The stupidest of all questions. ISP?

[@md0Cer]

I was thinking about getting some Qwest DSL and getting rid of this dialup forever, but I was wondering, you can get just the line, or for 10 bucks more, you get an ISP, like msn or qwest.net, etc.

So I was wondering, is that a vital function or are those just for giving you a webspace and email, etc.?

I should know this being into computers for over 3 years...

[lilxvietxboi]

I don't understand your question...

ISP = Internet Service Provider
"Qwest" would be your ISP...

Do you mean 10 bucks for the extrra fetures of email/webpace?

[the-one1]

Well, Qwest provides the actual line for the fee they advertise, and THEN you pay an ISP to connect you to the internet. Qwest COULD be you ISP or you can choose any other. You can connect the DSL line to a work place too if you needed to.

[su root]

Generally for cable and dsl, you pay and get an Internet Service Provider (ISP)... they provide you with internet access. They also provide you with a few extra things (usually at no charge), like email, and website.. If you pay more, you can get extra space for your website, or extra email accounts, or extra IP addresses, but wherever you go, an ISP implies that you atleast get access to the internet.

Services like AOL, MSN, etc. offer "on top of" services.. meaning that you can use them as an ISP, or any ISP you like (and get internet access, email accounts, etc through any ISP), and buy access to (for example) AOL's services. AOL and other companies figured out early on that they were going to go out of business with all these cable, dsl, satelite, etc companies starting up, so they seperated their services from their ISP. AOL's services are things like the AOL portal, chatrooms, online games, AOL email addresses, and things like that that are offered inside the AOL portal. These are things that are not necessarily available on the internet, you must be an AOL member to use them. Why would anyone in their right mind buy this? Some people are very, very rich and just want to throw money away, others want features that AOL provides, like their "treat me like a newbie" interface. Some people buy this so that they can control where their children go on the internet, or just because AOL is a "safe place" where you can go running to the AOL Police, tell them that xyz person was saying bad things to you, and they go and take care of them.

[@md0Cer]

I see. Great work guys, this has been helpful. So bassically my understanding of what I just learned, just paying for JUST the line would get me just that, a line but no connection to anything. Ok, well, still, it isn't bad. 15 bucks a month for just the line and 10 extra for an ISP of ones choice. Of course I do get all that extra stuff I don't need, but I do need some "ISP" to connect to the internet.

Well, thanks again! Hopefully I might be on broadband soon! :)

[su root]

I see. Great work guys, this has been helpful. So bassically my understanding of what I just learned, just paying for JUST the line would get me just that, a line but no connection to anything. Ok, well, still, it isn't bad. 15 bucks a month for just the line and 10 extra for an ISP of ones choice. Of course I do get all that extra stuff I don't need, but I do need some "ISP" to connect to the internet.

Well, thanks again! Hopefully I might be on broadband soon! :)
I would double check this, it is rare that you see this kind of "rent the line separately than the connection" for residential customers.

[lilxvietxboi]

I think this guy has something mixed up.

You are on a 56k am I correct?
Being on 56k means you have some sort of PHONE line. Correct?

DSL uses the SAME phone line as your phone and modem. The reason you don't get the "busy" signal while on DSL is that it uses a different frequency (I forgot higher or lower, i think lower) that doesn't cause a busy signal when someone calls and your online. But for that to work, you need to hook on filters on your regular phone lines that are not hooked up to your DSL modem.

There is no need to buy another phone line. All you need is a DSL service provider (ISP), in this case qwest.

Looking up Qwest right now for you... (Wow its hard to find the rates on this site).

Okay their basic package...

with a Qwest® home phone package:
$26.99 a month
-If you have a phone line with them or want to buy another phone line(Phone line price not included, so I doubt you will be paying this)

without a Qwest® home phone package:
$31.99 a month
(This is the price your going to pay because you do not have a phone line with them.)

Also, you will need to buy or rent the DSL modem from them for $5 dollars a month or buy it for $59.99. And pay activation fees, $89.99 for activation or order before Jan. 8, 2005 and activation will be $9.99


Wow all this information from a guy on 56k. This is how you can tell I'm bored.

[the-one1]

When I had DSL a long time ago with QWEST, the DSL line ran on top of the phone line but I had to pay for the connection ( phone +dsl), then ontop of that, I had to choose an ISP to connect to the internet, I chose qwest.net.