In order to help you get connected to the Internet as quickly and inexpensively as possible, we have developed a set of Internet Starter Kit providers. These providers, which include a number of local, national, and non-U.S. organizations, have agreed to give Internet Starter Kit readers free Internet access time or special discounts on their services. Even better, we have included custom MacTCP Prep files for each of these providers on the Internet Starter Kit disk.

Note: The information below has been provided by the Internet access providers themselves, so we can't be responsible for any mistakes or changes. Always double-check rates and the like before signing up.

Organizing these providers was fairly tough, since some cover more than one area and some cover the whole country. The information on these pages, along with the discussion in chapter 11, "Choosing a Connection," should be enough for you to figure out which provider you would like to try. What should you look for? To keep your costs down, you probably want to find a provider who you can call with a local phone call, so check the Cities with Access Numbers and Area Codes items. There may be several that you can choose from, so use the other information such as rates and the special Starter Kit promotion to figure out which is most advantageous for you. Also check the national providers pages, because you might actually have lower costs by using one of them. Of course, if there is no local provider listed in your area, one of the national providers may be your best bet. If you don't live in the U.S., check the non-U.S. providers who have agreed to work with us; although this list is relatively small, we hope to make it larger in subsequent editions. Once you have decided on a provider to try, use the contact information and signup process information to sign up with that provider.

Note: Appendix B, "Providers of Commercial Internet Access," contains another list of providers, but there are no special deals or MacTCP Prep files for those providers. With one of them, you are on your own. Still, if you can't find a provider that's right for you in this appendix, check appendix B.

This sounds more complicated than it really is. Don't worry, it isn't that tough. Here's a description of the data you will find for each provider:

The list begins with the providers located on the West coast of the U.S. >From there, the list moves east across the U.S. all the way to the East coast. Next comes U.S. providers that are in Hawaii. After that come providers who cover the entire nation. Last, but certainly not least, are non-U.S. providers.

Note:Remember that coverage areas don't always match geographic locations, so make sure you look over several providers in order to get the best connection for you.


Cinenet Communications, Inc.


EarthLink Network, Inc.


Great Basin Internet Services, Inc.


Leonardo Internet


North Bay Network


Primenet Services for the Internet


zNET


a2i communications


ABWAM, Inc.


CSDC


Europa Communications, Inc.


Internet Connect Services


InterServe Communications, Inc.


LanMinds


MobiusNet


Northwest Nexus Inc.


OlympusNet


Whidbey Connections, Inc.


Exchange Network Services, Inc. (ExchangeNet)


iCON - A Service of Saint Louis Internet Connections


Internet Access Cincinnati


InterAccess Co.


InterSource


IQuest Network Services


Red River Net


Tezcat Communications


Traverse Communication Company


WorldWide Access


Illuminati Online


NeoSoft, Inc.


Angel Networks, Inc.


FishNet, Prometheus Information Corp.


I-2000, Inc.


North Shore Access


Panix Public Access Networks, Corp.


ServiceTech, Inc.


Telerama Public Access Internet


The Internet Access Company, Inc.


UltraNet Communications, Inc.


WestNet Internet Services


Florida Online


Gulf Coast Internet Company


MindSpring Enterprises, Inc.


Internet Interstate


SunBelt.Net


Hawaii OnLine


LavaNet, Inc.


The Portal Information Network


Global OnLine


Helix Internet


internet service and information systems (isis) inc.


Magic Online Services Inc.


SaskTel


iiNet Technologies Pty Ltd


Internode Professional Access


SpaceNet GmbH