Best ISPs to connect to the Internet

[DenverDave]

We all have domains on servers or will in the future. Some will want to send mail as myName@myDomain.com . What are the best options for ISPs to connect to the internet that allow programs such as Outlook express to send using third party email servers on our servers???

AOL - used to work, but has stopped working for my clients to send email through our servers email server. We thought Aol Commander, a free download, solved this, but the client does not like the look of it and it may have also stopped for email sending. Never liked the proprietary connection approach anyway.

Earthlink - used to recommend as a good alternative, but now HATE because of how they mess with the browser.

MSN - Too many proprietary issues with how they connect, or perhaps I don't understand it. Do NOT what ISP changing the browser's default settings.

ISP.com - thought I had a possibility here, but they said they do not support 3rd party email servers. After my call, I wondered if my question was understoood.

Netzero - have used free service and recommended for years, really don't like the tool bar for the paid service.

Isn't there a plain vanila connect to the internet ISP out there that is reasonably national, with reasonable rates and reliability, don't use proprietary approaches or change browser default settings that we can recommend to our clients to access the internet and send mail as myName@myDomain.com using programs such as Outlook Express?

<sigh> Dave

[JRMillion]

Well personally I require Broadband, so I ditched dial-up a long time ago.
AOL, due to its size probably has the most access numbers...
I have seen ads on TV for peoplepc.com who claims to have more numbers than AOL, might be BS... who knows.
With more public places and hotels offering free or cheap internet access, the need for local dial-up numbers everywhere is falling.
And, there are a number of higher speed wireless networks rolling out that will over broadband speed of digital cellular networks...

That said, check out peoplepc.com and see what its about. You could also try ATT, I know they used to offer dialup, but they may have stopped.

[jmweb]

Level3 has to be one of the best connections avaliable to use, with one of the biggest networks in the states I can not say enough good things about them.

[FSUchucky3]

dave,

i might be completely missing the point, so please feel free to correct me.

cant you install an email client on your website and then configure it appropriately? for example, we have squirrelmail, horde, and neomail installed via my webhost. then your client can log on via any dialup service, and then access his/her webmail from their own website.

im sure there are commercial email clients available if you want something with support, those are just free examples.

good luck,
chuck

[groobash]

The problem is that some of those ISPs block port 25 to stop spammers, and everyone else suffers because of it. Unfortunately, it's tough to figure out which ones do before you sign up. To this day, MSN support denies that they're blocking port 25, but all three of my clients who had MSN had to be moved to smaller local dialup ISPs for exactly that reason.

Web based email typically works, as it uses port 80, but if you clients want something like Outlook, it's just not the same.

[FSUchucky3]

i a very light outlook user and havent touched it in a year or so, but, in about 3 minutes i have found a couple web-based php email clients that look very professional and provide support. i would venture to say that they have most options that 80% of outlook users need. on top of that, users can check their email from the office and home...

check out HiveMail, SocketMail Pro, and V-Webmail (didnt see a support option on this one). FYI, i found these at hotscripts.com

Hive and Socket have very very attractive GUIs and seem to have alot of regular options - email, calendar, address book, search, archive mail. actually, after looking closer at Socket, it really looks like a solid product with lots of flexibility. however, i've never used it, just suggesting you check it out.

good luck,
chuck

[DenverDave]

We do have web based email active and the client is falling back on it, but they prefer to use Outlook or Outlook express for their email (I do this also), because of the ability to review and save emails offline.

Since I have clients in many locations, it would be easier to recommend one national service rather than have each client research local ISP's.

I don't want to use the ISP's email server, we want to be able to send email to the server that hosts the domain as myName@MyDomain.com

Thank you for the replies.

Dave

[DenverDave]

I was in Wal-mart and saw a cd for a free month trial of Wal-mart Connect which is 9.94 for unlimited use after the trial, so I decided to give it a try.

Although disguised at first (or I would have not tried it), the software is somehow related to AOL The first things that caught me as unusual, is that we have to give a credit card up front even for the trial and an 888 number was given for customer service and if need to cancel - why not ability to cancel on line? (see article link below).

Several things were good.

(1) The software installed easily from the cd, but took a while and connected fine. (I would prefer no installation, just supply the phone #, logon, password and settings.)

(2) We have been struggling with Aol for 6 months (worked before then) to do domain email using Outlook Express with poor intermittent success. Wal-mart connect used the domain emails first try ... we'll actually second try, but must have been my settings. So points here. (hope they do not change their security like aol did)

(3) Pretty fast although does stall occassionally. Interesting compression on images, which is generally nice and is not an extra fee, but would be nice to be able to turn off. phpMyAdmin exports were over twice as fast as my current approch.

Bad things observed:
(1) I hope I don't run into the strong arm tactics mentioned in this article:
http://familyinternet.about.com/cs/f...martconnec.htm
which seems to be right on track with the items I have been able to verify so far.

(2) There is an accelerator in volved which does not seem to extend to FTP. FTP was very slow compared to my Ricochet modem approach, but not sure how it compares to my dial-up approach.

(3) Outlook express worked fine with domain email and picking up email from other isps, but I'm not sure if or how it will work for the Wal-mart connect email.

(4) I thought it would work, but the article was right, the home office lan internet sharing does not work.

I'm looking for a national dial-up to recommend to clients, so I'll do a little more testing and ask about the Outlook Express access, but right now I'm leaning towards other providers:

(1) http://www.cognifast.com - have to have an affiliate id or fight your way through - anyone know how this program actually works?

(2) http://www.surfbest.net - sounds interesting, but really dislike all the network choices - why are all not available?

(3) http://peoplepc.com - This looks interesting, too bad they start in a hole being related to earthlink. Support said domain email would not work, but I'm not sure they really understood what I was trying to do. Tempting to give it a try.

Here is another detailed discussion on Wal-mart connect - good and bad:
http://www.freedomlist.com/forum/vie...4963&start=180

Other national isp candidates?