Freeserve: the ISP review

Advantages: Free. Solid.
Disadvantages: Prone to being too busy

...Freeserve was not the first free ISP. Freeserve was the first free ISP to make it big, it opened the flood gates that held the British public back from the Internet and for that we should thank it. Freeserve had two big advantages at the start; 1) The free Freeserve CD being handed out with every computer bought at a wide range of established computer retailers around the country. 2) The support and backing of a big company that eliminated the need for annoying adverts to crowd your screen whenever you logged in. Despite the backing from the parent company, Freeserve operates on a razor edge of a budget. It operates there very well but you can tell when things are starting to get scary. Freeserve was swamped due to its initial success. It simply did not have the capacity to cope with all the users. Quickly enough (But too slow...

Manx 05.09.2000 · Read review
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Review of freeserve.com

Freeserve is the UK's NO.1 ISP for good reason

Advantages: Fast, cheap, Reliable...
Disadvantages: none really

...you can try, I tried several places and it would only give me the one number?.If you tell it you have lost some of your internet data then it will supply the number for you?..I emailed Freeserve and they agree I can connect using both numbers?far more reliable than BT. If you want it then rate my Op and ask? If the 2 hour cut off bothers you for downloading big files then download a free download manager such as DAP which has multiple connections to download faster and also resumes after disconnecting? So whilst I initially thought that Freeserve had an image of not so good, possibly because they, like the ZX81, brought something to the masses, the ZX81 brought computing whilst Freeserve brought the Internet. I?m not posh in any way nor try to be but if everyone is using Freeserve then the speeds must be lower than other ISP?s who...

Johnsie 13.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of Freeserve Anytime

Doo Not

Advantages: There seems to be a temporary improvement at the moment - but its a case of too little too late
Disadvantages: I don't think they understand the concept of "Service"

...Once upon a time there was a woman who had a good quality internet connection. She then moved and opted for Freeserve "Anytime" package. After a few months of difficulties and then an even shorter amount of time with a good quality service it all went downhill. Not even its new incarnation as Wanadoo could give this story a happy ending. When Freeserve first came on the market they were an absolute godsend. As one of the first Internet Service Providers to charge its users at local rates they helped to bring down the cost of the internet for the average man on the street. As my parent's still use the internet relatively infrequently, they still find this the most cost effective way to access the internet. For them Freeserve has been a happy story. A few years ago they had a few months of difficulties dialing up, but other than...

ickkate 15.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)

Emily can't attend ciao today, signed Wanadoo!

Advantages: Fast - when it is working
Disadvantages: 12 month contract, broken promises, no service

...We chose Wanadoo Broadband (previously Freeserve) as when we connected in October ?03, the price of £27.99 was one of the cheapest around and we were already using Freeserve?s Dial-Up service. We were connected within a couple of weeks and had no problems with the service until we moved home and tried to move our Broadband connection with us. Having Broadband was like a breath of fresh air - no waiting for dial up to connect us, you can use your phone at the same time, high speed internet access and it is easy to install the modem yourself. To connect to Wanadoo you have to ensure that you have a USB port, a BT phoneline, a suitable debit or credit card and Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 Professional or XP. Mac OS 8.6 or higher. Wanadoo's £27.99 internet package gives you a speed of 512K, which I have always found more than...

emilyo 14.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)

I "WANADOO" IT

Advantages: RELIABLE SERVICE.
Disadvantages: A LITTLE EXPENSIVE.

..., I would say that this runs out to be expensive. WOULD I RECOMMEND THEM ? I would recommend Wanadoo and shall watch with interest what they offer their freeserve customers. They have said that freeserve customers can keep their email addresses which is a good start, although their package costs in the UK will have to be competitive if they want to win as they do at present in France. For technical expertise, as against AOL, I would rate them five stars. They technical line people are expert and help enormously the user who really does not know what they are doing. MY ADVICE Wanadoo are a renowned name across Europe and are new to the UK, so people will be wary. They are a huge corporation and want to corner the European market, and I believe that users should keep an eye on Wanadoo as being an affordable option for their...

thingywhatsit 23.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)

Blazing Modems- Wanadoo ADSL. NOW A 1MB SERVICE!!

