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. Choose an Internet Service Provider (continued)

Determine your skill level and needs

If you're already familiar with using email and doing Internet searches, you'll probably be more comfortable going with what you know. If you're enough of a techie to install a web browser and/or email application yourself, you're not really a beginner, and can move on to Step 3 to start shopping around. Just remember that knowing how to use these programs is not the same thing as knowing how to install them and get them working correctly. Setting up email and web browsing software can seem a little tricky at first, but don't be intimidated. You'll catch on.

If you're unfamiliar with using a web browser and email, it's not a bad idea to go with an ISP that gives you an installation disc to install everything you need in one fell swoop. That way, you can call the technical support line to answer your questions and help you solve any problems you have installing and using the software it provides. If you later decide you don't want to use its software, you can switch to a different web browser and email program.

Decide between an ISP and an online service

First, let's be clear about the difference between an ISP and an online service. The fact is, an online service is an ISP. A lot of confusion might have been avoided if online services would have called themselves something like value-added ISPs instead.

An ISP, as we mentioned earlier, gives you access to the Internet. An online service offers other bonuses in addition to Internet access. Most of these bonuses amount to customized web browser and email software that make it easier to navigate the web. The CD distributed by an online service pretty much sets up and configures all of this software on your computer.

Online services are great for new users. When you dial into them, the web browser gives you access to your email, search capabilities, shopping, and more. Some also provide forums where you can discuss topics in real-time with other users. If you decide at a later date that you want to use different software than the service provides, no problem. Since the mechanics of modem communication are the same whether the service calls itself an ISP or an online service, you can use whatever software you like for access.

Online services have a few "cons," however. First, because of their popularity, it's common for the system to slow dramatically when a lot of people are online at the same time. In fact, at peak access times, you may have difficulty getting connected because the system can only handle a certain number of users at once. Second, the customized browser software takes up more storage space on your computer and is generally slower than non-customized software.

A generic ISP typically gives you access to the Internet without all of the customized software. When you sign up, you're given a user name and a password, just like with an online service. The difference is you're pretty much on your own in picking and installing your email and web browsing software. However, while these services don't call themselves "online services," they often have services that are above and beyond standard Internet access. For example, they often give you a substantial amount of room to set up a website (more than the online services give you).

Ask other Internet users

The best way to find out whether an ISP will provide the access you need is to ask the opinion of people who use various services. Even huge national providers can have reliable service in one area of the country and unreliable service in another. Here's what you need to ask your online friends:

• Have you ever noticed that service slows down at peak access hours? Sometimes, when a lot of users are connected simultaneously, the display of web pages can slow to a crawl if the ISP isn't set up to handle them.

• Have you ever gotten a busy signal and been unable to get on the web or access your email? ISPs only have a finite number of phone lines for their customers to dial into. When all of these lines are in use, everyone else gets a busy signal and can't get online.

• Does the ISP provide technical support? Many ISPs have a hotline you can call if you're having trouble gaining access or setting up your software. Everyone--especially new users--can benefit from having this type of service. Also ask people if the support staff was able to solve the problem they called about. Bad technical support can sometimes be more frustrating than no support at all.

• Have you had any trouble with billing? Billing problems can make dealing with any company a nightmare. Most ISPs ask for a credit card number so they can bill you automatically every month. Has anyone you know ever been overbilled? Does the credit card charge happen on the same day every month?

• What's your setup like? It's best to talk to users who have the same skill level and needs that you do. For example, if you're an advanced user who's planning on setting up a website, talk to other users about their experience with their ISP's web-hosting service. Be sure to talk to users who are accessing the Internet using the same type of computer you're using, whether it's a Macintosh or a PC.

In addition, if you're considering using an online service, you need to ask your sources these questions:

• Was the web browsing and email software easy to install? Added services aren't any good if you can't get to them because the software is difficult to install. Users who've had problems can also tell you about a service's technical support.

• Is the software easy to use and are the added services useful? Ease of use is usually the most important benefit of online services. However, you also need to talk to users of several different systems to see if added services, such as searching, chatting, and shopping were helpful. Balance your desire for particular features against all other available options.

More experienced users may want to know about features like space for a website, email aliases (for example, the ability to use one email address for business and another from the same account for personal correspondence), limitations on the size of files that can be sent, and the number of recipients that a single email message can be sent to (a problem if you're performing surveys or sending out a newsletter via email). Talk to everyone you know who accesses the Internet--especially those with the same skill level and needs that you have--and you'll see that services and quality can vary greatly.

Check pricing and services

After talking to people, you probably have your choices down to maybe three ISPs in your area. Now it's time to go shopping. In reality, there's not much difference in pricing among service providers. Dig out your phone book and call the ISPs you think can give you the service you need. Internet access will usually cost you between $20 and $30 (U.S.) per month for unlimited access. If you don't think you'll be spending a lot of time on the Internet, you may even decide that it's better to start out paying by the hour, which many ISPs will let you do. Just be sure to keep track of the time you spend on the web. When the hourly charges start to exceed the price for unlimited access, you should change your billing method.

If you'll need to access your email and the web from outside your local calling area, make sure it's possible and affordable. Some of the larger ISPs have local servers you can dial into around the world, some charge you by the minute for service out of your local area, and in some cases, you're out of luck.

Once you choose an ISP, keep track of any problems with it. If you start to encounter slow connections or the inability to connect at all, you may find it necessary to switch providers based on your own experience. Since you've already been through the selection process once, you'll be a better informed consumer.

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