Need input regarding ISP options

[Epincus]

Okay, I'm in a bit of an interesting situation. My girlfriend's sister has tasked me with finding a solution to her ISP issues, and due to my lack of overall knowledge here, and the fact you guys have tons of people here who 'really' know this stuff, maybe you guys can come up with a solution.

Don't ask how I ended up tasked with this instead of someone else. I'm supplying tech support to my girlfriend's family as well, we'll say.

So my girlfriend's sister has had her cable internet for about a year, and because she's reaching that point in the contract she's faced with her cable company going to 'remove' their promotional rate, effectively doubling the price of her internet. While she doesn't use it that often, she needs it for applications such as email and storage. Her budget currently makes it difficult for her to justify the jump in price, making her seek other options instead.

DSL is not available where she lives.

Satellite Internet was far too excessively priced for her to consider.

She laughed when I suggested dialup.

No wi-fi connections are available in her area.

Those were the extent of my ideas. She's looking for a service stronger than Dial-up (read: just about anything), but cheap enough she can justify it. Should I go back to her and tell her to dish out for the higher cost cable service? Tell her (again) to go with dialup? Or is there something new out there I haven't heard about? Any input is appreciated, thanks to everyone here in advance for any advice you can offer.

[Exoduso]

If it's cable, don't do Charter.

That is all.

[Epincus]

Cable service = Optimum Online

Northeastern US

[Gulkeeva]

Check to see if anywhere remotely close can do IDSL, or check with some places that do ISDN lines... O_o

or have her move in with you and share the internets!

[Killgannon]

Check to see if anywhere remotely close can do IDSL, or check with some places that do ISDN lines... O_o

thats gonna be more than cable>.>;

question: how often is not too often? and does she have a laptop or a desktop pc? because lets say she only needs to use the net once a day... and has a laptop (ideal>.>) she can goto your local *insert coffee place or panera bread* and use their free wifi connection... ALSO, does she have a neighbor close that might need internet? because you can probably share a wireless connection between 2 houses if they're not too far apart... so maybe if one of her neighbors is willing she can split costs with them on internet...

[Gulkeeva]

Check to see if anywhere remotely close can do IDSL, or check with some places that do ISDN lines... O_o

thats gonna be more than cable>.>;

Depends on area! sometimes its cheaper

[Epincus]

Check to see if anywhere remotely close can do IDSL, or check with some places that do ISDN lines... O_o

thats gonna be more than cable>.>;

Yeah, I know the restrictions I put in place make it a very difficult scenario to find an answer for, but the input so far is appreciated.

Edit: Checked IDSL in my area, the cost is considerably higher than cable. :< Nice try though, didn't think of that.

Edit#2 - Very nice website, Gulk, lol

[Ridri]

Looking over Optimum online's website it doesn't seem like they offer any tiered speed packages for their service. I'm not sure if it's a regional thing, but many of the cable ISP's in the Southeastern US offer a lower speed service (~70kb/s max d/l speed) for ~$25/mo. You might be able to call and talk to your ISP's office and see if they offer something of this nature but it's not advertised on thier website.

From the sounds of it though, she'll either have to pay the premium price or suck it up and go back to dial-up.

[Zigma]

optonline is the fasterst ISP out there. their $49.99 gives you 15mb/down 2mb/up and for 10 dollars more you get 30mb/down 5mb/up

There is no real cheap $9.99 solution out there. As a matter of fact, broadband now is at an all time now.


To sum it up, If she wants to continue to surf myspace at broadband like speeds and only wants to pay 5-10 bux, then I recommend she takes her ass to the Public library.

Tell her to get real and stop being cheap when it comes to "Already cheap" broadband. There are other alternatives that offer 29.99/39.99 but you can only get 2 picks from the 3. Fast, Cheap, Good. Not to mention a good deal of them will make you have to buy the modem which is going to run you a few dollars.

If you want fast and cheap, It's not going to be good
If you want good and cheap, It's not going to be fast
If you want fast and good, It's not going to be cheap

[Epincus]

There is no real cheap $9.99 solution out there. As a matter of fact, broadband now is at an all time low.

I had a feeling this was the case, and she just asked me to check around for other options if there were any. I'll tell her to stick with the Optimum. Thanks again for the help again guys, a mod can lock this thread now.