Who else hates their Internet Provider?

[Pilmedium]

I have AOL, and I'm a little sick of it. It's mainly because they disconnect me for no reason all the time. They just did it a few minutes ago, bringing up this topic. I am always able to get back on right away. It is even more annoying when I am trying to post or view something important. On a separate note, my father sometimes goes online at work, knocking me off. There is nothing I can do about it since I am still under my parents. :(

[Bird Boy]

I'm pretty happy with my ISP right now..BUT, It looks like I'll have to switch in a few months (long story). Hopefully the next one will be as good as this one.. :)

-BB

[The Polisher]

I too have GayOL, but I almost never get booted off. Just dumb luck, I guess. I can't wait to get rid a different ISP.

[Calhoun07]

I have AOL and rarely have problems like that. One night, tho, the disconnects were un-freaking-believable. I must have had ten in an hour. I would change access numbers and the same thing. It happened shortly after I had chewed out a sales man for calling me trying to sell me DSL. I told him I can read the pop ups on my screen and I didn't need him calling me. Then that night or the next, the disconnects started happening. Somehow, I think they are doing that to piss people off and push them to DSL, but that could just be my conspiracy theory of the week!

[ccffan01]

Cablevision! too exspensive

[VinceA]

CableVision/OptimumOnline... love 'em. $29.95/mo for a wide always-on pipe.

For anyone that's got AOL & hates them.... why do you stay with them? There are a slew of other dialup ISPs around:
http://www.thelist.com/

[BatKid]

I had the same exact problems with AOL when I first had it, I kept getting disconnected for no reason at all, and most of the disconnects were while I was downloading long files :mad:.

A few years later, I got tired of everything being so slow and Cablevision just happened to send me a discount off their Cable Modem the other day. So, I went out and bought it. But since I was so dedicated to AOL, I sticked with AOL and Cablevision's Cable Modem. But instead of paying for both, I only pay $10 for AOL and approximately $30 for Cablevision. It's a good price for me, and everything is going nice and fast :D.

[Calhoun07]

The disconnects are so rare for me. I actually hardly have the problems other people report with AOL. I am getting that DSL, by the way. My only complaint is I can't get cable Internet where I am at. :(

[killercroc]

Originally posted by VinceA
CableVision/OptimumOnline... love 'em. $29.95/mo for a wide always-on pipe.

For anyone that's got AOL & hates them.... why do you stay with them? There are a slew of other dialup ISPs around:
http://www.thelist.com/

Personally, I hate having to change my email address, and don't want to have to use Hotmail.

I did change from AOL, though. My modem broke, and instead of buying another dial up I went with cable and am loving it. I really can't say enough about it. It makes the internet a totally different experience. 10 dollars more a month and none of the getting kicked off and waiting for pages to load. Definitely worth it!

I used to have Prodigy, though and they sucked. It got to where I could never even get connected. I spent hours with tech support and they never solved the problem. Turned out they didn't have enough phone lines in my area. So compared to that I was pretty happy with AOL. Only problem is they expect all there users to know nothing about using the internet.

PRODIGY SUCKS!!!!

[VinceA]

You could use my solution - get your own domain and get mail hosting. That way no matter how you connect to the Internet your address will never change. It adds a little to your yearly outlay but it's well worth the independence. I went through three different providers between Nov 2000 - Jan 2001 and never had to change e-mail addresses or use Hotmail.

[killercroc]

Originally posted by VinceA
You could use my solution - get your own domain and get mail hosting. That way no matter how you connect to the Internet your address will never change. It adds a little to your yearly outlay but it's well worth the independence. I went through three different providers between Nov 2000 - Jan 2001 and never had to change e-mail addresses or use Hotmail.

How much does that cost, and where do you get it?

[VinceA]

Any number of places but I'll see if I can find a list later. Mine is through another ISP that also provides me with some webspace and 5 domain mailboxes for about $10/mo but I know there are much lower priced places

[Trent Lane]

I hate AOL, and thankfully have never used it. It's pointless. I've got friends that have it- well, had it. They got rid of it because it was so crappy. But I will say all those discs they send me make GREAT coasters....

[Fantasie117]

I despise AOL, but I have to keep it because of my dad's business. I have DSL so I don't get kicked off anymore.

One of my biggest problems with AOL is that every six months they come out with a new version. When I had 4.0 and 5.0 came out, all my friends immediately got 5.0. They would ask me, "When are you getting 5.0?" I would say, "I'm not. I'm fine with 4.0." Unfortunately, I got a new computer so I ended with 5.0, but 6.0 had come out. All my friends got that and told me to get it.

Then, I got 6.0 three months ago. My friends: "Hey, you got 7.0 yet?" Me: "No." "Why not?" "Because I hate AOL and stop asking me!"

Die, AOL, die...

[Pilmedium]

The faster line costs $70 per month here, which is why I don't already have it.

Printing is more difficult on 6.0, which is why I hardly ever used it. Using 7.0 instead of 5.0 probably wouldn't stop the disconnections. BTW, my parents just deleted version 6 from the computer.

[BWDK]

I don't have AOL, so no, I don't hate my provider ;)

Actually the real name of AOL is AOF...America Off-ine...

so easy to use no wonder it's #1 :D

[ccffan01]

Originally posted by VinceA
CableVision/OptimumOnline... love 'em. $29.95/mo for a wide always-on pipe.

For anyone that's got AOL & hates them.... why do you stay with them? There are a slew of other dialup ISPs around:
http://www.thelist.com/

Actually I like my optimum to I just wanted to say I hated them

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Fantasie117
I despise AOL, but I have to keep it because of my dad's business. I have DSL so I don't get kicked off anymore.

One of my biggest problems with AOL is that every six months they come out with a new version. When I had 4.0 and 5.0 came out, all my friends immediately got 5.0. They would ask me, "When are you getting 5.0?" I would say, "I'm not. I'm fine with 4.0." Unfortunately, I got a new computer so I ended with 5.0, but 6.0 had come out. All my friends got that and told me to get it.

Then, I got 6.0 three months ago. My friends: "Hey, you got 7.0 yet?" Me: "No." "Why not?" "Because I hate AOL and stop asking me!"

Die, AOL, die...

what makes me mad about their stupid upgrades all the time is that eventually, your old version of AOL will just give out. I am just like you, I don't care for upgrading to the "latest version," even if the latest version is free. I used 4.0 for the longest time and at the end there, AOL would automaticallly download files to my system everytime I logged off to update my systems. Until one day, AOL 4.0 just stopped working for me. I mean, the whole dang program crashed on me. I lost quite a bit, not just all the stuff on my favorites, but emails and files in my downloads folder that I have been unable to replace. Just as I wonder if my disconnects after chewing out that sales man was somehow related, I will always wonder if those files they put on my computer to "update my system" actually caused my 4.0 to crash and force me into getting 5.0. You know Bill Gates works his software to do things like that, so why not AOL?

[Fantasie117]

The whole program crashed? :eek: That really stinks.

You bring up another thing about AOL. What is with those downloads when trying to disconnect? I haven't seen them do anything except waste time.

It's a conspiracy, I tell ya... Microsoft and AOL are in on it.