How to Choose an ISP: Reliability (The Most Important Factor)

Reliability should be your main concern when choosing your ISP, regardless of the service level or price you need. Before you make any commitment—whether short term or long term—make sure you know the quality of your ISP. If you don’t, you could be in for some nasty surprises down the road when you need your internet and it isn’t there.

Researching the Reliability of an Internet Service Provider

There are several ways to do this research. The first thing is to check back issues of popular computer magazines that do reviews of ISPs (and almost all of them do). Make sure the company has a consistent service record. Some magazines offer side-by-side comparisons of the ISPs and what they offer, and compare those to other ISPs.

Available Equipment

Also check and see what kind of equipment they have. If they don’t have much to begin with, your ability to access the internet may not be as good as you would like. If accessibility has gone down in the last year, it will likely go down farther and you will have increasingly more difficulty getting online. Make sure you ask the ISP how many people they serve and how much equipment they have to serve them with.

Check Out PingPlotter

Another way to check this once you have the service is to download an application called PingPlotter, which you can get at www.pingplotter.com. PingPlotter shows you where your problem areas are with your internet connection. It has graphic displays about the data route, notifies you of network problems, and troubleshoots for you. This software is free—upgraded capabilities cost more.

Remember: Reliability is the Key and Price Should be Secondary

Remember not to be overly concerned with price when you’re looking for reliability. Reliability often isn’t cheap, but is worth the price. If your ISP is cheap but you can’t get online, you’re wasting money. A few extra dollars are better spent than a few thrown away. This is especially true if your business depends even partially on your internet connection—you could lose valuable clients.

Check with Friends and Family Members

Another good source of information on ISPs is your friends and family. Ask them who they use and if they’re happy. Then get more specific; ask about customer service, technical support, etc. And, as with any business commitment, you should check your ISP with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. Other good sites to check reviews for ISP providers are www.cnet.com, www.consumersearch.com, and www.isprank.com.

In the end, by taking the time to follow the tips outlined in this article you will be in the best possible position to make a determination regarding the reliability of different Internet Service Providers.