Is it time to ditch your dial-up Internet service?

by Rick Castellini, MCP Nationally syndicated computer consultant special to PRIME One hundred and ninety-five million Americans (nearly 70 percent of our population) have access to the Internet. Of those, an estimated forty-six million access the Internet via a high speed or broadband connection; up from just over twelve million four years ago. Although this figure is up, this still calculates to only 26 percent of all Internet users. That statistic means the United States ranks an abysmal number 14 in the world for broadband Internet access. Cost and access are improving Part of the problem used to be availability and cost. Those two problems are slowly disappearing, thanks to newer DSL technologies that have allowed the telephone companys to roll out broadband at a nice pace around the country, while at the same time lowering delivery prices. It's safer than it used to be With all the talk of internet viruses and trojan horses, you may have wondered more than once if high speed, always-on Internet access was really the right choice for you. Well, you can stop worrying. With Windows XP updates, anti-virus maintenance and the plethora of spyware protection, I don't think you can afford not to get broadband Internet access ... if it is available to you. A broadband primer Broadband or high-speed Internet comes in four basic types: Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) and cable Internet access by far outpace any other technology for accessing the Internet quickly. DSL pushes the Internet to your computer at very high speeds through your phone lines using a special 'modem' and does not tie up your phone line for making phone calls. Cable Internet is delivered through standard co-axial cable used for television. Again, the speeds are very high and access does not tie up your phone line. Rounding out the choices for high- speed are Satellite Internet, and Fixed Wireless. These two types of high-speed access offer rural customers excellent choices for faster Internet speeds. There is no such thing as dial-up high speed Internet. AOL's Top Speed, NetZero's Hi Speed and similar services are all gimmicks and not worth the extra money the services charge for them. Any of these four choices offer speeds ranging from 10-to-100 times faster than dial up Internet access. This speed is always on and does not tie up your phone line like a dial-up Internet connection. For the user who enjoys browsing the Internet and researching topics via the Internet, high speed will allow you to find the information at least ten times faster than a dialup connection. Speed's a boon for business! For users who conduct business, banking, investing or the like with their Internet access, having an always on, high speed solution will greatly enhance all these functions. And for computer users who enjoy downloading documents, software and other large files from the Internet, high speed access has become almost indispensable. A file that may take thirty minutes to download on a dialup connection will take less than five minutes with a broadband connection. And the cost of all this speed? On both coasts, DSL Internet can be had for less than $20 per month. Cable Internet costs range from a low of $35 to a high of around $50 per month. Many current dialup Internet users have elected to have a second line put into their homes so as not to tie up their main line. These second lines average $25-30 per month of additional charges to your Internet bill. Setup costs for high speed Internet range from free, for many cable and DSL customers, to nearly $600 for satellite subscribers. But is it for you? High speed Internet may not be right for everyone, especially if you primarily only use email, but the benefits of an always on connection can be rewarding and practical. My wife and I use our high speed connection to look up recipes, check weather forecasts before a hike, and look up movie times before we head to the mall among many other uses. With high speed, the Internet becomes more of a usable and available resource versus a sometimes slow and inconvenient nuisance. Also, with the increased popularity of digital cameras, sharing of photos through email has clogged and slowed down many a dial-up connection ... this doesn't happen with a broadband connection. Protection from viruses, spyware On top of the functional upgrades of high speed Internet, I believe that properly configured computers hooked to a high speed Internet connection are actually safer than their dial-up counterparts. Because our computers need to be updated continuously to ward off bad guys, the updates quickly overwhelm a dial-up connection and therefore don't get done. With broadband Internet, these updates happened quickly and keep your computer running clean. Consider your current Internet usage, costs and plans Internet usage, study the choices available in your area, talk to current high speed Internet customers, and try to use a high speed connection at a store or friend's house before jumping into the high speed arena. One word of warning, however, once you try and install high speed Internet, you will not want to return to dialup. Rick Castellini hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, is an author and computer consultant in Colorado. Visit his web site at HelpMeRick.com for practical tips and computer information every week.