There are a number of factors to consider when choosing an ISP including set-up and ongoing costs, speed of connection, support services available and any restrictions on use. If you live in the metropolitan area, there are now a large number of ISPs to choose from. For country students, the options are fewer, but many larger towns now have local ISPs. S.A. Internet Assoc. Connecting via STD is expensive, so if you are living in a country area, check that local call access is provided.
Charges vary from a set charge per hour to a monthly fee for unlimited connection time.
Your 56Kbps modem will be of no benefit if your ISP has 28.8Kbps modems. This is now the standard type of access offered by most ISPs and the most effective for full access to all features of the online study materials. Your ISP should provide you with all the details for setting up your software and connecting to the internet. They will provide you with a dial-up number to connect to their computer, the IP addresses you need to set up your TCP program, web browser and email client, a login name and password, and an email address and password. Your ISP will tell you how to do this.