 |
« ISP Questions FAQ »
 Questions to ask a prospective ISP
You should find answers to these questions before choosing a new ISP. Call, write, or email their respective support or sales departments.
You can find common ISP contact information here. They should be able to answer these questions or you might want
to shop for a different Internet service provider.
New ISP Questions
- ISP monthly / annual costs?
- Other extra costs?
- Local / 800 access numbers?
- Type and number of email accounts?
- Do you get newsgroup access?
- Does the ISP provide personal web space?
- How do I get support?
- Does the ISP have monthly access limits?
- What are the system requirements?
- Do I need special software?
- How reliable / dependable is the ISP?
- Account setup charges?
- Monthly charges - Number of hours included per month?
- Annual pre-pay discount?
- What will 800 or long-distance charges be?
- Will you want a separate phone line for modem use?
- Cost of additional hours - are there limits?
- Cost of additional features, extended support?
- Account cancellation charges?
- Is it a local call to the closest PoP (Point of Presence)?
- Are there many local numbers PoPs for travelers?
- Does the ISP provide 800 service when traveling?
- How many email accounts do you get?
- What is the mailbox limit? / attachment size?
- Does the ISP provide POP3, SMTP, and Webmail services?
- Can you use POP3 email clients (Outlook Express, etc.)?
- Do they provide email fowarding?
- Link to free email accounts.
- How many newsgroups are available?
- Do they support multi-part binary files?
- Are there restrictions on newsgroup access or downloads?
- Does the ISP provide personal / business web space?
- Do they have web page template software?
- How do you upload files / graphics?
- How large can your website be?
- Are there bandwidth (traffic) limits?
- Link to cheap web hosting providers.
- How does the ISP provide technical support?
- Is live support limited?
- Does the provider charge for live telephone support?
- What are the normal hours for live support?
- Link to ISP techinical support contacts.
- Are the monthly Internet access hours limited?
- If so how many hours do you get?
- What are the costs of additional hours?
- Are there bandwidth (download) limits?
- What operating systems does the ISP support?
- What are the hardware requirements?
- What Internet browser do I need?
- Does the ISP provide a setup software program?
- Do they provide setup CD / download?
- Is any client software provided with an account?
- Can I set up a DUN (Dial Up Networking) connection?
- Is Internet accelerator software included / extra cost?
- Can I use the ISP on multiple computers? Simultaniously?
- How long has the Internet service been around (fly-by-night)?
- Does ISP have a policy to match modem lines with user demand?
- How does ISP announce upcoming downtime or their system status?
- Does the ISP have a reasonable data backup plan?
|
