What are the best options for Internet when taking online classes?

What are the best options for Internet when taking online classes?

When considering getting internet service, the first thing to consider is location. Not all services are available in all locations and the best way to see what services are available is to check your local Yellow Pages.  After you have found a provider that offers service in your area, check to see what levels of service they have to offer.  Always keep the cost in mind in selecting a package but also note that the more you pay (usually), the less trouble you will have with accessing/using online services.  Also check with neighbors to see what type of speed they are getting with their service.

Common Internet Service Providers and their available service packages:

*Mbps Stands for Megabits Per Second which is a measurement of how fast a connection can transfer data.

**These speeds are estimates. Actual speeds may vary.

Rated based on speed / reliability

1. Fiber to house (such as FiOS from Verizon) - Excellent/Above Par.
2. Cable - Great, Typically better than DSL.
3. DSL - Great.
4. Cellular 3G/4G - Okay (not recommended).
5. Satellite - Okay (not recommended).
6. Dial-up - Poor (will not suffice).

Cellular, Satellite, and slower connections have much higher latency and low upload bandwidth, which can often result in issues watching high-bandwidth content such as course videos or issues uploading large files. The latency can also cause page load times to be much longer than other connections.