I have a client who has around 20 standalone (non-networked) PCs in a training room, and who wants to enable dial-up Internet access on each machine.

I'm aware of dial-up providers, such as dialupusa, who will sell me individual dial-up accounts. But in this case, one client needs 20 dial-up accounts, all of them located in the same place, and all of them using the same access number, probably at the same time.

It's not feasible for me to charge my client for 20 separate accounts. Does anyone know of a dial-up provider who can provide the access that I need for one monthly rate?

Thanks!

LordBob

Why isn't it feasible to charge for 20 seperate accounts? They'll need 20 phone lines too. If they have a room with 20 computers and 20 phone lines they must have some money.

Of course it would be cheaper to just network the computers and share a dsl connection. Does this customer really have a need for dialup accounts for each computer? I really can't see anyone selling a single cheap dialup account and allowing 20 concurrent logins on it. If that really is what they need, I hope that you can find a reasonably-priced solution for them.

-Joe

The best I can do on 20 dial-up accounts is around $250/month, and they won't pay that much. Their max is around $100-125. I was hoping to find a dial-up provider who can give me the service I need for under $100/month.

I agree that a network is the best solution, but they won't do that, either. Small town!

LordBob

I'm not sure if it's meant to be this way, but I can connect multiple computers (6) to the same number with the same gosignup account. I don't know if I could get 20 for sure, but I bet it'd work. we pay #21.95 a month. I'm pretty sure their URL is just http://www.gosignup.com

Originally posted by LordBob
I agree that a network is the best solution, but they won't do that, either. Small town!Yeah, you wouldn't want to have a network in a small town!

Just kidding. But too bad once in a while you get stuck with a client with whom logic doesn't work. As Joe52 points out, they'll have to be paying for 20 phone lines anyway. Put in a simple network and one DSL, or cable, or even ISDN connection and they'd save money. Unless what they're training people to do in that training room is to use dialup accounts, then their approach might make sense. :)

I've got a happy ending: after a lot of teeth-gritting and repeated chants of 'But are you sure?', my client is caving in to a simple network and DSL. I think he's going to trade in his Edsel, too.

I appreciate the help, guys.

By the way, I visited gosignup.com, and the first thing I saw was a great deal for dial-up: $9.95 per month. Not bad. But why is that little asterisk next to the offer? Could there be a catch? Of course. To get the $9.95 per month rate, you have to pay for a year of dial-up in advance ($119.40). Otherwise, the rate is $21.95 per month. And the TOS limits usage to 150 hours per month, with $1.50/hour charged for each hour over the limit.

What's the best rate for unlimited monthly dial-up (national access) that anyone here has found?

Thanks!

LordBob

Cable Broadband would be better in sharing 20 CPU at the same time.