Home Internet Choices

Choosing an Internet Service Provider, ISP, can be a confusing task. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of people in “the know” who can help the people who are admittedly technically challenged. You don’t have to be a technical expert to choose the type of internet connection that is best for your needs. But it is helpful to develop a generalized knowledge of what is out there before you jump at the first option you come across. So let’s start at the beginning.

Dial-up: Familiar but Slow

Most people who started surfing the web from home back in the early 1990’s were probably using what’s commonly known as “Dial-up” service. Customers would connect to the Internet through their regular household telephone lines. This option is still widely available. The availability of locations offering broadband service has increased over the years. The cost of the faster services has also come down. This leaves fewer reasons for people to stick with a standard Dial-up service, but it still serves a purpose for those who choose to use it.

What you need for Dial-up:

1. An internal or external 56K Modem. A laptop will require a modem card.
2. A working telephone line. This may sound funny, but if you just moved and do not get any dial tone when you pick up your home phone then Dial-up service won’t work either.
3. A Dial-up service to connect to. There are still plenty of Internet Service Providers, out there who are eager to give you a CD containing their Dial-up software for you to install on your home PC.

Dial-up Cons:

1. It is at least 10 times slower than the various Broadband options. More and more web pages on the Internet now include sounds, pictures, and videos that can all take a long time for web surfers to experience through a standard Dial-up connection.
2. It ties up the phone line in your house so that nobody can make any calls while you are on the Internet. If someone else tries to call you during this time then they will either get a busy signal or their incoming call will bump you off the Internet.
3. Toll changes apply. Most ISP packages will ask you for the closest town or area code during your Dial-up software setup. With that information they then give you a list of service numbers for your modem to dial. If you choose a service number that would count as a toll call then you will see toll call charges on your phone bill. So much for the “bargain” Dial-up service.

Dial-up Pros:

1. Many new and used computers come with built in “Dial-up” modems. If you are unsure if your computer has one then look at the back of the computer for two small holes side by side that a telephone wire could plug into. One will often have a symbol that looks like a telephone by it.
2. Dial-up service is not always connected to the Internet. You need to use your ISP software to dial each time you use want to connect. This can be viewed as a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. It can be beneficial to people who occasionally connect to the Internet, but not for more than a couple hours a week.

DSL, Cable, and Satellite: Which one do I Choose?

You may hear these referred to as “Broadband” or “High Speed Internet Access”. They are all very fast compared to standard Dial-up. These types of connections are also connected to the Internet all of the time unless you turn the associated hardware device off. Examples of those devices would be a cable modem or a router. The company providing the fast internet service you choose will tell you what additional hardware you need and the associated costs. When searching for a high speed internet provider the best thing to do is educate yourself. Here are some places to find helpful information:

1. Friends, family, and coworkers who already have high speed Internet. Neighbors, if you know and get along with them, are even better because they are likely to have the same local service offerings available to you. Ask them how they decided on a particular type of fast service. Find out if they are still satisfied with what they have.
2. Spend some time at your nearby computer stores. The employees at places like Best Buy, Circuit City, OfficeMax, Radio Shack, or any local “ma and pa” computer store should be able to help you determine if your computer has what it needs to sufficiently surf the web. These places will often carry multiple brands of modems, routers, hubs, and antivirus or firewall software.
3. If at all possible, get on the Internet and research as much as you can. You may currently have a dial-up connection for this, but are thinking of changing to Broadband. Once on the Internet, you can go to any search engine and type in phrases like “Broadband access” and “High Speed Internet Services” to get countless web pages that will provide you will all the information you need to better make a decision.
4. Call the local service providers in your area. Cable service is, appropriately enough, offered by your local Cable company. DSL, which stands for “Digital Subscriber Line”, is provided by the phone company in your area. Satellite service is currently more expensive than Cable or DSL, but may be the only option for people in highly rural areas. Don’t feel compelled to order any services before you are comfortable with what you will be getting. When you call, talk to the company representative about details such as: the speed of their service in your local area, the complete details of their pricing plan, how their service will, or won’t, protect your computer from online threats, and whether or not you will have a static or changing IP address.

Things to be Familiar With:

1. K and M: The speed of residential internet connections is labeled in amounts of K or M. You will hear about dial-up as a “56K speed” or Broadband connections that reach speeds of 3.0 M. The easiest thing to remember is that “M” represents about 1,000 “K”. So a 3.0M speed is equal to roughly 3,000K. That’s a lot faster than the standard 56K modem speeds. To put things into perspective, imagine a jet traveling 3,000 MPH soaring over a car traveling 56 MPH on the highway below.
2. IP Address: An IP address is what your computer uses to communicate with everything else on the Internet. An IP address can be “static” or “dynamic.” If your high speed service provider gives you a static IP address then it means you will always have the same IP address. If you are provided with a dynamic IP address then your IP address will frequently change. Most people will be able to do all they need to do on the Internet with a dynamic IP address. You generally only need a static IP address if you plan on hosting your own web pages, or some other Internet generated medium, off of your home computer.
3. Fine Print in the Deal: If you have ever signed up for credit card or bank loan then you are familiar with the importance of “fine print.” Internet services come with a variety of monthly fees. A few standard dial-up companies may even offer “free” internet connections. Different companies may try to entice you to choose their service with what appears to be the cheapest monthly rate available. These rates may be as cut and dry as they look. But at times the cheap monthly rate you see advertised may be an introductory offer for only the first few months. After that the monthly fee can increase. Other times these rates are part of what is known as a “bundle” package that requires you to also order something else from the company like premium cable channels or additional phone services. The “free” standard dial-up service may limit the amount of hours per month you can spend on the Internet. One time installation fees and equipment rental prices may also apply in addition to the monthly fee you pay.
4. Internet Safety: Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who use the Internet for Malicious purposes. Viruses, spyware, and hacker intrusions are all dangers to the computers of anyone who connects to the Internet. Find out if the internet service you are planning to use offers any protection against these threats. If they don’t, then you should plan to get some additional software and/or hardware for protection. This is when a trip to the nearest computer store can help.

Being Prepared for the Next Big Thing:

Since technologies are always advancing, it would be risky compare current technologies like DSL and Cable and say that one will “always” be fast/cheaper/better than the other. It is also plausible that brand new methods of connecting to the Internet will be available in the future. But as long as you take the steps mentioned above you will be able to familiarize yourself with each new option that comes out and have confidence in your final decision.