Choosing an Internet Service provider (ISP) Choosing an Internet Service Provider can be a difficult decision. There are a lot of factors involved that can and should influence your decision. But not always do you think of all those factors, just to find out that after you made a choice, there is something that you don't like about the new ISP. Or you might not be aware of all the choices you have. This tutorial should help you make a more educated decision about what ISP to choose. First of all, let's make a check list of all the things that you should take into consideration: Speed How fast do you need your Internet access to be? What access speed can the ISP provide? Is it consistent? This information you can get directly from the ISP. (For more information on what data speed is and how it is measured, go to http://www.PCNineOneOne.com/howto/dataspeed.html) Reliability How reliable is the service? Are they always available or do they have frequent down times? This information is a little harder to get since the ISP naturally does not want to admit that they have frequent problems. For this question you should turn directly to users of the ISP. Ask people that use this provider about their experience, either in person or in Newsgroups online. Price How expensive is the service? Do they have a plan for unlimited access for one monthly fee? How much is it and how does it compare to other ISPs? Other Fees Are there any other charges, such as a one-time setup fee? Other Perks Besides the Internet access, what else is included in the plan? Do you get free web space so you can create your own little home page? If so, how much, 5MB, 10MB? How many e-mail addresses do you get? Just one or more? 24/7 Tech Support Do they have Tech Support? If so, when are they available? Just Monday through Friday, 9-5? Or 24 hours, seven days a week? And how can you reach support? By fax, e-mail, phone? Modem-to-user ratio This means how many modems do they have available for you to dial in and how many users do they have that will use those modems? A good ratio is 4:1, meaning that they have 1 modem for every 4 subscriber they have. Since it is very unlikely that every single customer they have will log on at the exact same time, this is a good number. An average ratio would be 8:1, meaning 1 modem for every 8 subscribers. Anything over 14:1 is too high and you should stay away from it, as your chances to successfully dial in on the first attempt are getting pretty low. Just as a little note: At one point not too long ago, AOL's modem-to-user ratio was 30:1 ! I don't know what the current ratio is, though. Supposedly it is better now. Local Access numbers Do they have a local access number that does not cost you any phone charges each time you dial in? Preferably, they would have multiple numbers that are local for you so you have a backup option. This list covers just the most important questions you should find answers for before making a decision. Since this is a lot of data, I suggest creating a spreadsheet to document this for each ISP that you consider to give you a nice overview. Next, let's take a look at the different types of Internet access you can get. Different Types of Internet Access The following is a list of the most common types of Internet access that are available for the average household these days. Of course there are other, better and faster, types such as a T1, T3 etc., but this guide is designed for the average household that does not want to spend several hundred or thousands of dollars every month. Cable modem This is the fastest type of access. This service is provided in conjunction with your local TV cable company. The data is transferred through your existing TV cable but does not interfere with your cable TV. To find out if this service is available to you, call your local cable TV company and ask for cable modem Internet service. The installation can cost anywhere between $50 and $200, check for promotional offers. It requires a network card being installed in your PC which is usually provided at no extra charge. This is the way the Internet should be and how everybody should be able to experience it. I've been lucky enough to have it for over 2 years now and are enjoying it immensely. Just to give you a quick example: I downloaded the demo for the game half-life a while back. The file was 49 Mega Bytes, huge! It took me less than 3 minutes to download it at a transfer rate of over 3 Mega Bits per second. Advantage: You are always connected, no need to dial in Does not block your phone line, no need for a second phone line Amazing speed. And I mean Amazing! Very inexpensive. Monthly fee is around $40 Static IP, usually multiple IPs available for home networking and sharing Internet access Disadvantage: Not available everywhere yet but it is spreading quickly. Satellite This type of access is good for remote locations, where ISDN, cable or DSL are not an option. It gives you decent download speeds. However, to upload data, you still need a regular analog modem to dial in via a phone line. The setup is rather difficult, I've been told. The equipment is more expensive than other options, usually $400-$500. Not the best solution. DSL DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, is the latest rage. This