Is NetZero DSL a Good Kind of High Speed Internet?

From the start, NetZero emphasized that it offers the least expensive service. Its DSL service is bargain priced, as well. As with most providers, the advertised fee for the most basic monthly service is rarely the service people actually order. So expect the final monthly fee you chose to cost more than what is advertised. NetZero also charges an additional monthly account maintenance fee. Even when the add-ons are finished, NetZero still ends up on the low end of of the spectrum of cost for DSL Internet service.

While NetZero dial-up service is available nationwide, you have to submit your home phone number to determine whether you are eligible for DSL service with the company. If you are in an area where DSL is offered, you get a startup kit that includes the needed software on a disc. You set it up yourself by following the instructions in the startup kit. Everything works through your existing phone line. It is a true DSL and will not interfere with normal telephone calls.

Most cable and DSL high-speed Internet providers offer different packages with different speeds, measured in Megabits per second, or Mbps. Cable providers routinely offer speeds of 3 or 6 Mbps, with premium packages offering as much as 15 Mbps. DSL providers usually also offer speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps, as does NetZero. However, regardless of how fast the DSL service is, it is limited by the capacity of the line into your home. Think of a water faucet on a 1-inch pipe in your home. It matters little whether the municipal pipe that it is connected to is a 2-inch or 8-inch pipe. By the time it gets into your home, it is coming through a 1-inch pipe. Similarly, the practical speed at which most DSL services can run through a home phone line is 1.5 Mbps, which is sufficient to download movies and music.

NetZero offers free, live customer support at all hours of the day, every day, to its DSL customers. In its dial-up services it has charged $1.95 per minute for live customer support, which has been a source of complaints. The dial-up service does not charge a monthly account maintenance fee, so the inclusion of one with DSL while offering free live support should eliminate that source of discontent. When checking reviews of NetZero, be sure to include both institutional reviews and customer reviews online. Keep in mind that some institutional reviews may have a business connection with NetZero and that customer reviews are usually written by people who have had a problem with the company. Neither type of review will give you a complete picture, but together they will give you an idea of the sorts of problems you might expect to encounter and how to resolve them.