Alternatives to DSL, Cable and Satellite?

[Numenorean]

PDAnet is free. Your wife threw away $9

Unless you need to access HTTPS sites, then it isn't. At least wasn't last I looked.

 

[TwiceOver]

Have you looked around for a local WISP? There's two in our area and an independant WiMax carrier. If you are within 20 miles of town you can get broadband.

 

[bobdole369]

I'm in PA too & have the same problem. I was actually informed the other day by one of my neighbors that that called about getting satellite(not sure which company) & were told our area is too saturated & they aren't allowing any more in the area

I giggle profusely at this.

Without cable, or DSL, you are stuck using dialup or satellite. You could always look into ISDN (which should theoretically be available everywhere), or a T-1 (usually about $350-$500/month) or a bonded pair of T lines.
Even in areas where DSL isn't available, iDSL might be available without having to pay the typical metered rates of ISDN.

 

[GeekDrew]

Are there any cell phone data plans that don't have usage caps that are even worse than sat services?

Not that I'm aware of. Most of the people I know got plans with AT&T when they could get 5GB caps, and most of those never approach 5GB unless they're watching stuff like youtube frequently. It's just a difference in fact that you can't do things like game and watch streaming movies across connections like that. And for what it's worth, even though the caps may be lower on cell plans right now (I haven't looked at satellite for a year or two), there isn't a "recovery" time on cell, and last I checked, there was on satellite. You just pay the overage, and keep going. I use my phone/PDA *frequently* for tethering. I'm on an AT&T plan capped at 4GB. I've never hit that limit, but if I do, it's $10/GB overage. Not going to bankrupt me, and I'm more than willing to pay that price to have internet access at my fingertips, nearly 100% of the time.

 

[Spacehead]

I'm in PA too & have the same problem. I was actually informed the other day by one of my neighbors that that called about getting satellite(not sure which company) & were told our area is too saturated & they aren't allowing any more in the area

I giggle profusely at this.

Without cable, or DSL, you are stuck using dialup or satellite. You could always look into ISDN (which should theoretically be available everywhere), or a T-1 (usually about $350-$500/month) or a bonded pair of T lines.
Even in areas where DSL isn't available, iDSL might be available without having to pay the typical metered rates of ISDN.

Verizon is my land line phone provider. I've asked 2 or 3 times over the last several years & i've always been told they can't even provide me with dial-up service here. So i'm going to assume those other things you mentioned are out of the question.

 

[Soundmanred]

Hellz yeah, boyee. As soon as I'm done selling off the 50 keys from my Colombian contact I'll go ahead and do that.

Are they keys for Duke Nukem Forever? And why does a Colombian have them? It is Arcadio?

 

[Tsaico]

Verizon is my land line phone provider. I've asked 2 or 3 times over the last several years & i've always been told they can't even provide me with dial-up service here. So i'm going to assume those other things you mentioned are out of the question.

Jeezus, where the heck are you that you can't even get dial up? I thought I had it bad with not being able to get fios...

I would move, I honestly do not think I could handle life without my internetz...

The other option you might be able to get is some sort of deal with a near by place wiht clear line of sight and set up broadband there, use wireless bridge to send to you. I had two offices connected like that, so we didn't have ot do another data lines and voice, could use same voip pbx box, etc. The antennas were like $800 a piece as I recall. I had them in use for 6 years before I left and they were rock solid. Occasionally a tree woudl grow in between and we had to cut it down...

 

[TheVrolok]

I'm in PA too & have the same problem. I was actually informed the other day by one of my neighbors that that called about getting satellite(not sure which company) & were told our area is too saturated & they aren't allowing any more in the area

The electric co-op i belong to looked into broadband over power lines but dropped that saying there are too many other options out there for people.

I tried wireless but i'm too far away from the nearest tower to get a consistent, decent signal. Plus they wanted $60/month.

But hey, all should be good within 4 years
http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-01-2004/0002555963&EDATE

My parent's house is in PA and DSL became available there about 11 years ago; it wasn't until about 3 years ago that two-way cable Internet was available. Here's the kicker, it's only available at my parents' house because they live on a corner where a main cable hub (or some sort, I don't know anything about the physical distribution of cable) sits a few feet off their property. A good friend of mine lives 3 houses down the street and can't get cable Internet.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Wireless? Tethering from phone?

 

[OUCaptain]

Donkeys and SD cards.

 

[adairusmc]

See if there is a local WISP offering service in your area.

 

[Spacehead]

Jeezus, where the heck are you that you can't even get dial up? I thought I had it bad with not being able to get fios...

I have dial-up here at home, it's just that it seems odd that my phone provider claims they can't provide dial-up to me.

 

[GeekDrew]

I have dial-up here at home, it's just that it seems odd that my phone provider claims they can't provide dial-up to me.

Does your phone provider provide dial-up to *anyone*? Perhaps it's a limitation that they don't do that kind of thing, rather than that you can't use dial-up. Almost anyone with a phone line can use dial-up... just at varying speed, depending on line quality.

 

[bobdole369]

So i'm going to assume those other things you mentioned are out of the question.

Don't assume. You can literally get ISDN anywhere a phone line goes and more. Radio stations use them as remotes, they get drops off the pole in parking lots.

As for dialup - Verizon may not provide dialup service, but as long as you have an analog line, you can dial anybody with a modem, so just need someone with a local phone number as POP. Don't you remember doing this?

Look to the nationals, like earthlink. A quick googling shows copper.net and basicisp.net as places to look for a dialup account.

 

[PingSpike]

I believe the only requirement for dialup is that you be able to call a phone number with a modem attached to an ISP on the other end over your analog phone line. Barring major line quality issues, anyone with an analog phone line should be able to get dialog. Verizon may not be that ISP, but you should be able to call one!

ISDN is a bitch to get because everyone you call acts like they've never heard of it before...even though they're the fucking phone company. I called verizon about it and when I finally got transferred to some one who knew about it they acted like a huge dick to me the whole time I was asking them questions. I think they don't want to sell it to you because its a pain in the ass. You might also have to pay for removing some equipment and the installation of a repeater I gather.