Internet Service Providers

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Internet Service Providers

In today's ever increasingly technological world, the Internet plays a big role. It's hard to find someone that does not know what a web browser or web site is. People of all ages have access to a plethora of information, just by hooking their computer up to the phone line. However, like so many other technical services today, the Internet is not always free. In order for one to log on, they must have an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP is simply an "organization that supplies access to the Internet". These organizations usually charge a fee based on the kind and amount of Internet use. This paper will focus on deciphering all that is involved in an ISP while examining some of the more popular ISPs available to Internet users.

Mumbo-Jumbo

When a conversation is started about Internet access, one will invariably hear such lingo such as dial-up, DSL, 56K, and modem. It is important to understand these terms to effectively compare and ultimately choose a quality ISP.

Dial-up: a two wire line that is hooked into one's phone line to dial up the ISP to gain access to the Internet.

DSL: A Digital Subscriber Line. The new wave of connecting to the Internet. These lines allow connections at higher speeds and better quality that an ordinary phone line. May require additional hardware added to the existing phone line or the addition of a totally new port.

56K: The present standard for access to the Internet. It refers to how many kilobits of information can be transferred through the line per second.

Modem: MOdulator-DEModulator A device that adapts a computer for use with an analog telephone line. It converts the digital pulses from the computer to voice frequencies that can be trans...

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.... They can then offer one thing that a national provider rarely can - personal service. A local provider can often come to one's home to offer hands on assistance with many problems.

Conclusions

There are many aspects in which ISPs are similar. They all provide a service that is in high demand in today's society - access to the information superhighway. Since the Internet has gotten more and more popular, making an informed decision on one's ISP has increasing importance. By using the guidelines outlined in this paper, the consumer should be able to make this decision and get exactly what they need to tap into the dynamic resources the World Wide Web has to offer.

References

The List -- The definitive ISP buyer's guide

12 Reasons to Join EarthLink

isps.com

America Online

AltaVista

Prodigy

netINS

iclub

EarthLink

Excite

High-Tech Dictionary

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