Dialin or Broadband: Finding and Selecting an Internet Service Provider

• Which connection method is right for you?
• Dialin (For Casual Users)
• Broadband: Cable Modems, DSL, and Wireless (For Everyone Else)
• Finding an ISP -- Search Web Sites

1. Is your Internet use from home casual? Are you willing to have your telephone line tied up while you're on line or to spring for a second telephone line?
   • If your answer to both questions is yes, then you will probably be happy with a dialin ISP.
   • If you answered no to either question, you should consider a broadband alternative.
2. Do you travel a lot?
   • Then, you should think about a nationwide ISP, such as Earthlink or NetZero (dialup), a wireless modem, or make sure you stay somewhere that has (free) Internet service; more and more hotels do these days. Or get a smartphone and use it when you're travelling.

Last updated 29 September 2010.

When selecting a dialin ISP, make sure that you choose one that:

• Has several sets of dialin lines in your local calling area (and in locations that you normally travel to) and
• Provides the complete standard set of Internet services.

See Finding an ISP below for links to Web pages that will help decide what features you want in an ISP and that will help you find one. After you select your ISP, go to After You Choose: Installation and Configuration .

Broadband is a class of data transmission methods where a single wire carries several signals at once. For home Internet access, your principal broadband choices are cable modems, which run on Cable TV wiring, and several varieties of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), which run on standard copper telephone telephone lines. (Click on the links in this paragraph for SearchNetworking.com articles about cable and DSL connections.)

If you decide to go with broadband, check with your local TV cable company first. If it provides suitable cable modem service, that's probably your best bet, both for speed -- cable modem service is fast (unless it's oversubscribed) -- and for cost -- it's generally less expensive than other broadband alternatives. If it doesn't, then by all means consider DSL.

• thebroadbandguide.com's articles on cable. DSL, Wireless Broadband, and Satellite Broadband, which explain how they work, and allows you to search for ISPs of all sorts that serve your neighborhood.
  
  
• EvaluateIT.co.uk's Broadband Facts All you need to know before choosing your Broadband supplier. This is from the United Kingdom, it's aimed at small businesses, and it's a bit old, but it's really does have all you need to know.
  

The Web is the place to go when you're selecting any type of commercial ISP. First, check out the following:

• thebroadbandguide.com's articles on cable. DSL, Wireless Broadband, and Satellite Broadband, which explain how they work, and allows you to search for ISPs of all sorts that serve your neighborhood.
  
  
• Broadband Reports DSL Finder is also a good place to look for ISPs that serve your neighborhood. Enter your Zip Code and DSL Reports gives you an ISP (not just DSL) search page designed specifically for you.

• A complete online listing of ISPs is modestly called The List. It allows you to search for local ISPs in several different ways; perhaps the most useful is locating an ISP by telephone area code. The List's listings include both dialin services and dedicated services.
  
  
• After you choose your connection method (broadband or dialin), make sure it's secure: Securing Your Internet Connection.
  
  
• When You're Traveling: National Dialin ISPs: Some of the ISP search sites listed above return only local ISPs. If you travel a lot, you might consider signing up for a national dialin ISP (such as Earthlink and NetZero) to use while you're traveling.