What's with this 5x dialup stuff?


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I've been noticing a lot of commercials on TV about services that speed up dial-up 5x. First Netzero/Juno had it, then AOL, now Earthlink too. I have DSL, so i'm ok in the internet speed department, but I'm curious nonetheless. Is this just a caching software or something else? Anyone got any info on it?

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basic internet surfing really isnt faster... thats where they mislead... what *might* be faster is stuff like streaming video, java-type stuff and email. Downloads in general will probably only be a little faster. they just improved the algorithms to make streaming stuff a bit faster.

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my bad, not streaming stuff... take a look, this is from netzero's website.

What will be accelerated:

Web pages - HTML markup and JavaScript

Graphics including JPEG and GIF images

Text

E-mail on the Web

What will not be accelerated:

Streaming media, audio and video files

Secure pages, such as those used for online banking and credit card forms

Files and attachments such as music or digital photos.

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yeah, i want to know how this works too... i can't figure it out :blink: i can see text/html compression getting UP TO 5x better, but images will be hardly faster probably, and audio/video should be virtually the same unless there's a new compression method i'm not aware of :huh:

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I'm pretty sure it uses a proxy with cache. I had seen this a few years ago from a company that was allowing you to use a proxy to access a cache on their servers or something.

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There was an article in the Washington Post regarding this, and the writer actually said it worked surpisingly well. He tested the speeds between 5x and normal, and found 5x was significantly, even if not completely 5x, faster. I would post the link, but it's now in the paper's archives and you'd have to pay to see it.

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i believe it also uses its own type of compression, an advanced version of gzip if you will, to encrypt certain types of internet file formats such as HTML. i don't think it has anything to with cache on local servers.

so basically they just compress data to get it to you faster, and decompressing it is faster than downloading it uncompressed.

-----------

and a 56k modem can physically go 54k.

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They just cache your Favourites.

In the UK 2 yrs ago they were calling this "Virtual Broadband" or somesuch.

Why not switch to Offline Browsing and look at the same pages forever, that will be fast........."Virtual Internet"

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They just cache your Favourites.

In the UK 2 yrs ago they were calling this "Virtual Broadband" or somesuch.

Why not switch to Offline Browsing and look at the same pages forever, that will be fast........."Virtual Internet"

post-48-1063120210.jpg

:shifty:

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I've been noticing a lot of commercials on TV about services that speed up dial-up 5x. First Netzero/Juno had it, then AOL, now Earthlink too. I have DSL, so i'm ok in the internet speed department, but I'm curious nonetheless. Is this just a caching software or something else? Anyone got any info on it?

Tim:

?? NetZero HiSpeed accelerates certain web page text and graphics when compared to standard dial-up Internet service. Actual results may vary. Some web pages such as secure or encrypted web pages will not be accelerated. NetZero HiSpeed is not a broadband service and actual data transmission rates are not faster than standard dial-up Internet service. Transmission of files including, without limitation, streaming audio or video, digital photographs, MP3 or other music files, executable files and other downloads, is not faster using NetZero HiSpeed than with standard dial-up service. NetZero HiSpeed may not be compatible with proxy based software or services such as content filters or firewalls. NetZero HiSpeed is only compatible with Platinum service and specified browsers. Not available for Mac.NetZero HiSpeed accelerates certain web page text and graphics when compared to standard dial-up Internet service. Actual results may vary. Some web pages such as secure or encrypted web pages will not be accelerated. NetZero HiSpeed is not a broadband service and actual data transmission rates are not faster than standard dial-up Internet service. Transmission of files including, without limitation, streaming audio or video, digital photographs, MP3 or other music files, executable files and other downloads, is not faster using NetZero HiSpeed than with standard dial-up service. NetZero HiSpeed may not be compatible with proxy based software or services such as content filters or firewalls. NetZero HiSpeed is only compatible with Platinum service and specified browsers. Not available for Mac.
. What is NetZero HiSpeed?

NetZero HiSpeed is an exciting new product from NetZero that accelerates your Web surfing experience using your existing phone jack and modem. NetZero HiSpeed INCLUDES the NetZero Platinum service and requires NO additional equipment and NO waiting! It is the high-speed surfing solution with the convenience of dial-up.

2. What gets Accelerated?

hat will be accelerated    What will not be accelerated 

Web pages - HTML markup and JavaScript

Graphics including JPEG and GIF images

Text

E-mail on the Web

 

Streaming media, audio and video files

Secure pages, such as those used for online banking and credit card forms

Files and attachments such as music or digital photos.

3. How does it work?

Before the text and graphics that make up Web pages get sent to your phone line, NetZero HiSpeed compresses them using a proprietary technology. Less data is sent so your surfing experience is that much faster! In addition, NetZero HiSpeed stores elements of frequently visited Web sites so they load faster on future visits.

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I am not sure if this is what they use, but I know for a fact that there are services you can subscribe to and that will decrease the quality of the material you are viewing at the server level. I.e lower quality jpg or gif, or even monochrome. Thus, giving you the impression of faster internet. I read that in a magazine couple months back.

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There was an article in the Washington Post regarding this, and the writer actually said it worked surpisingly well.  He tested the speeds between 5x and normal, and found 5x was significantly, even if not completely 5x, faster.  I would post the link, but it's now in the paper's archives and you'd have to pay to see it.

No, it's not. See Nice but no substitute for Broadband for more on this.

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I am not sure if this is what they use, but I know for a fact that there are services you can subscribe to and that will decrease the quality of the material you are viewing at the server level. I.e lower quality jpg or gif, or even monochrome. Thus, giving you the impression of faster internet. I read that in a magazine couple months back.

I believe that you are talking about the propel accelerator also mentioned in that washingtonpost article which compresses pictures causing them to appear bad. kind of reminds me to want to go back to normal dialup accelerators. I run on 56K and dont see any speed difference if i apply changes to MTu and all others.... might think about switching to broadband later in the year.

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i work for an isp that provides this. what it does is use the propel accelerator which enables users to connect to our cacheing server in our building. it keeps track of what sites our customers go to and keep most the files and compresses them so it'll get to the user's computer faster. seems to work alright since the people that sign up generally don't cal back to cancel.

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Not even its namesake. :whistle:

Its not a 56 kilobyte modem, its 56 kiloBITS. Makes a bit of difference there.

There are 8 bits to a byte, so

56 kilobits/sec / 8 bits = 7 kilobytes per second.

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Its not a 56 kilobyte modem, its 56 kiloBITS. Makes a bit of difference there.

There are 8 bits to a byte, so

56 kilobits/sec / 8 bits = 7 kilobytes per second.

yeah... we know :huh: what's your point? i haven't seen dial-up get faster than 5kbytes / sec :p besides, staind just posted they're using a proprietary compression algorithm :rolleyes:

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i want to know WHAT is the point in doing this, things like broadband and dsl and all this other fast internet is getting cheaper. eg NTL offer 150k at ?17 when aol offer 56k at a higher price which one would u pick? the cheapest and fastest of course.

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