Before you can get online, you need to have an account with an Internet service provider (ISP). ISPs are a dime a dozen, and there are literally hundreds to choose from. Many people find both cost savings and convenience by getting an Internet account as part of a service package from their local phone or cable company.
Before you choose an ISP and sign up for an account, you should find out what types of connections are available and decide which best suits your needs.
Before, when the Internet was in its infancy, there was only one way to get online: a dial-up modem. The speeds were, by today's standards, unbearably slow, and whenever you were connected to the Internet, your phone line was busy and no one could reach you. You can still get a dial-up account, but there are other, much faster ways to get online, like cable, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and satellite.
Dial-up connections use a regular phone line and a dial-up modem to connect you to the Internet. The available speed has increased a little bit from back in the early days of dial-up, but not much.
Dial-up cannot be used for some Internet services, such as making phone calls from your computer with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or streaming video and music. If you like watching YouTube videos, gaming online, or doing almost anything other than performing web searches and sending e-mail, dial-up is probably not the best choice for you. There are really only a few reasons to consider dial-up at all.
Availability - If you live in a rural area where DSL or cable Internet isn't available, you may only have the option for dial-up Internet. If this is the case, there's not much you can do except call your phone and cable companies to see when they plan to run the proper cables out to your location. Satellite service could be another option if you live out in the sticks, but that depends on availability and your geography. It is also much more expensive.
Cost - Dial-up is the cheapest way to get online. Some providers offer accounts for free but restrict the amount of time you can spend online and how much you can download. You will also be plagued with advertising. Ad-free accounts sometimes are priced as low as $10/month.
Access - If you travel or spend a lot of time in remote locations, you probably won't always have access to high-speed Internet, but you likely will have access to a telephone line.
Usage You don't use or plan to use the Internet very often, and when you do, it's mainly for e-mail. Using dial-up for web browsing, watching video, streaming music, playing games, or any other common online activities will be at best frustrating and at worst impossible.
Your MacBook doesn't have a built-in dial-up modem. If you want to use dial-up, you will need to purchase one separately and install it via USB. Just make sure that you get one that is compatible with your MacBook.
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11152010
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