So Many Internet Providers, So Little Time.....

With so many internet providers advertising on television and radio, it can be difficult to figure out who actually services your area. How frustrating it is when you hear about a great deal, only to call the provider and find out that they don't provide internet to your neighborhood! You need to find a high speed connection, since the kids really are at the age where they need to use the internet for school, and you want to keep up with family all over the country. It's important to find a company that is dependable, and offers the right connection for the right price.

There are several things you can do to avoid this dilemma. You can look on provider websites and enter your zip code in the wizard they provide that determines if your are in their service area. But looking up all those websites on your own is time consuming. Instead, try looking up websites that compare various internet providers.

You'll find links to the websites, and be able to quickly determine what service is available in your area and make side by side comparisons. You'll also learn about speed and how to match it to what you do on the internet.

Having a place to compare multiple internet providers makes it easy to click each link and enter your zip code, without having to look them all up or remember them. You should probably start with the major providers, AT&T and Verizon. Although they may offer service in your area, they may not offer all services. Once you've determined what they can provide you, compare your local cable company and other internet providers in your area. You'll want to compare for cost, speed, and dependability.

How much speed do you need? Enough to do what you want. Most people want to watch streaming video, download music files, share photos, and participate in social networking. Every day web surfing, which includes shopping, email, downloading medium size files is ok with 1.5 Mbps. For videos, online banking, music, and more file sharing you need a minimum of 3Mbps. For high quality videos, online gaming, and multiple connections, you need speeds of 5 Mbps and up. Ultra fast web providers, such as AT&T Uverse and Verizon Fios offer speeds of up to 50 Mbps. These are done through fiber optic enhancements.

This greatly improves your experience, wait time for files to download, no distortion on videos, and allows you to connect phone and television to your highspeed connection. Cable providers in general offer faster speeds than DSL, although the speed of DSL is increasing. Their "triple play" offers of cable television, internet, and phone, are generally cost savers, but are not linked broadband the way that the fiber optic enhanced networks are.

Most families today want a higher speed connection, because of all the online activity in a normal household. For some families, the internet has replaced the television as the main source of home entertainment. They download videos, watch television shows, and participate in social networking. They listen to music, share files. They use webcams to keep in touch with grandparents and loved ones who are living far away. That takes bandwidth, which translates to speed. For the modern family, the more bandwidth you have, the better.

By comparing providers, you can see who has the best deal for you, the best dependability, and meets your needs. Compare promotions, prices, and special incentives. Does the service require you to buy new equipment, or is the modem provided? Is there an activation fee? Is there a minimum contract? Are there safety features to protect your family from venturing into "forbidden territory" on the web? Consider these questions as well as the incentive offered for a free month, a rebate, or a bundled service for a low price.

Finally, go to the website of the internet service provider that you choose, and sign up. You'll find the best deals are online.

Box text: Find great discounts and deals for Internet Providers by sorting out all the promotions. Check out all the great deals offered in an easy side by side comparison.