Maybe not. I've had nothing but "<$10/mo dial-up" for 5 years, and with a backup, there has never been a time when I was unable to connect. That said, it's wise to use one (or two) who have been in business a few years rather than the cheapest/newest. I'm sure there at least a dozen reliable "cheap" ISPs.
for backups dial up is a good way to go, I have Earthlink, no complaints. You want your dial up to be reliable, cheap usually isn't.
Puhleez, as if the ones that charge $20 a month for the same thing are any different. They're all the same, it's dialup for chrissakes. As long as you don't buy service from some company that lured you with spam you'll be fine. --opm8
From a previous post, my take on NetNothing: "I don't have any experience with Compuserve, but I do with NetZilch - they bite the big red candle stick. Signed up with their "Platinum" service for $9.95, 11/2001. Results? Disconnects after relatively short inactivity; A PAY-for support plan, per call; forced "home" page with ads; downloaded software. Just about 2 months later, when I was going to cancel the year's subscription prematurely and get a refund, I received a letter that stated they were discontinuing my service due to my usage time!! I was on for maybe 3-4 hours/day and frequented NetMeeting discussions on occasion. They stated I was too expensive for them as a customer! I never felt happier saying goodbye to a service provider. "
>> I agree. My take on them, as posted in another thread: << "I've been using Fry's ISP service for 1 1/2 years. Very reliable. Some features: (copied/pasted from http://www.frys.com) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >Unlimited access online. >Support for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux systems. >Free live 24/7 customer support! >Free email with up to 10 mailboxes. >Free Fry's Webmail web based email >No annoying ISP-generated timeouts or disconnections. >Local access numbers for all of California and now arriving in Texas metro areas, all supporting v.90. >Fast, confidential, and after your first 3 FREE months, value priced at only $9.88 per month! Sign up on our secure server. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I used them exclusively for the first 1/2 year until I got cable. Now I use them as a back up. Only bummer, California and Texas service only at this time. (Texas supports v.92!). There's no usage limitation and they never bump you off for inactivity. " >> Then, a month later, I posted: << "Now in 18 more states (Refer to my previous post) Fry's ISP just expanded to 18 more states. See their website for details. http://www.frys.com " So, IMO, forget NetNuthing, Juno (same as NetZip), Earthlink, MSN, AOL. Get a backup ISP that is less than $10/mo., won't disconnect you, won't limit your use, and doesn't charge you for tech support. For these reasons, I chose and stayed with Fry's.
What is the difference between v.90 and v.92? Looked at the site posted earlier by monkey (http://www.ixpres.com./) and it looks good. They do have v.92 available in California (at least in the L.A. area where I checked. Anyone have some basis of comparison between Internet Express and Fry's?