ISP advice on options

[tbacon_nz]

I am trying to help a very computernewbie- friend choose an ISP. I have been signed up with IHUG for years, so I am not very familiar with the alternatives. What it seems to me she needs is:

Very good help. (I can help her with initial installation, but after that...)

Her usage is likely to be email, plus limited surfing, mainly on medical sites for help with her medical problems.

She has a son who is into X-files, so is likely to be downloading stuff of that nature.

My limited research makes me think that the usual dial-up choices (ADSL is not an option) revolve around time, rather than volume - is this generally the case?

$25/month seems to me about average, for a reasonably generous time allocation.

The $64,000 question - is there anyone who offers a way of allocating connect time between users, so she can keep track of how much time her son is using, so she can get a contribution from him if her limit is exceeded?

I guess it is clear from the above that money is very definitely an issue here.

TIA

[Jen C]

I have found that Actrix is very good. I get through nearly straight away when calling the help desk, and rarely have problems dialing up to connect.

Their home page is here

For 100 hours per month it is $19.95 and $0.75 per hour over that limit. You can have up to 5 email address and are allowed 5 megs for webspace.

They also produce a monthly newsletter which has helpful hints and interesting websites.

For monitoring internet usage, Actrix can break down the surfing into "sessions" by time spent per connection, but does not give the actual time the session started and ended.

Hope this is helpful

Jen

[Lohsing]

I pay Xtra $24.95 for all you can eat type connection (56k dialup) ...

0800 BUY XTRA

Never had a problem, and leave my computer connected all day.

Lo.

[thelaw]

hi

clear net has a user system with there flat rate i think.

they also have a plan Home 150 , 150 hours for $14.95.

but try netguide.co.nz there use to be a ISP run down there...

[Chris Wilson]

I think paradise dial up got over its growth spurt problems... and the members section of the web site tells you exactly how much time you have spent online at any given billing period.

www.paradise.net.nz

[Jim B]

Jen C When you bring up your usage by the Members Account login it shows your total usage for the month and the total time for each day.
If you click on View beside the date you can get the Call Start and Call end times for every login for that day.

[Mike]

Tony,

I'm with Clear.Net, and although I can't split between accounts to see who's used what, I do know that their bulk rates you can do this. You can set up a bulk rate for the whole account (5 email addresses, therefore 5 logins) and so you get a total amount of hours you can use for the month, and each login can use it, and on the bill it shows how much each login has used and I think also the $ value of use (I'm not too sure on that bit though). However I'm not too sure how big their bulk rates go to - my dad is on Bulk600 which is 10 hours a month (which he doesn't even come close to using).

HTH

Mike.

[|llus|oN]

For $25 per month on a dialup connection you should get a true "all you can eat" (flat rate) account, therefore no need to watch the allocation for contributions. Be aware that SOME isp's however seem to think that this means a limit of 200 hours per month and therefore are not really offering what they say they are. If you can do the initial connection and show your friend how to use her email and browser with search engines she should need no help from the isp's help desk. The isp I use is world-net.co.nz (true flat rate for $25 per month) and I find they give really great value for money connectivity and band width wise, however you had better speak korean if you need the helpdesk but she can always ring you cant she.

Just be sure to get her 'firewalled' (I find zonealarm to be good) and set up with a good antivirus program, AVG (and be sure she updates the definition files regularly).

[Baldy]

> I pay Xtra $24.95 for all you can eat type connection
> (56k dialup) ...
>
> 0800 BUY XTRA
>
> Never had a problem, and leave my computer connected
> all day.
>
> Lo.

I thought Xtra was $27.95 flat rate?

[Greg S]

Hi. I suggest Xtra, $27.95 per month unlimited use - great thing is they offer a money-back guarantee if you're dissatisfied. Used them for years - even worked for them for a couple, and never had a problem that wasn't resolved.