Price
With EarthLink, you get unlimited internet access
for $9.95/month for the first 6 months and $21.95
per month thereafter. Hi-speed Access is available for
$19.95 per month for the first 6 months and $39.99
thereafter (Hi-speed is 13x faster than dial-up service).
You can also bundle EarthLink Unlimited packages with
discounted long-distance telephone service from Sprint. Save
$2 per month when you pay for a year in advance (EarthLink
Pre-paid package). When you bundle Sprint and EarthLink,
Sprint will waive the $5.95-per-month charge each month for
Sprint 7¢ Anytime Long Distance, saving you $71.40 annually.
The bundle also gives you EarthLink Dial-up Internet for 6
months at half price, after which you pay only $21.95 per
month (a savings of $65.82 for the year!)
Trial Period
EarthLink offers a trial of $9.95 per month for the first 6
months of dial-up; $19.95 per month for the first 6 months
of for Hi-speed.
Setup
With EarthLink, there are several different ways in which
you can receive internet service, and therefore several
different ways in which your service must be set up. With
DSL and Cable there is no cost for activation and
installation. For Satellite, however, there is a $349.95
equipment cost, and a $249.95 installation cost. Setup is
easy and automatic with EarthLink's TotalAccess software,
which is available on CD or can be downloaded online. You
also have 24/7 access to customer support for any additional
help that you may require during your setup period.
Access Numbers
EarthLink provides thousands of dial-up access numbers for
access in all states in the U.S., as well as Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. For all other calls made
to international numbers or any other number located outside
of the U.S. or Canada, EarthLink charges $0.15 per minute on
top of what your phone company will charge you for the long
distance fees.
Tech Support
At EarthLink, toll free support is offered and
technical support can also be contacted via e-mail or live
chat 24/7. EarthLink has been known to offer excellent
customer support, which is one of the reasons that they
remain so popular.
Computer Skills Required
Relatively little computer skills are required when
first starting with EarthLink. Activation and installation
is free when you have Dial-Up, DSL, or Cable access. With
satellite, however, there is a fee for these processes. It's
probably for the best anyway, as most people have no idea
how to set up their satellite system for internet access.
Email Addresses
EarthLink provides you with 8 e-mail addresses with
the dial-up service - enough for the whole family - along
with 10MB of web-space per e-mail address (up to a total of
80MB so you can create your own web sites if desired). This
is a huge advantage when compared to other internet
providers, as most only provide you with 1-2 e-mail
accounts.
Cancellation
EarthLink charges a fee for early cancellation of
their services. If you have DSL, then they charge a $149.95
early termination fee. With satellite it's more expensive,
costing you $399.99 to cancel their services.
ISP Plans
Dial-Up: $9.95/month (for 6 months); $21.95/month thereafter
Speed: 5X Accelerated
Hours: Unlimited
Features: VirusBlocker, ScamBlocker,
SpywareBlocker, spamBlocker, Privacy Tools, Parental
Controls Enhanced Search powered by Google, Easy Switch,
EarthLink Personal Start Page, Free Photo Storage, Free
EarthLink Jukebox
For EarthLink ISP
Broadband packages and prices, please see our
EarthLink ISP Broadband Review
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