More Dial-Up AccessTips

More ways to save time when you're forced to take the slow road to the Web.

James A. Martin

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Feature: Dial-Up Follow-Up

Dial-up Internet access is like VHS tape, LPs, and cell phones without cameras. They're all outdated technology that many people still use daily--and willingly.

I offer this deeply profound pearl of wisdom based on the flood of e-mail I received in response to "The Lowdown on Dial-Up." Dozens of readers described their frequent reliance on dial-up Internet access. Even better, they offered helpful tips on getting the best performance from a dial-up connection.

Tweak Microsoft Internet Explorer Settings

By making you download Flash animations and other multimedia files, Web pages can slow down your browsing. If it's speed you crave above all else, block Internet Explorer's ability to download multimedia content, advises Joe Zapert of Los Angeles.

Choose Tools, Internet Options, and select the Advanced tab. Scroll down to Multimedia. De-select "Play animations in web pages," "Play sounds in web pages," and "Play videos in web pages." You could even de-select "Show pictures," but given the graphical nature of the Web, that may be self-defeating.

Joe also suggests increasing the space that IE sets aside for temporary Internet files, which reduces the number of pages you need to re-download if you visit them again. Go to Tools, Internet Options. On the General tab, under Temporary Internet Files, click Settings. Drag the slider bar under "Amount of disk space to use" to increase the cache size. Click OK. Don't go crazy, however--it's possible to devote too much disk space to your cache. I suggest giving it a couple of megabytes.

Use Web Mail

Most Internet service providers offer a way to check e-mail via the ISP's Web site. Using this option is a good alternative to downloading e-mail to your notebook, writes Bob Osgood of Covina, California. When you check messages using the ISP's Web site, you can delete spam or unnecessary e-mail and check for messages with large attachments without having to download them first.

Use Your Cell Phone

You may be able to avoid using a dial-up modem altogether. Cell phones can often be used as wireless modems, connecting notebooks or PDAs to the Internet via a cable or Bluetooth connection between a mobile phone and a laptop or handheld.

Kevin McCluskey of Melfa, Virginia, connects his notebook to the Internet using an LG VX6100 cell phone, the Verizon Mobile Office Kit (which includes a connection cable and software), and his Verizon NationalAccess 1000-minute calling plan. Kevin says the connection is "easy and faster than dial-up but slower than DSL." Best of all, this access doesn't add to his cell-phone bill--Kevin connects to the Internet using the minutes included in his plan. There's no requirement or charge for a data plan on top of the calling plan, and Kevin doesn't have to pay a monthly fee to an ISP.

The LG VX6100 phone currently costs $80 with a two-year Verizon contract. For more information about the $40 Mobile Office Kit, go to Verizon's Web site.

Watch That Plug

And now for a dial-up "don't," courtesy of Brian Patterson of Pittsburgh.

Many hotels today still don't offer in-room broadband Internet access. In those situations, you need to plug your notebook into a phone jack for dial-up access. But don't unplug the hotel phone from the RJ-11 jack on the wall and insert your modem cable in its place, Brian advises. Why? Because many hotel phone systems are digital; dial-up modems are analog, and you can end up frying your modem. Instead, plug into the data port on the hotel phone.

Speed Up Your Connection

Rich Widman of Brookings, South Dakota, recommends NCT's Artera Turbo, a software/service that can accelerate the speed of Web site browsing, file transfers, and e-mail downloads. Artera Turbo also provides ad blocking, a security firewall, parental controls, and other features. It costs $6 per month for residential and single-user business customers; other business plans are available. I've not tested Artera Turbo. But you can try it free for two weeks, so I'd suggest giving it a try.

Get Free Access

Only have an occasional need for dial-up and your ISP doesn't include dial-up access in your broadband service? No problem--just get a free dial-up account from Juno, advises Floyd Pittman of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. You get 10 hours of free e-mail and dial-up access per month, with up to 2GB of storage. "And it remains active even if you go for months without using it," Floyd writes. (NetZero offers a similar service.)

Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Internet Access Gadget: Making Dial-Up Wireless

There's no reason a dial-up devotee can't have a wireless network, too. That's the idea behind Always On Wireless's WiFlyer, a portable router that turns a dial-up (or broadband) connection into a wireless one, according to the company. The gadget also provides a long list of access numbers to make dial-up connections easier. PC World recommended it in its 2004 holiday guide.

The WiFlyer is $140 at Amazon.com.

Wireless News: Concern About In-Flight Cell Phone Use

Three U.S. government agencies have raised safety concerns about the use of cell phones in-flight. The agencies, including the Department of Justice, worry that wireless handset use on flights could allow terrorists to more easily coordinate efforts with colleagues on the ground. Plus, terrorists could use wireless phones to remotely set off bombs on airplanes.

The Department of Justice has not asked the Federal Communications Commission to block use of cell phones in-flight, however. Instead, it recommended safety mechanisms to boost security, including wiretaps.

Wireless News: VoIP at Boingo Hotspots

Speaking of phone chatter in public places: Now you can use your Skype Voice over IP service at Boingo Wireless hotspots.

In a joint agreement between the two companies, Skype Internet telephony customers can use their wireless Windows notebooks (with headsets) to make and receive phone calls using a Boingo wireless network as their Internet connection. The $8 monthly service, Skype Zones, is currently in beta.

Wireless Review: Field-Testing a Wi-Fi Phone

PC World VoIP expert Aoife McEvoy recently put Net2Phone's VoiceLine XJ100 Wi-Fi Handset ($175) to the test. Her goal: To find out if using a Wi-Fi phone is cool--or convoluted. Her verdict: The phone isn't likely to be useful for frequent travelers, especially those who make lots of international calls on the road.

Notebook Review: Acer TravelMate 8100 Top Desktop Replacement

Acer's TravelMate 8100 is an improvement over its predecessor, the TravelMate 8000 (though battery life is shorter) and was recently the number-one desktop replacement in our Top 15 Notebooks chart. The new notebook is sleek, powerful, nicely equipped, and goes for a good price ($2299). One noteworthy feature: The ergonomic keyboard curves 5 degrees up on the ends, so you'll position your elbows in a way that helps prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. However, PC World reviewer Carla Thornton says the keyboard is "an acquired taste."

PDA News: PalmOne Is Palm Again

Ah, the good old days, when PalmOne used to be known simply as Palm. What, you say, these are the good old days? PalmOne has reverted to its original name, Palm. Terrific; I'll make a note of it on my Palm Pilot. Whoops, I mean "Palm PDA."

Suggestion Box

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.