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5 Steps To Choose Your New Internet Service Provider

Choosing an ISP can be daunting for some and can end up costing you heaps. Do not base your first impressions on price. Price should be an overall evaluation on the ISP.

1.First decide if you would like Broadband or dial up? I recommend broadband instead of waiting long periods of time for pages to load.

2.There are 4 main types of broadband connections
- DSL/ASDL (connects to your phone line)
- Cable/fibre-optic (High speed also connects to your phone line or TV, not possible in most of New Zealand)
- Satellite (Waves from satellite to PC, can be slow at times)
- Wireless (Wirelessly connects from your home to the base station)

3.Location. Can you get broadband in your area? Some areas still cannot connect via ADSL or Wireless.

4.Residential: Determine your needs. This will help you choose a connection plan.
Are you a gamer, movie or TV on demand freak, have teens and multiple computers and are you constantly surfing the web? If so, you will need a high speed connection and a large bandwidth or data allowance. If you just check emails and post comments on Facebook, Bebo and Twitter you will likely need a small bandwidth or data allowance and want a high speed connection.

Business: Determine your needs. Business ISP plans should be based on:
The type of business (Graphic service businesses will require large amount of data transfers, hardware stores may require small amount of data transfers)
- Size of business (Small business with few staff will probably require small amount of data allowance, where large companies with many staff will require large data allowance)
- Email accounts (Large businesses need more)
- Multiple locations (If your business has many offices, you should have one ISP)

5.Check out the services included in packages, they should include: Installation, antivirus and anti-spam protection, data backup, account management, 24/7 technical support and customer service.

Things to think about
If you already have an ISP you need to make sure you are not breaching any terms and conditions before you change service providers.
Check with family and friends about their ISP or recommendations. Also check reviews for a potential ISP.
You will want a reliable secure network. Some ADSL providers experience slow connections because of the amount of people on the internet at any one given time.

If you want an all-in-one service, check an ISP’s services they may include Wed development and design, web hosting and domain name registrations and data storage.

How much you are willing to pay for a monthly internet service and installation?
Does the ISP connect you through hardware and what are you required to know?
Does the ISP charge for upgrading packages?
Do you need a landline?

Before you sign any agreement you should;
- Understand the terms of the contract or service agreement
- Understand all the fees that you are required to pay
- Understand the package you are paying for
- Know the contact details of the ISP

Choosing an ISP does not have to be difficult. If you are in the Hastings area and a need reliable, secure, high speed connection, contact Swiftnet for all your broadband needs and a “Free Site Survey”. Swiftnet supply local business and residential customers with wireless broadband internet without the need for a landline.

By: Llanasa Peachey

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Llanasa Peachey works with local website owners in Hawkes Bay New Zealand to promote and help them become more visible in the search engines. Free tips and resources available from MWAH SEO Consulting www.llanasapeachey.com

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