How To Get Free Internet Access: Ways The Public Can Get Online Honestly

Is it really possible to get free Internet access? In a word, yes. Howbeit, the free Internet sources I'm going to mention do have limitations. They may not be the best Internet access in the the world, but they’re sufficient and best of all they’re FREE! I got the idea to write this hub (article) because a hubber I follow is leaving leaving HubPages because they can no longer afford Internet access due to the bad economy we're in. Times are very hard. However, I don't think anyone has to leave all together. There are ways to get online free.

Free Internet offered as a customer courtesy.

Businesses Offer Free WiFi Internet Access. Many places such as cafes, book shops, or even car repair shops offer free wireless Internet access as a customer courtesy.

If you have a wireless equipped laptop computer, you can get online free and spend some leisure time using the Internet while being serviced. To take advantage of this source of free Internet service just contact the business and ask if they offer this service.

McDonald's is only one of the many restaurants that provide free WiFi Internet service. Go to McDonald's website to see if your local McDonald's is one of the 11,000 participating locations. Would you like to have free Internet with your Big Mac meal?

Many public libraries have gone high tech. Just as some businesses offer free wireless Internet access for it's customers, your public libraries does too -- for you. Just take your wireless equipped laptop computer with you and get online free. Take advantage of it. Your tax dollars are paying for it. (I know, you're saying it's not really free then, but you know what I mean.) Your local public library is a better setting where you can spend hours without feeling obligated to leave. It's definitely more quiet and comfortable there too.

The library also has desktop computers for patrons to use free of charge. My local library has a full computer lab and many other desktop computers for both the children's area and the adult section. The Internet access is broadband. There are several library branches in my county where I can go and use the Internet for free. The process might be different at your local library, but this is how it works at mine. A library card is required. It's easy to sign up for one though. To use the Internet, you just walk in, pick out an available computer, swipe your library card in a reader and log on to the Internet. Availability is on a first come, first serve basis. There are time limits on using the computers though if there are a lot of people wanting to get on. The time limit is usually 2 hours. Going to the library at a time when fewer people will be there is a good idea. You get more time on the computer. If you use the library’s computer for free Internet access, you should clear the browser history and cookies before leaving the computer to protect your privacy.

To get free Internet access provided by your local public library, contact them to find out how to get started. Or, do a Google search for your local public library. They probably have a website with the information you need on how to get started there.

You can enjoy free Internet access from the comfort of your own home. To get online, simply sign up for a free account. When the Internet was relatively new, many people believed Internet access should be free for the general consumer. They believed that advertisers and businesses should pay for the cost of operating the Internet. Their thought was that just as someone who owns a radio does not have to pay for listening to a radio station, people who have access to a computer should not have to pay for Internet access; the advertisers should.

There used to be tons of free Internet service providers, but since the growth and greater accessibility of broadband Internet service most of these companies have either gone out of business or now charge a small fee for their dial up Internet access. NetZero is perhaps the largest free Internet service provider still in business. They have a paid service, but still offer limited free Internet service. You can sign up for free. No credit card nor any kind of payment information is required.

I signed up for a free dial up Internet account as a back up for my broadband service. If my broadband service goes down for service upgrades, or any other kind of outage I will have Internet access. I don’t know about you, but I am kinda lost without Internet service. NetZero's free Internet service doesn’t cost me anything. I’ll take the free dial up service, even though it’s slow and I only get 10 free hours per month. I warn up front. It is slow if you’re used to fast broadband Internet service. Just realize this is FREE dial up access and it's limited.

First things first. The hardware: Plug one end of a phone line jack into the receptor in the wall. Then plug the other phone jack into the modem jack on your computer.

Go to NetZero.net free Internet sign up page and follow the steps. Signing up is fast and easy.

1. Create an account by creating a login, password, and security question.

2. Key in member information including your name, address, and phone number.

3. Confirm the information. Install & run the NetZero dial up software.

Please be sure to read all of the terms and conditions of the account. You will be provided a list of phone numbers for dial up service. You will be responsible for long distance phone charges if there are no local phone numbers available in your area. I didn’t have any problems with this. There are lots of local numbers in my area. There might not be any in your area, so please be aware of this. Also, you have only 10 hours per month. Watch your time spent online. I read that NetZero will let you know if you get close to the 10 hour limit and warn you that you will be charged a small fee for each hour you go over 10.

Note: I remind you, this is free dial up Internet access and it will definitely be slow, especially if you’re used to the speed of broadband Internet.

Having free dial up service is worth it to me because if my broadband access goes down, slow Internet access is better than NO Internet service at all.

What do you think?

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