WebJunction

The Internet is available to anyone who wants it, but you will first need an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get connected. Most ISPs charge a modest monthly fee, but there are some free services available - usually at a price. So the question is, how "free" is free, and will a free ISP be advantageous to your library?

Free vs. paid

Free! As the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Such is the case with free ISPs. Although you may not spend a dime to get online (and mostly you will have to shell out something), the costs may still be great. A free ISP will probably not be a worthwhile option as a primary means of connectivity for your library.

The business model behind free ISPs is unstable, since it relies on advertising (which many users find annoying) to pay for their service. While there are a few free ISPs left in the U.S., their numbers are dwindling. Some that are still in business are now introducing low fees for their services, or charge a set-up fee accompanying a limited-access free plan. Some free services are only available in certain regions, or require you to fill out various forms and surveys in order to continue using the free service.

Free ISPs

Access 4-Free gives you 10 hours per month free with an initial $4.95 setup fee. If you go over the limit, you are charged $1 for each additional hour.

Address.com boasts free Internet access (which may not be available in all areas), a free Web-based email account, online customer support, no hourly limit, and requires monthly completion of offers.

Dot Now offers free monthly access with a $19.95 set-up fee.

FreeDialNow gives you 15 hours of free access a month with no banner ads or pop-ups, and quick 56k v.90/v92 access. The set-up fee is $5.

United Online gives you free ad-supported Internet access from NetZero and Juno. Both services offer consumers direct access to the Internet for up to 10 hours each month, and POP and Web-based e-mail, with various restrictions.

The following is a list of reasons why to not bother with free ISPs.

• Concurrent usage restrictions

An important distinction between paid and free ISPs is that most free ISPs do not allow different users on the same account to access the Internet at the same time. Most paid ISPs do allow concurrent usage, and that is essential in a library setting. If your computers are networked (and if you have five or more computers, they should be), a free ISP won't work for you.

• Hour limitations

Paid ISPs are relatively cheap at about $20.00 per month for a dial-up account, and about $50.00 a month for DSL for unlimited hourly usage (there may be a modest additional charge for multiple computers). Free ISPs may limit your hours.

• Lack of technical support

Unlike paid ISPs, many free ISPs do not have adequate technical support. Sometimes a question that can be simply answered by a technician can take you hours to figure out on your own.

• Banner ads

Free ISPs often have intrusive banner ads (unsightly advertisements users are forced to look at in exchange for the free service). Advertisers have developed all sorts of ads that refuse to be shut down. These pop-up ads, or interstitials, are incessant and disruptive.

If you are using the Internet for surfing and researching, the best philosophy for banner ads is to "turn on and tune out," like you would a television commercial. In many cases, banner ads, although jarring, can be minimized as soon as they pop up. However, if you plan to host your library's Web site on a free ISP, beware. These banner ads can cheapen the look and feel of your site and may dilute the power of your mission.

• Platform issues

Free ISPs heavily favor Microsoft Windows platforms. If you have a Mac library, you may be out of luck. Paid ISPs usually provide reliable connectivity for most major operating systems.

• Spam

Spam is the primary problem with free ISPs. Spam is any unsolicited e-mail. Many Free ISPs make money by selling your name to spam lists, which in turn, barrage your inbox with junk mail. Soon you will have an unmanageable mess of new messages to sort through. Worse, these spam messages often have deceptive subject headings that make it impossible to detect them at first sight.

There are free or low priced ($7 to $10 a month) ISPs that claim to not sell subscribers' names to a bought list; nonetheless subscribers receive tons of spam. Fortunately, there are services such as Spam Cop that will police your ISP free of charge. It can track down the offender, and report the spammer to your ISP, which in turn must resolve the issue with you.

SpamCop responds instantly, while ISPs can take days to shut down a spammer at the source. For an additional fee of $30 a year this service will also filter out your junk mail for you.

Here at TechSoup, we love Planet Spam. Despite the fact that spam is no laughing matter, Salon.com has put together this witty spam portal. This page will help you learn everything you ever wanted to know about spam, including how to wage war against it.

• Connectivity issues

Free ISPs have a tendency to disconnect their users. Some services will prompt the user to stay online every 20 minutes. This is not the case with paid ISPs.

If you have a free ISP, you can spend a lot of time listening to busy signals, caused by a high users-to-modem ratio (the ISP doesn't have enough modems for its users during peak usage hours). So, when you want to connect, you can't. Even if a free ISP boasts a T-1 line, too many customers at once will slow your connection time and browsing speed. The lower the customer-to-modem ratio, the fewer customers share a modem, and you have a better chance of getting connected. Whether it is free or paid, aim for an ISP with a customer-to-modem ratio that is less than 10.

• Overwriting software

During installation, free ISPs sometimes overwrite the software and preferences of the paid ISP you already had. It can be a pain to untangle the resulting mess.

In short, the problems with free ISPs outweigh the savings. TechSoup recommends that your library steer clear of the free ISPs and sign up with a paid Internet service provider. You can find a comprehensive, commercial listing of paid ISPs at The List. We recommend that you avoid new ISPs, opting instead for one that has been around for a while.

If you are looking for an ISP to access your e-mail while on the road, Kmart's Bluelight.com no longer offers a free ISP, but for $9.95 a month, Bluelight Unlimited, the cheap ISP we recommend, has decent customer service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But then, you could also sign up for a free Yahoo account and access your e-mail for free at a public library.

To get more information on free and cheap ISPs, you should consult the only honest broker of Free ISPs, FreedomList. This international free/cheap ISP portal includes user ratings, reviews, and a message board to discuss your free ISP woes with others in the same boat.