From: usenet@phreaknet.org   
      
   On 8/19/2025 5:15 PM, InterLinked wrote:   
   > On 8/19/2025 8:21 AM, Nyssa wrote:   
   >> InterLinked wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 8/16/2025 8:49 AM, Nyssa wrote:   
   >>>> InterLinked wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> On 8/15/2025 8:54 AM, Nyssa wrote:   
   >>>>>> InterLinked wrote:   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> On 8/14/2025 8:19 AM, Nyssa wrote:   
   >>>>>>>> SH wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> On 12/08/2025 13:08, Nyssa wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>> Rich wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> In comp.misc, Lawrence D'Oliveiro   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> Further to that, 34 years ago puts their start   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> in 1991, before CD-ROM drives became popular in   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> PCs. I think they were giving out floppy disks   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> for those first few years.   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> Anybody remember seeing an AOL floppy?   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> Definitely. Better than CDs because you could   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> just wipe and reuse them.   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1395721   
   >>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> Which I did for many an AOL 3.5" floppy.  Not for   
   >>>>>>>>>>> anything valuable, but for a "copy file X from   
   >>>>>>>>>>> computer Y to computer Z" use they worked just   
   >>>>>>>>>>> fine.   
   >>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> The CDROM's were only useful to either join AOL   
   >>>>>>>>>>> (which was never going to happen) or to make   
   >>>>>>>>>>> garden scarecrows.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> I made coasters with them.   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> Nyssa, who believe it or not is still on dialup   
   >>>>>>>>>> (not AOL) and has been for almost 40 years (not the   
   >>>>>>>>>> same ISPs)   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> given the fastest dial up modems are 56 kilobits, it   
   >>>>>>>>> must feel really slow viewing websites that rely on   
   >>>>>>>>> broadband to fling audio or video or   
   >>>>>>>>> Java/SHockwave/Flash at you?   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> And downloading software must have taken days?   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> Plus my local (rural) phone lines are crap. I get   
   >>>>>>>> ~43Kbps on average. It was better when I lived in the   
   >>>>>>>> Big City.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> If I may ask, which ISP are you using?   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> I've been doing some testing with several ISPs lately,   
   >>>>>>> all of whom seem to resell GlobalPOPs these days   
   >>>>>>> (including AOL it seems). The top speed I've gotten is   
   >>>>>>> 36000 a handful of times, and usually I get 31.2 or   
   >>>>>>> 33.6 - very difficult to get a V.90 connection   
   >>>>>>> anymore. They seem to have done some kind of   
   >>>>>>> concentration where they've cheaped out on their phone   
   >>>>>>> lines, doesn't seem to be real T1s anymore.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> There weren't many to choose from, and probably even   
   >>>>>> fewer now.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> I'm using one called Dialup4Less based somewhere out in   
   >>>>>> the Pactific Northwest. The price has doubled since I   
   >>>>>> signed up, but still a MUCH better value for me than   
   >>>>>> anything else offered around these parts.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> I tried a local access number in my area, and connected   
   >>>>> at 31.2. And sure enough, it appears to be resold   
   >>>>> GlobalPOPs. It doesn't look like Dialup4Less has their   
   >>>>> own dial-up infrastructure.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Do you mind sharing the specific access number you are   
   >>>>> using, and what speeds you usually connect at? I wonder   
   >>>>> whether all of their access numbers are deficient, or   
   >>>>> just some of them.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> You can find a list of POPs on their website. I'm in the   
   >>>> 804 area code, if that helps.   
   >>>   
   >>> I pulled the list of access numbers from the site and   
   >>> pulled out all the ones in the 804 area code. There seem   
   >>> to be only five of them, and none of the numbers even   
   >>> works anymore (a lot of access number lists seem to   
   >>> include a fair number of stale numbers). Could you also   
   >>> share the prefix of the working number that you use?   
   >>   
   >> Here are the exchanges I've got in my dialup list   
   >> for kppp:   
   >>   
   >> 926   
   >> 451   
   >> 991   
   >> 518   
   >> 415   
   >>   
   >> I usually use the 991 ones since those are closest   
   >> to me.   
   >>   
   >> HTH.   
   >   
   > Yes, although not in the way I was expecting... on their website[1],   
   > there are no numbers in any of these exchanges listed, with the   
   > exception of the last one - two numbers, 415-4055 and 415-4008. I   
   > wouldn't be surprised if those weren't the numbers in your list either.   
   >   
   > It seems the access numbers you are using are "delisted" for whatever   
   > reason.   
      
   I just spoke with someone at Dialup4Less. He said all the numbers listed   
   on the website were the ones they have, and they only resell GlobalPOPs.   
   No idea if that's true, he wasn't really all that helpful. But I don't   
   think there's going to be any way to find out what these access numbers   
   are from Dialup4Less.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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