The ABC of ISPs: what you should know before choosing an Internet service provider.Everyone says you should be online, but how do you decide which Internet service provider Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. (ISP (1) See in-system programmable. (2) (Internet Service Provider) An organization that provides access to the Internet. Connection to the user is provided via dial-up, ISDN, cable, DSL and T1/T3 lines. ) is right for you? You may have already decided that you don't need the proprietary content of providers like America Online See AOL. and Prodigy but don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what to look for in an ISP. The lines are blurring as content providers open the gates to the Net and ISPs become more user-friendly. Just make sure you choose a provider that offers all the Internet features and/or content you need for your personal or business use. Remember, you can get almost everything free on the Internet now. Besides regional and national services, be sure to check out local providers. They sometimes offer the best deals and the most interesting mix of features for the money. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Jimmie Farmer, assistant system administrator at Eskimo North, Seattle's oldest ISP, national providers offer more points of presence (POPs), or local dial-in numbers, to use when you travel around the country. Local providers, however, generally offer more services for the money, such as space for a Web page. There are over 4,000 ISPs currently enrolled on "The List," a database created by iworld (http://thelist.iworld.com). Here are the major points to consider when choosing an ISP: * Worldwide e-mail allows you to send and receive both plain text and binary documents, such as formatted text, graphics and sound files. Ask if there are limits on the number of e-mails you can send or receive, or space limits for e-mail storage. * Access to the World Wide Web. The graphical aspect of the Internet, with all those "dot/coin" addresses you hear on TV, is a great research tool enhanced by free search engine sites like Alta Vista See AltaVista. (World-Wide Web) Alta Vista - A World-Wide Web site provided by Digital which features a very fast Web and Usenet search engine. As of April 1996 its word index is 33GB in size. (http://www. altavista.digital.com/). Find out if the service provider supports graphical browsing or just plain text, and whether you can use your own browser (such as the popular Netscape Navigator). Also, find out if can you put up a Web page at no extra charge. * Usenet news. Newsgroups This is a list of newsgroups that are significant for their popularity or their position in Usenet history. As of October 2002, there are about 100,000 Usenet newsgroups, of which approximately a fifth are active. are an excellent research tool. Written by reader participants, they're a handy place to ask and answer questions arranged into thousands of topic areas--anything you can think of, from marketing to scuba diving to sex to religion. * Software. National, regional and local providers often give away or charge a nominal fee for diskettes with all the software you need to access the Internet. Ask what software you'll get or what you'll need to supply. Note that you can download freeware or shareware software to do just about anything on the Internet, so the lack of a turnkey diskette The official name for the floppy disk. See floppy disk. diskette - floppy disk doesn't necessarily disqualify To deprive of eligibility or render unfit; to disable or incapacitate. To be disqualified is to be stripped of legal capacity. A wife would be disqualified as a juror in her husband's trial for murder due to the nature of their relationship. a good economical provider. * Pricing. Get a rundown of all the packages available, from low monthly fees for a fixed number of hours to higher fees for unlimited service. If you're considering a service that offers a flat rate, dial the data number at different times of the day to see how often you get a busy signal. Noon or primetime evening hours are often the worst. Don't forget to ask which services are surcharged. Avoid paying extra for those you might get free elsewhere on the Net. |
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