What should I do if my access isn't fast enough? How can I make it better?

The simple version of the answer to these questions is to avoid the bottle necks we discussed earlier. Of course the hard question is "How do I do that"?

Axon Technology undertook a review of the performance of various ISP's around the country on behalf of one of our clients, Apple Computer Australia. We looked at the way the ISP's services performed, and considered the speed of their service, and how it was connected to the Internet on a worldwide basis.

As a result of this study we are in an excellent position to provide information to people requiring better performance from the Internet. Listed below are some of things you should consider when deciding which ISP you want to use for your individual requirements when connecting to the Net. If you belong to an organisation that requires permanent connection, or high speed connection (ISDN or better) then the guidelines below still apply, however there is more to be considered, and you should consider seeking out some specialist advice from an experienced Internet consultancy (of course here at Axon we have undertaken this research already for various clients, such as Apple Computer, so who better to help you meet these needs).

To give you an indication of the sort of results you can realistically expect to acheive, we have set up Macintosh systems dialing into standard ISP accounts with 28.8KBaud modems and repeatedly acheive transfer rates on Netscape of between 3500 and 6000 bytes a second, during the busiest of times on the Net.

Things to look for in your ISP....

How is the ISP connected to the Internet

Does the ISP utilise only the Australian public Internet backbone, or do they operate their own backbone? If they have their own Backbone, is it a domestic backbone, that still rely's on the public Backbone for International Access? If they have their own International connections to the Net, do they also have local connections to access Australian sites? Where does their International connection connect to the internet - is it direct to the USA or does it go to another country and use other public links?

For best results here you need an ISP that can offer the following:

• Operates it's own backbone around Australia
• Operates it's own Connection to the International Internet, connecting directly to at least the USA, and possibly other countries.
• Operates direct links into the Australian public Internet system also to ensure access to Australian Sites is not forced back down the congested public backbone International link.

Access Speeds offered and Capacity Policies

What are the access speeds provided by the ISP? Do they have 28.8Kbaud dial in access, how easy is it to dial up and connect (are their dial up numbers always engaged)? Do they support Software compression on their dial up connections (this can effectively increase your connection speed from 28.8KBaud to 56.6KBaud, or even higher)? What sort of policy do they have on upgrading their internet connection capacity in relation to demand? (This last question is important, many ISP's (particularly smaller ones) will wait until their capacity is saturated before upgrading their links to the Internet backbones)

For best results here you need an ISP that can offer the following:

• Operates 28.8KBaud dial in access (You may not have 28.8 now, but you may have one day, and you want to know the ISP is serious about looking after your interests).
• Operates sufficent incoming lines in your area to ensure you can get through when you want to.
• Support for Software compression on dial up connections.
• Maintains a policy of upgrading their Internet links when usage on their system exceeds 35 - 50% capacity (This may sound low, but usage is typically only measured at certain times of day and only a few times a month - a number somewhere between 35 and 50% is about right).

If you can find an ISP that meets the criteria above that operates in your area, then you can be assured of good, consistent high speed Internet connections. In many areas there may be several such ISP's, and there are several other things to consider when choosing which ISP you need...

What sort of support does the ISP offer, when is it available, is it a toll call? Does the ISP understand what is needed to make your machine work on the Internet (some ISP's have good knowledge of their UNIX systems, but little understanding of PC systems, some know Intel based systems, but not Macintosh systems, some know Macintosh Systems, but not Intel based systems)? What software will they provide to help get your connection working well? Are their support staff helpfull?

For best results here you need an ISP that can offer the following:

• After Hours technical support - Look for someone that runs support until at least 10:00pm, the later the better.
• Local support number, or a FreeCall (1-800) support number.
• An understanding of your chosen computing platform (Ask them to name what software you need, don't assume if they are going to send you the required software that they actually know how it works)
• A good set of software that will give you access to everything you need (Do they offer Connection software, and the necessary applications software for eMail, Web browser, FTP client, News reader etc...)

So... the questions... What did our research discover, and what should you do if you're ISP isn't performing....

Click here to find out!