It can be daunting to try to find the best internet provider for your home or business. A lot of factors need to be considered, and no one wants to make a decision they might regret later. It is impossible to complete your work and keep in touch with family and friends if you do not have a reliable internet connection.
Let us first check out all the types of connections available before we talk about the factors.
How many types of connections are there?
There may be a full menu of internet-access entrees available in your area, or you may have to settle for the last hot dog on the roller grill in the convenience store. The following are some of the most common internet service provider connections in terms of speed:
- DSL:
A decade ago, Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) was measured as a big improvement over dial-up connections, but now they are considered middle-of-the-road. A small business with a few workers can still use DSL, which uses traditional telephone lines, and it is relatively cheap. In any case, DSL download speeds seldom exceed double figures of Mbps regardless of distance from the ISP’s exchange.
- Cable:
Coaxial cable TV lines, which are available almost everywhere, are used to transmit data using this option. This was true at least when it was introduced in the late 90s. However, cable internet does not hold up as well today as Smash Mouth and JNCO jeans. Even though cable speeds can reach up to 1,000 Mbps now, they are slowed if nearby homes and businesses are online at the same time. It is also expensive. However, many internet service providers offer great packages for both internet and cable both. For instance, Cox cable deals are a good option if you are looking for something affordable and in both arenas.
- Satellite:
Isn’t satellite just as good as the cable for transmitting internet service? Apparently not. Neither cable nor dish can deliver Game of Thrones or SportsCenter more reliably than DSL, however, satellite internet is nowhere near as fast. It can also be more costly than cable internet and is less reliable than a grounded connection. Although it is available anywhere, even in the middle of nowhere with no wires, it is still a good option.
- Fiber:
In fiber-optic internet, light pulses are transmitted over microscopic glass or plastic strands without interference from electromagnetic fields. It is the fastest and oldest connection available (the internet was made on fiber). However, only a small number of US cities offer fiber internet, and the cost is generally higher. Despite this, fiber offers the potential for progress and rapid bandwidth expansion.
- Dial-up:
More than 9 million Americans were still using 56k modems as recently as through a handful of dial-up providers (together with net pioneer America Online). Almost a decade later, the figures have definitely increased. Until your business’s internet requirements are exceptionally light, avoid dial-up and live in the current. Dial-up has been slow and cheap since the 1990s.
How to Choose an Internet Service Provider: 7 Factors to Consider
Wi-Fi has become a necessity for most people, rather than a luxury! There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the internet. There are different concerns to factor into each household’s decision regarding speed. It is crucial to evaluate your unique situation before committing to an internet contract. When selecting an internet provider, you should take the following factors into consideration.
- Check Availability in Your Area
- Customer Service
- Speeds
- Reliability
- Equipment
- Connection Type
- Redundancy
Availability in Your Location
It is important to know what your options are in your area before deciding what kind of internet best meets your needs. Living in a rural area may limit your options compared to those living in urban areas. Rural areas tend to have fewer cable or fiber-optic providers. In recent years, satellite internet (more prevalent in rural areas) has improved dramatically. It may surprise you how well it works if you have not tried it lately.
Customer Service
Your Wi-Fi is bound to experience technical difficulties at some point, regardless of how reliable your connection is. In addition to not being the most technically savvy person, you may also have questions about troubleshooting Wi-Fi problems.
However, good customer service is essential! When you have a conversation with an ISP, especially if you have questions, you can usually get a sense of how friendly and helpful they are. If you are looking for a provider that prioritizes customer satisfaction, you can check out customer reviews or ask friends for recommendations.
Upload and Download Speeds
It is a waste of time to sit at a computer all day waiting for a download to complete. When choosing an ISP, you should be particularly attentive to download and upload speeds if you like to stream videos. You do not want to spend too much money on Internet speed that you cannot afford and may not use.
Reliability
Wi-Fi that is unreliable is not what anyone wants! Find out from customers in your area what their experiences have been with a particular ISP in order to find out if they are reliable. When working remotely, reliability is particularly important.
It is important to remember that an internet provider alone cannot guarantee reliable service. Other factors, such as weather, need to be considered as well, such as the type of internet you have. Bad weather, for example, can interfere with an internet connection. The fiber-optic lines, however, are buried underground, so regardless of the weather conditions, the connection usually remains strong.
Equipment
A router or modem is required for your internet connection. Installing your network will not cost you anything extra if you already own one of these devices. Alternatively, you can rent one from your Internet service provider for a monthly fee.
In general, you should expect to pay around $5 to $20 per month on top of your internet plan. Initially, it may not seem like much, but when you add it up, it makes a big difference. Do your research to find the best deal! You will also have to pay for the equipment to be installed by your provider.
Connection type
The speed of the internet is influenced greatly by the kind of connection. Satellite internet is infamous for appearing slow, despite the fact that download speeds are respectable. The reason for this is simple physics. During the transmission, your satellite sends a signal out to space that journeys around 22,000 miles. To find a specific location, the satellite in orbit interacts with a network center.
You then receive the data from the satellite in orbit, which is then sent back to you. Although light travels at the speed of light, this communication process takes almost five hundred milliseconds plus the additional time spent on both the client-side and server to process the request. The extra half-second may not seem like much, but compared to a traditional connection, it seems like so much more time. For example, 4G-LTE signals have a latency of around a hundred milliseconds, compared to satellite connections with a latency of four hundred milliseconds or more. There are other connections, such as Fiber, with much lesser latency, usually under twenty milliseconds.
- Redundancy
If you cannot tolerate even a minute of downtime and you need to remain constantly connected, you will have to ensure that you have some level of redundancy. Redundancy means your mainline will switch over if your backup line goes down. Even if a business cannot afford any downtime, this is an essential feature to have with standard internet service. Knowing the availability will help you determine whether or not your business should consider redundancy, but you can also consult a professional.
Final Thoughts
Researching these factors to consider when selecting an internet service provider can help you find the right one for your needs. We hope this article helps you in choosing a good internet service provider. If you have questions and concerns, leave a comment in the comments section below. We will get back to you soon.