Even though I have a 56k/v90 modem, 99% of the time I can only connect at 24Kbps because I have NetZero. I live out in the country, and because of line noise, that's why I can only connect at that speed. I can occasionally connect at 45,333bps, but NetZero usually disconnects me about 30 minutes later. I cannot get DSL or Cable, but Wireless internet is available at $50/month, most likely about 10 times faster than dial-up. I had Juno for a little while (paid) and nearly all the time connected at 45,333bps, and even if I connected at 26,400 it was still fast. So, during that time, I downloaded some old versions of OS's that were compiled from 1981-1995 (120MB worth) Now, a 5MB download will take about 3hrs or so.