| Checklist of what an ISP is selling you. |
| Item
|
Minimum features
|
Better Features
|
| Email
|
1 email address using a POP3 server to receive email and SMTP access to send email |
Extra addresses, aliases, more storage space, Webmail, IMAP, virus scanning, Spam filtering |
| Considerations |
- Know whether you are getting email accounts or only an email alias
- Many ISPs (most national ones) block SMTP connections for sending mail other than through their
email server. If you need to relay email through work or your own web server, find out first if
they use port 25 blocking
- What is the biggest attachment you can send in one email? Most ISPs limit this
- How much space does your inbox have before incoming email is rejected?
- If you close the account, will the ISP forward email to your new ISP for a while?
|
| Local access number or POP |
v.90 modem pool phone number |
Access Numbers on different networks, roaming access, v.92 modems |
| Considerations |
- Do you expect to travel and use your ISP away from home?
- Are the phones always busy at 9 PM on weeknights? (Try calling before you sign up)
- Are you REALLY, REALLY sure the phone number is a local call? Don't rely on the operator - call the business office of your local phone company if there is any doubt. This
is especially true if you've signed up with a new local phone company (a CLEC). Their definition of a "local" call
may not be the same area as your original phone company.
|
| Connect time
|
150 hours a month, 15 minute inactivity timer, 4 hour session limit |
Unlimited access, full bandwidth during peak hours |
| Considerations |
- If you hit the monthly limit are you billed extra? (as much as $2/hour!)
- If more than one network is used, can you switch between networks or are you locked in to just one? (normally you can't switch, so
choose carefully the first time)
- Does the ISP use forced disconnects to shed users when all modems fill up? (a common practice when an ISP has oversubscribed their capacity)
- Are incentives offered to use off-peak time? Daytime only accounts, hours from midnight to 8AM are free, etc...
- What is their definition of unlimited?
|
| Bandwidth |
Solid connections with minimal bandwidth shaping |
Connections not constrained by upstream bandwidth bottlenecks or inadequate peering |
| Considerations |
- Can your account be terminated for using "excessive" bandwidth?
- Are you dialing straight into the ISP, or are you dialing a remote terminal server that may be overloaded?
|
| DNS servers
|
Two fully cached local DNS servers running BIND with lots of memory
|
Good DNS is probably more important for WWW surfing than bandwidth.
DNS performance is hard to measure without tools other than by using it - but if you think about the best
experience you've have surfing, it was probably because you were using good DNS |
| Considerations |
- Is DNS run using BIND on a Unix machine? If your ISP runs DNS on Microsoft software, be very concerned. (We are NOT anti-Microsoft)
- How far is it from you to the nearest DNS server? Is DNS running at your POP (good) or is it running on a central server 13 hops away? (not good)
|
| Web Space |
5 MB for a personal home page with limited bandwidth |
More space, business use permitted, FrontPage support, CGI scripting, PHP / mySQL support |
| Considerations |
- When you hit the limit on web bandwidth, are your pages shut down for the month or do you incur extra charges? How much?
- Is the web server using *nix Apache or Microsoft IIS?
- Does the ISP remove pages if they decide they have improper content? (not necessarily illegal content)
- How are you permitted to update the pages? Do you have to use only a web based interface, or do you have full FTP access?
- Do your email inbox and your home page share the same disk space and size limit?
- Are CGI scripts limited to a few that are provided or can you write your own?
- Are web logs available? Web usage reports?
|
| FTP Space
|
small anonymous FTP area |
More space, Password-based access control and transfer logging |
| Considerations |
- Are you prohibited from making binary files available for download?
- What is the ISP's policy on copyright issues?
- Does the bandwidth count against your monthly web page limit?
|
| Usenet NewsGroup server
|
1 day binary newsgroup retention. several days for text groups, posting privileges |
Longer retention, more peer news servers, outsourced service |
| Considerations |
|
| Technical Support
|
Monday-Friday 9-5 a trained person answers the phone |
Evening, Saturday and Sunday hours, Knowledge Base, Network Status Page, |
| Considerations |
- Is Technical support a long distance call?
- How long are you on hold? (Consider calling tech support before you sign up with question to try them out)
- Is there any reason to believe they support the computer and operating system you are using?
- Are there resources online to help you solve your own problems?
- If tech support is email only or web-based only, how do you access it if you can't get online?
|
| Billing
|
Notification by email of charges to your credit card |
Paper Invoice, cash, credit card, money orders, online updates |
| Considerations |
- Are you billed for the entire first month if you sign up on the 28th, or are you billed on the anniversary of your signup date?
- Does the ISP warn you before your credit card expires and get updated information, or do they let the charge reject and then charge you a fee for a declined credit card charge?
- Is the phone call to talk to someone about a billing problem a local call? (or toll-free for a nationwide provider)
- How much is the reconnect charge if your account is closed for non-payment?
- What are the notice requirements if you decide to cancel?
- If you prepay in advance (which we STRONGLY discourage), will you get a refund or do you lose everything? How is the refund calculated?
|
| Installation Software
|
Web pages describing how to configure Windows DUN, special dialer |
Downloadable installation script, CD-ROM with software and installation diagnostics |
| Considerations |
- Does the ISP require special software? (AOL, Netzero, Juno, AT&T)
- If you are using a Mac, do they have a Mac version of the software?
- If installed incorrectly, will the software disable your ability to use another ISP? (AOL)
|
| AUP/TOS statement
|
One sided Statement written for showing a judge stating the rules for using their service and how they can punish you. |
Human friendly document, available before starting the signup process, that clearly states both the ISP and your responsibilities |
| Considerations |
- What is the refund policy?
- What are you required to do to cancel your account? Email message? Fax? Registered letter?
- Under what conditions may the ISP cancel your account?
- Does the ISP consider your email to be private, or do they reserve the right to read it as they wish?
- Under what conditions will they disclose your identity to third parties?
- What do they consider to be spamming? Net Abuse?
- Are there charges if two people get online at the same time using the same account?
- What is the inactivity period? Maximum length of a single online session?
|
