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.
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.
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.
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.