As the usage of the Internet increases, the need for higher speed access becomes more important. Almost all of our dial-in facilities support 56K analog modem connections using the new V.92, and V.90, therefore offering the best speeds available for modem users. However, many people are not able to take advantage of 56K technology due to limitations of their telephone lines (see our 56K troubleshooting for more details), or because they have an older modem. If you do have an older modem and wish to upgrade, please check out our on-line store by clicking the Shop Online icon in the top left corner of this screen. If you determine that 56K is not possible, or not fast enough for your needs, we offer some other high speed digital options that may be of interest.
ISDN
ISDN is a digital dial-up service that is available in most areas. ISDN dial-up is available in 64K and 128K speeds, allowing for scaleable connect speeds to meet most needs. ISDN also gives you the ability to use the Internet and talk on the phone or send a fax at the same time. While our pricing on ISDN dial-up is only slightly higher than analog, the telephone company charges a premium for the service. Please contact your local telephone company for pricing and details. We are not responsible for any telephone company charges incurred as a result of using your account. ISDN is not subject to the distance and line quality issues affecting 56K analog and even DSL services, so it is the most widely available and robust option for high speed digital access to the Internet.
ADSL
ADSL is an emerging technology based on Digital Subscriber Line technology. This service is a digital service that works over your existing telephone line, allowing for simultaneous Internet access and telephone usage. This new technology is available in speeds from 640K to 7.1MB within the Bell Atlantic service area. Other telephone companies offer different speeds. ADSL is subject to distance limitations, meaning that you must live within a short distance of the telephone company Central Office. This service is currently available in the Richmond Metro area. Please click here or contact us for more information.
What about Cable Modems?
Some cable companies are beginning to offer high speed Internet services through cable TV lines. Unfortunately, they have chosen not to allow competitors to provide Internet services over their networks at this time. Therefore, we are unable to offer any cable Internet services. Should this change in the future, we will update this information accordingly. One thing to remember about cable modem service, it is a shared bandwidth service. This means that everyone in your neighborhood or area are sharing the same pipe, which could result in service degredation as the number of users increases. With telco based services such as DSL, the bandwidth provided to you is not shared, it is a fixed speed connection which is much less suceptable to bottlenecks than the cable Internet system.