We rely upon the Internet for a great many things: communication, information, shopping, financial transactions and many things that touch other facets of our lives. Most ways of accessing the Internet--such as DSL or satellite dish--can cost from $20 to $80 a month. Therefore, some might opt for a no-cost solution such as free dial-up Internet service. For purposes of this article, we will cover how to create a free dial-up connection using a computer that has Microsoft's Windows XP operating system.
Step 1
Power up your PC and install the software from the Internet Service Provider (ISP). You can obtain this software by downloading it from another computer to removable media (such as a writable CD, floppy disk or flash drive), ordering a CD from the ISP or obtaining a free software CD from an office supply store such as Office Depot.
If you have a CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive. Open Windows Explorer, double-click the CD drive name (such as "D:", for a computer with a single CD-ROM) and double-click the setup file icon. The file which is to be run will have a name such as "Setup.exe" or "JunoSetup.exe." This will open the program setup wizard.
Step 2
When prompted by the program setup wizard, enter the location on the hard disk in which the program will be installed, such as in "C:\Program Files," and click "Next." After the program setup wizard installs the files needed to run the dial-up application, the setup software will prompt you to select a username and password. These are the credentials that identify you to the dial-up network server.
When choosing your username and password, make sure to choose something you will remember easily, or write this information down and keep it in a secure location (such as a locked desk drawer).
Step 3
The dial-up application will automatically contact the dial-up network and will give you a list of dial-up access numbers. These are telephone numbers that your modem will use to connect to the dial-up network. Select an access number that would be a local call from your area to the dial-up network. (This step saves the dial-up access number as your preferred means of connecting to the dial-up network.) Click "Finish" to exit the setup wizard.
Step 4
To connect to the dial-up server, click "Start," select "Programs" and choose the ISP's dial-up application (such as "NetZero Free Dial-Up"). Enter your username and password and then click "Connect."
Tips
- Several ISPs offer free dial-up accounts. A partial list can be found at http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Internet_Access (see Reference 1).
Warnings
- Revenue for the free dial-up service is generated by advertisements served to free dial-up connections. Paid dial-up service typically does not have these advertisements served to their connections.
- Free dial-up service has a limit of how many hours a month it can be used. For example, both NetZero and Juno allow for 10 hours of use a month for their free accounts.
- Several ISPs have a toll-free access number available to their paid accounts. Often, this number cannot be used by a free account if there is not a local access number available in your area.
