Multilink - Extra Speed for Little Extra Cost

What Is Multilink?

Multilink is an inexpensive way to increase your rate of speed connecting to the Internet, without requiring a large initial investment or a hefty monthly fee. It essentially doubles your ordinary dial-up connection to speeds up to 112K, while costing only a few extra dollars a month. Multilink speeds are faster than the standard dial-up connections, yet not as fast as cable, DSL or other dedicated connections. But for those wanting more speed for little investment, Multilink is a great alternative to the limitations and costs associated with high-speed broadband connections.

Two telephone lines are required to take advantage of Multilink, as well as an extra modem. With Multilink, you simply connect a different modem to each phone line, and join the connections together to create one fast connection.

Costs

• First off, you will need a Cape.Com dialup account: Virtually Unlimited offers 150 hours of dialup access for $18/mo., Pro offers 350 hours for $24/mo., and Permanent Dialup offers unlimited, 24/7 access for $40/month.
  

  (Keep In Mind, because you are using two connections, one hour of Multilink uses up two dialup hours. You may want to consider upgrading to a higher plan depending on your intended usage).

• You will also need to purchase a Simultaneous Login for the second line (so as to avoid the $1/hr simultaneous login charges). With a Virtually Unlimited account, the Simul costs $5/month, with a Pro account $8/month, and with Permanent Dialup, $30/month.

  Therefore, final montly costs for a Multilink connection are:
  

  Virtually Unlimited (150 hrs) = $23/mo.
  Pro Plan (350 hours) = $32/mo.
  Permanent Dial-Up (24/7) = $70/mo.*

• If you are opening a new Cape.Com account, there is a $25 activation fee on all new accounts. There is no charge to add Multilink on an existing Cape.Com account.

  Contact support@cape.com to order Dialup and Simul services required to run a Multilink connection.

  * We suggest that you look into DSL as an option when considering an always-on connection. Should you qualify, the speed would be dramatically faster and the cost for one workstation would be nearly half that of a permanent dialup multilink connection.

Configuring A MultiLink Connection Using Windows 98 Dial-Up Networking

1. Install two modems on your computer, and connect each modem to a different phone line.
2. If you don't already have a Cape.Com connection set up in Dial-Up Networking, set one up now (see the link below for manual instructions, or, contact Cape.Com to receive an Easy Intenet CD).
3. From your desktop, double-click on My Computer, then Dial-Up Networking.
4. Right-click on the Cape.Com icon, then click Properties.
5. Click the Multilink tab.
6. Select Use Additional Devices.
7. If both modems are not visible under Device Name, click the Add button to add.

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