# Motherfucking AOL!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 14, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242 "2000-08-14T02:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/21 "2000-08-15T04:32:48Z")
Erm, that should be “should NOT have to pay” –Tim ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/22 "2000-08-15T05:22:41Z")
Ethernet. That’s all I have to say. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/23 "2000-08-15T12:09:46Z")
I’ve resisted getting cable and the phone company’s Road Runner because I thought you had to bring an ISP in addition to this? And I just can’t commit $20 for an ISP per month PLUS $35 for a high-speed connection. Is this not the case? ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/24 "2000-08-15T18:31:53Z")
Road Runner is provided by your **cable** company, Time Warner. xDSL is provided by your phone company. Both are also the providers of your internet service. Go for it. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![eggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@eggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eggo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/25 "2000-08-15T22:41:33Z")
you can do what I do at my mom’s house, have this ( aol://1722:quickmenu ) running in the background while you are doing anything that aol might consider “idle”. the link refreshes every 15 sec or so, no more idle kicks. works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/26 "2000-08-16T05:23:41Z")
Not necissarily(sp) Homer. My ADSL is provided by [Tycho.net](http://Tycho.net) (Now [DSL.net](http://DSL.net)), which is my ISP. I still have to have the phone co. come out and install the line splitter (Band Gap filter), but I receive no bills from PacBell. And my service is much better than PacBell subscribers since my ISP has a contract with them that requires service, unlike their own xDSL clients. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/27 "2000-08-17T04:26:57Z")
Narile, you’re absolutely correct (damn it’s hard to type with a broken hand), it’s not necessarily from your phone company, Pheonix Net is another xDSL company, but for most people, they’d get it from their local phone company, so while it’s technically incorrect, realistically it’s pretty much on target. 😛 –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2000, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242/28 "2000-08-17T04:43:23Z")
All I can say is check out [DSLreports.com](http://DSLreports.com). They’ve got it straight. On my machine, I am sad to admit I have cable. But, on the bright side, I got away without a network card. It’s being plugged in via my USB port. In essence, if you need the speed, go DSL. Ask for a service level agreement. (trust me on this) Prices should begin to decrease as line sharing initiatives start to take hold in the near future. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motherfucking-aol/29242.md?page=1)