Moving to AOL from Zen

I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I am
always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I always
download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been with them and
they have always answered their support line quickly and passed the issues
onto BT (in both cases).
Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
A realise AOL had a bad press a couple of years ago with regard to tying you
in to using their own proprietary browser and connection software but I
believe that's not now the case? There is also no minimum contract if I use
a 'compatible modem' and not request the freebie they provide. I've got a
Netgear DG834G v2 wireless router, I see on the AOL website, this is listed
as a compatible router, has anyone had any experiences using it with AOL?
Will AOL simply provide me with all the technical details i need to connect,
rather than any automated software configuration? I prefer to set everything
up myself.
Thanks for any experiences.
J

JB wrote:
> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen,
> I am always connected and my download speeds are always as expected
> (I always download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've
> been with them and they have always answered their support line
> quickly and passed the issues onto BT (in both cases).
> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month,
> unlimited upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
> A realise AOL had a bad press a couple of years ago with regard to
> tying you in to using their own proprietary browser and connection
> software but I believe that's not now the case? There is also no
> minimum contract if I use a 'compatible modem' and not request the
> freebie they provide. I've got a Netgear DG834G v2 wireless router, I
> see on the AOL website, this is listed as a compatible router, has
> anyone had any experiences using it with AOL? Will AOL simply provide
> me with all the technical details i need to connect, rather than any
> automated software configuration? I prefer to set everything up
> myself. Thanks for any experiences.
> J

You can use any router, you don't need to install any AOL software. AOL is
brillo - you will not regret it.

email me for specifics.

--
huLLy
Big K and now the (Sergeant) Fuller Effect - ain't life grand!
Tel: 07976 123278
villageidiot(at)sheepandmeths.co.uk
ICQ 136-987-925

JB wrote:
> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I am
> always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I always
> download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been with them and
> they have always answered their support line quickly and passed the issues
> onto BT (in both cases).
> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
> upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
> A realise AOL had a bad press a couple of years ago with regard to tying you
> in to using their own proprietary browser and connection software but I
> believe that's not now the case? There is also no minimum contract if I use
> a 'compatible modem' and not request the freebie they provide. I've got a
> Netgear DG834G v2 wireless router, I see on the AOL website, this is listed
> as a compatible router, has anyone had any experiences using it with AOL?
> Will AOL simply provide me with all the technical details i need to connect,
> rather than any automated software configuration? I prefer to set everything
> up myself.


Using AOL here and I find it to be excellent. Always maximum speed and
so far it's been reliable. Put the order through on Friday evening and
it was working by Monday evening (I couldn't believe it either) Also
since it was obviously before they thought we were using it it seemed to
get 2mbps (on 1mbps silver package) - still syncs at 2272kbps but
downloads definately are now at bang on 1mbps.

Paying £14.99/mo for first 6 months, no minimum term. Software hasn't
been near the machine!

Also used my own router...
If the router doesn't have a profile for AOL, you can set it up but the
MTU must be set to 1400 (and not the normal 1500)

On 18-Jun-2006, "JB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I am
>
> always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I always
> download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been with them
> and
> they have always answered their support line quickly and passed the issues
>
> onto BT (in both cases).
> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
> upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
> A realise AOL had a bad press a couple of years ago with regard to tying
> you
> in to using their own proprietary browser and connection software but I
> believe that's not now the case? There is also no minimum contract if I
> use
> a 'compatible modem' and not request the freebie they provide. I've got a
> Netgear DG834G v2 wireless router, I see on the AOL website, this is
> listed
> as a compatible router, has anyone had any experiences using it with AOL?
> Will AOL simply provide me with all the technical details i need to
> connect,
> rather than any automated software configuration? I prefer to set
> everything
> up myself.
> Thanks for any experiences.
> J

As I understand it, you can avoid using AOL's browser etc by just using your
AOL name & password to log on to the Internet with your router then use the
browser of your choice. There isn't any need to install the AOL stuff if you
don't want to.
Something else to consider is that AOL are for sale, the package might be
unlimited at the moment but there's a good chance that the T&C's will change
under a new owner. Check how long you're signing up for.