service is provided through your existing phone line, but works differently than regular analog modem dial-up access. The next best thing after cable. Advantage: You are always connected, no need to dial in Does not block your phone line, no need for a second phone line Fast download speed (not as fast as cable, though) Inexpensive, usually $40 and up depending on the options you choose Static IP, usually multiple IPs available for home networking and sharing Internet access Disadvantage: You need to be no father than 3.5 miles away from your local TelCo switch for it to work. ISDN ISDN has been around for a while, it was the first high-speed alternative to regular analog phone modems. It stands for Integrated Services Digital Network. It is losing its appeal these days due to better and less expensive alternatives such as cable and DSL. Advantage: Faster than regular analog modem phone dial-up access Disadvantage: Too expensive compared to other options such as cable and DSL. $20 to $80 monthly charge plus per-call charges. Expensive setup/equipment, between $250 and $400. Requires dialing into a server each time you want to go online Analog Modem Dial-Up This is currently the most popular way of getting Internet access. This requires a modem installed in your PC and a phone line connected to it. The equipment is inexpensive, you can buy 56K modems for $20 and up. The service is widely available and cheap due to lots of competition. But it is slow since the maximum download speed is 53Kbps, and makes the web not a very pleasant experience. Users of a analog modem often refer to the web as the World Wide Wait. Advantage: Inexpensive Equipment Wide range of providers available Inexpensive service Disadvantage: Slow Either blocks existing phone line or requires second phone line Slow Requires dialing into a server each time you want to go online Slow Oh, and did I mention that it is really slow? Conclusion Based on what you know now, you should first decide what your needs are. If you mainly want the Internet for sending e-mail, occasional chats, infrequent browsing, then you probably are perfectly happy with regular analog modem dial-up access. In this case, you should invest in a good quality 56K modem and find a good ISP. For dial-up access, you will have lots of choices. You should first talk to friends and neighbors and find out what ISP they use. This is the best way to get unbiased feedback about service and quality. Check also with local computer clubs, magazines and newspapers for more choices. Don't forget to use the checklist provided earlier in this guide to make sure you get the best deal and cover all your needs. To find out what options you have, you should also head to these web sites, http://www.isps.com and http://thelist.internet.com/. These sites contain thousands of ISP listings. But don't worry, it's not too overwhelming since you can search by name, price or area code to narrow it down to your needs. If you are using the Internet frequently for research, downloading or uploading a fair amount of data, want to play multi-player network games, want to use the Internets multimedia capabilities like live audio or video streaming, etc., then you should look into DSL or cable access. Don't forget to use the checklist provided earlier in this guide to make sure you get the best deal and cover all your needs. To find out who offers DSL in your area, you can start by contacting your phone company. Or, browse this web site, http://thelist.internet.com/, find your area code, then look under dedicated services for companies that offer DSL. To get cable modem access, your choice of providers is limited right now. Call your local cable TV company and ask for cable modem Internet access. They will tell you if and when it is available in your neighborhood. If you can't get it yet, don't give up. This service is rapidly expanding. Check out the following web sites for great cable modem information: Cable Datacom News - http://www.cabledatacomnews.com/ Cable Service Locations - http://www.cabledatacomnews.com/cmic/cmic7.html Cable Modem University - http://www.catv.org/modem/ Broadband Reports - http://www.broadbandreports.com Another good site to check if you can get speedy Internet access, such as DSL, cable, satellite or wireless, is http://www.getspeed.com. Simply enter your Zip code, street address and the first part of your phone number. If any of the services mentioned above are available in your area, it will tell you and provide you with a link to the provider as well as some info about the type of high-speed service, your distance to the TelCo switch etc. Just remember: You are buying service and you want to get the best value for your money. You want to be able to commit for a long time to avoid the hassle of switching ISPs every few months. If you just invest a few hours of research, be critical, analyze your options, you can find what you need. Most ISPs offer a 30 day free trial so you can try them out for a month and get out without losing any money. Also, ask for different payment plans. Some ISPs offer a lower rate if you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Don't waste your money on bad Internet service. Go out there and find the ISP that serves you best. http://www.PCNineOneOne.com