Optimist, as little as possible :-) I think they only do ADSL in France? Not sure.

Doc, onespeed look very good, until I came across this:
All AOL users please note: you can only use ONSPEED outside of the AOL and Internet Explorer browsers. If you would like to use ONSPEED for your web browsing, please download an alternate web browser to surf the web. AOL blocks certain ports within its browser which make ONSPEED incompatible with AOL at present. To achieve email acceleration with AOL, you need to use your AOL web mail through the alternate web browser. Once you have purchased ONSPEED and downloaded and installed the alternate web browser, please click here for detailed instructions on how to configure the alternate web browser. These can be found in our Help pages.

I'm an AOL user but have firefox installed so should be ok.

I can see the idea behind netaway but don't think they are really for me and to be honest don't see a market there for them. Too expensive (would cost me over a grand a week in charges!) and more targeted at global travellers who don't know what else is available.

Thanks for the pointers.

Hmmm? I don't think you can go wrong anyhow.

First, I see AOL are telling you how there's something else that AOL is not very good for. Well we all know it is a bum way of browsing and also a bum portal.

Secondly, well, oh f*** it! :-) Hey it's only 25 and for a full year too. It worked for me and gave me amazing speeds around 5 times faster that of ordinary 56k. Spend your 25 and if it doesn't work for you then jack it in.

They say :- "Test your connection speed now and again once you're ONSPEED. You'll be amazed by the difference and we offer a "no strings" money back guarantee if you're not impressed."

Basically, download data is either 'text' or 'pictures' or a mixture of both. One thing it does allow you to do is to cut down on the 'quality' of picture being viewed. As you know, when you look at a picture you are actually downloading the image. So if you can reduce the numbers of pixels being downloaded to get a particular image, then you will make the experience 'worse' but much quicker. Actually, the 'worse' part can be very nearly 'not much worse and very nearly perfect'. Since they have six adjustable settings for this latter, then just adjusting this alone can really speed up your surfing experience.

Streaming, which is 'text' not 'pictures', will be much much faster with OnSpeed. With OnSpeed, if you click on MoneyAM's 'Watch List', then it will hit your computer monitor's screen virtually immediately, even on 56k.

I looked at Onspeed and I must say that if I didn't have access to broadband I would certainly give it a try. It won't speed up streaming but it should certainly speed loading of web pages up.

Onspeed

Well taken the plunge and here are the results pre-onspeed:

33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 26* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K

Loaded 754,928 bytes in 235.529 seconds from OnSpeed server

and post:

33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 49* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K

hmmmmmmm certainly nowhere near x5. I was using fox so will try with another browser.

Doc - I actually stay with AOL UK for 3 reasons; 1) To keep the same email address 2) I travel a lot and AOL have a global dial up 3) I have found a loop hole in their system which enables me to have unlimited time from an AOL account in France. If I were to change to AOL france I would have to pay much more.



for info here are more limitations:
Javascript Required IE4

ONSPEED speeds up your web browsing and sending/receiving of emails*.

ONSPEED will not accelerate browsing over HTTPS (secure websites) or accelerate file downloads or uploads such as MP3, exes or streaming media content (over FTP or file sharing programs). In future, ONSPEED are looking to add these features.

ONSPEED does not increase the size of your internet connection. It compresses the data received hence speeding up your web browsing experience. ONSPEED does not replace your existing Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is to be used in conjunction with your existing Internet Service Provider (ISP).

ONSPEED offers the following value-added service in addition to speeding up your web and e-mail usage: Integrated Diagnostic Support Tool, Pop-Up Blocker and Ad blocker.

* For MAC users, ONSPEED will only accelerate your web browsing. MAC email acceleration is available use of a web mail service. If you do not have a web mail service, we recommend Web2Mail, which can integrate with your POP3 email accounts.

another test with firefox:

Loaded 754,928 bytes in 118.27 seconds from OnSpeed server.

33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 51* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K

Your speed pre-Onspeed seems very low. At what speed does your modem connect at (two little terminals in system tray)?

here's another one:

Loaded 754,928 bytes in 117.429 seconds from OnSpeed server.

33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 51* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K
Kbps:

Kayak, that depends! Normally mid 40's but mid 30's 30% of the time. The above test was on FF after having re-started AOL at 45333 (thats what the tray says).

45333 is good for the physical connection. However it does prove that AOL is cr*p when you come to throughput. 26K is low for a 45K connection.

and here is the same test with IE (again based on a 45K connection):

Loaded 754,928 bytes in 176.174 seconds from TOAST.net Can. server.


33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 34* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K
Kbps:

I think for 25 it's still worth the money despite only a small increase and all the limitations.

hmmmm, tried another test based on the highest speed setting (i.e. low image), all other tests were on average:

Loaded 754,928 bytes in 120.423 seconds from OnSpeed server.

33.6K Modem: 35-57K
56K Modem: 73-95K
ISDN/I-DSL: 222-267K
Your throughput: 50* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K
Kbps:

so no additonal speed saving???? But then the statistics show this!!!!

Total traffic: original data 116kb compressed data 13kb speed increase 8.82?!?!?!??

Tried getting hold of live support but doesn't work, neither does the e-mail us a question option.

have just received my new Dell computer with a 20" screen 1600x1200 resolution and a 15" screen at 1200X1000approx am using the 20" as the main screen , will I face any problems dragging windows from the 20" screen to the 15" screen?.
Thanks , any comments appreciated,

No but if you drag a large window form the larger monitor then it may not fit on the smaller one.

Optimist , thought I would have to make window smaller , differing resolution not a problem?

Maddoctor

If a window is set to ful screen mode then it is not dragable anyway, so most windows that you drag accross will be less than 1600 x 1200 in size. If a window on your large screen is greater than the (approx) 1200 x 1000 resolution of your smaller screen then some of that window will overflow the edges of the smaller screen. The only time you have a problem is if you manage to hide the entire top bar of a window.

Optimist , many thanks for answers

Damm OE playing up again - froze while sending a message - now I can't even load it - program not responding message from Task Manager. Any ideas?
I guess I'm going to de/re install but what messages/addresses will I lose?
I'm also tempted to junk it completely and use the web based option from my host server. Any views on the advantages/disadvantages?
Sorry - lots of questions for a Friday.

kernow

Have you tried restarting your computer?

You would be unluky to lose any messages but it's always best to keep backupe.

A far better mail client is Outlook 2002 or 2003. If you want a web based solution then one using Exchange Server is the best but it will cost. Another option would be an IMAP email server but if everything is on the webb then you can't access it when your connection plays up.

Web-based options are wonderful for security issues. I use BT/Yahoo and my emails 'n stuff are all stored under Mr Yahoo's front porch. No back-ups req'd! I can do what I like with my system and don't have to worry about losing info.

kernow , was waiting for the experts to reply but they are slow. My OE from wanadoo never worked off line , froze as soon as you tried to send a message to the outbox. By trial and error I found that if i went online to receive messages and then composed and sent messages while still online, no problem. I always suspected that the programme wanadoo sent me was faulty but not being very expert I could not find the fault.

Kernow,
Slow Non expert here ! Been verybusy up scaffolding all day (all week in fact)

I dont use OE because its crap !

However it should work, are you sure you are not trying to send a very large email? it might be working but just taking a long while, OE looks as though its hung when that happens. How big is the email you are trying to send?