How to choose an ISP for your small business

December 21, 2011, 4:10 PM — It may seem as if all Internet connections are the same, however some differences--beyond price--exist between Internet service providers, and between types of connections that a single ISP offers. This guide is designed to help you choose the ISP and the connection that best suit your small or midsize business or organization.

When shopping for Internet access, you'll probably encounter several marketing terms frequently. Broadband and high-speed are used to describe pretty much any type of Internet connection that provides bandwidth speeds faster than traditional dial-up access--and near all connections offered today qualify as faster than dial-up. Wideband, a relatively new term, refers to connection types that provide throughput at levels approaching or exceeding 50 mbps.

DSL: This is as a rule the cheapest connection type, with business-class prices ranging from $30 to $90 per month. Even though DSL uses traditional telephone lines, you can carry on voice calls and transfer data simultaneously. DSL performance depends on how far your location is from the ISP's exchange, nevertheless speeds may reach 15 mbps for downloads and 1 mbps for uploads, which can support a dozen typical users simultaneously or a point-of-sale system.

Cable: This is one of the most popular connection types. Monthly prices for cable range from $60 to over $300. The research works over standard television cable lines, nevertheless it permits concurrent TV viewing and even digital phone use. ISPs may offer cable speeds of 50 to 100 mbps for downloads and 2 to 10 mbps for uploads--enough for a few dozen simultaneous users. Cable connections share bandwidth among other users in the vicinity, so speeds may be slower while peak hours.

Fiber: This newer connection type offers superior performance. Telecommunication companies have been using fiber-optic lines in their backbone infrastructure for some time now, and in the past few years they have extended the fiber connections closer to end-users. Some companies run fiber-optic cabling to a neighborhood distribution point, as is the case with AT&T U-verse, and at the time make the connection to individual buildings via existing copper lines. Others, like Verizon FiOS, are installing fiber connections all the way to their clients. Fiber-optic connections permit download speeds of 15 to 150 mbps and upload speeds of 5 to 35 mbps. Monthly pricing ranges from $70 to $200. Since fiber provides such high bandwidth, it can easily provide TV, phone, and Internet service for 24 simultaneous users.

Generally, the greater the number of people who'll be using the connection, the more bandwidth you'll need. To boot, the more performance-intensive the users' needs are--for instance, watching or streaming video, downloading large files, or using Internet-connected VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones--the more the bandwidth you'll need. On the oher side of the coin, users who want to use their connection for email and browsing the Web won't need as much bandwidth.

It's important to read and analyze the fine print of a service provider's contract earlier signing up. The prices that most companies post online are conditional: Many require contracts, ranging from one to three years in order to get the advertised monthly service rate. Just in case, some prices include a discount for a set amount of time or are locked in for a limited period. You may even see prices listed that apply only when you arrange to subscribe to a bundle of Internet, phone, and TV service.

Eric Geier is a freelance tech writer-become a Twitter follower to keep up with his writings. He's as well the founder of NoWiresSecurity, which helps businesses easily protect their Wi-Fi networks with Enterprise security.

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