How to Choose a Dial-Up Internet Service Provider

A dial-up Internet service provider (ISP) offers access to the Internet through standard phone lines. Dial-up connections are usually cheaper and slower than broadband connections. The speed of the connection is determined by the bandwidth of the phone lines. When the user wants to connect to the Internet, the computer dials a particular number, which may be local or national. Some ISPs offer many phone numbers, which are useful if the user travels a lot, while other ISPs offer toll-free phone numbers. The user can set up the connection with the help of an expert, by calling the toll-free number of the ISP's technical support. In order to connect, the user will have to enter information such as the phone number to call, the username and the password.

Choosing a Dial-Up Internet Service Provider

The maximum speed for these connections is usually 56 kilobits per second. If you want to use the Internet just to check e-mails, then dial-up is the right choice for you. However, this is too slow to stream audio or watch video. This is because this service provides analog communication, unlike DSL which provides digital communication. A dial-up connection is not always on, unlike a DSL connection which is on 24/7. But, a user is forced to choose dial-up, if DSL is not available in his area.

Dial up can be made faster by using an accelerator. However, the speed has an upper limit because the house is usually very far away from the phone company.

When choosing a dial-up ISP, you must look at the quality of customer service, as it is the help desk which will answer any questions that you have about the connection. The help desk should be available 24 hours of the day, and even on weekends. You should do research on the ISPs by looking at other subscribers' ratings of the customer service. You should also read reviews by the company's actual subscribers and check which company has the best customer satisfaction, to determine which ISP delivers the most bang for the buck. You must also look at the terms of service and the payment methods, which can be by credit card, check or bank draft.

Users have to pay a monthly or annual fee for a dial-up service. Some ISPs have a trial period, where you have to pay a lower price for the first few months of the service. The EarthLink dial-up plan costs $15, on a monthly basis, and PeoplePC is an even cheaper alternative. ISPs like NetZero and Juno (which are owned by the same company, United Online) offer free service, but display advertisements that you are compelled to see. Some discount ISPs offer access at very cheap rates, but they have usage limits, with a maximum limit for the number of hours you can access the Internet.

The top three dial-up companies are AOL, EarthLink, and NetZero. However, you could choose a smaller company because the customer relations representatives of the large companies are located outside the USA. The large companies also have contracts that bind you to the same company, for one or even two years. You will have to pay an extra fee, if you choose to cancel the service before the contract ends. Some companies charge a fee to set up the connection. Some companies also require you to pay to cancel the connection.

The download speed is mentioned in the plan offered by an ISP. However, the speed you actually get is usually lower than the advertised download speed. The dial-up ISP may perform well in most regions of the country, but not do well in your area. So choose a connection that does well in your area. While speed is an obvious factor when deciding which ISP to choose, reliability is an even more important factor. Sometimes, you cannot connect to the Internet, as the ISP is experiencing downtime. This means you cannot access the Internet, and puts the reliability of the ISP under question.

Some dial-up companies offer features, such as free anti-virus protection, spam blocking, multiple e-mail accounts, parental controls and privacy protection.