"High-speed" dial-up - If you are wondering how dial-up can be "high-speed" you are right to wonder. Some ISPs offer this service which does not increase your actual bandwidth at all... they use a data compression scheme that presents some webpages to you faster (others may be presented to you more slowly). ISPs that cannot offer a true high-speed solution are widely predicted to either be acquired by those who can or go out of business.
Satellite - requires an unobstructed view of the southern sky, installation of a dish, and wiring to your computer. While satellite promises high-speed access there are some problems. First, the latency time from your dish to a satellite 25,000 miles away and back makes satellite useless for computer games. It also means you cannot host a website over satellite. But the worst problem is the satellite service has a so-called "Fair Access Policy" or FAP. It works like this... even if you buy the very expensive "unlimited plan" the FAP limits you to an arbitrary, undisclosed amount of Internet activity... when you violate the activity limit your service is downgraded for an arbitrary, undisclosed amount of time, often to mere dial-up modem speed. If you regularly download large photos, large software products, etc. satellite access may not be for you. The good news is that satellite access is very reliable, except for very brief periods during heavy rain. The bad news is that technical support is less reliable though you should rarely need it. If you don't have cable or wired telephone service to your home/business satellite access may be your only alternative.
Cable - is bundled with TV service. It is generally fast except during peak periods. The reason is that you are sharing bandwidth with all your neighbors. For example, when they get home from work and log on you may notice your access getting slower. Cable access reliability is totally dependent upon on the cable provider and varies widely. So does technical support. Your neighbors may be able shed some light on the reliability and support issues. Call your cable provider to determine pricing.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - is offered by the phone companies. It requires a DSL modem they install between your existing phone line and computer similar to the dial-up modem it replaces. DSL can be purchased in packages based on the speed you desire. This can save you money. DSL also allows you to use your old voice line to make and receive phone calls and simultaneously be accessing the Internet. You do not need an extra phone line; if you now have two phone lines you may desire to drop one. In fact, if you drop a phone line, you can often have high-speed DSL at a total cost LESS THAN your old dial-up! DSL is very reliable and technical support is rarely needed but this can vary with the particular phone company. Note that even though you have phone service, DSL may not yet be available in your area. Call your phone company to determine availability and pricing.
Notes:
If you need help with any high-speed Internet access problem, contact us. We have extensive experience with all high-speed solutions and will be happy to help you.
