Free or Discounted Internet Access?

[KatWrangler]

We need to cut more expenses. We would like to cut our landline but can't because of internet. We have to have internet. My husband is taking an online class and needs it.

Is there such a thing as free internet access (not talking the library or Student Discount for internet? Or even financial hardship free/discount?

I found this beta thing for Google but don't know much about it.

http://www.google.com/tisp/

[rhiOrion]

Would it be cheaper to get cable internet and cut the landline?

[KatWrangler]

We are cutting the cable. That thread is in TV.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by KatWrangler

I found this beta thing for Google but don't know much about it.

http://www.google.com/tisp/

Have you actually read that website? That is totally an April Fool's joke. I'm surprised they still have the site up, because it looks like it's a few years old.

Our phone company offers DSL without a landline, but it's honestly not a whole lot cheaper since you get a bundle discount with more than one service. eta: You can also get cable internet without having cable TV, since I just saw your post about that.

Seattle also has a free dial-up internet provider. Not sure where you live, but if you're in a large metropolitan area, you might find something like that?

[KatWrangler]

oh cr*p. I am such a Homer.

[KatWrangler]

We are in St. Louis. Hmmm let me see what I can find.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by KatWrangler

oh cr*p. I am such a Homer.

I was totally excited about it when I opened the link, and then starting reading....

[Drummer's Wife]

Do any of your neighbors have unlocked wifi? Though, I guess that is technically stealing if you don't have their permission - so probably not what you were looking for.

[KatWrangler]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

Do any of your neighbors have unlocked wifi? Though, I guess that is technically stealing if you don't have their permission - so probably not what you were looking for.

No. We have to have reliable access too because of my husband's class.

[BookGoddess]

We got a reduced rate for our internet by telling our largest local provider whom we were with at the time that we were switching to a smaller and slightly cheaper provider. The provider we were with didn't want to lose us as customers and offered to take $15 off the bill!! So we agreed and they lowered the monthly rate.

[rhiOrion]

We have internet but not cable. It's $50 per month. Not dirt cheap, but cheaper than having cable and internet.

[pitter_patter]

Check AT&T.com for your area and see what they offer, I cancelled my Comcast phone/tv/internet package and went with AT&T for home phone and internet, I'm paying $19.95 for high speed internet an $16.95 for my home phone. You don't have to get both, but I chose to.

[surrogate]

I use my neighbors unlocked wifi My school is completely online too...

[natural_mama89]

If you are close with your neighbors, maybe you could ask if any of them would be okay with you using it and offer to pay a portion of the bill if you are concerned about "stealing". It should be totally reliable as long as it is close enough. I use my neighbor's internet, and though I do live in an apartment, I can also access the coffee shop across the street. But my neighbors who let me use theirs know that I am a college student with a limited income, so they are totally cool with helping me out. I had an online class over the summer and I got everything done just fine.

[cappuccinosmom]

If you're going to use the neighbor's you might want to ask, to spare yourself getting into problems with them.

We had several unlocked wifi connections in our old neighborhood that would pop up on ds's school computer. One time I noticed that one of the names on the list had changed to "Get your own internet, ****" Somebody was not happy that someone else was using their bandwidth.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom

We had several unlocked wifi connections in our old neighborhood that would pop up on ds's school computer. One time I noticed that one of the names on the list had changed to "Get your own internet, ****" Somebody was not happy that someone else was using their bandwidth.

That's hilarious. But if they were tech-savvy enough to change the name of their connection, surely they knew how to make it secure. I figure if it's unsecured, it's free to use. I mean the signal is coming through your property, right? (Of course if you have to sneak up onto their back porch to get a signal, that's probably a problem. )

[zebra15]

I have internet from the cable company and its under $50 a month. I have 'high speed' its incredibly reliable. (mine is secure and locked- Im NOT paying for the entire street to use my access Sorry)

I dont have a landline, cell only...

My son takes online classes for homeschooling and there never has been a problem.

I have cox communications - I have no idea if they are in MO or not.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by natural_mama89

If you are close with your neighbors, maybe you could ask if any of them would be okay with you using it and offer to pay a portion of the bill.

I was thinking this. I have two neighbors that I know (as in, we're invited to each other's random BBQ's/parties half the time) that have wi-fi that pops up when our router was sucking, but were locked (we all have computer nerds in house). I bet if someone had been willing to pitch in for the bill, they would've given you the access code. Heck, when friends or family are here visiting, we set up their computers to use our internet.

That said... my sister lives in Seattle. Holy unlocked wifi, batman! She hasn't paid for internet in freakin' years. Between all the close-in neighbors and various coffee shops and so on, yeah. It's insane.

[Tradd]

Note: in my area having internet through the cable company withOUT cable TV is *more than double* the cost of DSL through the phone company (AT&T).