Choosing an Internet Service Provider, ISP, can be a confusing task. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of people in “the know” who can help the people who are admittedly technically challenged. You don’t have to be a technical expert to choose the type of internet connection that is best for your needs. But it is helpful to develop a generalized knowledge of what is out there before you jump at the first option you come across.
Home Internet Choices
Choosing an Internet Service Provider, ISP, can be a confusing task. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of people in “the know” who can help the people who are admittedly technically challenged. You don’t have to be a technical expert to choose the type of internet connection that is best for your needs. But it is helpful to develop a generalized knowledge of what is out there before you jump at the first option you come across. So let’s start at the beginning.
Dial-up: Familiar but Slow
Most people who started surfing the web from home back in the early 1990’s were probably using what’s commonly known as “Dial-up” service. Customers would connect to the Internet through their regular household telephone lines. This option is still widely available. The availability of locations offering broadband service has increased over the years. The cost of the faster services has also come down. This leaves fewer reasons for people to stick with a standard Dial-up service, but it still serves a purpose for those who choose to use it.
What you need for Dial-up:
An internal or external 56K Modem. A laptop will require a modem card.
A working telephone line. This may sound funny, but if you just moved and do not get any dial tone when you pick up your home phone then Dial-up service won’t work either.
A Dial-up service to connect to. There are still plenty of Internet Service Providers, out there who are eager to give you a CD containing their Dial-up software for you to install on your home PC.
Dial-up Cons:
It is at least 10 times slower than the various Broadband options. More and more web pages on the Internet now include sounds, pictures, and videos that can all take a long time for web surfers to experience through a standard Dial-up connection.
It ties up the phone line in your house so that nobody can make any calls while you are on the Internet. If someone else tries to call you during this time then they will either get a busy signal or their incoming call will bump you off the Internet.
Toll changes apply. Most ISP packages will ask you for the closest town or area code during your Dial-up software setup. With that information they then give you a list of service numbers for your modem to dial. If you choose a service number that would count as a toll call then you will see toll call charges on your phone bill. So much for the “bargain” Dial-up service.