Internet Providers

Who is Internet Providers

Internet providers or ISP(Internet service Provider) is a company that actgs as a gategay beteenyour cmputer and the rest of the net. Most ISPs offer a range of different accounts both standard slow connection that is known as dial up and faster ones known as broadband and a selection of pricing plans to match. Depending on where you live and withch you choose, you might pay a set price per month for unlimited access or a pay as you go tariff based on the amount of time you are online or the amount of data you download.

ISP connection options
ISPs employ a range of technologies to enable consumers to connect to their network. For "home users", the most popular options include dial-up, DSL (typically ADSL), Broadband wireless access, Cable modem, and ISDN (typically BRI). For customers who have more demanding requirements, such as medium-to-large businesses, or other ISPs, DSL (often SHDSL or ADSL), Ethernet, Metro Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Frame Relay, ISDN (BRI or PRI), ATM, satellite Internet access and SONET are more likely. With the increasing popularity of downloading music and online video and the general demand for faster page loads, higher bandwidth connections are becoming more popular.

Typical home user connection

Typical business connection

Major Broadband service provider in UK- Click the link for more details
UK Online
AOL
BT Total BroadBand
Bulldog
Orange
TalkTalk
Tesco
Virgin Media

Click on the link above to find out their latest offer. I am using virgin media for the last 3 years and i am very happy with them. In between i have changed it to Bulldog but i didnt' find their service very good.

how Internet Service Providers work?

The Internet backbone is made up of many large networks which interconnect with each other. These large networks are known as Network Service Providers or NSPs. Some of the large NSPs are UUNet, CerfNet, IBM, BBN Planet, SprintNet, PSINet, as well as others. These networks peer with each other to exchange packet traffic. Each NSP is required to connect to three Network Access Points or NAPs. At the NAPs, packet traffic may jump from one NSP's backbone to another NSP's backbone. NSPs also interconnect at Metropolitan Area Exchanges or MAEs. MAEs serve the same purpose as the NAPs but are privately owned. NAPs were the original Internet interconnect points. Both NAPs and MAEs are referred to as Internet Exchange Points or IXs. NSPs also sell bandwidth to smaller networks, such as ISPs and smaller bandwidth providers. Below is a picture showing this hierarchical infrastructure.

Every computer that is connected to the Internet is part of a network, even the one in your home. For example, you may use a modem and dial a local number to connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). At work, you may be part of a local area network (LAN), but you most likely still connect to the Internet using an ISP that your company has contracted with. When you connect to your ISP, you become part of their network. The ISP may then connect to a larger network and become part of their network. The Internet is simply a network of networks.

See Also

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