How to Choose Best ISP for Your Needs

Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its way out. The much-anticipated consolidation of access providers is nearing its end. In broadband, this means that most users have little or no choice of providers. Though many of the changes have been hard on user choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, it's better to have one stable and pricey provider than 100 unstable, cheap providers. The shakeout was painful for scores of users who often were left with no connection when they needed it most. And some providers left standing don't exactly have good track records, either.

Still, there is reason for users to be optimistic about the future. The following is an outline of the way the Internet access business should go in the coming year. I provide it to give you a better understanding of where you should go now, assuming you want to stick with the same internet access provider for at least a year.

Don't ditch dial-up

A lot of users were glad they hung on to their dial-up accounts in the midst of uncertainty with their broadband connections. When things go bad with broadband (as they often do), you at least can get e-mail, if not a quick scan of the headlines in text-heavy Web sites.

If you have a dial-up account, and you're paying less than $20 for it, consider it a blessing to have a back-up system. At the very least, when you need to reach tech support for your broadband account and you can't get through due to heavy call volume, you can e-mail them from your dial-up account. Things to look out for in dial-up:

Go with a provider that has been around long enough to quickly respond to such issues as software upgrades and peak calling volumes.

Read the fine print before signing. Some ISPs will disconnect you after a relatively short amount of time of idleness. Others let you stay online as long as you're actively engaged. Still others never disconnect users. The last is preferable; the middle option usually offers the best value.

Check out Boardwatch magazine's ISP Directory to see how much infrastructure you will be paying for. Make sure your chosen ISP has an acceptable ratio of modems to users. Three users for every modem is acceptable, considering that it is unlikely that all their customers will dial up at once. o Match prices with the ratio of modem pools to users.

Check out options such as personal Web site services and multiple addresses. These are nice to have and can add value to your experience as long as you use them--provided they're bundled in.

DSL doldrums

Of all the access methods, DSL has received the most scorn since I've been at this job. My own experiences were horrendous, and I'm not alone. It works great for about 20 percent of the population who are geographically blessed. It works OK for another 30 percent or so of the population, who may have to endure some line noise in order to get DSL. And it doesn't work at all for the other half. Couple its inherent technical limitations with DSL providers falling off the wires like shocked birds, and the situation has not been pretty.

Still, those providers that have made it through the shock test should be able to offer a good experience (with the exception of Qwest). Consider DSL carefully and you will avoid a lot of pain.

Some DSL issues you should consider:

Talk to a neighbor about their DSL experience. Do they have a lot of line noise on the phone even with the filters? Did they have any equipment or network problems with their provider? If so, did they get put on hold and shuffled around through tech support when they called in? Was their DSL provider able to support a variety of platforms, or was it basically Windows-only?

Consider an ISP for DSL service.

The Baby Bells, such as Qwest and Verizon, are not well equipped to deliver DSL service. Even though smaller ISPs may only resell DSL service from Baby Bell providers, they at least provide a live human being when things go wrong. Because the Baby Bells know the cost of supporting DSL users, they can offer DSL to ISPs much more cheaply than they can offer it directly to users. So you can often get a price break from ISPs, especially if you're willing to accept a slightly slower connection.

Mary works in US for a media company, occasionally writing for the biggest cheap internet access news portal, and drinking too much coffee.

---

What is Broadband?

Defining broadband can get complicatedThere are many different takes on... Read More

Google Brings Millions of Hard-to-Find Library Books to Your Fingertips

Millions of hard-to-find books from five major libraries will soon... Read More

How to Get Broadband

Getting broadband services getting easy, but research still required.Broadband Internet... Read More

Webmail - What are the Benefits?

There are so many different webmail services on the internet,... Read More

The Coming Television Revolution

The revolution is just getting started and will be begin... Read More

Long Arm of the Law Reaches New Internet (RIAA, Internet-2, i2hub Lawsuit)

Have you heard of the new Internet? It's called Internet... Read More

Bleeding Edge or Expensive Enterprise Satellite Internet?

The State of Satellite Internet in 2005For those businesses unable... Read More

Beta Testing First Mobile Internet Satellite Broadband, Part III

Back in 1999 when we beta tested the first wireless... Read More

How to Choose Best ISP for Your Needs

Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its... Read More

Ka Band -Affordable Satellite Internet On The Way!

Ka Band VSAT* satellite internet technology has enormous possibilities for... Read More

Broadband is State-of-the-Art Internet Access: How Can a Broadband Cable Benefit You?

We are now well ensconced in a time when the... Read More

Broadband Connection to the Central Sun

You may have noticed the expansion of consciousness that has... Read More

How to Test Your DSL and Cable Internet Connection Speed

There are two measured elements that determine your internet connection... Read More

Why You Should Switch To A Fast Internet Connection

With high-speed Internet access becoming available in more and more... Read More

How to Secure your DSl / Cable Internet Connection Against Malicious Attacks

Securing your Windows Xp computer is done by achieving two... Read More

ICMP Protocol - Internet Control Message Protocol

The Internet Control Message Protocol communicates errors messages between systems... Read More

Beta Testing First Mobile Internet Satellite Broadband, Part II

We were the first beta testers of a Mobile Command... Read More

Wanadoo: 17.99 Pounds 1Mbps Service

Wanadoo 17.99 pounds 1 mbps service getting good reviews.Want a... Read More

Top 3 UK Broadband Providers

Every Internet provider today wants to make it sound like... Read More

3 Tips to Fix Unreliable Wireless Connections

Generally speaking, wireless computer connections are reliable. However, nothing is... Read More

Find the Best Broadband Provider for You

To find the best broadband provider for you takes some... Read More

Unlimited Bandwidth and Overselling

One of the most controversial topics surrounding web hosting is... Read More

Wifi Hotspot Locations for Sale..is that a Good Thing?

Recent companies have been advertising wifi hotspot locations that are... Read More

Google Talk Reviewed

So you're sick and tired of AOL Instant Messenger. You're... Read More

Internet Service Providers

Internet Service Provider or ISP is a company that provides... Read More

DSL Internet is a Simple and Easy Way to Get Fast Internet Service

DSL ? which stands for Digital Subscriber Line ? is... Read More

Cheap Internet Access

For anyone trying to get the cheapest internet available, there... Read More

Compare Cable vs. DSL

Okay, so you are finally tired of those slow dial-up... Read More

Time to Redefine Telecom

Telecommunication, according to Wikipedia, is the extension of communication over... Read More

Its On! (Free Internet TV - Watch TV Online)

Get ready because "there's going to be television out the... Read More

Broadband Satellite Antenna Pizza Box Size

Thanks to the transfer technologies and governments spending on military... Read More

Broadband - Will it Affect Your Online Marketing Future?

The coming age of general Broadband use bearing down upon... Read More

Some DSL Broadband Definitions

Often too many people get confused with all the definitions,... Read More