Rent Our Geeks always answers as many questions as possible.  What are some of the most frequently asked questions?  Well one that that has come up many times is the ever-present question: What internet service would work for me?

     There are several choices of internet services today. Dial up, DSL (Digital Line Subscriber), Cable, and Satellite.  In the next few paragraphs, we will be informing you on all of these technologies.  Speed, cost, and availability are always the most important factors.  Speed is rated in Kbps (Kilobits per second) and Mbps (Megabits per second).  It takes 1000 Kbps to equal 1 Mbps.

     A Dial up internet connection first requires a modem.  The picture on the left is an example of one.  You connect a phone line into it and generally connection speeds reach anywhere between 30 Kbps to 50 Kbps.  It takes anywhere from 1-5 minutes for some web sites to open.  Downloading a song would take about 20 minutes.  Cost is around anywhere from 5-25 dollars a month.  More popular services have been AOL, Earthlink, and People PC.

     DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) internet first requires a LAN card in your computer.  The connection looks much like that of a phone line, but is a bit wider.  Generally, the DSL modem comes with a LAN cable and a phone cable.  DSL speeds reach up to 1.5 Mbps, but most tests get around 1.2 Mbps.  Cost is between 20-50 dollars a month for this service.  DSL speed does not depend on how many people are using the internet in your area.  Some of the few services in DSL are SBC DSL and Verizon DSL.

     Cable internet requires either a LAN card or a USB port.  USB ports are used with many new printers, webcams, and other small devices.  A USB port is a small rectangle shape, a Cable modem should come with a cable for each type of connection.  Speeds can reach anywhere from 1 Mbps to 4 Mbps, depending on how many people in your area are using Cable internet at the time.  For a higher speed, the cost will be higher.  Prices for Cable internet are around 50 dollars a month.  A few companies in the Detroit Metro area are Comcast, WOW (Wide Open West), and Roadrunner.

     The last internet service, for those of you who may not be able to get one of the first 3, is satellite internet.  You either need a LAN, USB, or serial port on your computer to have this one work.  Speeds reach between 256 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps.  There are many problems with this service, however.  First, you are on the internet using a satellite.  So many environmental factors can interfere with your service.  you have to have a bi-directional satellite internet to  download and upload.  Otherwise you have to have a dial up connection to upload.  Also, the cost is much greater.  You will also have to pay for the equipment and installation.  Prices range anywhere from 60 to 150 dollars a month after installation.

     Cable modems are typically faster for downloading but the more people in that area that have Cable modems the slower the service.  If your DSL ISP is working properly, your performance in either direction will not be different from peak hour to early morning, and DSL lines are available for a wide variety of purposes, both business and residential.  Dial up internet is quickly fading and satellite internet is widely unpopular.

     So in closing, if you know that you will be downloading a lot information off  the internet and are willing to pay for the extra boost of speed cable internet provides, then go with that option.  If you are just looking for a little more speed than dial up internet, and don't want to pay a lot, then DSL internet would be best for you.

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