Choosing an
ISP
There are now hundreds of ISPs
- Internet Service Providers - in the UK offering a wide range of Internet
services.
The
most common way to access the Internet from home is with a modem and a phone
call to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your computer connects via modem
to the ISP, which in turn is connected to the Internet with a high-speed
link.
Computer > Modem
> ISP >
Internet
The
most important issue when choosing an ISP is to find one with a local phone
number for you to dial. Otherwise the phone tolls may cost you more than the
ISP itself. Most ISPs have several access numbers, or points-of-presence (POPs)
as they are often called. ISPs.com's search engine is indexed by area code
to help you find an ISP quickly.
Features
Most
dial-up accounts provide more than a simple connection from your computer to
the Internet. They typically include such services as:
*
an e-mail account for you to send and receive electronic mail.
*
access to Internet newsgroups.
*
a personal Web page
These
additional services are provided on the ISP's computers, since they need to
be available even when your computer isn't connected to the Internet.
E-mail
Incoming
e-mail is received by your ISP and stored in a mailbox for you on a computer
known as a POP server. When you next connect to your ISP and run your e-mail
program, the message is downloaded to a mailbox on your computer. At this
point, the message is automatically removed from the ISP's POP server since
it is now stored on your computer's hard drive (until you delete it in your
e-mail program).
Computer >
Modem
>
POP
Server >
Internet
Your
ISP will provide you with the address of their POP server, which you will
need to enter into your e-mail program. (In this case, POP stands for Post
Office Protocol, not to be confused with a Point-of-Presence which is a
local access number for an ISP.)
Outgoing
e-mail is essentially the same process in reverse. When you send a message
from your e-mail program it is uploaded right away to the ISP. It is
temporarily stored in an outgoing mailbox on a computer known as an SMTP
server. Usually the message can be delivered right away, but if there is a
problem delivering the message, it will be stored on the SMTP server until
it can be delivered later. You don't need to stay dialed-in to assure
delivery.
Computer >
Modem
>
SMTP
Server >
Internet
Your
ISP will also provide you with the address of their SMTP server. In some
cases, it may be the same address used for the POP server. (SMTP stands for
simple mail transfer protocol.)
Choosing
an ISP depends on:
How well you know computing/internet
How often you use the internet
Times of day you use the internet
Points you need to consider when choosing an ISP:
Cost:
Is there a monthly subscription?
Is your access limited to a number of hours a month or unlimited?
Do you have to pay a joining fee?
What are the telephone charges? (Local rates? Weekend rates? Freephone
number?)
Access and reliability:
How easy is it to connect to the ISP?
Is it very busy?
Is it very slow?
Content:
Is there a lot of content provided by the ISP? (such as AOL or Compuserve)
Is the ISP just a way of accessing the internet? (little content and little
support)
What software do you get with the service? (Internet Explorer? )
E-mail addresses:
What is the number of addresses per account?
Can you access your mail anywhere?
What programs can you use with your ISP? Outlook?
Memory:
What does the ISP allocate per account for homepages? (in MB)
Does your ISP allow you to set up a business site? (Many free ISPs do not)
Technical support:
How much does the helpline cost? (free/ local/ premium?)
Is the support 24 hour?
Free trial:
If paying by subscription does the ISP offer a free trial period?
Service
can vary hour to hour - week to week - depending on how many other people are using your ISP.
Free ISPs tend to suffer a lot of problems when they are launched due to
over-subscription, but that doesn’t mean to say they will not offer a good
service once they have sorted their problems. It is worth bearing in mind that if you
pay, you have more rights as you have a contract for a service.
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