1990s · RETRO HISTORY
Remembering Dial-Up Internet in the 1990s
The sounds, speeds and small frustrations of getting online.
Editor's note: This is an original introductory guide. Hardware revisions, software compatibility and preservation conditions can vary by model.
Connecting by modem
For many households, going online meant connecting a modem to a telephone line and dialing an internet service provider. The connection sequence produced a series of clicks, tones and bursts of static-like sound.
Life at dial-up speed
Pages loaded slowly by modern standards, images appeared in stages and downloading a large file could take a long time. Using the internet could also tie up the household phone line.
Email, chat and websites
Despite the limits, email, chat rooms, web directories and personal homepages made the online world feel exciting and new.