updates | April 17, 2026

Is dial-up still usable?

Believe it or not, 3% of Americans still used dial-up as recently as a few years ago. In fact, dial-up internet is still available from a handful of providers and might even be the ideal internet service for some users.

How do I setup dial-up?

To configure a dialup connection on your laptop, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Choose Network & Internet.
  3. On the left side of the screen, choose Dial-Up.
  4. On the right side of the screen, choose Set Up a New Connection.
  5. Choose Connect to the Internet and click the Next button.
  6. Choose Dialup.

Does dial-up internet still exist 2020?

Is dial-up internet service still available? Yes, and with a phone line and the right equipment, you can likely get dial-up internet in your area. It’s a great option for those living in rural areas without access to cable or fiber internet and do not want satellite internet.

How fast was dial-up?

56 kbit/s
Modern dial-up modems typically have a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 56 kbit/s (using the V. 90 or V. 92 protocol), although in most cases, 40–50 kbit/s is the norm. Factors such as phone line noise as well as the quality of the modem itself play a large part in determining connection speeds.

How fast is dial-up Internet?

Is dial-up Internet free?

offers totally free internet dialup access to customers in hundreds of US cities — totally free!”

How bad is dial-up internet?

Dial-up is so insanely slow that there’s no way your connection could even download a modern virus. If you’ve got dial-up, you can toss out your anti-viral software and free up some space on your hard drive because your internet connection will, quite frankly, be too terrible to facilitate a virus.

What was dial-up internet speed?

Why is dial-up slow?

Dialup is slower because it uses much less bandwidth than DSL. A modem uses only 4 kHz of the available spectrum, while DSL can use up to 4 MHz, which is 1000 more. DSL also uses more sophisticated modulation techniques.

Is dial-up internet still slow?

Dial-up is one of the slowest kinds of internet you can use. We’re talking roughly 56 Kbps. Now, if all you’re interested in doing online is browsing a couple websites on the weekend or sending a few emails to the grandkids, you probably won’t even notice the internet is slow.