Speed Up Your Browser in Seconds

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Chris Chase

Whether you use DSL, high-speed Cable, or dial-up connections to surf the Internet, your connection speed is only one of several factors that can affect how fast webpages load in your browser. The size of your temporary Internet files (also called your “cache”), is also important.

A cache is the spot in your computer where your browser temporarily stores info from the web pages you visit (like images). The cache allows web pages you revisit to load faster (since your computer already has the images and doesn’t need to re-download them to show you the page). Because of this, setting your browser store more temporary Internet files (giving it a bigger cache) can speed up how fast webpages appear when you revisit them. (This increased speed of loading revisited pages is especially noticeable for dial-up Internet users.)

Here is how to increase your cache in Internet Explorer:

1. Click the Tools icon (gear icon in upper right on the latest version of IE) and select Internet Options.
2. From the Browsing history section (on the General tab), click the Settings button.
3. Click the radio button next to Automatically and increase the Disc space to use amount to at least 250 MB (more if your computer has lots of space).
4. Click the OK button to save your changes, then OK again to close Internet Options.

Here is how to increase your cache in Firefox:

PC Users: Click on the Firefox button > Options > Advanced
Mac Users: Click on Firefox Menu > Preferences > Advanced
In the center “Offline Storage” section, select “Override automatic cache management”
Then, alter the value for ” Limit cache to [ ] MB f space” as desired

DSL Without a Phone Line? It’s Freestanding DSL!

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Tom Sullivan

DSL service without an active phone line - Freestanding DSL

DSL has been a popular choice for high-speed Internet access for many years. And EarthLink has been a leading provider of DSL Internet services since 1999, when we were the first ISP to offer consumer DSL service nationwide. So we really know a thing or two about DSL.

What do people like most about DSL? Primarily its value: DSL offers a great combination of high-speed Internet access and low monthly cost.

What don’t they like?

Well, the #1 issue that comes up turns out to be a mistaken idea: that you need an active home phone line to get DSL Internet service. That’s just not true anymore; at least not in many areas of the country.

You can now get DSL without phone service in your home.

DSL Internet service did traditionally require an active phone line. But for several years now, EarthLink has been offering a less well-known high-speed DSL service that you can get even if you’ve cancelled your home phone service. We call it Freestanding DSL (it is also sometimes called dry-loop DSL).

Before Freestanding DSL, if you wanted to get DSL you had to pay the local phone company to keep your line active, even if you didn’t use it.

So Freestanding DSL can save most people money (quite a lot, actually) by letting them cancel their home phone service and just go with a cell phone.

The average savings is almost $240 a year. Pretty nice, huh?

If you’ve already cut the cord and use your cell phone exclusively, Freestanding DSL gives you another great broadband Internet option, along with cable Internet.

The one caveat about freestanding or dry-loop DSL is that it’s not as widely available as regular DSL. Our regular DSL is available in most metropolitan areas nationwide.

Our Freestanding DSL is only in areas where Verizon is the local telephone company. If that’s true where you live, then you’re in luck.

You can easily check the availability of both kinds of DSL (and cable) by entering your home phone number (if you have one) and address on our High-Speed Internet access page.

If you do want freestanding DSL but your phone service is currently active, it’s typically best to cancel your phone service first, before placing the Freestanding DSL order.

You can find more information about installing freestanding DSL, including options to install it on a second phone line, by clicking the Learn More button on our Freestanding DSL page.

What Internet Connection Fits You Best?

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Chris Chase

Internet connections are like cars: most people need one, but the kind that fits them best depends on the individual. Find out what kind of internet is best for you with this quick breakdown:

Do you want solutions that are universal, easy, inexpensive and reliable? If so, dial-up internet could be a good choice for you. It’s not the fastest internet connection available (though EarthLink provides a free dial-up accelerator that lets you surf up to 7x faster than regular 56K dial-up), but it can be installed into any home anywhere in America (as long as they have a phone line). And it’s cheap; with prices as low as $9.95/mo for the first three months, dial-up is the standard in easy, reliable internet access.

Click on the image to see high-speed internet options in your area!

Are you online a lot to check your social media profiles or watch videos? Do you need a reliable connection, but require more speed than dial-up? DSL internet would be a good choice for you if you answered “yes” to these questions. With speeds up to 100x faster than dial-up access, DSL is perfect for people who spend a lot of time online. And with low pricing like $14.95/mo for the first three months, it’s a great value too!

If you like to spend a lot of time downloading from and uploading to the internet, as well as other activities (stream movies, play in-depth online games), then you may be happiest with a cable internet connection. Though offers do vary by location, cable internet can start at only $29.95/mo, and can be up to 250x faster than dial-up access. It’s the perfect solution for those who feel the need for internet speed.