Advantages: Fast, fast, fast, fast, cheap, fast, did I mention the speed yet?
Disadvantages: 12 month contract, 2 GB bandwidth cap

.... The situation for me was made worse by having a superdoopermegaspeedy office connection, which only highlighted the trauma of putting up with the dial-up at home. Restraint was needed, it would do no one any good if I really did sling the whole lot out of the window would it? Enter Wanandoo, the artist formerly known as Freeserve. The ad that hooked me was actually at the bottom of a review I was reading on Ciao?it works then (take note marketing peeps). 512k broadband for 17.99 a month...hmmm, clicks the ad, no set-up fees?hmmm?free modem?extra hmmm?not a lot more than I pay for unlimited dial-up?one more time?hmmm. Legging it downstairs to get my bank details I arrive gasping at the PC and begin to sign up, before they change their mind! All going well till the final page when I?ve filled in my card details and the next page fails to...

Muddy250 12.05.2004 (26.08.2004) · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)

Freeserve - An Internet connection made easy.

Advantages: Full range of different packages available
Disadvantages: Can be quite expensive

...When I first bought a computer back in 1996 I signed up with AOL, mainly because I was a complete Internet novice there was an Icon on my desktop. I stuck with AOL for about 6 months before I became aware that there were cheaper ISP?s out there. Following a recommendation from a friend I signed up with Freeserve. Initially opting for their No Ties service since back in those days? unlimited packages were more or less non-existent. When Freeserve launched their Unlimited packages I had no hesitation in joining there Home Ties package where I paid £9.99 a month for unlimited access during off peak hours. This suited me fine since I did not get home from work until after 6PM anyway. This off-peak access enabled me to connect Monday ? Fridays from 6PM ? 8AM the following morning and all day Saturday and Sundays. It was also valid...

micksheff 03.08.2003 · Read review
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Review of Freeserve

Freeserve My Introduction to Chatrooms

Advantages: Make Friends, Easy to Download.
Disadvantages: Addiction and Idiots!

...Freeserve are and have always been my ISP. On the whole Freeserve/Wanadoo is a very informative easy to use server. My Review concentrates on the Chatroom as that is what I have most experience in. I first used the chatroom's in the year 2000. Getting to Freeserve/Wanadoo Chat: When you log onto the Freeserve/Wanadoo home page you are met with a huge quantity of options. First go to the left hand column and select 'chat and forums' then go again to the left hand column and select 'chat'. You are then met with several options on this page. These are to do with what age group or peer group you'd like to converse with. Select say for example '40 somethings'. This takes you directly to the log in page, for the first time ever you'll have to register a nickname and your email address this enables Freeserve/Wanadoo to send you a password...

Multtinems 20.08.2004 (22.12.2004) · Read review
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Review of freeserve

Breaking up is hard to Wanadoo

Advantages: popular, easy to set up
Disadvantages: easy to upset customers, terrible customer service

...This is a really weird opinion to write. I am writing as someone who, very recently, broke up a longstanding relationship. It was acrimonious and I didn't want to have to, but I did it, because I knew that in the long run I would be better off. Let me take you back... In 1998 I joined the internet revolution with my trusty Pentium 166 computer and my 33k modem. After a brief flirtation with another ISP, I settled down into a cosy relationship with Freeserve, as it was the first ISP to offer just call charges with no monthly subscription. Life with Freeserve was bliss. Well, it had to be, as I met my wife on the internet. Reasonably fast connection and all that jazz. In 2000 we joined up with 'Unlimited Freeserve'. a service that gave us cheaper phone calls and a 24/7 charge free internet service. Life, as you can imagine, was...

Nolly 11.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)

Wanadoo Broadband?

Advantages: Easy to set up, cheap, works great
Disadvantages: 2 GB download limit, Filters may pose you a problem if you use an extension.

...About two weeks ago, I finally decided that it was time to move on to broadband putting an end to my existing dial-up contract with BT and enagaging the services of Wanadoo (formerly Freeserve). A change for the better? Without doubt. I came across Wanadoo having picked up a free CD at my local Dixons (these CD's are available at almost any electrical store curry's, dixon's etc.) and after doing research on other ISP's, decided this was the one for me. Why? Well it's the cheapest one around for a start (£17.99 a month with free modem and self-installation) and despite the 2GB a month cap on downloads, it sat well above the rest. Compare it with BT Basic for instance which is available for £19.99, has a 1GB download limit and is restricted to one PC only (so you can't network other computers around the house). It's a similar story...

daks 08.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)