Here's how it works: you download a 3.5MB file (PC only) from NetZero's Web site, pick a username and password, and choose a dial-up number. One of NetZero's strengths compared to other free ISPs is the extent of its PoP list: it currently boasts access numbers for more than 1,100 U.S. cities. We were even able to connect from our small-city home base. NetZero's network is also armed with 56k access across the board.
Not bad for a free service, right? Unfortunately, you begin to pay the piper straight away. NetZero makes you fill out a demographic questionnaire--it's typical invasive stuff, such as family income and phone numbers--but there's nothing that says you have to tell the truth. It takes ten minutes, tops.

NetZero doesn't bundle a browser and email client: it assumes you have both. In fact, there's a whole laundry list of standard services that NetZero omits. For starters, there's no newsgroup access, no 800 number access (a big inconvenience if you travel), no Web hosting, no automatic email configuration (you do it yourself, but with the help of some excellent instructions), and no toll-free or 24/7 real-person support.
Just like FreeAccess, NetZero forces an ad banner on you. The rectangular banner box (about 1 by 3 inches on an 800 by 600 display) constantly rotates ads. Close it, and the connection shuts down; move it off your desktop and it just pops right back. And if you haven't clicked an ad during the past half-hour--or clicked the warning box that pops up periodically--NetZero drops the connection. However, the banner is small enough to tuck into a corner of your screen without being too obtrusive.
Thanks to NetZero's arrangement with LookSmart, the home page is nicely organized and surprisingly ad-sparse. You can search from here and access LookSmart's directories, though there's no customized content.

Nor can NetZero crow about tech support. We did manage to reach real reps--the lines are open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT, Monday through Saturday--but only after an average wait of nearly 20 minutes (and that was a toll call). Of course, you can always resort to email and fax-back help, as well as a downloadable Help file.

NetZero offers solid Net service for the price--which, of course, is nothin'--and we're impressed with its huge list of access numbers. But in the end, we'd recommend it more as a backup ISP than as your primary Net connection.








Recommended: Yes