My gateway to the Cyberverse.
Written: Sep 22 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Easy to get online around the clock, fast connections
Cons: Online email is overly simple.
|
|
|
| ltrain's Full Review: Stargate |
For the past fours years I had been a customer of a local ISP, Inetone. I was happy with them as they were reasonably fast, easy to login to, and almost completely bug free.
That's great, but what about Stargate?
A few months ago Stargate purchased Inetone. I was apprehensive about becoming a customer of Stargate. They began as a local provider in Pittsburg PA around six years ago and have since bought out other providers to upgrade and expand the network they began.
So, how is it?
The transition has been seemless. I have retained my @inetone.net extension on my email address which is a huge plus by itself. Also, I can login to my email online at either http://www.inetone.net or at http://www.stargate.net. That keeps both the old customers and the new happy.
Email? Is it good?
Yes, my email is good with Stargate. The online mailbox is simple, with no frills at all. Create, read, delete, and send to another folder are almost all the options I have. I can't add a priority level to a message and my signature won't work (maybe these are my fault) but my messages do go through and come in dependably.
Are they fast?
I must confess here that I have a prehistoric modem. It's a 33.3 so there is no surprise that I run a wimpy 115200bps most nights. There is a seperate phone line for those of you who run a newer modem that supports your faster hardware.
Can you get on at peak times?
I have yet to get a busy signal since Stargate took over Inetone. I dial in up to 4 times a day, in peak and off peak hours. The connection always goes through flawlessly. I'm sure all of you know just how frustrating busy signals are!
Wow, how much does it cost?
I get three email accounts, and unlimited surfing time for $19.95 a month. I don't get any web hosting for that price but you can buy it from them for a fee. Don't ask me how much, I just don't know.
Customer service:
The only experience I've had with them on this is when I needed to change my password. At that time you couldn't do that online (you can now) because they were changing systems. The tech support guy was very friendly and didn't give me any hassle at all. The new password began working before I was even off the phone!
Overall:
I think if Stargate services your area (they aren't nationwide) you should give them a try. They blow the socks off any ISP I've tried in West Virginia, North Carolina, or South Carolina. You can check the website to see if they cover you, and even sign up on the site!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|