Freeserve and Deamon here started on a slow 56k and then in about 2000 had a pair of isdn lines put in for up to 128k. I **** you not, I felt like god downloading stuff at between 6 and 9kbps and up to 14/15kbps if I merged the line. I could have that mp3 in less than an hour baby!!!
Do you remember your first dial-up/local ISP?
- Thread starter Gimpymoo
- Start date
Freeserve and AOL, used to annoy my mum no end by tying up the phone line for 8 hours a night.
I don’t think we got ASDL enabled on our exchange before we moved to an NTL area, fairly sure I went from dial up to a decent NTL connection overnight, it might have even been a multi mb connection. I know I certainly convinced my mum to upgrade to 10 when it came out.
I don’t think we got ASDL enabled on our exchange before we moved to an NTL area, fairly sure I went from dial up to a decent NTL connection overnight, it might have even been a multi mb connection. I know I certainly convinced my mum to upgrade to 10 when it came out.
Associate
We had a communal Red Hot Ant account, 0800 based ISP that seemingly allowed multiple sessions at once 
Would probably explain their ultimate demise, owed millions in unpaid bills and the boss was also involved in some fraud for good measure.
Would probably explain their ultimate demise, owed millions in unpaid bills and the boss was also involved in some fraud for good measure.
Started with Freeserve at a fantastic 56K, an 0800 number that disconnected after 1 hour tying up the phone line and either having a parent wanting to use the line for or me asking to use the internet as they were on the phone, I think that was 1997. Eventually when our neighbourhood was cabled we got 512K Comtel (around 1999), which later became NTL and now is Virgin Media.
Ah, 512K, I remember that, friends asking for large files to be downloaded and them passing me a CD-RW to burn it onto, then being sent the link via MSN Messenger! Then there was Yahoo Auctions, the faster than most internet allowed me to get in there at the last second and place a bid.
Moved house and a cable connection was no longer available so I upgraded to Sky ADSL at a great rate of 3Mb/Sec, "Free" with the Sky TV subscription, when the speed suddenly dropped to 1.5Mb/Sec I called the useless Sky support who said there was no line fault and so there was nothing they could do, I explained to them what I could do as I was out of contract was cancel and move to BT FTTC, connected at 76Mb/Sec. Now on EE FTTC after the recent BT price hike and I'll move again to another provider when their price increases.
Sky always try and sell their broadband whenever I call and threaten to cancel after the price is increased, they seem to give up trying to sell it when I explain that I want to use my own modem/router. Surely they realise it is loosing them custom not allowing people to use their own equipment (TalkTalk I know), as a loyal Sky TV customer I would go back to them for the right price if I could use my own equipment.
Ah, 512K, I remember that, friends asking for large files to be downloaded and them passing me a CD-RW to burn it onto, then being sent the link via MSN Messenger! Then there was Yahoo Auctions, the faster than most internet allowed me to get in there at the last second and place a bid.
Moved house and a cable connection was no longer available so I upgraded to Sky ADSL at a great rate of 3Mb/Sec, "Free" with the Sky TV subscription, when the speed suddenly dropped to 1.5Mb/Sec I called the useless Sky support who said there was no line fault and so there was nothing they could do, I explained to them what I could do as I was out of contract was cancel and move to BT FTTC, connected at 76Mb/Sec. Now on EE FTTC after the recent BT price hike and I'll move again to another provider when their price increases.
Sky always try and sell their broadband whenever I call and threaten to cancel after the price is increased, they seem to give up trying to sell it when I explain that I want to use my own modem/router. Surely they realise it is loosing them custom not allowing people to use their own equipment (TalkTalk I know), as a loyal Sky TV customer I would go back to them for the right price if I could use my own equipment.
Associate
Freeserve, 50p a min before 6pm, free after. Couldnt use telephone at same time. 250-400ms ping with team fortress. Cured my Godwars MUD and everquest addiction after i got a large 3 figure quarterly bill one time
Associate
I suspect first ever dial up was probably AOL. Used Demon, Freeserve, Global and was on NTL before Pipex ADSL in 2002.
Soldato
Virgin, 56K one
Nildram, because it had excellent ping, and a US Robotics 56k modem. Then BT a few years later to get ISDN.
I also remember a free BT number but the ping was awful. So I used that for public games and switched back to Nildram for clan matches.
I also remember a free BT number but the ping was awful. So I used that for public games and switched back to Nildram for clan matches.