assignment of internet service provider

Number Resources

We are responsible for global coordination of the Internet Protocol addressing systems, as well as the Autonomous System Numbers used for routing Internet traffic.

Currently there are two types of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in active use: IP version 4 (IPv4) and IP version 6 (IPv6). IPv4 was initially deployed on 1 January 1983 and is still the most commonly used version. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers often expressed as 4 octets in “dotted decimal” notation (for example, 192.0.2.53 ). Deployment of the IPv6 protocol began in 1999. IPv6 addresses are 128-bit numbers and are conventionally expressed using hexadecimal strings (for example, 2001:0db8:582:ae33::29 ).

Both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are generally assigned in a hierarchical manner. Users are assigned IP addresses by Internet service providers (ISPs). ISPs obtain allocations of IP addresses from a local Internet registry (LIR) or National Internet Registry (NIR), or from their appropriate Regional Internet Registry (RIR):

Our primary role for IP addresses is to allocate pools of unallocated addresses to the RIRs according to their needs as described by global policy and to document protocol assignments made by the IETF . When an RIR requires more IP addresses for allocation or assignment within its region, we make an additional allocation to the RIR. We do not make allocations directly to ISPs or end users except in specific circumstances, such as allocations of multicast addresses or other protocol specific needs.

IP Address Allocations

Internet protocol version 4 (ipv4).

• IPv4 Address Space
• IPv4 Multicast Address Assignments
• IPv4 Special Purpose Address Registry
• IPv4 Recovered Address Space Registry
• Bootstrap Service Registry for IPv4 Address Space

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)

• IPv6 Address Space
• IPv6 Global Unicast Allocations
• IPv6 Parameters (Parameters described for IPv6, including header types, action codes, etc.)
• IPv6 Anycast Address Allocations
• IPv6 Multicast Address Allocations
• IPv6 Sub-TLA Assignments (DEPRECATED)
• IANA IPv6 Special Registry
• Bootstrap Service Registry for IPv6 Address Space
• Announcement of Worldwide Deployment of IPv6 (14 July 1999)
• RIR Comparative Policy Overview

Autonomous System Number Allocations

• Autonomous System Numbers
• Special-Purpose AS Number Assignments
• Bootstrap Service Registry for AS Number Space
• Internet Number Resource Request Procedure

Regional Internet Registry Creation

• Criteria for Establishment of New Regional Internet Registries (ICP-2) (4 June 2001)
• IANA Report on Recognition of LACNIC as a Regional Internet Registry (7 November 2002)
• IANA Report on Recognition of AfriNIC as a Regional Internet Registry (8 April 2005)

Technical Documentation

• RFC 4632 — Classless Inter-domain Routing (CIDR): The Internet Address Assignment and Aggregation Plan
• RFC 1918 — Address Allocation for Private Internets
• RFC 5737 — IPv4 Address Blocks Reserved for Documentation
• RFC 4291 — Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Addressing Architecture
• RFC 3587 — IPv6 Global Unicast Address Format
• RFC 6177 — IPv6 Address Assignment to End Sites
• RFC 6890 — Special-Purpose IP Address Registries
• RFC 7020 — The Internet Numbers Registry System
• RFC 7249 — Internet Numbers Registries
• Locally Served DNS Zones

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How are IP addresses assigned?

How are IP addresses assigned? What if someone from USA and someone from Australia connected to the internet at the same time - how would they not have the same IP address?

• 1 Why is this computer software/hardware related? because, if you mess up with your IP address, you cannot reach Superuser in the first place -- even, to attempt the other questions you might have to post/answer there ;-) –  nik Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 10:58

3 Answers 3

Because public IP addresses are not picked at random, they are allocated by your Internet Service Provider ; who in-turn gets a block assigned to them from the next level, and so on to IANA/ICANN . Think of this as, only ICANN give IP addresses YOU cannot :-) In your home or college network usually you would use private IP addresses, and might have statically assigned IPs or let your home router do a private IP allocation. These are not visible (or routed) on the Internet. You will find many people use the IP address 192.168.1.1 at their homes, for example, and yet there is apparently no conflict. This is because their home router 'translates' (very crude use of that word here) to the ISP allocated address -- which is what others on the Internet will see.

You might think of this private IP address as a local reference (like, take that left on the next block to reach the cake shop?) for your home router to find your machine in the home network.

If you tried to use a 'public' IP address at random, the ISP will not accept it and you will see no network connectivity.

Update: If you want to dig deeper on why an ISP might want to check what source IP you are using, read through the interaction in comments here... Or, head straight to Wikipedia Smurf Attack .

In the late 1990s, many IP networks would participate in Smurf attacks (that is, they would respond to pings to broadcast addresses). Today, thanks largely to the ease with which administrators can make a network immune to this abuse, very few networks remain vulnerable to Smurf attacks.

The fix is two-fold: Configure individual hosts and routers not to respond to ping requests or broadcasts. Configure routers not to forward packets directed to broadcast addresses. Until 1999, standards required routers to forward such packets by default, but in that year, the standard was changed to require the default to be not to forward. 3

Another proposed solution, to fix this as well as other problems, is network ingress filtering which rejects the attacking packets on the basis of the forged source address .

