Do you really need broadband?
You've figured out that you exhibit all the characteristics of a classic surfing machine; now, what do you do about it? If you have your heart set on broadband Net access, you don't have many choices these days. You'll have to pick from among your local phone or cable company, a satellite vendor (you'll have to put a small dish on your house), or one of the Big Three: AOL, MSN, or EarthLink. Sure, you might find smaller local providers who offer high-speed service to small businesses, but expect to pay more.

Can you get it?
Before you start weighing the relative merits of AOL and MSN, how do you know if you can get broadband at all? The Web is rife with sites that purport to tell you what you can get and where you can get it. Start by visiting CNET's own ISP finder: pick the type of access you're interested in, plug in your area or zip code, and you'll instantly get a list of ISPs serving your area. You can find similar broadband search engines at sites such as Getspeed.com, 2Wire, and CableModemInfo.com.

Remember, however, that these sites aren't 100 percent accurate. You'll have to contact the service provider to find out for certain if you can get broadband in your neighborhood, what it will cost, and what the procedures are. Of course, if you're really desperate, you can always order a T1 line--a dedicated digital carrier that uses 24 channels to transfer data. Prices start around $700 a month and head north in a hurry.

But before you start groveling for high-speed access, there's another key question you must ask yourself.

Do you really need broadband?
Everyone wants a faster Internet connection, right? But not everyone needs one, and there are several good reasons many ISP customers are choosing not to invest in broadband or, in some cases, are switching back to dial-up. Take these points into consideration:

Broadband isn't necessarily as fast as you think. Some broadband providers advertise Net connections that run up to 30 times faster than dial-up. Technically, they may be right, but in reality, your connection won't be that fast. Why? Network traffic, the speed of connection of the site you're visiting, and your browser's own page-rendering capabilities affect how quickly your pages download. In general, if you use DSL, you can expect pages to load three to five times faster than at 56K. And, if you surf the Web for more than an hour per day, the savings really add up.

Getting broadband can be a nightmare. The Web is chock-full of horror stories about customers waiting years for fast connections to their homes, particularly DSL connections. (If you don't believe us, check out DSLreports.com.) You may also have to install and troubleshoot the equipment yourself--a real bear for newbies. Many DSL providers ship new customers installation kits that include a modem and setup instructions. While these kits are great for savvy users, they may be intimidating for beginners. And, if you opt for satellite broadband, you'll either have to install the dish yourself or pay a technician to take care of it.

It's more expensive. You may have to pay a hefty installation fee up front (fees vary by service: some are free, while you'll have to lay down $100 or more for others) and/or buy your own equipment. Most broadband providers charge typically two to four times the cost of dial-up--from $40 to $70 a month--for home access. If you're looking for a broadband plan for your business, expect to pay even more. Business lines can run up to hundreds of dollars per month.

You try it; you own it. Most broadband ISPs don't offer free trials, so if you try out a service and decide that it stinks, you'll be stuck with installation costs in addition to minimum monthly charges and usually a contract as well. For example, EarthLink's minimum DSL contract is for 90 days. While some dial-up services require you to sign a contract, most don't. For example, EarthLink, MSN, and AOL don't require you to enlist for a minimum number of days, and most dial-ups offer you a free trial.

What else should I know before picking an ISP?