CHOOSING AN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
CHOOSING AN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
You need
to sign up to an internet service provider to surf the web. But which of
the hundreds of services should you choose?
Any open and thriving market will inevitably have plenty of choice, but
how many other markets can claim to have close on 200 companies offering
products that are essentially all the same, save the packaging? Well, internet
access is one - and if you're a newcomer to the net, the sheer number of
internet service providers (ISPs) all fighting for your connection can be
truly overwhelming.
Fortunately, the comforting truth is that unless you've got very particular
needs, choosing an ISP can be as simple as playing a game of pin the tail
on the donkey. Are you a regular Tesco shopper? Then get online with TescoNet.
Have a particular liking for Arsenal FC, then sign up with the Arsenal ISP.
Like to be part of a large crowd? Then go with Freeserve, the UK's biggest
ISP. Choosing the one for you really can be that simple.
Complications
We've already said that most ISPs offer the same basic package: internet
access; emails addresses; web space; local-rate call charge: from anywhere
in the country. But complications may arise when you start to examine the
offerings more closely. For example, larger families might find that the
five email names on offer from Arsenal simply isn't enough to give each member
their own email address. And if you want to build a home page stuffed to
the rafters with graphics, sounds and animations then will the 10Mb of web
space on offer from TescoNet be sufficient?
Things can get even stickier should you begin to wonder why
some big-name ISPs, like AOL and Demon, ask you to cough up a monthly
subscription for access to the internet - why on earth would you dream of
paying when there are so many free options? Well, it's a good question, and
you'll find the answer in the panel on the facing page.
Other services
There are other services you might need to consider. Will you want to pick
up emails when abroad? If you do, then you will want either 'roaming' agreements
-for local-rate call access abroad - or a dedicated website through which
you can access your account to send and receive messages. Almost all ISPs
offer the latter facility, but the number who can offer you cheap dial-up
access from overseas is much smaller. If you travel a great deal and want
internet access around the world then we recommend you call and discuss your
needs with a number of ISPs before deciding which one's right for you.
THE WORLD FOR
FREE? |
Get connected!
So, you've decided which ISP you want to side with - what next? Well, the
usual thing is to get hold of a CD-ROM from your provider: this will contain
all the software your computer needs to get you hooked up to the net, including
the all- important email and web browser tools.
Picking up the software disc is often as simple as walking into a high-street
store and asking for one from an assistant (Dixons, Currys and PC World all
carry the Freeserve disc, for example) - it will either be free, or have
a nominal cost of 50p or so. The other option is to simply call up your chosen
ISP and ask them to send you one - you will find the numbers of some of the
most popular providers in the table
on the next page.
OTHER OPTIONS
Want to experience the net but can't afford or don't want a computer? There are other ways to get online...
If don't have the money to splash out on a computer, or simply don't want one, then you can enjoy the internet in a variety of other ways. Perhaps the simplest option for city dwellers is to visit an internet cafe' - these coffee-shops- with-computers have popped up all over the country in the last couple of years, and they give you the chance to dip your toes into the internet ocean from as little as a couple of quid an hour.
MOBILE INTERNET |
The only problem with most internet cafe's is that they're nor very private places: if you're hoping to meet the love of your life by registering with an online dating service, every passing webhead can see what you're up to.
Up the bookies
Many local libraries now have internet terminals and these can usually be
accessed for free. Understandably though, you may have to book time in advance,
or face waiting in a queue for your turn.
Internet kiosks are also sprouting in public places like rail station concourses
and shopping centres. Rather like familiar Photo-Me booths, you simply walk
in, pull across a curtain, pop some money in a slot and start surfing.
Box clever
Another notion is to plump for the internet box. The idea is that rather
than spending hundreds of pounds on a fully-fledged PC, you buy a basic box
of tricks that'll sit on top of your telly, plug into a phone socket and
get you on the net using your TV screen as the display. Best of all, an internet
box will cost just a couple of hundred pounds.
The trouble is that while they've been studiously marketed as the cheap-internet-for-all option for a few years now, they've yet to really take off. The nature of the internet beast is such that as soon as an internet box is launched, new features appear online that it will inevitably have problems coping with.
The safest option at the moment is probably Sega's Dreamcast games console. It is first and foremost designed to allow you to play games, but it has a built-in modem which doubles as a basic internet device. It costs around £200, though a keyboard (essential if you want to write emails) will set you back around another £25. You can find out more by calling Sega on 020 8995 3399.
return.
If you think you're likely to spend a lot of time (probably in excess of
20 hours per month) on the internet, this could well work out as the cheaper
option so do your sums carefully. Also be wary of the cost of support most
free ISPs operate premium rate support lines so if things go wrong you could
end up paying 50p a minute or more for help Fee levying ISPs generally offer
support at normal call rates.