• usage duration
• number of users
• type of use you make of your Internet connection.

If your usage of the Internet is low to moderate then a non-dedicated ISDN line is probably right for you. The charge for this type of telco connection is usage based. When you want to open up an Internet connection you dialup our designated ISDN pool. (Actually, a piece of equipment called a router activates the connection only when the Internet is actively being used. This minimizes your connection charges.) If you want to run a server you will need to leave the connection up. You’ll do this if you want users outside your network to access your server or network - for visiting your web site or file server, even picking up email stored on your server. But you can easily see that the price for two-way communication can add up fast with this type of ISDN.

That’s why if you require a full time two-way connection to the Internet, a dedicated ISDN line is the option for you. The charge for this type of telco connection is a flat rate based on distance - the distance between your Bell Atlantic Central Office and ours (in Red Bank or Toms River). The shorter the distance, the lower your telco charge, of course. A dedicated ISDN line takes the surprise out of your monthly telco bills, as well. Especially if you share the same Central Office with us, the cost of your dedicated line may be less than a non-dedicated line.

We hesitate to provide hard and fast figures for the number of users that different bandwidths support. (Bandwidth is the capacity of a data channel.) This is because your bandwidth requirement depends on how you use the Internet and even on your local area network setup. For example, a 64 Kbps connection may be more than adequate for 20 users involved in a low-bandwidth application -- email or the like -- while it would be wholly inadequate for even one person involved in a videoconference. As a matter of fact, video- conferencing requires at the very least a connection 6 times the capacity of a 64 Kbps line!

Placing a proxy server on your network (which "serves" software applications to other computers on your network) is a way to reduce your bandwidth requirements. For example, the proxy server stores recently visited web pages, so that the pages are read off of the server instead of over the Internet. This is a valuable function for classroom situations. It eliminates the need for simultaneous download sessions by 30 students - the instructor can simply pull up the web site before class begins.

If you happen to require a bandwidth higher than 128 Kbps, which is the maximum capacity of ISDN, then we can offer you T-1 access (up to 1.544 Mbps). You have the option of starting out with a full T-1 connection (which potentially supports hundreds of users) or grow into increasingly higher bandwidth increments: between 256 Kbps and 1.544 Mbps. T-1 lines are always dedicated.

Obviously, you’ll probably need some helping determining what type of Internet Access is best for your situation. Fill out our assessment form or contact our office and we’ll answer your questions.