                     How to select an Internet provider
                                 Rick Adams

        Buying an Internet Connection is a lot like buying a computer. As
with buying a computer, your choice of Internet providers should be driven
by your intended use. If you are looking for a minimum cost, bare bones
computer for your kids, you might seek out the lowest priced system in the
back of a magazine or even assemble something yourself from parts bought at
a flea market. However, if you are buying something for your company that
your business will depend on, you would probably choose differently.
        For your business, you might consider buying the most expensive
solution exercising the theory that you get what you pay for. However, once
you've really studied the question, the right choice might well turn out to
be a mid-range system from a stable, nationally recognized provider.
        There are some low cost IP service suppliers who claim to be just as
good as the others, but may not be in business next year to prove it.
Conversely, there are other suppliers who will attempt to justify providing
the same level of services as their competitors, at many times the price.
        This guide suggests a set of questions to pose and evaluation
criteria against which you can compare and contrast the different Internet
service companies you have to choose from. In this exciting but still
maturing market, the lure of Internet connectivity and Enterprise Wide Area
Network outsourcing will require many companies to evaluate service
providers within the next couple of years. The intent of this guide is to
stimulate your thinking on the subject while challenging you to challenge
your provider!


Selection Criteria for Choosing Internet Service Providers


*Network Topology*

        Network topology is one of the most important criteria to consider
when choosing a provider. Looking at the network topology can help you
understand how vulnerable the network is to outages, how much capacity is
available when the network is loaded more heavily than usual and most
importantly, how well the provider understands network engineering.
        Any competent provider should be happy to show you their network
topology. It's a good way for them to demonstrate how well they understand
their business.
        Look closely at what they show you. Some providers will give you a
virtual backbone map. Virtual networks are meaningless. Your data does not
travel on a virtual network -- it travels on a physical network. A virtual
network map is merely a representation of all the theoretical paths that
could be implemented by the supplier's virtual circuit switching equipment
and is an attempt to side step the issue of physical capability. Your
supplier needs to understand the physical network to understand what is
important for serving their customers. If they tell you that the physical
topology is unimportant, they either don't understand how to engineer a
network or they are trying to disguise something. Remember, there is nothing
inherently wrong with using frame relay, ATM, or other technologies that use
virtual circuits as part of the backbone. However, your provider must
understand the physical topology on top of which their virtual (logical)
network is running.

*Network Link Speeds*

        Now that we're evaluating the physical topology, let's look closely
at the speeds of the backbone links. If they won't show you the speeds, then
they're really hiding something. The first thing to understand is that your
network connection can only be as fast as the slowest link in the path.
        It doesn't matter if you are connected to a T-3 node if there is a
56 Kbps link between you and your destination. This is like hooking a
half-inch garden hose to a fire hydrant. The limit is the garden hose, not
how much water the hydrant can put out!
        Next, ask if the topology you are being shown is operational now.
Some providers like to show links that are not operational as part of their
backbone infrastructure. Some even go as far as to label the planned links
with solid lines and the operational links with dashed lines! You're in for
a big surprise if you don't notice this switch! Similarly, don't confuse the
press release about a new high speed network link with that link actually
being operational.

*External Network Links*

        Now look at the external links of your candidate's backbone. Do they
have a single connection to the rest of the world, e.g., via NSFNET? This is
a potential single point of failure. Look for multiple, direct connections
to other network providers. The more of these connections the better. This
shows that the provider is concerned about external connectivity and does
not want to be dependent on some third party for interconnection. If they
have a single connection to the outside world, ask them how often it fails
and how long they usually are isolated. If they can't give you these
statistics, are they managing their network well enough to manage yours?
        Check to see if they have their own national backbone or if they
rely on NSFNET for national connectivity. If they rely on NSFNET for
connectivity, ask them what their plans are for national connectivity when
the free NSFNET backbone goes away in April 1994. Now ask yourself if you
have enough confidence in their plan to risk your connectivity to the rest
of the world.

*High Speed Backbone*

        If they claim to have a high speed backbone, check to see if it is
that speed now or if it is just "planned." Some providers claim to have a
T-3 (45 Mbps) backbone, but if pushed, will admit that what they really mean
is "T-3 capable." A 2400 bps dial-up modem is also T-3 capable because
tomorrow it is capable of being replaced with T-3. If they are misleading
you about something as fundamental as their network capacity, what else are
they trying to sneak past you?
        The next thing to ask yourself about high speed backbones is if you
can actually connect to it for a reasonable cost. All service providers
require you to buy the local loop segment from your facility to their
closest Point Of (service) Presence or POP. You will have to buy this
directly or indirectly from one of the telephone companies serving your
local area. Some providers offer their service in such a way that the local
loop cost is greater than their fee to provide you with the service in the
first place. Think of the hose analogy again. If you're limited by the local
loop speed because the price of a high speed loop is not cost effective,
then how useful is a high speed backbone?
        Many providers will claim some impressive number of POPs. Find out
what constitutes a POP by their definition. Some providers claim a POP
anywhere they deliver service. Find out if many of their "POPs" are single
customers at the tail end of low speed lines or if those POPs house high end
routers linked by physically redundant high speed connections. Network POPs
should be designed to scale with additional customers who, themselves, have
growing requirements.

