The hisses, pings and screeches that introduced millions of Americans to the nascent online world are to be formally retired when AOL’s dial-up internet shuts down in late September.

AOL, or America Online, said recently it was discontinuing the old school connection option after an evaluation of its products and services and that it would no longer support dial-up software starting 30 September.

The date portends the end of an era for millions of Americans of a certain age: millennials, gen Xers, boomers and those of the greatest generation. The characteristic sound of modems conducting an analog handshake to establish a connection was a preliminary soundtrack to a new world of instant connection, wires, handheld computer mice, emails, chatrooms, instant messages and glowing screens.