Finally, if you live in a rural area that does not have access to cable or DSL, but would like more speed than dial-up access can provide, EarthLink offers satellite internet to make sure your needs get met.

With all these internet options, there’s certainly something for everyone!

Fixing DSL Internet Connection Problems

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Tom Sullivan

As nice as it is to have a high-speed Internet connection from a reliable provider like EarthLink, no technology is 100% reliable. Things happen. The good news is that they are usually little things and are very easy to resolve.

For many years I’ve had EarthLink DSL at home (actually, it’s DSL & Home Phone service, but the DSL part is the same), and I’m going to share with you the things I have learned to do over time to fix the occasional Internet connection glitch. I’ll also add some modem and phone line troubleshooting tips from EarthLink’s DSL support experts.

Simple Things I Do to Fix My DSL Connection

Turn off my DSL modem (sometimes also my wireless router) for 30 seconds
If I see that the DSL and Internet lights aren’t lit on my modem (that’s my trusty old DSL modem on the right), I just press the power button to turn the modem off. Then I wait 10 – 30 seconds (depending on how impatient I am that day) and press the power back on. The modem typically takes a minute or two to fully reconnect, but then I’m good to go. This gets me back on the Internet again almost every time.

Check if other computers are online
Often, the very first thing I do if I’m having a DSL connection problem is yell. Not because I’m mad, but because I want my wife in the other room to let me know if her computer is online. About half the time, she’s doing fine, so I don’t waste my time turning off my DSL modem. Instead, I restart my computer. If that doesn’t work, I will restart the modem and Wi-Fi router too. If it’s still just my computer with the connection problem, I wait a bit, then check other settings and things on my computer.

Just wait
I’m not really sure this counts as fixing my DSL connection, but sometimes doing nothing at all for a few minutes works as well as doing something. If I’ve been connecting fine, I haven’t changed anything, and my modem lights look OK, the problem will sometimes miraculously clear up on its own after a few minutes.

Check all cords and cables
We have small kids…which means anything can happen. So even though I know the cables and cords were secure, I’ll double check them if I’m having a problem not fixed by the above steps. I check that everything is plugged in securely and all connections to my computer and modem are snug. Remember, the cables that plug into your modem and computer should click when they’re inserted; if they don’t, it may mean they are not all the way in.

Double check my DSL login information (email address and password)
If you are still having problems with just one computer, I’ll advise you double-check the email and password you use to log in to your DSL. Your email address and password are both case sensitive, so ensure that your Caps Lock is off and retype both. Make sure you didn’t type eartlink.net(I’ve done that one) or some other typo.If you’ve forgotten your password (and can connect to the Internet on another computer or device) you can reset your password on this My Account page: https://myaccount.earthlink.net/cam/passmain.jsp

If you reset your password, be patient: it may take up to 20 minutes to activate the new password so it works for you to log in.

These top tips have always worked for me. Below are some additional DSL troubleshooting tips from the pros at EarthLink Support.

DSL Modem & Phone Line Troubleshooting Tips

Reduce DSL modem interference
Make sure your DSL modem is not near or on top of other electrical devices. Devices that can cause interference include stereo speakers, computer monitors, halogen lamps, cordless phones and their bases.If your DSL modem was working and you added a new electronic device in the area (or even just moved something closer to your modem), try moving the new device and restarting your computer and the modem.

Check DSL filters
Make sure that a DSL filter is installed on every phone jack in your house that is being used by a device, like a phone or fax machine. If you have an unfiltered device in the house, you will need to add a DSL filter for that device and restart your modem and computer. If you don’t have an extra DSL filter, you can purchase one inexpensively at Radio Shack or another office supply stores. Until you are able to filter the device, keep that device unplugged.If you are still unable to connect to the Internet, disconnect all of the devices in the house from your DSL line except your modem. Power off your modem, then power it on again and try connecting to the Internet again. If you can connect to the Internet when only your modem is connected to your DSL line, you may have to replace one or more of your filters.

Check for a dial tone on your phone
Unplug your modem and plug a telephone into that wall jack to see if you are able to receive a dial tone. If not, there may be a physical problem with your phone line. You can either connect your modem to a working phone jack or try to get your problem resolved by contacting your local phone company. If you are able to get a dial tone, this means that your phone line is working; however, something is preventing your modem’s connection to go through. Just because your phone line has a dial tone doesn’t necessarily mean that the DSL signal is strong enough to function properly. Try replacing the filter, reconnecting your modem, and connecting to the Internet again. If replacing the filter doesn’t work, there could be something wrong with your modem and/or phone line. After verifying that you have a dial tone, a working filter, and a working wall jack to test your modem with and you are still unable to connect to the Internet, please contact our Technical Support team.