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Toronto Free-Net offers the following types of Internet connections to its members:

• All levels include: email, WWW access, webmail or text-only mail reader, space for your own web pages, storage space for personal files, and voting rights at TFN's general meetings.
• Short sessions: "Plus" levels allow unlimited short connections after you have used up your regular daily time quota.
  • For email, this means that you can read and compose email responses while disconnected, then connect briefly to send and receive new mail.
  • When browsing the Web, when the system disconnects you, you can continue reading the page you were viewing.  Then, when you click on a link, you will automatically reconnect, briefly, to download the next page to view.

  If you plan to do extensive live text chat sessions, the Unlimited level may instead be your best option.

• DSL levels:
  • All DSL access levels include Usenet (except alt.binaries.*), which we are currently unable to offer to dialup accounts.
  • You can get a static IPv4 address for an additional $5.50/month.
  • Dry DSL is also available for an additional $10.  This consists of a phone line without voice telephone service -- no dial tone, no phone number, just DSL.  Dry service is commonly used by people who use VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or a cell phone instead of a landline for their telephone needs.
  • TFN sells DSL modems and phone filters.  You can also purchase them at computer stores and on the used market.
• All dialup accounts can use 56 kbps.  You can dial in with PPP, for graphical dialup access, or with communications programs like Kermit, Procomm, and Telix, for text-only access.

  All quotas are periodically reviewed and adjusted if necessary.  Also, during unusually heavy loads, the system automatically reduces all time limits proportionally, to minimize busy signals and to ensure that all users can get a share of the available time.  I.e., speedy connection establishment is favoured over connection length.

• Lite DSL is an affordable "always on" connection.  Its download speed is 512 kbps; its upload speed is the same.  Thus, Lite is approximately ten times faster than 56 kbps dialup.  It uses DSL technology to send signals over your existing telephone line but on a different range of frequencies than telephone signals, which lets you make phone calls or send faxes while surfing the net.  You need a DSL modem, not a dialup modem.  DSL service is available almost everywhere in the greater Toronto area.
• HiSpeed DSL is like Lite, but downloads are ten times faster: 5 Mbps down, 800 kbps up.  It is an ADSL service, capped at 200 GB/month (ADSL = Asymmetric DSL -- because the up and down speeds differ).  This is our most popular DSL access level. 
• Uncapped DSL is like HiSpeed, but without the 200 GB/month cap.  Relatively few people consume enough bandwidth to need this level.
• Business DSL is available for business phone lines (the Lite, HiSpeed, and Uncapped access levels can only be offered on residential lines).  Descriptions for business access levels are still under construction; please call for details.
• Unlimited dialup: connect whenever you want, for as long as you want!  Not many people need this level of access, but some people just like it.  Others use this level to support TFN to a greater extent.
• 442Plus dialup: designed to seem unlimited to most people.  It provides several features:
  • unlimited dialup time during our off-peak hours, when fewer people are online.  Ideal for early birds and night owls!
  • Carry forward unused time. Any unused time quota from each day can be used on the following day (but not beyond).  For example, if you have 1 unused hour of prime time quota from a day, then, during the next day's peak hours, you can use that unused hour in addition to the current day's quota.
  • During prime time, if the dialup lines fill up, session lengths for this level become limited to 2 hours, to ensure that everyone gets a chance to connect.  Just dial in again to reconnect for your remaining time and for any extra sessions you may require.
• 1Plus dialup: for light to moderate use. It is quite popular!
• HalfPlus dialup: for light use.
• Basic dialup: sufficient for off-line use, eg to download and upload email or to upload pages to your web space.  You will be asked to renew your account every six months.

Payments

• Taxes:
  • Please add 13% HST or 5% GST, as appropriate, to all prices.
  • HST: The government requires us to collect Harmonized Sales Tax on payments for service periods which extend sufficiently past 1/Jul/2010.  Beginning with the second week of April 2010, even our shortest dialup service period (3 months), extends sufficiently past July 1st to require us to pay HST.  So we are now collecting HST on all payments except for pre-authorized monthly payments.  Members on pre-authorized terms (including all DSL users) will make their first HST payment in June 2010.
• Setup fees:
  • $4.76 to upgrade from Basic to any other dialup access level.  All levels return to Basic when a member ceases making monthly payments.
  • $20 to upgrade from any dialup access level to any type of DSL connection.  Also, the first and last months of these services must be paid in advance.
  • $20 to relocate any type of DSL connection (eg when you move to another home).
• Prepaid discount (right-most column in the table): You can get this reduced price by paying one year's worth of fees in advance, or by arranging for monthly pre-authorized debit.  DSL connections are offered only with prepaid payment methods, though you can cancel at any time -- you are not locked in.
• Payment methods:
  • Pre-authorized debit: Monthly payments are debited automatically, directly from your bank account.  This is Toronto Free-Net's preferred method because it reduces volunteer effort and overhead expenses, thus maximizing the resources that the Free-Net brings to the community.

    To sign up, you can phone the office, come in person, or use our online sign-up form.  To cancel, please give us 5 business days notice by signed fax, letter, or e-mail from your Toronto Free-Net address to <tfnoffice torfree.net>.  After sending, please also phone the office, to make sure we received your notice.

  • Credit card: Visa or MasterCard.  Accepted for HiSpeed and for large donations.  Phone the office with your credit card information, FAX or send your information by postal mail, or come in person.
  • Cheque or money order: Send cheques and money orders by postal mail or drop them off at the office.
  • Cash: Payments can be made at the office with cash.
  • Debit card: In person, at the office.
• Office: hours & directions.

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© 2001-Friday, 10-Sep-2010 12:38:39 EDT Toronto FreeNet Inc.