Finding an Internet Service Provider

An Internet service provider (ISP) is a company that maintains an Internet server and a pool of modems. It rents space on this server, and apportions server use to individuals or companies that want access to the Internet, or wish to develop their own Internet resources.

If you're reading this, chances are you already have some type of Internet access. The truth is, though, that there are many different kinds of Internet access, with varying degrees of quality.

As far as ISPs go, better means faster, more reliable, and less expensive. It's difficult to compare speed and reliability between two different services unless you've used enough of them that you can make the judgment on pure instinct. You can, however, get recommendations from a particular service's users. Asking friends and colleagues can provide useful information.

Price, on the other hand, is easy to compare. Internet service is usually paid monthly, with a fee of $10-30 per month. Some services offer unlimited access. If you are going to be running a store full time, this would be an absolute necessity, because hourly charges would add up quickly. If you are going to be on the Internet more casually, it may not be cost effective to pay for unlimited service. Some services give you twenty to fifty hours a month with your fee, which is plenty for most people. Shop around, though. Sometimes unlimited service is no more expensive than timed service. To compare different ISPs available in your area, check the list.

Many people have reported that Internet access through a large, commercial online service, such as AOL, Prodigy, and CompuServe, is neither fast nor reliable. This is because those services do not exist primarily for providing Internet access. Access is part of a package that includes a host of in-house resources, chat rooms, and the like. If you regularly use these resources, you might want to consider opening a separate account for accessing the Internet.

 

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