Admit it, life has not been the same since the Internet.  The Internet has greatly influenced how people live and communicate.  The Internet allows people to access and share information on practically anything.  It continues to be a source of limitless possibilities.  People make purchases or avail of services through the Internet.  They communicate with other people all over the globe with electronic mail or engage in live conversation via the Internet.  The Internet offers a wide range of activities and a magnitude of information resources.  Millions of people rely on the Internet and therefore rely on internet providers.  The internet provider is the gateway to the mighty Internet.

The Internet Provider

An internet provider also called an internet service provider (ISP) is a company that provides internet connection to home and business customers.  Internet providers support one or more types of internet access ranging from dial-up to DSL and cable to wireless internet connection.  In addition to basic internet connection, many internet providers also offer other related services like e-mail, web hosting, online gaming, music, videos and other software tools.  All these services are for a fee.  A few companies offer free internet provider services for free to those who need occasional internet connection but these offers carry limited connection time and often bundled with other products or services. 

Internet Connections

Internet providers offer customers several connection options to access the Internet.  The connection type affects how a home or a business network must be set up to support internet connection.  The types of internet connections are dial-up and broadband.  Broadband or high speed connection is further classified into four main categories – DSL, cable, satellite and wireless.

Dial-up is a connection that sends information via the phone line using a modem (an electronic device that allows remote computers to communicate with each other via a telephone line).  Dial-up connection takes over the phone line, thus preventing simultaneous voice calls.  A user cannot call and surf the internet at the same time.  With dial-up, the maximum speed is 56 kilobits per second.  Despite these limitations, dial-up is still widespread due to its reliability, low cost and support from internet providers.  Some dial-up internet providers offer accelerators to increase data transfer speed.

A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is one of the most popular forms of internet connections.  DSL provides high speed internet access.  Downloading time is super quick.  It can download 125 times faster than a dial-up.  The only hindrance to its speed is the speed of the Internet itself and other computers attached to it.  DSL uses the phone line but it does not block phone calls.  A user can still make or take calls while browsing the Internet.  DSL is always connected, no need for a dial-up connection.

Cable internet uses the same cable television wires through which television transmission is received.  A cable connection requires a modem that can be rented from the internet provider or bought from any local computer shop.  Cable internet brings high speed internet access.  Downloading is fast.  It is an always-on connection.  Furthermore, the phone and the Internet can be used at the same time.  The only disadvantage to cable internet is the high cost that internet providers charge.

Satellite internet connection utilizes satellite links similar to satellite television services.  To establish connection, an exterior mounted mini dish and a digital modem inside the home or business is needed.  Satellite internet is recommended for consumers where DSL and cable connection are not yet available particularly in rural areas.  It is usually 10 times faster than dial-up but is quite expensive to set up.

Wireless connection is offered by internet providers which have access to a main Internet route.  High speed wireless internet is coursed through base stations such as cellular networks.  Downloading time is 50 times faster than dial-up through a direct line-of-sight (LOS) from the home or business to the provider’s antenna.  Wireless connection is expensive as it uses a powerful antenna.

Other forms of internet connectivity are the fractional T1/T3 internet.  These are underground fiber or copper wires that connect directly to the internet provider with individual homes or businesses connection switched over Ethernet cables.  Cellular or mobile internet connections are made over digital cellular phones.

Types of Internet Providers

There are basically four different types of internet providers.  National companies such as AOL, Earthlink and ISP Directory offer a wide array of internet services especially for people who travel a lot.  There are also specialized internet providers that offer services like filtering.  Customers will not have to install additional software to block pornography sites from the computer.  Local internet providers are small companies that offer internet services to a specific and small area.  These internet providers often depend on word of mouth advertising.  Lastly, there are the free internet providers.  They offer internet connection for free but for a limited time only.  Some free internet providers charge high installment fees.

Important Features of Internet Providers

Different types of internet providers offer different internet connections.  Each internet provider has his own service area and also offers features and benefits aside from internet access.  An internet provider should include certain basic features as part of its service package.  With viruses invading the Internet, virus protection is a must.  Pop-up blockers and spam blockers are equally good features.  Ads from pop-up and spam are harmful to computers and are irritating.  An internet provider should also have child filters or parent-controlled blocks to protect children.  Providing multiple e-mail accounts and free web space should also be a part of any internet provider service plan. 

Internet providers should also offer a choice of bandwidths (amount of data that can be sent through a circuit).  The greater the bandwidth, the greater the amount of data can that can travel in a given period of time.  An internet provider should also have excellent customer service including phone support, live chat, e-mail address, and prompt response to customer complaints or queries.  An internet provider should have technical support staff that is available to respond to calls.  Price is another significant feature.  An internet provider should offer competitive price without sacrificing service.

Armed with this basic information, a user can make informed decisions about the choice of internet connection and internet provider as well.