How To Pick Your Internet Service Provider provided by pageland.com

Contents Overview Glossary of Terms Selection Criteria Technical Staff Connectivity Issues Technology Build Or Buy Network Center (NOC) Organization "Non-Profit" Customer Base Comparison Shopping Web Hosting Services Conclusion Other Links

Network Operations Center Check out their network operations center ("NOC"). It should be staffed by at least one person always. This includes nights, weekends, holidays, and during important sporting events. If they are quick to claim "7x24" operations, you might ask them what they provide the other 358 days of the year. An amazing number of providers claiming 7x24 operations really mean that someone will answer the phone all the time, not that they will have someone capable of dealing with your problem. An answering service or beeper number is no substitute for a trained network engineer. Insist on one being always available and not just on call, as you can never tell when your connection will fail and what critical project it will have an impact on. Ask how the NOC is staffed. While it is normal to have only junior people on duty at odd hours of the night, it is critical that senior personnel be on site at least 8 AM-8 PM Eastern time, Monday through Friday. If your connection fails during normal business hours, you deserve to have very senior people immediately available to work on it.