Introduction

"But I am already on-line since I am reading this" you exclaim. True. In this section I will try and give some tips about getting On-Line. Hopefully you will learn off what I have learnt.

Getting On-Line Right

There are many way of getting on-line. The more common ones are :
Dial-up Modem : Where you use a modem to ring up you Internet service provider
ISDN : This is a permanent connection to the Internet, cost a lost of money
Cable Modem : Like Cable TV. They drop a HUB into your area and people subscribe to it.

Since the Modem is the most common connection device to the Internet this section will be mainly about it.

A few pointers when buying a modem. Make sure it is at least a 33.6KBPS. What that number represents is how fast that modem can communicate with your ISP (internet service provider). Currently the fastest modems are around 56.7KBPS. At the moment they cannot go higher because the phone lines are not able to handle that speeds.In fact the 56.7KBPS will rarely connect at it's stated speed due to the conditions of the phone lines.

The next feature that a modem should have is V.90. This is a communication standard for modems, any decent modem should have V.90 support.

By making sure you have these features in a modem then you will have got yourself a good modem. I suggest that you read reviews about modems to check out a potential modem.