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To
get on the Internet you will need to get
yourself an Internet Connection/Account
which is provided by an ISP (Internet Service
Provider). An Internet Connection allows
you to connect to an ISP's servers that
are the gateway to the Internet. You will
be able to browse the Internet, send email,
transfer files and lots more.
What its worth
A connection to the Internet does not necessarily
have to be expensive. Accounts vary in cost
and size. Much like a mobile phone plan.
You may want to consider upgrading your
computers before you start using the Internet.
Many programs are resource hungry, especially
web browsers.
What are your requirements?
Depending on the size of your business you
will have to consider your connection requirements.
How many people will use the Internet Connection
at one time? What will you be using your
connection for? What is your budget?
Choosing your ISP
Bigger is better in regards to the Internet.
Bottlenecks and second rate connections
waste time and money so take your time when
choosing an ISP. Many important elements
go into choosing an ISP such as response
times and download limits. Gathering this
information is not always easy, but often
computer magazines will do reviews on the
top national ISPs and put them through a
series of comprehensive tests.
Choosing your connection type
Dial up connections are not viable in a
business environment so you should rule
them out straight away. Dial up connections
require a modem and a spare phone line and
are not typically included with the price
of the Internet Connection. Most ISPs will
support a range of connections types such
as ADSL, Cable, ISDN, RF and Satellite.
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is aimed
at the small to medium business market and
experienced home user. ADSL is the most
common form of DSL but there are other types
such as HDSL. A DSL connection can reach
a maximum of 1.5mbs which is more than enough
for a small business with an office network
but can be limited at 128Kbps, 256Kbps,
384Kbps other increments depend on the ISP.
ADSL is run over regular copper line and
does not have to be converted into an analog
signal like conventional modems. However,
you will still need an ADSL modem which
will most often be provided by the ISP.
If you have a splitter installed it is also
possible to make phone calls while you are
connected. This does not harm the speed
of your connection, which makes a cost effective
solution for small to medium sized businesses.
Cable
Cable (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) has been around
for a while to transmit television signals
but not utilized until recently as medium
for Internet connectivity. Maximum speeds
for cable reach 512Kbps but can be capped
at 128Kbps and 256Kbps to limit excessive
downloading. Installation fees may be fairly
excessive if you do not already have HFC
cable running through your building. Depending
on the neighborhood around you the bandwidth
will fluctuate if somebody begins to watch
cable TV or begins to download a file in
the office across the street. Access can
be impaired in these situations.
Satellite
Satellite is not commonly used in a business
environment but is still an effective Internet
connection for rural areas as an alternative
to high-speed fixed line connections such
as ADSL and Cable. The only downside to
this is you must have a modem and phone
line. The modem is used to send (upload)
requests out to the Server and then the
information is downloaded through the satellite
connection. The installation of the satellite
dish can be expensive depending on the type
of plan you choose and your situation must
have clear line of sight between the satellite
dish and the satellite.
In bad weather conditions the service can
degrade severely. In good conditions satellite
download speeds can reach as high as 400Kbps
but your upload is limited to the speed
of your modem.
RF
Another wireless high speed connection which
uses Radio Frequencies to transmit data
from an aerial on the ISPs end to a base
station in the office. The aerial must be
calibrated properly and dropouts can occur.
It is not widely used in the common markets
yet due to broadcasting license regulations.
Installation of your connection
Once you have chosen what type of connection
is right for your business you can then
have the appropriate equipment installed.
This can take between 1 and 3 weeks depending
on the connection, area and service provider.
Some ISPs may require you to go on a minimum
12 month contract depending on what type
of plan you select. If you need to give
all of the computers on your network Internet
access, contact your system administrator
and they will advise how to go about this.
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