How To Find the Best Internet Service

The best internet service could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but primarily most people ask for an internet service provider (ISP) to give them convenience, speed, low cost, speed and finally speed.  In other words, the single most important point for most internet service providers is how speedy their services can delivery. 

To find the fastest internet service, the customer has to know what kind of speed his/her setup already has.  The buyer should determine the speed of the processor and modem, as well as the specifics of the computers operating system such as RAM (memory) and hard disk space. 

Those measurement parameters will determine which internet service provider to consider, but one can also ask friends, colleagues and co-workers which ones they favor and use, simply by asking the name of the best internet service, in their opinion.    

Back in the day, one could use the yellow pages of the phone book, but today the internet itself (which can obviously be found and used on a friends computer until the system is installed) can be a great reference tool to find ISPs, and the fastest internet service possible in the local area.  As well, newspapers, magazines, subscription channels, TV shows and media resources such as IPod, Twitter, etc., can recommend offers from national ISPs. 

There are also ISPs on the lookout for customers.  Frequently someone who sends out inquiries can receive free internet installation CDs in the mail; as well, several national firms offer their internet service on a trial basis. 

Once there is a list of possible ISPs, the customer can contact these providers and ask about billing rates, various features and their system requirements.  Email, Web access and news-reading capability, as well IMs (instant messages) and chat rooms, are common features, but one may want to create/post ones own Website or make use of a UNIX shell. 

Also, one should ask what technical supports the ISP offerssome may not be 24/7, and limited hours also limits the internet users convenience (and obviously, if the server is down, theres no email to let the ISP know). 

In addition, one should ask if the ISP requires a fee for setup or installation; most of them are happy enough if the software gets purchased, and setup or installation is usually nominal with the purchase of a package.

This brings us to the big question, because an ISP usually requires some sort of purchase plan.  They are not usually like phones, which lock the consumer in for two years or so, but they should offer the option of month to month services or a contractual purchase for a limited time (such as six months).  

One important question to consider is the number of ISPs available and in use per modem.  A higher ratio of ISPs means that heavy traffic will not result in an internet slowdown. 

Finally, a caveat to note:  many ISPs offer service for a flat rate fee, usually at $20 a month or perhaps a little more.   If one is planning on a large amount of time online (and who limits online use these days?), this monthly fee is probably the best option.   There are free ISPs out there, but they usually come with some kind of gimmick or catch to them, such as unwanted advertising suddenly appearing on the internet screen. 

If one is a frequent flyer or travels on business with a laptop, a large, national ISP is probably a must, since there will be lower fees to dial in or access the internet; as well, the larger the ISP, the larger the number of users and potential customers. 

And those are some tips on finding the best internet service!