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There are over 100 internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK. It is a very competitive market with lots of different offerings and deals. Even household names, such as banks and retailers, provide ISP services.

What is the role of ISPs and what do they do?

Internet service providers connect your personal or business computer, laptop, mobile device etc to the internet. ISPs may be commercial, non-profit, privately owned or community owned companies.

Most providers offer the same types of internet services to customers, including:

• internet access
• email access
• domain name registration
• web hosting
• co-location (or data centre services)

Some ISPs also provide services such as website design or development of e-commerce facilities. See .

Different types of ISP connections

ISPs use a range of technologies to enable customers' connection to their network. The most common types of internet connections include:

• DSL (digital subscriber line)
• cable broadband
• fibre optic broadband
• wireless or Wi-Fi broadband
• satellite and mobile broadband
• dedicated leased line

Most ISPs offer a range of packages aimed at different levels of users, based on factors such as the speed of connection, the number of email addresses needed or the amount of free web space. See how ISP pricing models work.

Choosing the right type of internet service provider

When selecting an ISP, you should carefully determine your ISP requirements. You should consider:

• the type of services you need
• the costs and quality of services
• the number of users needing an internet connection
• the location of the users
• the bandwidth capacity
• contention ratios and other terms and conditions of the service

See more on ISP tiers, connectivity and speed capacity.

You should also determine if, either now or in the future, you might need:

• Virtual Private Network (VPN) access
• email access
• website hosting services
• domain registration
• e-commerce facilities
• use of online databases
• access to cloud technologies

Keep in mind that, as your business grows, your requirements may change. Some ISPs offer flexible service plans or scalable solutions. You should examine your requirements carefully and consider all the various factors when choosing your ISP.

In providing services to their customers, many internet service providers (ISPs) introduce service level agreements (SLAs) against their offerings.

Known as ISP SLAs, these agreements set out:

• the terms and conditions of the ISP's service
• their commitments on the quality and availability of service
• their responsibilities as agreed with the service user

Since an SLA ultimately defines what service you will receive, it is worth scrutinising and negotiating the terms before agreeing a deal with your ISP. 

What to include in a service level agreement with an ISP?

The most important elements to include in an SLA with your ISP are the following:

1. Uptime

Uptime is the percentage of time the ISP's service is running properly. Establish what uptime figure the ISP claims for its services. Will it guarantee this uptime and discount your account if it fails? Consider the level of availability you need against what you can afford. Maximum availability often comes at a greater cost, so make sure you don't pay excessive fees for services that you don't need.

2. Response times in case of failure

Outages will inevitably occur, so find out what the ISP's policy is if their network goes down. Will the ISP inform you, or will you find out as your internet connection fails? Is there a help desk you can reach? How long you can afford to have your internet connection interrupted or your website down? It's important to put down in writing any details regarding the ISP's uptime and failure response commitments so that you can hold them to account.

3. Redundancy

Redundancy refers to the number of connections that an ISP has to the internet. High redundancy means more connections, which means if part of its system fails, the ISP will simply be able to switch over without affecting your connection.

4. Hardware and back-up

The actual web server that ISPs use to provide the hosting services should, ideally, be specialised hardware with built-in fail-safe features. Check the reliability of the service by asking:

• if there are backup servers in case the server hosting your site fails
• what system management procedures do they use to backup your system data
• what contingency plans are in place in case the ISP's web server location is affected by fire, flood or other disasters
• what security measures are in place - such as firewalls and anti-virus programs - to prevent the ISP's services from being compromised by a security attack from a hacker or fraudster

It is worth asking business contacts, or your IT adviser, for recommendations. You can also compare service providers by using online comparison services and websites.

You should check any SLA carefully to ensure it meets your requirements and make sure you understand exactly what your supplier is promising. See more on IT supplier contracts and service level agreements.

Connection speed is a major consideration for users, as well as internet service providers (ISPs). Business benefits can be achieved through an 'always-on' connection using:

• a leased line
• integrated digital services network (ISDN)
• asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL)
• fibre to the cabinet (FTTC)
• fibre to the premises (FTTP)
• cable
• satellite
• mobile wireless

Read more on choosing a business broadband connection.

Tier 1, 2 and 3 service providers

As far as the ISP's connection to the internet is concerned, check whether it is a Tier 1, 2 or 3 provider. Tier 1 providers own or control their own portion of the internet, while Tier 2 and 3 providers lease bandwidth from them. A Tier 1 provider may be more expensive, but they are also often more reliable.

The capacity of your own internet connection will directly affect the speed with which you are able to use the internet. For example, with a typical webpage (assuming 1 megabyte of data) you can expect page load speed to be less 1-2 seconds if you are the only one using a standard or fast internet connection. For internet connections with multiple users or downloading large files, email attachments or software updates you can see the following approximate fastest download times and how higher speeds Internet connections can save you time:

Download speeds

Increasingly ISPs are offering a range of broadband services via ADSL, FTTC, FTTP, cable or wireless. Evaluate these carefully for the speed of connection offered, service level agreement if a fault occurs, and other associated costs.

