Now this is more like it!
Written: Nov 05 '99 (Updated Jan 25 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Completely free (NO ADS!), good connections, and fast speeds
Cons: Tricky settings file, or large browser download for initial configuration
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| narenji's Full Review: Free WWWeb |
Before this Epinion of FreeWWWeb, I tried out and used NetZero and Altavista. While Netzero had good connections, the main problem was that the proprietary software that you are forced to use was unstable on my computer. Altavista just refused to get good connections, if I could connect at all. After doing a bit more digging, I found Free Web. Now you may think that it's just another free ISP forcing you to view an ad, but you have to use it to believe it!
I've used Free Web for about four weeks now, and it's wonderful! There are NO ADS!! I read a research article somewhere that the average person is exposed to something like 1500 ads on a daily basis. Free Web provides great connections, with no waiting even during the peak times that I experienced with my other two free ISPs. Joining Free Web is easy, and there is a choice between downloading just the settings file for your particular area, which is supposed to provide the proper dialing numbers and other properties to start using Free Web, but my settings file didn't work properly. So I took a look inside it with NotePad, got the phone number and all the other info it has (it stores your e-mail account's name and password, your Free Web username and password, the incoming and outgoing mail server identities, and a news server identity). Since I already had a couple of web-based e-mail accounts, I didn't bother configuring my mail client for the Free Web e-mail account. So I can't tell you if this portion of their service is good or not. Web based e-mail services work just as well. If you chose to download the Free Web browser, it is a huge download (about 22MBs) and it would have probably taken me a good hour plus with my lowly 56k connection. This browser download might setup everything for you...
After I got the phone number from the settings file, I created a new "Make a Connection" file with Microsoft's built in dial-up networking software. All you really need to start surfing the net is that access phone number, and your username and password. Using Microsoft's dial-up networking is probably more stable than using a company's proprietary dialer software like in NetZero, so that's another plus for Free Web.
Free Web is awesome in what it offers, and its connections are first rate, at least here in Boston. And I am extremely happy to have finally found a free ISP that really is free, with no strings attached (at least for the moment)... I haven't had to use tech support ever, so I cannot accurately judge what their service is like. All things aside, Free Web still needs to work on it's software. You should not have to download a full browser to enable easy installation. A reasonably computer experienced person can figure out the settings file (which didn't work on my computer), but Free Web should provide a good, working settings file, because that's all you really need to start using Free Web. If Free Web can fix this, then they'll probably be nothing in the cons section of my epinion. Free Web works well, and the connections are fast. Enjoy this completely free ISP while they can still afford to give bandwidth away!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
narenji
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Glendora, CA
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 31 members
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