For accurate comparisons of ISPs, only services with similar speeds should be compared. Prior to selecting a dialup ISP, you should confirm that connecting does not require a toll call. If you travel extensively, consider an ISP with either an 800 number or coverage where you plan to travel. When comparing ISPs, make sure you are aware of their connection policies. This may be an additional charge with some ISPs.
Web hosting policies, features, and pricing can vary greatly.
Some factors to consider are how much disk space is available and how it is billed, and whether there are additional charges or restrictions for high-volume web sites. Different sets of newsgroups may be provided by different ISPs. Also, ISPs may vary in how long they retain old news articles before deleting them. A VPN, Virtual Private Network, allows a computer to be connected as if it were on Brown's network, even though an ISP is providing the network connection. When a VPN is used, the computer will have an address on Brown's network instead of on the ISP's network.