With the hugh range of ISP's out there and a barrage of deals and options, how do I find a good one?
Are some ISPs better than others? Which are more reliable? Which offer the best service? Whats included?
Absolutely, some ISPs are better than others. First, look at the different types of Internet service providers:
Multi-Service Providers like AOL or MSN Premium - the services you provide, not only with connectivity, but with their own software and premium content. In the past they have provided remotely, and now also often partners with some of the companies below to provide broadband connectivity as well.
The telephone companies like Qwest, Verizon, BellSouth, etc.. Because these people will provide the telephone line in your house, they were quick to offer ISP services in support of their bid using DSL telephone lines.
Cable, satellite and cell phone companies, like Comcast, HughesNet, Verizon Wireless and many others. These companies provide all the physical connectivity to the cable, satellite or cell phone. In these cases, they also act as your ISP for this connection. National ISP like Earthlink or PeoplePC. Once again, these people offer distance learning, and ideally at the national level, but it can also provide you with services from your ISP and broadband DSL. Regional ISPs exist in many communities and are often of great value. They work in many ways such as major national ISP, but in a more limited area. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.
If you're a complete novice, you will have a service that puts ease of use and solid customer support on everything else. Does the software that is included make sense to you? If you call the support line for customers, (go ahead and do it before you commit - see what happens), do you have a person or a machine? With all due respect to anyone who speaks with no accent - can you understand? Are they really useful or just a reading a script? AOL is often recommended as a good place to start because it's proprietary software is apparently supposed to be very user-friendly for people that are new and inexperienced.
If you are a little more informed, services like AOL may become more annoying than useful. You may want an ISP that is strong on performance without a lot of holding hands. I left my previous ISP because they refused to deal with me on my terms - they insisted on following the script beginners whenever I called. It may be appropriate for some, but if you know it's not for you, then find an ISP that you can talk to your requirements. How? call them and ask.
If you are a business and beyond competent. Support, reliability may well be the highest in your mind. You also need to understand your options. "For your DSL phone company should not be your ISP." If you are looking for a good ISP dial-up, you have many choices. In addition to an appropriate level of support, you'll want to look at their coverage area. If you travel a lot, you'll want to ensure that the ISP you select a local dialup numbers in the areas you travel. At the other extreme, you can have no other choice. If you're on cable, your cable provider is your ISP. The same goes for satellite and cellular provider is your ISP. Once you're online, you can of course use many other services, but it'll still be your cable, satellite or cellular service provider that you get the Internet connection to begin.
DSL is interesting. DSL to your telephone company should not be your ISP. While they are still involved in the provision of physical DSL signal to your home, you can choose from many ISPs that provide effective connectivity to the Internet. And this, of course, keep things interesting.
So how do you know which ISPs are available and those that meet criteria you choose? Unfortunately, most price comparison sites do not include the quality of service experienced by users. It is therefore difficult to determine what they are really like once you have connected. Although a bit on the geeky side, I highly recommend spending some time reading reports on broadband. In particular the comments section, and Section Search service can be used not only to see what you have at your disposal, including reviews detailing what others are already experiencing. Looking around their forums may also be instructive.
As I mentioned earlier, calling a prospective ISP support line (not the number of sales) can be very instructive. If the ISP has an online support site or forums, spend a few minutes of browsing to see if it matches your expectations and level of knowledge. Talk to your neighbors. This is particularly useful when selecting a DSL provider, or choose between cable and DSL broadband. See what your neighbors are using and how happy they are with the service. I strongly recommend that you choose based on price. Obviously, it factors in the overall equation, you need to find out if service is proportional to the price. In other words, do you get what you pay for? I get more questions about problems with ISPs to lower cost than others. And this is not usually on their ability to provide connectivity - it is often their ability - or failure - to provide customer support when something goes wrong.
I mentioned at the beginning that I can not really recommend a specific ISP. This is because things vary greatly depending on where you are and what services are actually available to you. Stay away from super deals, I know it sounds a little silly. But often these deals are a short term gain that will drop away after a set period, after which you may loose the extra features or may even be charged for them. As the Internet continues to grow at a frantic rate more and more ISPs are going to appear this is good for the customer as it will drive down prices as the companies try to out price each other. It pays to write down your requirements and do plenty of research before setting up a relationship with an ISP.
steve