Choosing an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

In 1999, DSL was fairly new and in great demand. Northpoint and Covad couldn't keep up with the orders. It took 6 to 8 weeks to install. Most of that time was spent getting the local phone company to install the "last leg" of the circuit - the actual wire coming into your facility. PacBell and GTE (now Verizon) didn't offer DSL.

Today, Northpoint is gone (after leaving a lot of customers with no service practically overnight), Covad is faltering and several other ISPs have dissapeared. The local phone companies are offering various flavors of business DSL service and can install it in 10 days while other ISPs still can only promise 30 to 45 days.

Our advice: unless you have very special requirements, stick with your local phone company for Internet access. It will not be the least expensive, but it will be around for a while and most reliable.

EMETEK will help decide which type of service is best for you. Once this is determined, the client will sign a contract with and be billed directly from the ISP.

Internet access provides:

• A connection to the Internet to serve up pages to web browsers on the company's Local Area Network (LAN).
• The establishment of a unique company domain name on the Internet.
• The processing of Internet e-mail for all users on the LAN.

Registering a Domain Name

A company's domain name is the Internet's equivalent of its telephone number. For example, EMETEK's domain name is emetek.com, our web site is located at http://www.emetek.com and our e-mail addresses look like info@emetek.com. Unique domain names are becoming difficult to find and should be registered right away. EMETEK will help register your domain name.

Domain Name Checklist

A domain name is already registered. It is : ?????

A new domain name needs to be registered:

• First choice for domain name : ?????
• Second choice for domain name : ?????
• Third choice for domain name : ?????

Different Internet Access Options

Depending on the projected volume of browsing activity and e-mail at a company, different access service plans are available. These are described here with corresponding features and pricing:

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - New technology that allows transmission speeds of 160Kbits/second to 1500Kbits/second over easy to install copper wire. Its benefits are shorter installation wait times and lower cost. It is not, however, available in all areas.
• Frame Relay - Permanent connection to the Internet at 56Kbits/second.
• Fractional/Full T1 - Transmission speeds from 128Kbits/second to 1500Kbits/second. This is the most commonly available service. It takes longer to install (about 45 days) and costs more than DSL.