--
jpnews

jpnews wrote:


> As I understand it, you can avoid using AOL's browser etc by just using your
> AOL name & password to log on to the Internet with your router then use the
> browser of your choice. There isn't any need to install the AOL stuff if you
> don't want to.
> Something else to consider is that AOL are for sale, the package might be
> unlimited at the moment but there's a good chance that the T&C's will change
> under a new owner. Check how long you're signing up for.
>

As the OP says there's no minimum contract if you use your own
equipment. Though it's not well advertised. Personally I think 1MB
(bit of a basic speed now but enough for me...) for £14.99 (for first 6
months) is a bargain. It's same price as tiscali, only faster, no
minimum term and truly unlimited!

That said I use it as a 'bare bones' ISP. Don't use their email, use
another provider (well actually a couple) for Usenet, but I can't fault
them.

I do a lot of streaming and therefore my usage is around 50GB/mo.

On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 10:48:09 +0100, "JB" <(E-Mail Removed)> said:

> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month,
> unlimited upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.

There are rumours in the press:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/15/aol_access/

| AOL mulls sale of European access business
| Maybe, maybe not...
| By Tim Richardson
| Published Thursday 15th June 2006 10:40 GMT

| AOL may be prepared to flog the internet access part of its business
| in Europe, but insists its whole operation is not up for sale.

....

Many good UK ISPs have gone down the pan after being bought out.

--
Alan J. Wylie http://www.wylie.me.uk/
"Perfection [in design] is achieved not when there is nothing left to add,
but rather when there is nothing left to take away."
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 10:57:20 GMT, Loz <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>JB wrote:
>> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
>> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I am
>> always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I always
>> download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been with them and
>> they have always answered their support line quickly and passed the issues
>> onto BT (in both cases).
>> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
>> upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
>> A realise AOL had a bad press a couple of years ago with regard to tying you
>> in to using their own proprietary browser and connection software but I
>> believe that's not now the case? There is also no minimum contract if I use
>> a 'compatible modem' and not request the freebie they provide. I've got a
>> Netgear DG834G v2 wireless router, I see on the AOL website, this is listed
>> as a compatible router, has anyone had any experiences using it with AOL?
>> Will AOL simply provide me with all the technical details i need to connect,
>> rather than any automated software configuration? I prefer to set everything
>> up myself.
>
>
>Using AOL here and I find it to be excellent. Always maximum speed and
>so far it's been reliable. Put the order through on Friday evening and
>it was working by Monday evening (I couldn't believe it either) Also
>since it was obviously before they thought we were using it it seemed to
>get 2mbps (on 1mbps silver package) - still syncs at 2272kbps but
>downloads definately are now at bang on 1mbps.
>
>Paying £14.99/mo for first 6 months, no minimum term. Software hasn't
>been near the machine!
>
>Also used my own router...
>If the router doesn't have a profile for AOL, you can set it up but the
>MTU must be set to 1400 (and not the normal 1500)

Actually they changed the recommended MTU to 1450 quite a while ago -
and very recently they have made changes in the network that mean it
is not nessecary now even to set it to 1450, instead you can let it
auto configure to 1492 (on PPPoE) and it should work fine.

Moonshine wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 10:57:20 GMT, Loz <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
>> Also used my own router...
>> If the router doesn't have a profile for AOL, you can set it up but the
>> MTU must be set to 1400 (and not the normal 1500)
>
> Actually they changed the recommended MTU to 1450 quite a while ago -
> and very recently they have made changes in the network that mean it
> is not nessecary now even to set it to 1450, instead you can let it
> auto configure to 1492 (on PPPoE) and it should work fine.

Ah right, I never heard about that. Thanks.

"JB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4495215b$0$4874$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I am
> always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I always
> download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been with them
> and they have always answered their support line quickly and passed the
> issues onto BT (in both cases).
> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
> upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
>
Tiscali is far better value than AOL.

"john mason" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2wflg.60698$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "JB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:4495215b$0$4874$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I'm looking at moving from Zen as it's simply to expensive. I'm on the
>> unlimited 1Meg for £29.99 a month. I can't complain at all about Zen, I
>> am always connected and my download speeds are always as expected (I
>> always download over 100K/sec). I've had two problems since i've been
>> with them and they have always answered their support line quickly and
>> passed the issues onto BT (in both cases).
>> Anyway, I'm tempted by the AOL Gold package for £24.99 a month, unlimited
>> upto 2Meg as I want a truly unlimited service.
>>
> Tiscali is far better value than AOL.
>
>

I thought there were many people unhappy with the performance of Tiscali? I
would rather pay a bit more (although not as much as Zen) for better
performance, and being not tied to a 12 month contract.