As personal computers take their place alongside televisions and toasters as a fixture in the home, Internet service is fast becoming a utility as critical as telephone service–a fact not lost on the legions of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) clamoring for your business.
At their most basic, ISPs give you access to the World Wide Web and e-mail. But few stop there. ISP services can also include personal Web pages, instant messaging and more.
“There are plenty of quality ISPs available to Chicago-area residents,” said David Munaretto, vice president of the Chicago chapter of the Internet Society. “Ask friends which service they’re using. Don’t just use the ISP that sends you a CD in the mail or the one that comes with your computer.”
According to The List (www.thelist.com), an ISP buyer’s guide, there are hundreds of ISPs that serve Chicagoland. The most convenient way to start comparison shopping is to log on to ISP’s Web sites and read about their services and fees. If you don’t already have access to the Internet, many libraries offer Internet time for free.
Before evaluating what the ISPs have to offer, consider how experienced you and your family are with computers and the Internet.
According to Jeffrey Fox, senior editor of Yonkers, N.Y.-based Consumer Reports and author of the magazine’s “TechLife” column: “A complete beginner is better off with a service like AOL (America Online, www.aol.com) or CompuServe (www.compuserve.com) that provides more hand-holding. The user installation and user interface is easier, and the technical support staff at these services is trained to deal with beginners.”
If you already have Internet access, you can download the ISP’s installation software for free. Or, you can call the ISP and ask them to send you their free installation software.
When selecting a pricing plan, consider how many hours you’ll spend on the Internet. The average rate for unlimited Internet use, using a standard dial-up modem, is about $20 per month. If you expect to surf the Web and handle e-mail for only a few hours a month, consider a per-hour plan such as AOL’s limited-use plans: $9.95 per month for five hours or $4.95 per month for three hours. Under these plans, additional time costs $2.50 to $2.95 per hour.
Other factors to consider when evaluating an ISP:
– How reliable is the service? Ask other people who use the ISP if they can log on easily, and if they can stay on-line as long as they want without losing the connection. Be sure to talk to people who live in your area, because service can vary depending on the quality of the local telephone service and how close you are to the access number’s switching station.
Another way to gauge the quality of the ISP’s connection is to ask the ISP for its ratio of modems to customers. More than 15 customers per modem could cause delays in getting on-line.
You should be able to try out the ISP for free. According to Patrick McNichols, president of Computer Training Source in Chicago: “Almost all the major ISPs will give you a month free. During that trial period, if you get a busy signal 50 percent of the time, don’t sign up.”
A common complaint among Internet users is that Web pages load too slowly. This problem usually can’t be blamed on the ISP. “Speed is mostly a factor of your modem speed and your computer,” said McNichols.
A 56K modem is the fastest dial-up modem you can buy. There are technologies available that will give you faster connections, such as cable modems and DSL lines, but you pay a premium for that extra speed. For instance, cable modem service can cost up to $500 for the modem and installation, and from $30 to $50 per month for the service.
– How good is the technical support? During your trial period, call the technical support line to see how quickly you get to speak to a support person and how well your questions are answered. Also confirm that technical support is available around the clock, seven days a week.
– Do they have local access numbers? Choose an ISP that lets your modem dial a local phone number to access the Internet so you won’t be charged for a toll call. When in doubt, call Ameritech and ask if any of the ISP’s dial-in phone numbers are local.
– Are you happy with the e-mail system? The ISP should offer free e-mail service that allows you to send, receive and store e-mail. Some e-mail services are easier to use than others, and some offer extra conveniences, like the ability to preschedule when your messages are sent. You don’t have to use the e-mail service offered by your ISP. Juno (www.juno.com), Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) and many others offer free e-mail.
Can you check your e-mail when you travel? If your cousin in Florida has a different ISP, you may be unable to check your e-mail messages while you’re visiting her if your own ISP serves only the Chicago area. National ISPs have local access numbers throughout the country, making it easy to tap into your e-mail from almost anywhere. Some ISPs now offer another option. According to Fox, “Some providers let you send and receive your e-mail from their Web site when you’re out of town. This is particularly helpful when you’re traveling abroad.”
– Do you want to create your own Web page? If so, sign on with an ISP that gives you the tools to design your own Web page. A subscription to Ameritech.net includes 2 megabytes of Web page storage–enough for a simple site that might include a few photos. For $19.95 per month and a $25 setup fee, EarthLink (www.earthlink.com) offers advanced services for those wanting a more sophisticated Web site.
The heated competition among ISPs is leading to some deals of questionable value. Think twice before you sign up for one of the handful of free ISP services. “These services are for people who don’t use the Web a lot. Yes, they’re free, but the downside is that you’re constantly subjected to advertising while you’re on-line, and the time you can spend on-line might be limited,” says Munaretto.
Lately, PC manufacturers and computer stores have been offering deep discounts on computers if you sign up with the ISP they’re partnering with for a specified period of time, often as long as four years. But read the fine print. According to McNichols, “You might get a $400 discount on the PC for signing up with a certain ISP for two to four years, but if you cancel the ISP before the specified time, you’re charged $400.”
Adds Richard Warner, professor of law at Chicago’s Kent College of Law and director of faculty development for the school’s computer center, “On the Internet, things move so quickly, I’d want to be able to change services at any time. If you can’t afford a new computer, maybe it’s a good deal, but if you want flexibility, it isn’t.”
ISPs are also scrambling to add new capabilities. The ability to communicate with others in real time on the Internet via instant messaging (IM) has become popular with college students and others with friends and family across the country. AOL popularized the free feature for its own subscribers, but it’s now available through numerous ISPs.
If you feel overwhelmed by the multitude of ISP choices, consider Warner’s advice: “Common sense is your best ally. The Internet has changed a lot of things, but it hasn’t changed that.”
