DSL and ISP Information

This page contains links to useful information for those contemplating switching from direct CS&E dialup IP access to a DSL/ISP combination. Although the links are oriented toward DSL, this information is not intended as a recommendation of one connection technology over another (e.g., cable modem). Similarly, there are no endorsements of specific ISPs, although important criteria for ISP selection are given. These criteria are independent of the ``wire'' type.

DSL service is provided by your local phone company, either QWEST or GTE . The corporate pages have basic information about what DSL is, what equipment you need, and, most importantly, DSL availability in your area. A handy comparison of pricing can be found here. Although, seeing as how you will be dealing with a phone company, shopping around isn't really an option.

Where the shopping comes in is deciding which ISP to use. If you haven't used one before, it is probably a good idea to find out what to look for in an ISP. Three key things to think about are:

  1. Are you billed based on connect time or throughput or both? Most CSE people are used to leaving themselves logged in fulltime because it costs nothing. If your ISP charges for connect time, you will either have to change your ways or get hammered when the bill arrives. Practically every ISP charges for the number of bytes you transfer. The base rate includes some number of gigabytes per month (usually between 0.5GB to 1.5GB) with a surcharge per MB (that's megabyte) over the maximum.
  2. Does the ISP charge you based on the speed of your connection? Some do and some don't. Since the wire-provider will certainly charge you based on speed, you probably don't want to pay an ISP unless you must.
  3. Do you get a static (unchanging) IP address? Having a static IP address makes it much easier to talk to your at-home machine from somewhere else. This can be important for copying files, sending mail and generally treating your home machine as an Internet fixture. ISPs vary wildly in how much a static IP address costs, from nothing to $5-10/month.
  4. Does the ISP have a good reputation for customer service. Remember that when you use an ISP, problems regarding software, network performance and connectivity must be referred to your provider not the CSE department.

The phone company that provides your DSL service will also happily act as your ISP. And they are guaranteed to have DSL on ``their'' end. If you want to spread your money around, consult a list of ISPs providing DSL connections (or here or here) of Seattle area ISPs. Many of those that offer DSL service are also willing to haggle with you and/or the phone company to get you connected. See here for an example.

If you have additions or corrections to this page, please send them to me.

Last modified: August 17, 1998