*Technology*

        The technology being used to operate the network is also critically
important. Today, there is plenty of commercial quality router, switch, and
modem technology available from companies whose business is to make that
equipment. Any provider still relying on their own internally developed
equipment is doing you a disservice. You deserve the benefits of leading
edge, production technology, not aging hardware that has been contorted into
a use never intended by its designers.
        Sometimes a provider can have a bad case of "Not Invented Here"
syndrome. This is a sure sign of long term problems. Remember, you are
buying a service. The provider of this service should be using the best
available technology to deliver this service. They should not use the
service as an excuse to use surplus equipment and technology. The recent
popularity of Internet connectivity has some strange bedfellows offering
connectivity services. Again, ask yourself who you think has the better
incentive to make a network connection work and keep working: the researcher
who gets paid regardless of whether it actually works or  the commercial
supplier who only gets paid if it's working?

*Build or Buy?*

        Another worrisome syndrome to watch out for is the "Control Freak."
Some providers claim that they need to run even the lowest layers of their
network to deliver quality service. This is simply not true. The truth of
the matter is all Internet service providers rely on one or more telephone
companies to assemble "their" network. The only way for any company to build
"their own network" is to physically dig their own trenches and lay their
own fiber into the ground.
        The only real question is at which physical link or transport level
your potential service provider buys from the much larger phone companies.
If the lower level infrastructure and service (such as T-1, T-3, Frame Relay
or ATM) needed to support an Internet service provider's value added service
is offered by a phone company, it's not cost effective or in the best
interest of the provider's customers for the provider to even think about
building and operating it. The provider simply can not match the economy of
scale that comes with being a phone company. If your provider has chosen to
build something when they could have bought a more reliable service more
cheaply, why should you have to pay for their misplaced priorities? (If they
can do it better and cheaper than the phone companies, why aren't the phone
companies buying it from them?) The job of an Internet service provider is
to manage and maintain your IP/OSI level connectivity. Look for strong
relationships and partnership between your Internet service provider and the
nation's host of Alternative (Bypass), Local (RBOC), and Long Distance (IXC)
carriers.

*Technical Staff*

        Probably the most important aspect to consider when choosing a
provider is the quality of their technical staff. The technical staff are
the ones who will get your connection running to begin with and then keep it
and the network running in the future.
        Check the experience of their staff in TCP/IP data networking. They
should have several people who have been running TCP/IP data networks for
close to 10 years. The average experience is also relevant, as it's likely
that you won't usually deal with their most senior people. However, it's
reassuring to know that the very senior people are available if you need
them. Make sure that their "technical" staff consists of people who are
experienced with TCP/IP and not of people whose previous assignment was
"networking related" and have now been assigned to this new project.
        Make sure the provider has adequate staffing to cover the usual
situations. If they send people to Interop for a week, how many people are
back at the office running things and how skilled are they? If they only
have a few technical people and they all go to shows, then what happens if
your network connection breaks while they are gone for a week? (Be
suspicious if they say they can handle it by dialing back in...)
        Find out what their technical staff turnover is. If people are
leaving, find out why and who is left to keep your connection operational.
Many suppliers of service have single points of failure in their staff
capacity as well.

*Network Operations Center*

        Check out their network operations center ("NOC"). It should be
staffed by at least one person always.  This includes nights, weekends,
holidays, and during important sporting events. If they are quick to claim
"7x24" operations, you might ask them what they provide the other 358 days
of the year. An amazing number of providers claiming 7x24 operations really
mean that someone will answer the phone all the time, not that they will
have someone capable of dealing with your problem. An answering service or
beeper number is no substitute for a trained network engineer. Insist on one
being always available and not just on call, as you can never tell when your
connection will fail and what critical project it will have an impact on.
        Ask how the NOC is staffed. While it is normal to have only junior
people on duty at odd hours of the night, it is critical that senior
personnel be on site at least 8 AM-8 PM Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
If your connection fails during normal business hours, you deserve to have
very senior people immediately available to work on it.

*Organization*

        Find out how long the company has been in the IP business. Determine
if they are going to be in business for the long run. Maybe that deal is a
bit too good to be true for a good reason. Quality networks are not built on
a shoestring budget. The pricing may look attractive now, but the passage of
time often reveals hidden costs and price increases, the greatest of which
can be having to switch providers.
        Ask about their financial stability. While you don't need to see
copies of their audited financial statements, you should at least be
comfortable that they have a positive cash flow and are going to be in
business next month to provide your connectivity. Determine if they have one
or two major accounts that provide a disproportionate amount of revenue and
what impact losing those accounts would have on their ability to maintain
your quality of service.
        Are they an independent operating unit with its own staff and
facilities or are they run out of the back door of a larger organization
that doesn't know they exist? How critical do you think having the support
of the parent organization is to their long term viability?

