Internet Service Providers
- An Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides user the connection
to the Internet.
- Criteria to select an ISP
- Customer support
- Is there a toll-free customer support telephone line?
- What are the support hours (Are weekends and evenings
available?)
- Communication cost
- Is there a local number to connect to the server?
- Does the ISP have local dial-in points (Points of Presence)
in other cities?
- Provider's history
- How long has the ISP been in the Internet service business?
- How many user accounts is the ISP supporting?
- What is the break down rate of the ISP's computers?
- How long is the average down time?
- Accessibility
- How many modems does the ISP provide to its customers?
- What is the ratio of customers to modems? (the best
is less than 10:1)
- How fast is the ISP's modems? (avoid anything slower
than 28.8 kbps)
- What is the ISP's speed of connection to the Internet?
(anything slower than T1 connection is not acceptable)
- Does the ISP provide direct connection to the Internet?
- Cost
- Does the ISP provide all the necessary software free
of charge? (For example the TCP/IP software and a Web
browser)
- Does the ISP offer flat rate unlimited access? Any
startup fee?
- Does the ISP provide free access to a Web server for
users' personal pages?
ISP Ratings
CNET.com
Learn everything about internet services, check out CNET's reviews
about ISPs.
Further readings:
Popular magazines often publish up-to-date articles on this subject.
To find the articles, you may check the periodical indexes in your
library under the subject ISP.
Following are some articles for further reading:
1. Thornton, Carla. "Don't Let Your ISP Cut You Off. (Technology
Information)." PC World Jan 1999: 37.
2. "How To Choose An ISP. (there are a variety of of Internet service
providers, some of which do not require a personal computer)." Fortune
16 Nov. 1998: 232.
3. Munro, Kathryn. "How To Choose An ISP. (Internet service provider)
(Internet/Web/Online ServiceInformation)." PC Magazine 17,
no. 15 (1 Sep. 1998): 140.
Bibliography :
Irvine, Martin. 1997. Web Works: Norton pocket guide. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company.
You are visitor number:
FastCounter
by LinkExchange
|