2torial #0912:
Learn2 Choose an Internet Service Provider

Get clued in before you get online

If you already have a computer and a modem, the next step you need to take toward getting online is finding an Internet service provider (ISP). The ISP, from whom you purchase access to the Internet, is the gatekeeper of the online world. An ISP allows you to dial into the Internet from home using your computer's modem, giving you access to vast worldwide resources of information and the ability to send and receive email. Getting online isn't difficult, but it does require a little snooping around. Then again, compared to the bullets you sweat buying a computer, choosing an ISP is a piece of cake.

Choosing an ISP is really nothing to get anxious about. While you certainly want to make a good choice in a service provider, as long as you don't sign onto a long-term service contract, it's fairly painless to change services if you find the one you've chosen isn't providing the service you expected. Beware of these long-term contracts from the get-go, and you'll save yourself a lot of grief. As a matter of fact, many people switch ISPs as their needs or skill levels change. Leave yourself a little breathing room by signing on month-to-month at first.