The following are examples of some questions you might ask a potential ISP. Most, if not all of these questions will be answered somewhere on the ISP’s website. Try to answer as many of these questions as possible before ever calling an ISP, then you have small list of questions that still may concern you, or remain unanswered. Choosing a new ISP is neither a quick nor easy process. If you want to have a great experience with your next ISP, it will take a little research.

Technical Support Questions

• Is technical support part of normal service or an added cost?
  • Some lower rate ISP’s may charge and additional cost for technical support, while an ISP with a higher rate may have unlimited phone support available.
• Is there a refund for downtime or network outages?
  • Most companies will have some sort of guarantee regarding their uptime. If they have a guarantee of 99% or better uptime, they are quite confident in the reliability of their network.
• Does the connection support the hardware/software that I have?
  • If you are looking for a provider with V.92 dialup access, the first thing to find out is if the number they have in your local area will support this.
• Is telephone support available via a local call, 800 number, or long distance?
  • Find out if the call to the ISP’s technical support department is going to incur charges on your phone bill, or if it is toll-free.
• What’s the average hold time on a tech support call?
  • If you have an unusually long wait time, this may mean that and ISP is either understaffed, or having network difficulties. Larger ISP’s can expect long wait times.
• Are the technicians familiar with your Operating System?
  • If you are using Macintosh OSX, do their technicians know how to support any problems that may arise?
• Are there resources online to help you troubleshoot your own problems?
  • Do they have a comprehensive support section on their site that will walk you through troubleshooting problems without a phone call?
• What are the hours technical support is offered?
  • A lot of ISP’s do not offer 24 hour technical support. Check to see what hours they provide support, and be aware of their time zone, as they may be open until midnight, but if they are based in New York, and you are in California, that’s only 9 o’clock.
• Is there technical help available via e-mail?
  • See if they will be able to provide quick responses to a quick email question. Maybe your problem wont warrant a phone call, so can you just send it in a quick email?

General Questions

• What software is provided and/or required?
• Does the ISP have software they require you to use? Beware of ISP’s that require you use their proprietary software. Most ISP’s may have a setup utility, but they won’t require that you use it. Normally, they just have it for ease of setup if someone isn’t comfortable configuring a connection themselves.
• Are free trial connections available?
• What local numbers are available for you to use?
  • Does the ISP have more than one dialup number in case problems arise with one? This isn’t always necessary, but it’s nice to have a backup.
• Do they offer toll-free dialup numbers if I’m on the road?
  • Some ISP’s have a toll free number to dial into if a user is traveling, however, the majority have nationwide access, so you would dial a local number in whatever area you may be in rather than have a toll-free number.
• Can multiple users access the same account at the same time?
  • Most ISP’s only allow one computer to connect at one time with a single account. If you need more, be sure to ask, they will usually be glad to work with you.
• What kind of contract or services agreement is required?
  • Does signing up mean you have to keep the account for a full year, or can you cancel at the end of a month or two if you are dissatisfied?
• After signing up, how long does it take to get online with the ISP?
• Are there charges for email or web storage?
• Is space for web pages included?
  • Does the ISP give you web space to put a small website together?
• During peak times is it hard to get online?
• Will I get a sluggish connection during peak times?
• Do they offer SPAM filtering and / or Virus scanning?
• Do they filter online content for my children?

General Company Questions

• How long has the ISP been in business?
• Do they keep your personal information private from third parties?
  • Always check the privacy policy of an ISP if you are concerned. Links for privacy policies can usually be found at the bottom of the webpage like ours. Make sure the ISP wont give your name or email to a company that may send you SPAM, or direct mail solicitations.
• Is the ISP’s phone number easily found on their website?
  • Can you easily find the phone number for sales and or technical support? Usually on a ‘Contact Us’ page you can find this information.
• Is the ISP’s website professional and easy to navigate?
  • The appearance of a website reflects the company behind the site. If the site is well done, and professional looking, a lot of care and work went into that professional appearance. Be wary of websites that appear to have been thrown up overnight.

Billing Questions

• What is their cancellation policy if I choose to cancel?
  • Some ISP’s will require notification in writing before an account can be canceled.
• What options are available for billing and payments?
  • Most ISP’s will require a credit card payment for an account, and use auto billing to charge each month. If you prefer to pay by check, this will need to be a question you ask.