ISPs offer services like email and internet access. In addition to availability, you may want to consider other factors so that you find an ISP that supports all of your needs.
An ISP, or internet service provider, is a company that provides its customers access to the internet and other web services. In addition to maintaining a direct line to the internet, the company usually maintains web servers. By supplying necessary software, a password-protected user account, and a way to connect to the internet (e.g., modem), ISPs offer their customers the capability to browse the web and exchange email with other people. Some ISPs also offer additional services. With the development of smart phones, many cell phone providers are also ISPs.
ISPs can vary in size—some are operated by one individual, while others are large corporations. They may also vary in scope—some only support users in a particular city, while others have regional or national capabilities.
Almost all ISPs offer email and web browsing capabilities. They also offer varying degrees of user support, usually in the form of an email address or customer support hotline. Most ISPs also offer web hosting capabilities, allowing users to create and maintain personal web pages; and some may even offer the service of developing the pages for you. Some ISPs bundle internet service with other services, such as television and telephone service. Many ISPs offer a wireless modem as part of their service so that customers can use devices equipped with Wi-Fi.
As part of normal operation, most ISPs perform backups of email and web files. If the ability to recover email and web files is important to you, check with your ISP to see if they back up the data; it might not be advertised as a service. Additionally, most ISPs implement firewalls to block some portion of incoming traffic, although you should consider this a supplement to your own security precautions, not a replacement (see Understanding Firewalls for more information).
Traditional, broadband ISPs typically offer internet access through cable, DSL, or fiberoptic options. The availability of these options may depend where you live. In addition to the type of access, there are other factors that you may want to consider: Author: Mindi McDowell Copyright 2004 Carnegie Mellon University. Terms of use 
