NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
Is A Broadband Connection Right For You?
by Cliff Goeke, Vice President, April 2001
cliffg@engineer.com
(click to email author)


Recently I've been getting a lot of questions about whether or not to change from a dilal-up connection to the Internet to one of the broadband services. Broadband services are cable modem, ADSL, or ISDN connections to the internet. For most of us ISDN is still too expensive.

Cable modem and ADSL have become very affordable if they are available in your area. The question still remains if the services are a real value for you. After doing some research on the internet I've found that after answering the following questions you will have an idea if broadband is right for you.

    1. Can you live without the internet?

    If you are on the internet less than 10 hours a week you can probably stay with dialup.

    2. Is email and chatting your primary use of the internet?

    You will not see a significant increase in the speed of your e-mails unless you frequently receive big attachments like large pictures or digital music. Chat, unless it is video chat will not be any faster on a broadband connection.

    3. Does multimedia interest you?

    If you aren't listening to internet radio, internet TV or other interactive applications you probably have all the bandwidth you need.

    4. Can you afford the higher price?

    Broadband connections in this area run from $40 to $70 per month plus some additional hardware costs like a network card for your computer. And if you don't subscribe to cable you must before you can get a cable modem.

    5. Is AOL your primary connection to the internet?

    I haven't seen a lot on AOL that would benefit from a broadband connection. This is changing but right now dialup connections will meet the needs of most AOL users.

    6. Do you move a lot or do you travel and need access to the internet when on the road?

    The broadband services available in this area require a contract of at least 12 months. With cable modem there is no way to connect when you are on the road.

    7. Are you paranoid about security?

    The less you are on line the more secure your system. Personal firewalls are a must for people with broadband connections.

Hopefully these questions and the included information will allow you to make an informed decision when you are looking at switching to a broadband connection.

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