Seekng simple, cheap (free) local dialup access in San Diego.

September 29, 2004 12:39 PM

I'll be in San Diego for the Society for Neuroscience conference in late October. My hotel seems to have no ethernet and I would like to be able to go online with my laptop. Any suggestions for simple, cheap (free), local dial up services? Should I get a temporary AOL account (shudder) and use some of those free hours? Suggestions?
posted by garethspor to computers & internet (10 comments total)

I've used Access4Less - $5.95/mo Internet Service Provider
several times over the years. They're the cheapest I could find; and they had many local #s.

I think there was a $8 setup fee. Don't call them - they're a bit nasty and will charge for help. But the rest of it? Cheap as can be.
posted by filmgeek at 1:15 PM on September 29, 2004

EZM.com offers pay-as-you-go dialup access without a monthly fee. They charge five cents a minute with a $10 credit towards the first month's bill, so depending on your usage, it might end up being free. I've used it a few times on various roadtrips and have been happy with it. The software can also connect to ISDN, wired and wireless connections, where available, though the rates are higher, of course.
posted by hootch at 2:33 PM on September 29, 2004

Most convention centers have cheap, fixed-period dialup access. It might cost you $20 or $30 for unlimited Wifi, in the convention center, throughout the convention.

Have you considered that most hotels now charge exorbitantly by the minute for phone calls, including local and toll-free calls? You will find that this quickly becomes prohibitive for dialup use.
posted by ikkyu2 at 2:50 PM on September 29, 2004

i'm betting san diego is pretty set up for access in the rooms, it's a major selling point with some hotel chains. convention information should say, reccommend or tell you where you can access, if it's part of a professional association especially.
i'd like to know about the convention, personally
posted by ethylene at 4:49 PM on September 29, 2004

oy, correction (sorry, typekerflooy):
i'm betting i know someone in san diego who knows. they're pretty set up...

since there are a lot of conventions there, i'm sure there are access points and "day rates" in a sense. i remember something from an old comic con...
posted by ethylene at 4:55 PM on September 29, 2004

I know you mentioned dial-up specifically, but FYI if you can do wireless, you can get online at Panera Bread for free. Just enter the zip code near your hotel and they'll tell you where the closest one is (at least one in San Diego, as far as I can tell).
posted by Harvey Birdman at 6:17 PM on September 29, 2004

San Diego is the "most wired city in the US". I don't think you'll have too much of a problem finding an access point.
posted by LimePi at 8:23 PM on September 29, 2004

Are you SURE the hotel has no ethernet or wifi? I can't imagine a hotel in SD that would host business conferences would be without it. I would call the front desk and ask if you haven't yet.

Hotel tip: they sometimes hide ethernet cables in the closet or make you sign them out at the front desk. I wish I had known this sooner so I'm passing it on.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:11 AM on September 30, 2004

Are you SURE the hotel has no ethernet or wifi? I can't imagine a hotel in SD that would host business conferences would be without it. I would call the front desk and ask if you haven't yet.

nitpick: This isn't a business conference, and it isn't being held at a hotel. It's a neurosciences convention being held at the San Diego convention center. I have a friend that came here a few years ago for it and stayed at a Comfort Inn. From what I saw, it's a bunch of grad students running around with dazed looks in their eyes mumbling "braaaaaaaiinnns....braaaaaaiinnns!!!!"

Another WiFi joint around here is Gelato Vero on India St. at Washington, but that's a ways from where you'll need to be. Other than that I'm totally ignorant about 'puter needs.

*paging Dr. y6y6y6*
posted by LionIndex at 8:50 AM on September 30, 2004

man, i wanna run around mumbling "[comment deleted]"
i want transcripts!

dead positive you can find somewhere to jack in
posted by ethylene at 2:02 PM on September 30, 2004