If you are considering a broadband service, take into account contention ratios. This is the maximum number of users sharing the bandwidth on the connection between your local exchange and the ISP. For example, a user with a contention ratio of 20:1 never has to share this bandwidth with more than 19 other users.

ISP service terms and conditions

Some ISPs include clauses in their contracts that impose system-usage restrictions, and bandwidth limits or fair usage policies that aren't declared on the package advertisement. Many providers will quote best-case speeds whereas the actual speeds delivered can be much slower. Look at such terms and conditions carefully prior to signing any ISP service level agreements.

Internet service providers (ISPs) use a wide variety of pricing strategies. You should understand your options before deciding which provider to use.

ISP bandwidth pricing

The costs will usually depend on two main criteria: speed and traffic allowances. The most common pricing models include:

• capped data usage limits - based on fixed monthly limits of data usage across your broadband connection (uploads and downloads)
• unlimited data - no monthly limits for data throughput, but some providers may still have fair usage policies

It's important to understand that the monthly service charge isn't the only cost involved in an ISP package. Other fees may include broadband router cost, installation fees, service charges, and early termination fees, among others.

If your package includes data caps and allowances, you will have to factor in the consequences of exceeding them, such as additional charges, loss of service for the remainder of the billing cycle, etc.

Additional ISP service costs

Check with your ISP if static IP addresses are included with the package - this will help you set up remote connections to the workplace. Also, ensure that you can use mail servers outside of the network for sending emails - this can be an issue with certain broadband packages.

Other questions to ask your ISP include:

• Fixed IP address - does the line have a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address for your internet connection? This can affect how you use the broadband service.
• Traffic shaping or throttling - are there any limitations or speed restrictions on certain types of internet traffic at busy times of the day?
• Hardware requirements - do you have to attach ISP-specific hardware to the line to ensure you have 91香蕉黄色视频 or can you use your own broadband hardware?
• Security - can you operate a virtual private network connection across the broadband line or is this prevented by the ISP's own security?

Website hosting

Website hosting fees also vary from one ISP to another, from free (though often limited) space, to charges based upon the size and functionality of the website.

Most small businesses operate on a shared-server basis, with their site hosted on a powerful server along with a large number of other sites. It is possible to have a dedicated server, though this can cost significantly more. Find out more about ISP website hosting services.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right internet service provider (ISP) for your business. These include:

• different types of internet service providers
• ISP service level agreements
• ISP tiers, connectivity and speed capacity
• how ISP pricing models work

The ISP's size and the level and quality of the ongoing 91香蕉黄色视频 it offers can also be relevant factors when choosing a provider.

Size of company

There are no major differences in the costs associated with using large or small ISPs. However, bigger companies are likely to have more resources to quickly resolve serious network issues and will typically have access to a wider range of technical expertise.

On the other hand, smaller companies may provide more personalised service and may be willing to spend time working closely with you to develop tailor-made solutions.

If possible, read independent reviews or speak to some of the ISP's customers to see how closely its customer service and 91香蕉黄色视频 actually compare with its promises.

Level of customer 91香蕉黄色视频

A good ISP will offer customer service and technical 91香蕉黄色视频. Remember to check on the availability of telephone 91香蕉黄色视频, particularly:

• when 91香蕉黄色视频 is available
• what it costs to call them
• whether your call will be answered promptly

You can try calling the ISP to test their level of response, before deciding if they are the right fit for your business.

You should also check the ISP's resilience to technical problems. Does it have a backup strategy in the event of serious operational problems? Does it monitor the ongoing operational performance of the web? Will its systems still work in the event of a power cut?

Read more about ISP service level agreements and find out what to expect from your internet service provider.

As well as supplying internet connectivity, most internet service providers (ISPs) also run email servers that deliver and transmit emails on behalf of their customers.

Essentially, all ISPs deliver and transport your email in much the same way. You store all of your incoming and outgoing email on your own PC or client, while the remote mail server at your ISP acts as a storage facility or 'post office box'. You can read your existing email and write outgoing messages using email client software, such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird. Many ISPs or online email providers offer secure webmail where you can send or read your email using any of the popular web browsing software packages via any internet connection.

How to set up an ISP email account

You can set up email accounts incorporating the ISP's domain name. For example, John Smith at Invest NI, accessing the internet through an ISP named Largelink, might use the address 'john@investni.largelink.co.uk'.

Most ISPs offer a number of such addresses free with their standard packages.

Increasingly businesses are choosing to use their own domain name as part of their email address. So, in the example above, once the legal firm has purchased its own domain, the address would become 'john@investni.co.uk'.

This approach creates a more professional image and gives the company an unlimited number of email addresses. The downside, however, is that the ISP cannot be expected to sort incoming emails into large numbers of virtual mailboxes. You may need to have a local email server within your business to do this or host your email domain with an email service provider.

