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CPCUG
Dialup, Accelerator, and Support
Dialup | Nationalwide Access Numbers | Accelerator | Support
Dialup
Since 2006 the Capital PC User Group
has offered dialup access to CPCUG members and other computer user group members for less than $8.50 per
month when prepaid for an entire year ($99 per year or $55 for 6 months). This is the least expensive national
dialup access available anywhere, and it includes telephone help via a toll-free number. Note: This is a bare-bones dialup account: just internet-access (no e-mail, no Web space). As shown below, it provides local
phone numbers throughout the United States, not just in one location. The service provider was the one used by our long time host and many other ISPs, proven reliable during years of service to CPCUG members. There is no "connect time"
limit.
Contact the CPCUG Office at (301) 560-6442 during normal business hours
to get your account set up.
Send e-mail for further pre-sale answers, including dialup access availability to non-CPCUG members.
FASTNET Web Accelerator
Option for cpcug.org Dialup Users
What Is FASTNET?
FASTNET Web Accelerator option might speed up your Internet experience,
by up to six times, while still using your existing dialup phone line and modem, if you use it with your CPCUG dialup account. You
do not require any extra equipment, because it runs on your computer. FASTNET allows you to surf at near
DSL speed, making FASTNET the high-speed Internet solution with the convenience
of dialup. It is easy to install, runs seamlessly, and doesn't alter any
of your existing software. You can also control the amount of compression
vs. speed gain yourself.
What Gets Accelerated?
FASTNET compresses the following elements of Web pages to send the information to your computer faster:
- Web pages—HTML markup and JavaScript
- Graphics, including JPEG and GIF images
- Text
- E-mail on the Web
What Will Not Be Accelerated?
Although FASTNET is able to compress many different types
of online data, there are a few that cannot be accelerated:
- Streaming media, audio and video files
- Secure pages, such as those used for online banking and credit
card forms
- Files and attachments such as music or digital photos
How Does It Work?
With traditional dialup methods, the text and graphics
that make up Web pages get sent from the server to you over your phone
line. Because of the large amount of data required to be sent, this process
can be painfully slow. FASTNET compresses this data using a proprietary
technology, and sends it over your existing dialup phone line. This compression
process allows a smaller volume of data to be sent—up to six times
less—making the download time of your Web pages and your online
experience that much faster. As an added download time reducer, FASTNET
stores elements of the Web sites you visit frequently so you do not have
to download them every time you visit these sites.
FASTNET System Requirements
- Dialup Internet connection
- Supported Internet browsers: Internet Explorer 5+ or Netscape Navigator 4.7+
- Opera or Mozilla require additional configuration
- Windows OS: 98, ME, 2000, or XP (Mac & Linux are not supported.)
- Pentium PC, 200 MHz or better
- Available disk space: 5 Mbytes
- System memory (RAM): 64 Mbytes recommended
A FASTNET option is available for your cpcug.org dialup connection for an additional $1.50 per month. Contact the CPCUG office at (301) 560-6442 for payment or ordering details. Technical support is provided via a toll-free telephone number. CPCUG can guarantee compatibility only with those systems supported by FASTNET.
Support
Separate Support for New cpcug.org
Dialup Accounts
Pre-purchase questions about the new cpcug.org dialup accounts can be asked by email, as noted above. If you have problems getting your account to work, once you get your password and account name, you'll be able to get support via a toll-free telephone number.
Note: CPCUG volunteers provide help for our Members' free e-mail boxes via e-mail. However, they cannot provide technical support for dialup accounts.
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