# Best ISP **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778 "2006-02-10T00:38:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/1 "2006-02-10T00:38:43Z")
Okay I get it now. AOL SUCKS. After eleven years I just can’t take it anymore. I’ve heard how awful AOL is but for years I defended them. No more. I want out. Please, share with me what you think is the best ISP and why. I’m interested in one that will allow me to pay by checking account or phone bill since I avoid credit cards if at all possible. This is the only reason I’ve stayed with AOL so long anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/2 "2006-02-10T00:44:24Z")
Dial-up or broadband? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/3 "2006-02-10T00:53:10Z")
Head over to [www.dslreports.com](http://www.dslreports.com) to see what your neighbors think of whatever ISPs are in your area. They have a finder tool where you enter the front half of your phone number, and it’ll report how far you are from the phone co to help gauge how fast a line you can get, and who’s providing service to that area. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/4 "2006-02-10T02:21:32Z")
Ah shoot, I should have mentioned I use dial-up, but I guess I could try DSL if it’s not too complicated or expensive. I’m really not very computer literate, which is why I’ve always stuck with AOL. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/5 "2006-02-10T08:22:04Z")
Who’s your phone company? Many of them offer DSL service to their existing phone customers and they can usually put everything on one bill so you just pay for your Internet charges along with your phone bill. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/6 "2006-02-10T08:27:51Z")
Just get broadband access if you possibly can. You’ll kick yourself for every day you went without. If my mom and my 84 year old aunt can do it, you can. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/7 "2006-02-10T16:44:14Z")
Do you pay for a second phone line at your home so you can have AOL w/o usurping the phone line? If you do, definitely do broadband. Usually broadband costs the same as or less than dialup ISP + extra phone line. If it were me I’d do broadband anyway. You won’t regret it. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/8 "2006-02-10T17:18:56Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Who’s your phone company? Many of them offer DSL service to their existing phone customers and they can usually put everything on one bill so you just pay for your Internet charges along with your phone bill. I had Bellsouth dial-up for two months, one of which was free. It was so slow it was completely useless. I suppose I’ll have to get with the in-crowd and try their DSL. I’m such a cheapskate, but it’s really not much more expensive than AOL’s dial-up, especially after I pay that extra five bucks for them to charge my checking account. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/9 "2006-02-10T18:48:28Z")
We use AT&T - in fact we got in so early that our email account name is our last name - no numbers or anything (and it is a common name.) Never any problems. When we switched to DSL we stayed with them to preserve the account name. But for you I agree that you should go with DSL. It doesn’t have to be from the phone company if you can find a cheaper alternative. And it is easy - my 90 year old father in law was able to hook it up. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-isp/343778/10 "2006-02-10T20:37:09Z")
Ours is Comcast - the cable TV provider. We’re happy with it, and we got a discount on our TV cable service, and they just bill us monthly - no credit card needed.