It was only designed, few people heard the term "provider". And now this word is constantly heard. It can be translated from English as "supplying" (that is, "provider"). This is a legal entity - a company that provides services related to connecting to the Internet. However, let's, as usual, understand the essence of the phenomenon in order.
Brief classification
In addition to supplying a connection, such nice additions as hosting services, a licensed antivirus for Windows, a DNS server, and an email box are possible. Of course, if the office is solid and cares about increasing the number of customers.
However, the concept of "hosting provider" is not very popular. More often they just say “hosting”, meaning the services of providing space for the site and generally storing something on the server.
The first level is backbone providers. They are in charge, respectively, of the main channels, providing an Internet connection for entire countries or even continents, pumping unimaginable amounts of data at fantastic speeds. Usually via fiber optic cables and satellite communications.
The second level is firms that:
- connect to trunk lines and pay them for traffic;
- resell traffic to the population.
Maybe the third level - offices that resell traffic again. This is true far from large cities, in the wilderness. In any case, the one who provides the connection directly to the user is called the "last mile provider".
last mile
The above consumer connection can be delivered: 1) via cables, most often via telephone network wires; 2) via radio.
A typical case of servicing an average apartment is connecting a router with a Wi-Fi adapter to the telephone line. The local home network turns out to be on-the-air, but the connection with the provider is wired.
Sometimes you can still find inexpensive GPRS / EDGE modems. They are suitable if high data transfer speed is not required. However, more on practicality.
How to live with it
Suppose you, as a home user, have implemented the following: 1) entered into an agreement with the provider; 2) bought a laptop for work. Taciturn people came to you, put a router somewhere on a shelf next to a landline telephone, screwed the wires, took a glimpse of whether the Wi-Fi network was working, and left.
Now, as soon as interruptions with the connection begin, you will have to call and be indignant. Or suffer in silence if the telephone line is down too.
During the daytime, you can go with a laptop somewhere in the city center, where there is open networks Wi-Fi, explored by you in advance. And what to do if there is no connection in the office? After all, you can’t send the entire office to work in a cafe or a supermarket. Means:
- we stick a 3G modem into one of the computers;
- we turn this machine into a local server capable of distributing the connection received via mobile communications to the entire office.
That is, a computer with a cellular modem is capable of serving as an access point to the Internet. This feature is implemented in any self-respecting operating system.
True, all social networks will have to be blocked, because mobile traffic, as a rule, is not unlimited.
Conclusion
Ordinary users can hardly influence the activities of backbone providers in any way, they have nothing to do with them (with rare exceptions). But they are able to improve the quality of service on the last mile. In what way? Boycott hack shops. And tell about them to friends, acquaintances, at work, in blogs and forums. Everything else will be done by the market with its self-regulation.
And, of course, when choosing a provider, wired or mobile (its modem), you should focus not on colorful advertising, but on the already existing reviews of ordinary people.
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If you decide to connect your computer to the Internet, then first of all you need to find a provider - a company through which you can enter the Network. The choice of a provider is a responsible and serious matter, because your further interaction with the Internet depends on it: the speed of information exchange with the Network, types and quality additional services(for example, e-mail, access to teleconferencing and others), the possibility of obtaining consultations, and so on.
Remember: a good provider is the one who saves your nerves!
How can you evaluate the quality of a provider's work?
First, find out if the provider gives you the opportunity to try their services potential clients, or, if not, under what conditions and for how long can you refuse his services if they do not suit you. Secondly, try to determine its qualitative characteristics yourself. For a modem user, this is:
- dialability(constant availability of free input telephone lines)
- the stability of the connection (it should last until you turn it off yourself). When determining this parameter, attention should be paid to the quality telephone connection. If the connection is unstable, then try calling numbers starting with different numbers
- The speed of information exchange. It is best to define it in terms of real speed downloading data from the Internet to a computer: select the provider's ftp server and download information from it several times. You should try to download data from Russian and foreign servers. It is best to use servers that usually provide high speed works, such as, for example, domestic ftp.ru, or foreign -ftp.cdrom.com. If it seems to you that things are going slowly, seek appropriate advice.
For example, for a modem with a speed of 33.6 Kbps, the average transfer speed will be approximately 30 Kbps (3.5 Kbps). By carrying out the procedure at different times of the day, you will be able to assess the imbalance of network load - Customer support. Try getting a phone consultation with the provider you're testing about questions you have (if there aren't any, name the first one that comes to mind). By making several calls at different times of the day, you will get an idea of how this provider is ready to provide you with real help.
What do you need to know about the provider?
Visit the provider's office and try to find out the following:
- Provider level (providers are primary, i.e. having their own channels to the outside world, and secondary, working through primary ones). Usually the quality of service from primary providers is higher than from secondary ones.
