Getting online - Selecting your ISP
The Internet has become a vital tool for many businesses. It allows you to
have your own emails, research, shopping, keep track of your finances and pay
bills and most recently online banking. The Internet can save your business
time and money, get information you need and more importantly communicate with
people quickly and easily.
ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are the people from provide Internet access
to you, the ‘gateway’. In Australia there are literally hundreds
of ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
Before choosing you should consider if you require broadband Internet or Dialup.
My recommendation is to get broadband Internet. Apart from it being at least
5 times faster than dialup access, today’s broadband internet is much
more affordable than it was 2 years ago. In fact if you include the cost of
line rental for an extra phone and call costs, the cost of broadband Internet
is pretty similar.
ADSL, Cable, Satellite?
Ok, so you have decided to go with broadband Internet the next thing you will
need to decide if you want ADSL Internet, Cable Internet or Satellite.
- ADSL Internet: The most popular broadband service as it
uses your existing phone lines. You’re always connected and is about
5 times faster than dialup connections.
- Cable: About 40 times faster than dialup connections and
you are always connected. As cable lines are required in your area for access,
this is not always an option
- Satellite: Slower than ADSL and Cable but still faster
than dialup. Only get this if Cable and ADSL is not an option. This choice
is popular in rural areas of Australia.
Choosing an ISP
Once you've located a few ISPs you are interested in, here are some points
you may want to consider in making your final selection:
- Purpose. What is the purpose of using the Internet? Will
you be using it just for emails? Research? Knowing what you will be doing
is important as it allow to choose a plan to suit you most. There is no need
to choose a plan with 1500kbps if all you are doing is using your internet
for email purposes.
- Support. Determine the level of customer support you will
need. For many of us, having access to a customer support line accessible
without additional cost may be important. For others, the customer support
service may not be as important. Do you need 24x7 customer support? What about
24x7 technical support? One way to find out how good support is of a particular
ISP is to ask friends and relatives who have used the ISP before.
- Connection. Ask about the provider's connection to the
Internet. When comparing prices always look at the connection speeds. Although
the 256kbps plans maybe cheaper than the 512kbps and 1500kbps, it will be
a lot slower. Generally a connection rate of 512kbps is suffice for a business
- Reliability. Ask about their internal monitoring of Internet
activity. What are their peak traffic times? They should be able to show you
all kinds of statistics on their server traffic. You may not understand everything
they tell you but this question is a good indicator of how well the ISP runs
their Web access business. Remember if you are not sure always ask a friend
or relative who have been with that particular ISP.
- Price. Is the price competitive? Also, make sure that you
fully understand their fee structure so that you are not surprised later.
You should compare at least 3 plans before you decide which ISP you will choose.
For a list of broadband services in Australia, you should visit www.whirlpool.net.au
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