Internet+Service+Provider+(ISP)

**__Internet Service Provider (ISP)__** Is the company/organisation which connect their customers to the internet through their network connections. Virgin, AOL, BT and Sky are examples of an ISP's.

__They connect you to the internet in different ways; __
 * __Broadband Wireless-__ This can be used with a USB adaptor which enables you to connect to the internet. The USB then allows you to be connected to the internet anywhere within the area of the ISPs coverage.




 * __Cable Internet-__Similar to cable tv, cable internet is known to be faster than other ways of connecting to the internet as it is direct. A router can be used to plug into the telecommunications line to translate the cable internet signal into a wireless signal which can then be accessed by Wi-Fi enabled devices. [[image:aqa-computing/1267259007_4894-16med.jpg width="70" height="87"]][[image:aqa-computing/Cisco-Linksys-E2100L-Wireless-N-Router.jpg width="127" height="95"]]
 * __Dial-up Internet-__ This uses the customers telephone line to dial the internet service provider and encodes and decodes all packets so that they can be translated at the ISPs host. This method of connecting to the internet is often very slow and unreliable. Not being used very often anymore.