DSL Broadband Internet

DSL providers have opened a lot of doors to customers who want fast and reliable Internet access. And as the number of Internet users continue to increase, DSL providers have also expanded their services to meet their clients' needs. Two of these North America-based DSL providers are BellSouth and EarthLink. Read on to know more about these two DSL providers.

BellSouth

BellSouth is actually under AT&T, and currently offers several packages for net users. These packages include FastAccess DSL Xtreme 6.0, FastAccess DSL Xtreme, FastAccess DSL Ultra, and FastAccess DSL Lite. Each of these packages are meant to cater to the clients' specific needs and budget.

EarthLink

A company founded by Sky Dayton when he was just 23 years old, EarthLink is an Internet service provider that offers DSL services, aside from satellite, cable, and dial-up Internet access. The company claims to currently have 504 million members.

When looking for a DSL provider, there are several factors you have to consider. Because the distance of your house or office from the main servers is a factor that can affect Internet stability and speed, it's best to choose a DSL provider that is closest or one that offers stable services in your area. If you have limited budget, look for a DSL provider that offers discount bundles or packages. As a matter of fact, there are some DSL providers that actually offer discounted rates or free modem and anti-virus software if you pay several months in advance. Another important factor to consider when choosing a DSL provider is the customer service. If ever you encounter problems in using your DSL Internet service, it's good to know that you can conveniently contact a DSL provider's customer support hotlines. To know more about a certain DSL provider's customer support reputation, you can check out consumer-based forums for any feedback regarding the quality of the customer support system.

Your Internet connection speed may be affected by the equipment you use to connect, such as your computer, phone line, and router. Other factors are:

Type of ISP

A dial-up ISP is, of course, much slower than DSL or cable Internet providers. Before you sign up with an ISP, check the bandwidth that they offer. The higher the bandwidth, the faster the speed. However, even DSL or cable Internet providers may be slower than you’d like. This could be due to technical difficulties on the part of the ISP. To avoid this, make sure to get an ISP that’s known to be reliable and get service restored quickly in the event of a problem.

Site traffic

Popular websites may take longer to load, regardless of the Internet connection you have. Sometimes, so many people are accessing a site at once that the site’s servers cannot handle the number of users, making the website temporarily inaccessible or even crashing the site for long periods of time. The only solutions here are to wait until the site is up and running again, go to a less-frequented website, or to go to the site when less people are likely to visit it.

As site traffic is a factor beyond your control, concentrate on factors that you can fix. Spyware can slow down your computer and interfere with your Internet connection, so clearing out spyware and protecting from future spyware infections will help. If you are using a Wi-Fi connection or router, check if everything is configured properly. By making sure all the equipment you use to connect to the Internet is running optimally, you can avoid being bogged down by a slow Internet speed.

Many Internet users get easily frustrated when their DSL connection slows down. Several technical problems can occur so it pays to know what these are.

Presence of spyware

Since DSL is usually a reliable service, the user’s computer can be the cause of the slowdown. Spyware, troubled hardware, viruses, and the computer’s processing power can slow down the Internet connection. Spywares and worms are infamous for using up computer resources so much that it slows down the computer. The worse spywares end up shutting down the system entirely. Since the spyware uses processing power, the computer has a hard time keeping up with the DSL’s required processing speed. Older computers will most likely have problems of spyware slowing down their connection.

Misconfigured router

A misconfigured wire or wireless router can cause problems with your Internet connection. The router’s disfunction end up limiting the DSL speed that the computer can actually reach. To solve this problem temporarily connect the computer to the Internet. This way you won’t have to reconnect to the wireless router every time you turn on the computer. If you plan on using a wireless router, scout for the most reliable brands. It is preferable to get the router from an experienced and trusted electronics store.

These different Internet slowdowns come from problems with hardware and software. Aside from ensuring you get a reliable connection, also make sure your computer is working properly. Those with older computers but need high speed connections should start looking into buying a new model. Today’s developing technologies require one to keep up with their gadgets.