Evaluate your ISP's email service provision

When choosing an ISP it is worth considering if you can:

• set up aliases to point email into different accounts
• re-route emails to different addresses
• create an auto-responder to emails informing customers that their message has been received and will be dealt with
• use multiple systems to send and receive emails rather than using the ISP mail server, as this will have an impact on the configuration of users' machines

Find out if the ISP email server has built-in spam filtering and if it scans emails for viruses and malware before delivering to the end user. Most ISPs stop you from using their service to send 'spam' or unsolicited commercial emails. Read about common email security issues.

If you use a smartphone, check how easily you can integrate it with your ISP mail servers.

See what else you should consider when negotiating ISP service level agreements.

As well as providing internet connectivity, your internet service provider (ISP) can also host your website or e-commerce site.

You can use your ISP for the actual design and development of your website, or work with a specialist web designer and place your designed site on your ISP's host server.

If you're using your ISP to host your website, make sure that the right capabilities, functionalities and sufficient bandwidth are in place.

Server software

Any ISP that offers website hosting will be able to host a straightforward website. If all that you need is web pages displaying information, you don't need to worry too much about the technology behind it.

However, if you want a more complex website, eg to provide a search facility or e-commerce using a secure payment system, you will need to ensure that your ISP is capable of 91香蕉黄色视频ing it. If not, you may want to consider a specialist web hosting company.

See more on website hosting options.

Some website applications require specific operating systems. The two main types are Linux and Microsoft. It is important to check which of these your website hosting provider can 91香蕉黄色视频 and if they have any other requirements for databases, web servers, programming languages etc.

Bandwidth speed and throttling

Your website will need a fast connection to the internet. This is determined by the bandwidth - the amount of data that can be transmitted and received by an internet connection.

If your connection is not fast enough, accessing your web pages will be slow - particularly if many users are trying to access your site at the same time. If you exceed your monthly website hosting data transfer allowance, your website may not be accessible or the bandwidth may be throttled to operate more slowly.

The ISP hosting your website will impose bandwidth limitations, so you will need to consider:

• if these are feasible
• how much will it cost if you exceed them
• how will the ISP inform you if are close to exceeding your limits

E-commerce requirements

E-commerce sites will need a shopping cart and e-catalogue software and may need online access to database applications. If you need an e-commerce site, you should establish:

• which database and web server technologies your ISP 91香蕉黄色视频s
• how much information they can hold and what storage space they offer
• how frequently do they do automatic backups of your website files and database
• how much web traffic they can handle
• what are the monthly data transfer costs
• are guaranteed hosting uptime, security and customer 91香蕉黄色视频 available

You will need a secure server for the receipt of payment information such as credit card details. Check that the security controls and features are in place.

See how to set up an e-commerce website (video tutorials).

Be aware that the ISP may charge a large premium if it needs to install and maintain software specifically for your site, or set up and renew Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates. Depending upon your requirements it may be better to use a dedicated web hosting service provider.

Consider more pros and cons of using ISP for hosting.

Your internet service provider (ISP) should provide you with fast, secure and reliable internet service on an ongoing basis. You should agree the expectations for the levels of quality and availability of service in your ISP service level agreement.

Role of ISPs in managing security

If your business relies on e-communications or carries out e-commerce transactions, you need assurance from your ISP that its servers are located within a secure environment, ie one that has:

• good physical security
• good network security
• the latest anti-virus software and new software security patches applied quickly
• a secure server for e-commerce transactions

See more on securing your wireless network.

Most ISPs also offer web content filtering services that block inappropriate content from the internet user, often as part of corporate acceptable internet use policy.

Role of ISPs in managing your website

If you have a website, you will need to update your web content regularly to keep it fresh. Most ISPs will allow you (or your web designer) to carry out the updates using one of the many content management systems available on the market.

If your ISP also hosts your website, they should be able to provide you with key statistics including:

• the number of visitors to your website
• the web pages viewed
• how long they viewed each page for
• which countries or regions the visitors are from
• details of the search engine they used to find your site

See how to measure and benchmark your website performance.

Switching your business internet service providers

Some businesses switch their ISP as their contract term ends or to take advantage of better offers, faster services, etc.

Most agents and ISPs will provide this service for free, although some may charge a small administration fee. More important is how long any change will take to complete. You do not want your internet access, website, e-commerce site or email service to be offline for any longer than necessary.

It can help to know in advance how to switch business ISPs, as it is not always straightforward. The key factors you should consider are:

• your IP address or addresses (and whether you need a static IP address)
• your firewall or router capabilities and configurations (if a part of the ISP service)
• how difficult it may be to move your email or website hosting
• how long is the new ISP's lead time
• what are their customer service and 91香蕉黄色视频 like
• your bandwidth needs (and any foreseeable changes)
• time, skills and effort you will need to put in to get a new service set up

Migrating your website to a new ISP will be easier if they use the same website technology and content management system. However, you will still typically need technical 91香蕉黄色视频 to complete this successfully.

Carefully plan the transition to your new ISP to minimise the disruption to your business operations. See how to manage your suppliers.