Technical data

H-6 Joining the Global Internet 90362-01
Choosing a Service Provider
There are many organizations that can provide interconnection to the
Internet. Military users are generally attached to the Defense Data Network
(DDN). Research and Educational organizations often connect through the
National Science Foundation network (NFSnet). Recently, commercial IP
networks have been placed into operation. These networks generally have
fewer restrictions on the traffic they carry when compared to Military and
Research networks.
Buying an Internet connection can be compared to buying a computer --
the choice should be driven by your intended use. Look for a service that
provides the features you want at the speeds you need.
You might want to ask the following questions:
• What is the speed of the slowest link in the path of your network
connection? If you’re running from a slow modem, this may not be
necessary information, but if you have a high-speed connection, you
want your service provider to be at the same rate (or higher).
• Does the service provider have a single connection to the Internet or
do they have multiple connections? If they have a single connection,
there is a higher potential for failure. Find out what happens if the
link goes down.
• How experienced is the service provider’s staff? If you are a novice
at networking, it may be difficult to determine whether the staff is
truly knowledgable or if they are just throwing jargon at you. What
you want is a staff that will know how to get your connection up and
keep it running. Ask about the average years of experience (you only
need a few people with 10+ years since most problems won’t require
a senior advisor) and find out if they have enough staff so someone
will be there at the hours when you are likely to have a question or
need assistance.