Dial-Up in 2025: A Retro Tech Reality Check

The Enduring Presence of Dial-Up

Even as high-speed internet dominates, dial-up persists as a necessary option for many. According to the 2023 census, over 150,000 households in the US still use dial-up. For some, it remains the only affordable means of accessing the internet.

Setting Up the Throwback Tech

Obtaining the necessary equipment can present challenges, as 56k modems are increasingly rare and costly. Setting up the connection may also require some technical adjustments. In a recent test, a landline was not readily available, necessitating the manual wiring of an RJ11 jack. Once the physical connection is established, the dial-up networking folder can be located within Windows, where the user inputs the phone number and ISP credentials to connect.

Testing the Limits of 56k

To gauge the capabilities of dial-up, a series of common websites were tested. Initial attempts to load even basic pages like Wikipedia proved difficult, often timing out due to the slow data transfer rates. Background processes, such as Windows Defender, further strained the limited bandwidth.

Modern websites, heavy with multimedia content, pose significant challenges for dial-up. Amazon, for example, with its numerous images, animations, and videos, was virtually unusable. Even ostensibly text-based sites like Reddit proved problematic due to the prevalence of embedded images and videos.

Browser extensions like Images On/Off can help mitigate some of these issues by blocking non-essential media. Additionally, download managers remain useful for organizing and scheduling downloads, allowing users to pause and resume large files without losing progress.

Text-based browsers like Links, accessible via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), offer a glimpse into the underlying code of websites, revealing the sheer amount of data being transferred. This makes it easier to understand why loading even simple pages can take so long on a dial-up connection, with SSL encryption adding to the overhead.

In practice, achieving a stable 56k connection can be difficult. Real-world conditions often fall short of the theoretical maximum speed, with average speeds closer to 53kbps down and 48kbps up, coupled with high latency and packet loss. Streaming video is nearly impossible. While it might be possible to buffer a low-resolution video over an extended period, services like Netflix are out of the question, requiring a minimum of 3 megabits per second which is more than 50 times faster than a 56k modem.

The Lingering Use Cases

Despite its limitations, dial-up still serves specific purposes. Its low bandwidth is sufficient for applications like digital signage, vending machines, and credit card terminals. It can also function as a backup connection for older control systems or critical business operations. Nuclear power plants in America used dial-up for monitoring systems until 2009.

For individual users, the primary reason for using dial-up is often a lack of alternatives. In developing countries, infrastructure limitations and economic factors may restrict access to high-speed internet. In some cases, users with minimal internet needs may opt for dial-up due to its lower cost.

Gaming on Dial-Up: A Lesson in Patience

Modern online gaming is largely incompatible with dial-up. Many games require substantial updates and constant connectivity, making them unplayable on a 56k connection. While some older titles like Vendetta Online and Ultima Online are still viable, they demand a level of patience that many modern gamers may lack.

Navigating the Slow Lane

For those seeking alternatives to traditional dial-up, cellular broadband may be an option if coverage is available. Satellite-based services like Starlink offer higher speeds but come at a higher cost. Alternative dial-up providers like NetZero and DSL Extreme may provide a slightly improved experience.

Users can also emulate dial-up speeds using developer tools in browsers like Chrome to better understand the limitations and challenges of this antiquated technology.

The Digital Divide and the Future of Connectivity

The persistence of dial-up underscores the digital divide that exists in many parts of the world. As the internet becomes increasingly integral to education and economic opportunity, ensuring equitable access to high-speed connectivity remains a critical challenge.