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Getting on the Net at HomeIf you have a computer at home, or are considering getting one, chances are you'll be looking into some sort of Internet access. There are many different ways by which you can connect to the Internet from the Tuscaloosa area. You should be able to find one that fills your requirements for availability, speed, and cost. The University offers free Internet access to its faculty, staff, and students through UA Dialup. This service allows full access to University online resources, including library databases, bama account tools, and other material that is restricted to "on-campus use only." In order to use this service, a bama account name and password is required. For this reason the UA Dialup service is available only to faculty, staff, and students of the University, not to their families. Also, to ensure the availability of the service, each connection to the UA Dialup service is limited to a maximum of 90 minutes. There are no limits on the number or frequency of connections each user can make. UA Dialup lines support connection speeds up to 33.6 kbps. For instructions on getting connected to UA Dialup, go to the UA Dialup Web page at helpdesk.ua.edu/internet/dialup or call the HelpDesk (348-2435). If you need more service than UA dialup can provide, or if you are looking for Internet access for your family, you should investigate other dialup Internet Service Providers (ISPs). West Alabama has a few local ISPs, and many of the national providers have local access numbers in Tuscaloosa as well. You can compare providers based on monthly cost, setup or connection fees (if any), connection availability, access speeds, number of e-mail accounts, and whether they allow personal Web sites. Also, if you will need Internet access while traveling, you may want a provider with local numbers in the places you will be going. Another major comparison point is whether the ISP provides content as well. Some providers simply supply the connection to the Internet, allowing you to run the browser (e.g. Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) you wish. Others, such as America Online or MSN, supply their own content as well. When starting to compare ISPs, check the Web page helpdesk.ua.edu/internet/isp.shtml for names and Web addresses of providers in the Tuscaloosa area. New to the Tuscaloosa area is high-speed home Internet access. Comcast@Home, BellSouth, and dbTechnology have plans that provide high-speed Internet access on demand. Connections such as these don't tie up your phone line. While these services generally cost more than dialup Internet service, they are an alternative for those families that need faster Internet access. For information about Comcast@Home's cable modem service, please see www.comcastonline.com. Further information about BellSouth's and dbTechnology's DSL plans can be found on their Web sites, www.bellsouth.net and www.dbtech.net, respectively. |
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