacom high speed internet?
Is it as fast?
how is the support?
what is the cost?
thanks

Our neighbor has had both and much prefers Sprint. Maybe he'll drop in on the board and explain why.

[hutch]

If you have to use a dial-up services, try using Netzero, or Netscape both companies offer fast dial-up and Netzero is FREE for only 10 hours usage per month. What a deal. Just go to their web site, download and install. I use Netzero when I travel and some the hotels in remote areas do not have wireless services. I had no trouble finding local access number. Great for only surfing the web and pulling emails. Not for download music or large files.

the hutch

[GVM]

Mediacom was just very unreliable. Dropped out all the time. Perhaps they've improved in recent months. Sprint has been very reliable...and speed is quite good, too.

[Smiling JOe]

I use MediaCom and find it to be very reliable, and fast.

[Paula]

If you have to use a dial-up services, try using Netzero, or Netscape both companies offer fast dial-up and Netzero is FREE for only 10 hours usage per month. What a deal. Just go to their web site, download and install. I use Netzero when I travel and some the hotels in remote areas do not have wireless services. I had no trouble finding local access number. Great for only surfing the web and pulling emails. Not for download music or large files.

the hutch

This sounds fantastic. Is there any catch? We only go to the cottage about 5-6 times a year and certainly don't spend that much time on the Internet when we're on vacation, so we wouldn't need more than 10 hours a month. All we'd need to do is check and send email and do a little web surfing.

[hutch]

Paula- The only catch with the free 10 hours per month you have to deal with the ads that come up on your screen. Go to http://www.netzero.net
and download the software for the Free 10 hours service. Warning it is hidden in the small box on the front page. They are hoping people will sign up for the $9.95 per month unlimited service. I noticed they have a special for 12 months at $6.95 per month for unlimited service. The speed is pretty good for a dial-up. And they do have local access number here in our area. When I am in North Georgia mountains, I have to use an Atlanta number which is long distance, but still cheaper than Earthlink or AOL.

Hope this helps.

the hutch

[OhioBeachBum]

I keep picking up my neighbor's wireless at my primary residence. I get a stronger signal from his than mine, and our lots are fairly large. I went wardriving just for grins on Saturday. Every neighbor had a wireless except for the rich old biddy next door.

I'm still amazed at the number of folks who just drop those things in their homes (particularly when latched onto a high speed internet channel) without even the most fundamental security...

We can pick up several neighbors' wireless networks at the beach as well, but I disable my wireless card for security reasons. I have some smart neighbors at the beach; my neighbors in GA just have money and aren't very tech-savvy, so I don't need to worry about security with them.

You can set up a separate (bootable) partition with just the OS, browser, AV and firewall - no critical data - for use when you're mobile. As long as you're not moving any of your own data about - just general browsing, not much risk...

[Paula]

Paula- The only catch with the free 10 hours per month you have to deal with the ads that come up on your screen. Go to http://www.netzero.net
and download the software for the Free 10 hours service. Warning it is hidden in the small box on the front page. They are hoping people will sign up for the $9.95 per month unlimited service. I noticed they have a special for 12 months at $6.95 per month for unlimited service. The speed is pretty good for a dial-up. And they do have local access number here in our area. When I am in North Georgia mountains, I have to use an Atlanta number which is long distance, but still cheaper than Earthlink or AOL.

Hope this helps.

the hutch

Hutch:

This is very helpful. I'll try the wireless at Alys Beach coffee shop since they're only about 1/4 mile from us and also netzero. I'll check with the Helpdesk where I work to hear what they say about netzero since they end up having to solve any problems on my computer if I do anything that gets me in computer trouble! Again, thanks for the very useful information. It will be all that I need.

Best,
Paula
(PS: Starsky and Hutch was one of my favorite TV shows growing up, along with the Man From Uncle)

[katie blue]

We use a company called 550access.com. It's 5.50 a month for about 160 hours of usage, which we never come close to. It has a local seagrove (231-xxxx) exchange. Dial up. Gets decent throughput usually, less so in the busier summer months. But it's cheap, and has nationwide numbers for when we travel.

[Camp Creek Kid]

Hutch:

This is very helpful. I'll try the wireless at Alys Beach coffee shop since they're only about 1/4 mile from us and also netzero. I'll check with the Helpdesk where I work to hear what they say about netzero since they end up having to solve any problems on my computer if I do anything that gets me in computer trouble! Again, thanks for the very useful information. It will be all that I need.

Best,
Paula
(PS: Starsky and Hutch was one of my favorite TV shows growing up, along with the Man From Uncle)

Paula,

You can come sit on my front porch--or on my living room couch. We have a wireless router.

CCK

[ShallowsNole]

I'm just curious as to what I can get in PtWash, as my dial-up is making me crazy and we have no DSL...no Mediacom, no Earthlink, no nothing.

I'm looking into satellite internet, but you have to get several hundred dollars in equipment and I don't want a third dish in my yard.

Any suggestions?

[Paula]

Gee, thanks, CCK. That's very nice of you! One of these days when we get to be lucky enough to spend more time there, we'll be getting wireless, too (that's about 7 years away). And you can always come sit on our porch when we're there and have a lemonade or scone or something. I like to make scones and bring my home-made peach jam when I'm at the beach.

And our Helpdesk at work said that Netzero is fine (I don't do anything without clearing it with our helpful helpdesk first), so I'll give that a try, too.

Have you been to the newspaper shop at Alys beach. How's it coming?

[hutch]

Paula- Glad to hear your tech group approve my suggestion of Netzero. I see you live in MI. I have a cousin that lives in Troy, but I think the car rental company is still looking for my rental car in Detroit the last time I visit her. It fell into one of those big---- holes in the road and never was seen again. Why don't they fix those roads? As you can see wireless is great, but you need to protect your systems with a Firewall at all time. Good idea to have a firewall for any broadband connections. You would not leave your house unlock would you? Use Netzero, it's free and stay home and enjoy a cup of coffee in the mornings pulling your emails. Glad to help.

the hutch

[Beach Runner]

You can set up a separate (bootable) partition with just the OS, browser, AV and firewall - no critical data - for use when you're mobile. As long as you're not moving any of your own data about - just general browsing, not much risk...

I know. Just haven't gone to the trouble.

[TreeFrog]

Add to the list:

Shades at the Loop (east end of 30A)
Beach Java (Seagrove) - not sure of this but I did see someone sipping with their laptop open about a week ago

Come on folks, chime in. There have to be some public wireless points in Seaside, Grayton, Blue Mountain, and points west.

The Earthlink DSL is actually what you get with Sprint phone service. Don't they offer DSL in Pt. Wash?

[Smiling JOe]

Add to the list:

Shades at the Loop (east end of 30A)
Beach Java (Seagrove) - not sure of this but I did see someone sipping with their laptop open about a week ago

Come on folks, chime in. There have to be some public wireless points in Seaside, Grayton, Blue Mountain, and points west.

The Earthlink DSL is actually what you get with Sprint phone service. Don't they offer DSL in Pt. Wash?

Somewhere, there are a few threads already posted with wi-fi locations. Yes, Beach Java has Wi-Fi, as well as Miss Lucille's Gossip Parlor in Gulf Trace. The Library also has internet available.
Sprint (Earthlink DSL) should be available in your hood ShallowsNole.

[Miss Kitty]

SJ Lives!

[Nomad]

Thank you all. You have given us many helpful suggestions for a dial-up ISP. Think we will go with NetZero.
Thanks again!

[ShallowsNole]

Last time I checked, which was last week, Sprint said no.

I am on a list for them to notify if it becomes available. Hopefully there is actually such a list.