# AOL down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 1999, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113 "1999-10-21T02:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/1 "1999-10-21T02:52:00Z")
For the last two and a half days I’ve been unable to access anything through AOL. It’ll let me sign on, but it can’t access any site. I’ve been getting website found, transferring 1%, 2%, 3%…until it craps out about 27-38% and says the server returned an unrecognized response. I wouldn’t be here at all if I didn’t have a secondary ISP that I finally remembered tonight. I switched access numbers, so I don’t think it’s that (BTW, Gee, this alternate ISP sure is fast!). ? ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/2 "1999-10-21T03:20:00Z")
I don’t understand the question mark in the subject header… * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/3 "1999-10-21T03:22:00Z")
Must be a local thing. I’ve been accessing regularly via AOL the last couple of days. ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/4 "1999-10-21T04:17:00Z")
I get this regularly w/ AOL. Usually a restart fixes it, sometimes takes twice. ---
**Author:** ![ravenous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@ravenous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravenous)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/5 "1999-10-21T04:25:00Z")
You can restart AOL? Wow. That’s power. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/6 "1999-10-21T06:23:00Z")
I wish!! I’d make it an ISP instead of the clusterf-, uh, _interesting service_ it is now. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/7 "1999-10-21T07:22:00Z")
I have never understood why people use AOL. I guess they deserve what they get. You can get at least what AOL gives you with one of the _free_ Internet-access providers – all for nothing. Try Freei at: [http://go.freei.net/www/](http://go.freei.net/www/) Ray ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/8 "1999-10-21T07:31:00Z")
I use AOL because there are no (affordable) alternatives here. Maybe I’ll try Freei, but netzero crashed every time I tried to set it up. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/9 "1999-10-21T15:59:00Z")
Those of you who are using business accounts can afford to laugh, but for some of us poor country folks, it’s AOL or Big Fred’s Bar & Grill & Online Service. I’ve tried some of the other ISP’s available in my area and I’ve gone back to AOL to get better service. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-down/4113/10 "1999-10-21T16:39:00Z")
Baww Haaaa Haaaa Hawwww! * * * “The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - _Humphrey Bogart_