*"Non-Profit"*

        At this stage of the market's development, some providers are
operating from behind questionable non-profit cloaks. Some may be subjecting
their sponsoring organizations to questionable legal and/or tax risks by
selling commercial services in competition with for-profit corporations. The
IRS requires that non-profits keep track of all revenue that is unrelated to
their non-profit charter and pay the tax on it just like a for-profit
corporation. Why should you care about your provider's tax troubles? It's
all about selecting a provider that can supply you with the highest quality,
best price performing, reliable Internet and Enterprise WAN network
services. Legal or tax problems can provide a major "distraction" to the
provider. As these services become more and more an integral component of
your successful business, your choice is more critical and all dimensions of
your supplier are integral to your decision. There will be a shake out in
the Internet service business and only the strong will survive.
        Is the company rapidly growing and expanding or is it a stagnant
anachronism and merely resting on its laurels and remembering the good old
days when they were the only provider in the area? How long do you think
they will survive in competition with healthy, growing companies?
        Is the group you're dealing with actually providing the network
service or are they fronting, merely acting as a local aggregator for some
larger entity? If so, what is the health of the larger provider and why
should the larger provider give your connection the same attention that they
are giving their directly connected customers?
        Does the provider have a straightforward internal business model or
do they have a series of sub-contracts of sub-contracts and shell games with
wholly owned subsidiaries? Why are they adding unnecessary levels of
complication and expense, and why should you pay for it?

*Commercial Activity*

        Is the provider a member of the Commercial Internet Exchange
Association ("CIX")? This is a necessity if you are considering making
commercial use of the Internet. If they are a member, see if they are really
connected to the other members or have they just joined the association
without interconnecting. Some groups advertise membership in the Association
but have never interconnected. Some go as far as implying that they are
connected to CIX members when they merely serve as a transit network for
providers who are really members and are really interconnected. Don't let
them confuse you. Insist on a straight answer.
        Does the provider require you to abide by an Appropriate Use Policy?
Do you understand it? Is it ever enforced? Do you need to worry about it
suddenly being enforced capriciously?

*Full Range of Services*

        Does your provider have a full range of services, from low end to
high end, or is it just filling a niche? If you need to increase or decrease
your service level, will you need to switch providers?
        Does your provider offer true one stop shopping? Can they supply
equipment, manuals, training, consulting, etc., as well as basic service?
Can they provide connectivity throughout the country (and the rest of the
world) or do they just serve a small region? Can they provide service in
other countries through established partnerships with international
suppliers and bill you on the same invoice as your domestic service?

*Customer Base*

        Find out how many customers the provider has. Don't be mislead by
the total number of customers the provider may brag about having. Some like
to claim all of the individuals they have connected, while most others only
count the organizations they have connected. The number of organizations
willing to pay $1,000 per month for connectivity is a lot better indicator
of the service quality than the number of individuals willing to pay $10.

*Comparison Shopping*

        Do a price/benefit analysis. Some providers may appear to be priced
less than others.  Make sure you do an "apples to apples" comparison. Don't
compare one provider's no frills service with another's full service
offering. Don't be confused by the names of the products. What one provider
thinks is Basic may be minimal or useless to you.
        Don't be afraid to ask for customer references and talk to them. See
what issues current customers have. They will likely be similar to yours. If
you get a reference, make sure there is no insider relationship with the
provider such as an investor or a member of the board of directors.
        Find out where their new customers come from. The most interesting
statistic is how many of their customers have switched from other providers!

*Conclusion*

        The astonishing, worldwide growth of the Internet as a public access
computer network has all kinds of new users, large and small, investigating
the virtues of "getting on the Internet." Today, more and more companies are
using the Internet to conduct their business, communicate with and support
their customers, exchange electronic mail with hundreds of thousands of
users, and seek and find valuable information leading to competitive
advantage. This resource is indispensable once turned on. The choice of the
service provider to be responsible for ensuring this vital business tool is
the most important decision you will make when embarking on the Internet.
        Hopefully this white paper has provided assistance in examining some
of the issues and raising some of the questions that will lead to a long and
trusted relationship with your full service, professional Internet service
provider.

                                 Rick Adams
                             Chairman & Founder
                          UUNET Technologies, Inc.
                  Providers of AlterNet Internet Services
                    3110 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 570
                         Falls Church, VA 22042 USA
                          alternet-info@alter.net
                               1 800 4UUNET4
                               1 703 204 8000

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