Fast Access, No Broadband

Kick dial-up connections into high gear.

Brad Grimes

Brad Grimes is a former PC World executive editor.

Not everyone needs broadband; not everyone wants broadband. A dial-up connection suits many people just fine. That's why dial-up Internet service providers are trying to sell people on broadband-type features using regular old modems.

Part of EarthLink's TotalAccess 2004 Internet software is something called EarthLink Accelerator, which is free to anyone with a $22 unlimited access plan. EarthLink says it allows you to surf the Web up to five times faster than ordinary dial-up ("actual results may vary"). Meanwhile, discount ISP NetZero has something called NetZero HiSpeed that promises the same kick in the pants for $15 a month.

Both services, and many more like them, use a combination of compression and caching (keeping frequently used data on your hard drive) to make Web pages load more quickly. It doesn't mean that information flies across your phone line any faster. You won't download e-mail quicker, and you certainly won't burn CDs from Apple ITunes any faster.

But these accelerators definitely work at what they do. The more you visit a Web site, the faster it loads because your browser only retrieves information that is new since you last visited. And you can set the software to maximize image compression, although the quality suffers if you do. You can restore images to their natural resolution, but it means waiting for the rest of the picture to download.

How fast are we talking here? Not necessarily five times faster, but I've found that if a Web page loads in about a minute, these accelerators can cut that time in half.

Don't Tie up the Phone Line

Now that you've got a little speed boost, there's a way to achieve that other nirvana of broadband Internet service: never missing an incoming phone call. Gradually, ISPs are beginning to support the International Telecommunications Union's V.92 specification, which includes a feature called Modem on Hold. When you upgrade your modem with a driver download, or buy a V.92 modem, and connect to an ISP that supports V.92, the new feature lets you answer incoming calls without disconnecting from the Internet. You can even make a call and stay connected.

That's not all. V.92 modems get you online faster because they negotiate server connections faster. All that screeching and scratching you hear when you dial in to an ISP can be cut by half.

Finally, V.92 modems send information more quickly, which means you don't have to wait as long for outgoing e-mail to leave your computer.

Let's face it, broadband doesn't reach every corner of the world--or even every corner of the tech-savvy U.S. That means dial-up Internet connections aren't going away any time soon. But there's no reason that dial-up users can't get a little taste of the broadband life.