- The presence of a backup system - equipment, channels, and so on
- The size and load of communication channels with the outside world and by whom it is provided
- Personnel qualification level
Be sure to specify what exactly you will pay for: the time of your work on the Web or traffic, i.e. the amount of information received from the Web to your computer, and also find out the possibility of providing you with additional services (usually this Email, access to teleconferencing, etc.) and the cost of each. By the way, it is quite possible that it is a visit to the provider and your personal impressions of communicating with representatives of the company that will most quickly help you make your choice.
Which provider is better?
It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously, much here depends on your personal taste and the tasks that you are going to solve using the Internet. But, of course, in any case, it is best to be able to use the services of 2 (or maybe even 3) different providers. With proper organization of work, this option may well turn out to be not only more reliable, but also the most economical.
There are several ways to check information about your service company:
- Agreement on connection of Internet services
- Dedicated online service
If the contract was not at hand, the resource 2ip.ru will help out. Go to the site - your IP address will be displayed on the main page, in the column on the left - the city and the name of the provider.
- By home address
- Using a modem or landline phone
How to find an Internet provider by address
To find out which Internet providers are already present in your home, use the services 101internet.ru or moskvaonline.ru. Site searches are built according to one algorithm, with the exception of choosing a region on the Moscow site.
In the "Search by home address" window, enter the street and select the house number from the list that opens - you get a list of organizations with a description of tariff plans.
The home address search service is useful for different purposes - some are looking for a new supplier, others want to change their tariff plan to a more profitable one.
Internet speed test
On the 2ip.ru website, you can determine the speed of the Internet providers that provide services in different cities.
The check displays the average value of the outgoing and incoming speed for the last month. You will also see a list of recent measurements and a graph of speed changes over 3 months.
To do this, go to the "Internet speed statistics" section.
Thus, the user sees real indicators that can be checked before the conclusion of the contract.
Analytics and user rating help to form the final choice in favor of one or another provider.
The best offers from Internet providers
Regardless of whether the user is connected to the network or chooses which provider to use, the moskvaonline.ru service will be a useful adviser for residents of Moscow and the Moscow region.
In Moscow, the minimum cost of a connection package with a speed of 30 Mbps is approximately 300 rubles. For seasonal promotions, you can find cheaper - up to 199 rubles. per month. For broadband access of 100 Mbps, you will have to pay 500-600 rubles.
Provider rating
1. Even if you are satisfied with the quality and speed of access, the 2ip.ru service will help you track down new profitable offer in different cities of Russia.
To do this, go to the "Ratings of Internet providers" section.
2. The site moskvaonline.ru has compiled a rating of companies that serve Internet users in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Tariff parameters are configured:
- The presence of digital TV
- Tariff unlimited
- Connection only with round-the-clock technical support
- Subscriber fee restrictions
- Internet speed
To find out the data for organizing the connection of the router to the Internet, you need to enter the information issued by the provider on the settings page. But if you do not have such information, then what to do? In order to find out this data, you need to insert the Internet connection cable into the computer, removing it from the router (all connections are best done with the equipment disconnected from the power supply).
Go to the “network connections” item again, as on. There should be an item "connect to local network” or “Internet connection”, double-click on it. A window with connections will open.
There you will select "Internet Protocol Version 4" by double-clicking on it. A window with properties will open.
This image shows the option when everything is connected on the machine, such a connection will be when you connect the computer to the router. And if you connected the Internet directly to the computer, then there should be some data here that you will use to configure the router. You can also see an alternative configuration.
All information can be rewritten. After that, check the items “obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically”, this is necessary to work with the router. By clicking "ok" you close open windows. After that, in the router settings window, you enter the received data.
With the introduction of the Internet into everyday life, quite a lot of different terms have appeared that are systematically used by people in communication. One of these terms is "Internet Service Provider".
According to the generally accepted interpretation, the provider is a service provider for accessing the Internet. In other words, this is the company you use to connect to the world wide web.
Internet providers are divided into secondary and primary. Primary are the owners of highways that are laid for public use. The secondary are the clients of the primary, which provide access to private clients.
In some cases, primary providers work with private clients, but this can be considered an exception.
How to choose a provider?
As a rule, Internet users always have a choice of a company that will provide access to the Internet. To do right choice, it is necessary to analyze the tariff information. Remember expensive does not mean quality, some providers openly overcharge for their services, while the Internet connection does not have an increased level of quality.
Also be sure to pay attention to the price. tariff plan given the speed provided. You don't have to pay to get enough speed the most expensive fare.
In addition to the tariff plan, it is worth checking reviews about a particular company. Unfortunately, you can fully evaluate the quality of a provider only after using the services, so studying reviews is one of the options to check the work of a particular company.
Presenting information, I would like to talk about hosting providers. AT this case, providers provide hosting services, i.e. placing your sites on the Internet. The essence of their work is quite simple, if you explain plain language, then they put your site on a computer that is constantly on and connected to the Internet.
Thus, your resource is constantly available for viewing, and the provider receives payment from you (in the case of paid hosting, the provider).