Usage based dialup

[willemvdm]

Is there any ISP out there that offer some reduced rate on dialup internet for people with low usage, 2 or 3 hours per month?

Alternatively, many years ago I used a service by a company called Tiscali, that charged no monthly fee, but the pop number was something like 088, can't remember now. I used this service just to check for email once or twice a week. They were taken over by mweb and since stopped the service. Is there any other ISP that have something similar?

Or is there perhaps an ISP that offer dialup as part of a prepaid ADSL packadge, where you buy say 1GB and use it over a few months and can also access the 1GB data over dialup.

I've been searching around the net and can't find anything like the above. Anyone know of something like this?

Thanks.

 

[TiredOfWaiting]

I'd suggest Virgin Mobile, 50c/MB and no bundles, so you can use it as much (or little) as you like.

 

[willemvdm]

Isn't the startup cost high for mobile connectivity?

This is for a friend with old P1 PC and no USB.

 

[zaphod]

Another option is Pay-As-You-Use Internet.
(www.payu.co.za)

It is however extremely expensive even for 2-3 hours per month (@ R1.44 per minute).

It is only good for checking you e-mail once a week and not downloading any large attachments.

I do not think these guys are going to be in business for much longer

 

[TiredOfWaiting]

Isn't the startup cost high for mobile connectivity?

This is for a friend with old P1 PC and no USB.

The "NO USB" thing is a problem, yes...

But there's usually no startup cost if your phone is GPRS enabled and you can connect it to your PC... You might be able to get a PCI card that adds USB support, but if it's really a Pentium 1, then I doubt it even has PCI slots...

 

[mh348]

I think MWEB still has the email only option with 3 Hours dialup access per month.

 

[mikef]

Or is there perhaps an ISP that offer dialup as part of a prepaid ADSL packadge, where you buy say 1GB and use it over a few months and can also access the 1GB data over dialup.

AFAIK you can also use your WA prepaid username to obtain dialup access. This certainly was the case about a year ago.

Edit: Just tested - does not look as if it still works

 

[DragonLogos]

Sainet and Imaginet offer low cost dial-up packages - however your friend might be better off going the Virgin mobile route as suggested - regarding the P1 you can either fit a USB card or it might have an on-board in which case you can fit a cable, you can check in the BIOS if it has - P1 will have a PCI slot

next I would recommended the Motorola V360 - You can get one from the Virgin site for about R 800 - it will run with Windows 98 - you will need to get the Motorola phonetools disk and a USB cable with the small fitting on the one end (like the ones the cameras and MP3 players)

it is what I use and get by on R35 a month total cost - you can go on any time of day and you have a nice phone - you can also view and send emails just using the phone for as little as 2c but thats another story

 

[ld13]

I started a thread about this some time ago. I was also looking for an ADSL+Dialup account. Your choices:
Host4 R65pm 1GB ADSL + Dialup
TelkomInternet R79pm 1GB ADSL + Dialup
Sainet R79pm 2GB ADSL + Dialup

Otherwise go the VirginMobile with a Motorola V360 route.

Edit: If you are with Discovery, They have a sub R40 dailup only account that you can try out.

 

[willemvdm]

Thank you for all your suggestions. Seem to me the best option so far would be Sainet Prepaid card. Work out R33 per month and approx. 16 hours per month is more than enough.

Will get my friend to have a look at that option.

Thanks again.

 

[lexor]

If you belong to ABSA you can get it for R40 or Discovery for R35-No limits on online time.

 

[redarrow]

Alternatively, many years ago I used a service by a company called Tiscali, that charged no monthly fee, but the pop number was something like 088, can't remember now. I used this service just to check for email once or twice a week. They were taken over by mweb and since stopped the service. Is there any other ISP that have something similar?

I used to use them as well .. "Tiscali pay as you surf" the dialup number was a cellphone number and you paid cellular rates.. I used to use Vodacom 4U per second billing and only use it after hours.. R1.00 per minute..

Amazingly I used to get along on less than R100.00 per month.. But I only really used it for email and very basic surfing on occasion..

That's the story of how I came to use GPRS and eventually HSDPA as it was released..

 

[mh348]

This service is still available from Mweb, existing mweb members can use their username & pass, non-members can use a guest username & pass:

Username:mwebuser
Password:mwebpass
MTN subscribers: 083-123-6932
Vodacom subscribers: 082-1-6767

Calls are charged at normal voice call rates.
Please note: Free minutes are not included for these GSM PoP services.

*ps. I'm not promoting Mweb, just helping out, I'm an ex-mweb member

 

[neofite]

sainet problems with gmail

I took the advice and tried Sainet prepaid card, which sounds like the best option financially.
However I find that I cannot access my gmail account from my Apple Mail program, the connection times out (and I know the settings are right because I am still able to access it if I use another dial up, like mweb).
Does anyone have an idea how to solve this problem?
Thanx

 

[ld13]

I took the advice and tried Sainet prepaid card, which sounds like the best option financially.
However I find that I cannot access my gmail account from my Apple Mail program, the connection times out (and I know the settings are right because I am still able to access it if I use another dial up, like mweb).
Does anyone have an idea how to solve this problem?
Thanx

ROFLOL!

Sorry..I thought I was the only one.
I had the EXACT same problem! Still have that problem. I'm unable to connect to Gmail via POP with Sainet (using Any email app on planet earth) via Dialup (don’t need the POP on my ADSL - I'll test it someday). I did not want to bother the Sainet support, and saw that I could "fix" this myself much faster.

I sidestepped the problem totally. I "route" the Gmail email via Sainet's own email servers now:

1- I logged into the Web based Gmail account and set up forwarding of all the email the account get, to my Sainet email address.
2- I use the Sainet dailup pop to pull all the "Sainet" mail I get, to the PC.
3- I set up the outgoing email to go via smtp.saix.net, But I put the "Return Address" as my Gmail address.

Thus I am using another email account, without the need to go through all that schlep of telling people that my email address changed. All being done invisibly, behind the scenes, without anyone ever suspecting anything. If you need help setting this up, just give me a shout.

Now I feel better

 

[neofite]

ROFLOL!

I sidestepped the problem totally. I "route" the Gmail email via Sainet's own email servers now:

1- I logged into the Web based Gmail account and set up forwarding of all the email the account get, to my Sainet email address.
2- I use the Sainet dailup pop to pull all the "Sainet" mail I get, to the PC.
3- I set up the outgoing email to go via smtp.saix.net, But I put the "Return Address" as my Gmail address.
Now I feel better

Thanks, that sounds like sounds like a shrewd solution!
I have a problem putting it into practice though, because I only have a dial up card with Sainet, and therefore I do not get a Sainet email address.
I did in the meantime contact their support and they attempted to solve the problem by changing some firewall settings, but it has made no difference.

 

[ld13]

I only have a dial up card with Sainet, and therefore I do not get a Sainet email address.

Oh, I did not know that. My bad.

I did in the meantime contact their support and they attempted to solve the problem by changing some firewall settings, but it has made no difference.

I will email them now too, then they will see that this is not just you having this problem. Lets see what happens...

 

[neofite]

I will email them now too, then they will see that this is not just you having this problem. Lets see what happens...

Hey, I followed it up with Sainet support and today they made a few more changes to their firewalls allowing port 995 (the gmail port) through, so now it works!!!
I'm sure your email must have also made them try harder.

 

[neofite]

oh, forgot to say that for downloading mail through Sainet the gmail settings are fine fine but in order to send you need to change your smtp server from smtp.gmail to smtp.sainet (no authentication).
Thanks again for your help!