Merlin's
Blue*
Fact
Sheets

How to Choose an ISP

   
 

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for future reference.

To connect to the Internet, you need to arrange for a connection to an ISP (Internet Service Provider). There are many ISPs to choose from, and the services they offer can vary. This Fact Sheet will help you choose one.

 


Why do you need an ISP?

The Internet is basically a very large collection of computer systems around the world all connected together over various types of computer networks. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have connections into the Internet. For all the rest of us (at home or in business) the best way for us to gain access to the Internet is to set up a link from our computer system to an ISP's computer system.

The link to your chosen ISP can be a conventional telephone line (such as the existing phone line into our home or business, or an additional phone line), or it can be via "cable" such as the pay-TV operators offer (e.g. Foxtel and Optus in Australia), or other technology such as ADSL or ISDN. If you use a dial-up telephone line, then your computer and modem need to make a telephone call to the ISP in order to make a connection. When you do this, the phone line is busy, just like a normal telephone call.

What is involved in setting up the ISP connection?

The following checklist indicates the steps to go through to establish a new connection to the Internet.

Key ISP Features

When selecting an ISP, there are a number of factors to consider, as shown in the following features checklist. A good way to make the final selection is based on other people's experiences, so ask around. (Dollar amounts are shown in Australian dollars).

Sample ISPs

Following is a list of just a few ISPs (in no particular order, and without endorsement) and their Internet addresses for you to explore (assuming that you already have some sort of Internet access available). Remember that there are hundreds of ISPs to choose from.

ISP

URL (Web address)

phone:

Hotkey.net.au

http://www.hotkey.net.au

1300 655 366
iPrimus

http://www.iprimus.com.au

1300 85 85 85
Alphalink

http://www.alphalink.net.au

 ??
Netlink

http://www.netlink.net.au

Sales (03) 9796-2124
Support (03) 9796-2130
Admin (03) 9796-2124
NetSpace

http://www.netspace.net.au

1300 360 025
OzEmail http://www.ozemail.com.au  ??
TPG Internet http://www.tpg.com.au Customer Service: 1300 360 855

Best of luck. :-)


* - Merlin's Blue Fact Sheets are so named because the first versions (produced in 1989) were printed onto blue paper to help them stand out in a pile of plain paper. And today on the Web, the page background is blue.

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Last revised: 23 May, 2011.


Important: The information provided here is not advice. It is intended as a guide only, and may not be complete, nor relevant to every situation. It should not be relied upon. Any product or company names that might be mentioned here may be registered trade marks or trade names and owned by the respective companies, and they are are quoted here in good faith, without recommendation or endorsement.