AOL to discontinue its dial-up internet service after 34 years

Andyross

An event will take place on September 30 that most people assume happened years ago: AOL will discontinue its dial-up internet service. If you’re wondering just how many dial-up users are still out there, the answer is not many: the figure was “in the low thousands” as of 2021.

https://www.techspot.com/news/109012-aol-discontinue-dial-up-internet-service-after-34.html

HooRU

Some of us were online before AOL, before anything but the most basic early modems. Back in the BBS and Usenet days. I petitioned for SLIP access on my compus and I remember witnessing the beginning of the web with the comp sci students. I said, when I first saw it, that it would take over the world and be about the most important thing to happen. I commented that stores will use this.

Dks01

Bell Canada droped dialup internet in 2020. I have been using dialup since 1988 and the internet since 1992. Anyone remember Trumpet Winsock?

HooRU

Yes

HooRU

I remember in college dreaming of what we have now, truly powerful computers and fiber internet. I wish the entire country had fiber though, it’s well past time for it.

Beachie

Dks01 Anyone remember Trumpet Winsock?

Shudder….

HooRU

How do you find your CO?

Beachie

HooRU How do you find your CO?

https://www.npanxxsource.com/nalennd.php

OmegaWolf747

I never used AOL, but I remember receiving all those CDs in the mail back in the day. Thinking back to the ’90s gets me so nostalgic. My first dialup ISP was Concentric Network. Getting online during those early days was fun and exasperating.

dave

Dks01 Anyone remember Trumpet Winsock?

No, since I had the opinion that an ‘operating system’ without out-of-the-box network support was just a toy. The first computer I personally owned had Windows for Workgroups 3.11, quickly replaced by NT 3.5. (Prio to that I had a terminal which I connected to a VAX or two).

Andyross

My first use of a computer was around 1979/1980 in high-school. Literal dial-up with acoustic modems and Teletype 43’s (and even a 33). First home modem was actually an Apple 1200 baud modem used with a TRS-80 Model III. I hand-typed in some assembly code or something to make it work, but found a TRS-80 BBS (I think it was called Bizarre Bazaar) to get some real terminal software.

Dks01

dave My first computer, an XT, had DOS 3.3. I think I had Win 3.11 on the 386 that succeeded it. I had no ned of networks for many years.

Splitpair

Andyross An event will take place on September 30 that most people assume happened years ago: AOL will discontinue its dial-up internet service.

The first online service I used was CompuServe which was way before AOL.

Many years after they faded away I was working in a phone room which had a backboard filled with 23 Hayes 2400 modems, it turned out to be CompuServe’s Lauderdale dialup connection to a T1/PRI.

It was long out of service and we needed room in there so I unscrewed the back board and another tech and I loaded it onto my company truck, it was all complete, modems, large black plug in power supplies and a couple of outlet strips.

A real cool find.

Astyanax

Splitpair The first online service I used was CompuServe which was way before AOL.

I sooo wanted to join CompuServe but it was insanely expensive for me and my lawn mowing money my dad gave me so I had to settle for lame-a** Prodigy. 😒

egeezer

Somewhere in one of my cabinets I have an acoustic modem I used when I was at IBM. It’s probably in with my Hayes 1200 baud modem.

My first home non-business internet service was dialup to Ohio State’s sponsored Columbus Freenet. No charge for service, but if you had to use lo g distance, your phone bill could be substantial.

https://www.osc.edu/press/columbus_free_net_to_cease_operations_june_30

Astyanax

OmegaWolf747 My first dialup ISP was Concentric Network. Getting online during those early days was fun and exasperating.

Certainly was. I was just starting college then and the school gave me an email address that included my full name and full social with pages of almost incomprehensible instructions on how to connect to the Internet through the university (via long distance from home no less). I remember trying to figure out Chameleon TCP/IP stack with Windows for Workgroups. Took me weeks until that first day when it all finally worked…

OmegaWolf747

Astyanax When you say social, you don’t mean your SSN?! 😱

Astyanax

OmegaWolf747 When you say social, you don’t mean your SSN?!

Yes I do! 🙂

Evidence of simpler, more innocent times.

InternetJeff

Astyanax I sooo wanted to join CompuServe but it was insanely expensive for me and my lawn mowing money my dad gave me so I had to settle for lame-a** Prodigy. 😒

I still have my working CompuServe email address, but I don’t use it for anything important anymore.

OmegaWolf747

Astyanax Wow! Kinda reminds me of how I used to put my birthday in my online forum profiles. I loved getting the “happy birthday” emails (they made me feel special). I don’t do that anymore! :-D