Once you've experienced high-speed Internet access, there's no turning back. While many first surf the Internet at high speeds at their jobs, broadband connections of various types -- cable, DSL, satellite, and ISDN -- offer home users similar speeds. But shopping for broadband isn't easy. Not only do you have cost to worry about, but there's a variety of technical questions you'll need to be able to answer before that fast connection enters your home.
The first thing you need to know is which types of broadband connections are available where you live. Not everyone has a choice among cable, DSL, satellite and ISDN. In fact, many people around the world are lucky to have one type of high-speed connection available.
Typically, your local cable television provider will offer cable access, while you usually purchase DSL or ISDN connections from the phone company. Satellite providers are another breed entirely -- usually the same firms who provide satellite television reception.
If you have only one high-speed provider, it's pretty easy to learn about the cost of broadband. If you're one of the lucky ones who can choose among types of connections, though, you'll have some questions to ask.
Most broadband Internet access plans are offered on a monthly basis. You should contact each provider, however, to find out whether a yearly plan is offered at a reduced cost.
Also inquire about setup costs. Usually, broadband providers will supply an external modem that you hook up to your computer to get online. Sometimes, a technician must come out to your home to hook everything up properly. Both the modem and the setup time are likely to add to your expense of acquiring a broadband connection.
If you're out there shopping for the cheapest possible high-speed connection, then your need for speed takes second place to price.
Virtually all high-speed Internet providers offer several pricing plans that correspond to different maximum download and upload speeds. The higher the speed, the higher the cost.
Generally, the basic plans for all providers offer enough speed for most home users to surf the Internet without experiencing annoying delays.
But if speed is more important to you than cost, basic cable plans usually provide faster speeds than basic DSL. Satellite connections are about on a par with DSL, although they are often priced higher, when available. ISDN's basic speed is usually the slowest of the group.
Sooner or later, most broadband users end up needing to contact a provider's technical support line. Things happen with computers -- and with Internet connections. Sometimes the only way to solve a problem is to speak to a live human being.
How easy is it to do that with your potential provider? To find out, of course, you can ask a sales representative, and you may or may not get a straight answer. A better way to check on a provider's reputation is to ask people you know about their experiences, or to use Google's Groups feature (http://groups.google.com) to search for user comments regarding the potential provider.
If possible, contact the technical support department by phone or e-mail and see how long it takes someone to respond.
Virtually all broadband connections require that you have an ethernet networking card installed in your computer. The broadband modem connects to the cards.
You'll receive a new e-mail address with just about any broadband service plan. Occasionally, your plan will include enough e-mail addresses for the entire family.
You'll want to find out how diligent your provider is about combating unwanted e-mail, otherwise known as spam. The more spam filtering that is done by your provider's e-mail servers, the less you'll have to worry about at home.
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