Internet Service Providers
Before you can have us setup an internet for you, there is one thing you must do in order to get connected to the internet, that is, choose your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Many people find this task a little dawnting at first and it is easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of packages available from different ISP's.
We often advise clients to use the ISP that already supports your home phone, this is especially the case if you are choosing to go the "wired broadband option". This saves you both time and money and usually ISP's will allow you to bundle a package that includes both home phone and internet.
A good example here would be, if you had Telstra as your phone company, then it would make perfect sense to use Bigpond as your ISP, because you already have an account with Telstra and they also provide internet services through Bigpond. Not to mention the fact that you may strike a better deal!
The kind of ISP that is right for you, all really depends on your individual needs, and because this varies from person to person and business to business, it is worth while researching carefully to find the one that suits you best. Both home and business internets have different requirements and this also means that you must research well before signing up with an ISP.
If you run a business, you will no doubt at some stage want to perhaps have a website and also several email addresses for your staff and the business. This is almost pivotal to running any business these days, and again you need to research carefully and read the fine print, as almost all plans for ISP's are nearly always different.
For internet deals and packaging on the Gold Coast, click the following:
WiFi Broardband Roaming Wireless ADSL DSL2+ Naked DSL Cable Satellite
WiFi Broardband Roaming Wireless ADSL DSL2+ Naked DSL Cable Satellite
For other Broadband deals around Australia, see: Australian Broadband
Some usefull tips before you sign up !!
Because different ISP’s have different plans, it's always best to do your research well before you commit. Not everyone has the same requirements, so below are some generic tips to help you choose a plan that is best suited to you.
· Choose wireless for better flexibility where possible
· Make your network scalable (able to be expanded)
· Make sure the download limit is enough for your needs
· Check the cost of exceeding your download limit
· Check the length and terms of the contract
· Ask for three filters if possible (some ISP’s may charge for extra)!
· We recommend the D-Link products, most ISP’s have them
· Enquire about setup fee, “you can get slugged with this” !!
· Try and bundle your packages
· Try and use the same company as your home phone
· Ask to have your Username and Password sent to you I writing
· Many ISP’s simply tell you over the phone, get it in writing.
· Make your password as strong as possible !!
· Use a minimum of 8 characters (more is better) and make them as obscure as possible, never use anything obvious (street name etc)
· Use as many numbers, characters (*^@#) as you can
· If you have a dialup modem, you can sometimes use this while you wait for your broadband equipment to arrive
· If your area supports ADSL2+ try and get this package
· The 3G or roaming "mobile" broadband does not always give you fast download speeds and may be restricted to certain areas
· Check what is supported in your local area (refer above link)
· Choose wireless for better flexibility where possible
· Make your network scalable (able to be expanded)
· Make sure the download limit is enough for your needs
· Check the cost of exceeding your download limit
· Check the length and terms of the contract
· Ask for three filters if possible (some ISP’s may charge for extra)!
· We recommend the D-Link products, most ISP’s have them
· Enquire about setup fee, “you can get slugged with this” !!
· Try and bundle your packages
· Try and use the same company as your home phone
· Ask to have your Username and Password sent to you I writing
· Many ISP’s simply tell you over the phone, get it in writing.
· Make your password as strong as possible !!
· Use a minimum of 8 characters (more is better) and make them as obscure as possible, never use anything obvious (street name etc)
· Use as many numbers, characters (*^@#) as you can
· If you have a dialup modem, you can sometimes use this while you wait for your broadband equipment to arrive
· If your area supports ADSL2+ try and get this package
· The 3G or roaming "mobile" broadband does not always give you fast download speeds and may be restricted to certain areas
· Check what is supported in your local area (refer above link)