Internet provider

There are four common types of home internet service :

DSL internet uses the higher frequencies of wired telephone lines to deliver internet faster than outdated dial-up. AT&T, CenturyLink, and Frontier offer DSL internet service.

Cable internet uses the same copper wiring as cable TV to provide broadband internet. Cox, Mediacom, Spectrum, Suddenlink, and Xfinity primarily offer cable internet connection.

Fiber internet offers the fastest download speeds available with new fiber-optic cables. AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, and Verizon Fios have fiber internet networks.

Satellite internet supports internet in rural areas by using satellites in space and dish recievers on earth. Viasat and HughesNet are the two leading satellite internet service providers.

5G takes current wireless technology a step further in terms of speed, creating an on-the-go connection that’s comparable to your home internet connection. It could revolutionize the way we connect around the world by making wireless internet more accessible than ever.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer 5G mobile service in select cities—and the next step is bring it into your home.

Currently only Verizon offers 5G as home internet, and you can find it in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Houston, Indianapolis, and Chicago. But if T-Mobile follows through on its promise to make a 5G-based home network, it will reach even rural areas and open up high-speed internet work and learning opportunities across the US.

Wi-Fi is a wireless internet connection, but perhaps thanks to its usage on signs in coffee shops and other places, it’s becoming a more common term to refer to internet service in general. But “internet” is still the correct way to refer to this place where we’re hanging out now. Wi-Fi is just a way to access the internet, using wireless routers in your home or public space.

Whether you’re using your phone as a hotspot, or using Wi-Fi in your favorite coffee shop, that internet access has to come from somewhere—and that somewhere is through an internet provider.

If you need help paying for internet, check out these free and low-income internet options.

Or if you’re wary of internet providers because you don’t want sign an annual contract, you might find more flexibility with a no-contract internet plan.

The FCC’s definition of broadband is 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Those internet speeds are enough to support most online gaming and streaming for a household of two to four people.

Depending on the size of your household, the number of connected devices, and what you use the internet for, you may need faster speeds—or you might be okay with less. This tool from HighSpeedInternet.com can help you decide the right internet speed for you.

For more information on internet speeds, check out our article “What is a Good Internet Speed?”

Many internet providers offer internet starting at $20 per month. But those plans often come with slow download speeds, so be careful. We recommend these affordable high speed plans instead.

A modem receives signals from your ISP and translates the data into digital signals your connected devices can understand. Without a modem, your computer couldn’t connect to the internet because it wouldn’t be able to decipher the information.

If you’d like to know more about modems and routers, check out our comparison page for an in-depth view.

You need a modem for DSL and cable internet, and you can either lease one from your provider or buy your own. But if you have fiber or satellite internet, you can’t buy your own modem. Fiber requires an optical network terminal (ONT) instead of a modem, and satellite providers have proprietary modems, so you’ll have to lease these from your ISP.

Technically, a router is optional since you can hook up most computers to your modem with an Ethernet cord. But getting a router will let you set up a Wi-Fi network throughout your home. If you want to support smaller internet-enabled devices like smartphones and smart-home technology, a router is a must-have.

Your ISP may provide you with a router, or you can buy your own. Routers that come separately from modems are easier to update as technology advances, but you can purchase modem/router combos if you prefer to have everything in one device.

While many ISPs have data caps, some offer unlimited data. However, even with unlimited data, most ISPs will contact you if your usage is excessive—usually over 1 TB in one month.