Before you decide to sign up for internet service, read the fine print of the company. All ISP providers guarantee that cancellation is easy, but half the time there is not even a number to call to cancel unwanted service.

There are several deviations of this industry practice. AOL served as the original prototype in 1996 with making a rule that the only way to cancel your account is to call an 800 number. They short staffed the call centers so people had to wait on hold for an hour or more, only to have the phone call accidentally disconnected. What a coincidence! Once you have a few ISP choices that you are interested in, make sure, when you decide to cancel that there are no cancellation fees involved.

Be sure to locate a supplier with an access number or numbers in your area to be sure to avoid long distance charges on your internet connection. If you do not use a local access number, it can be expensive when you spend a lot of time online. To easily solve this problem if you are unsure, just contact your local phone company to see what access numbers are local to you. If you travel often and need to access the Internet while gone, be sure to locate a provider that has local numbers to the areas you travel to on a usual basis. Be sure to find out if you can access more than just one dial in number without extra fees or charges.

Knowing the speed of your modem will determine how fast pages load while on line and how quick you can download programs and email. Make sure your modem has a connection speed of at least 56k. The latest dial-up modems are called 'V92', and they run at speeds up to 200% faster than a 56k Internet connection. This lets you to connect to the internet and accept telephone calls at the same time. Many of the providers we offer have V92 internet access numbers.

If an ISP can keep their expenses low, the rates are reasonably priced. One apparent way is not to supply technical support or to charge for it. If you are about to sign up with an internet provider, check out and see what type of support is offered. Be sure to see if technical support is a toll-free call if you prefer to talk to a live person if you have a question or problem. Know that most of the big ISP's use the identical access numbers that the discount Internet access providers use and offer here. Don't pay over $20.00/Month when you can get the same Internet access for over 50% less.