Thanks to Andy for making me recall this. You might also be interested in in this ServerFault question by Jeff: Are IP addresses “trivial to forge” ?

• If you try to use a public IP address at random, regardless of anything else, any return packets will end up on the wrong network at the wrong host, so you won't be able to have two-way comms. –  Andy Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 11:11
• @Andy, actually the transmitted packets are likely to get dropped themselves. The point is, you cannot convince the ISP network devices to use your choice of IP address. They will not accept it. –  nik Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 11:47
• @nik Totally! I focus on the return path because for me, whether or not your outgoing packet is dropped is a detail (maybe it will, maybe it won't); the fundamental reason you can't use an arbitrary IP address is that you break the routing system, which shows up on the return journey. –  Andy Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 12:07
• @Andy, Umm, the packet with this 'spoofed' source IP will be dropped -- So, analysis of return path is really just theoretical musing. Look at the ifconfig (or ipconfig on Windows) output of your Internet connected machine. You will see two more things associated with your IP address: a subnet mask and a default gateway ip address. Think about what you will setup as the default gateway if you were to change your IP address say from ' a.x.y.z ' to ' b.x.y.z '. Changing it won't work. Now, think further on what that gateway machine will do to your changed-source-IP packet... –  nik Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 12:45
• @Nik Don't see the problem. Sure if you spoof as a.b.c.d/24 and access a.b.c.d+1/24 you'll have problems. But as long as the dest appears to be in a different subnet, the default gateway'll be used, and once we're at routers, only the dest addr is used no? (I don't get your problem with the gateway machine.) We can modify our subnet mask to make (nearly) all addresses appear to be on a different subnet. Or just configure our host to send all packets to the default gateway. That's why I feel it's details - it's absolutely impossible for the return packets to find you. Have I missed something? –  Andy Commented Jun 12, 2010 at 14:19

The assignment of addresses is managed in a hierarchal fashion. At the top of the chain is

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority

They are responsible for the global pool from which they allocate blocks to the

Regional Internet Registries

who are responsible for specific regions of the world. They in turn, allocate from their blocks, to the

Local Internet Registries

or if you prefer Internet Service providers.

Because of the way the address blocks are allocated every global Internet address is unique.

IP addresses are assigned by ICANN, so that won't happen. But there's also a more fundamental reason. IP addresses are used for routing. When a packet comes into a router, it compares the IP address against entries in its routing table, and sends the packet on through the appropriate outgoing line. So IP addresses aren't just arbitrary numbers that are assigned - they are meaningful addresses.

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Requesting IP Addresses or ASNs

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All resource requests require an ARIN Online account linked to either an Admin or Tech Point of Contact (POC) record with the authority to request resources for a valid Organization Identifier (Org ID).

Before You Begin

The instructions below refer to requesting new Internet number resources from ARIN, which can include IP addresses or Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). Please review some of the general guidelines below and then refer to the specific instructions for the type of resources you would like to request.

Qualifying for Resources

Organizations requesting IP addresses or ASNs directly from ARIN should first review the applicable policy requirements to verify they qualify for the resources. Once you have verified you meet the applicable policy requirements, submit your request .

What You’ll Need

As part of the request process, ARIN requires specific types of documentation to ensure requests meet the requirements set by policy. Sample documentation and information about the type of documentation that may be required are provided on our website.

Out of Region Use

ARIN registered resources may be used outside the ARIN service region for organizations with a real and substantial connection with the ARIN region. For details, please see Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) Section 9 . To view the ARIN service region, visit the ARIN Region page .

IP Addresses

This “IP Addresses” section refers to IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses, as ARIN has reached IPv4 exhaustion. For instructions on how to obtain IPv4 address space, visit the Request IPv4 Addresses page .

An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

ISP Allocations

ARIN allocates blocks of IP addresses to Local Internet Registries (LIRs), which are generally Internet Service Providers (ISPs), for the purpose of reassigning that space to their customers. An ISP is an organization that provides Internet services to other organizations, its customers and/or individuals other than its employees. Internet services include, but are not limited to, connectivity services, web hosting services, colocation, dedicated servers, virtual private servers, virtual private networks, etc.

For policy information, see Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) Section 6.5.2 .

For fee information, see ARIN’s Fee Schedule .

Initial Requests

Size: /32 minimum, /36 or /40 upon request Policy: NRPM 6.5.2

Meet one of the following requirements:

• Have a previously-justified IPv4 ISP allocation from ARIN or one of its predecessor registries
• Qualify for an IPv4 ISP allocation under current policy
• Intend to immediately IPv6 multi-home
• Provide a reasonable technical justification, including a plan showing projected assignments for periods of one, two, and five years, with a minimum of 50 assignments within five years

Multiple Discrete Networks

Size: /32 minimum, /36 or /40 upon request Policy: NRPM 6.11

• Be a single entity and not a consortium of smaller independent entities
• Have compelling criteria for creating discrete networks, such as regulatory restrictions for data transmission, geographic distance and diversity between networks, and autonomous multi-homed discrete networks
• Show that each discrete network meets the standard IPv6 initial allocation criteria

Additional Requests

Policy: NRPM 6.5.3

• Demonstrate at least 75% utilization of your IPv6 allocations from ARIN
• Demonstrate at least 90% utilization of any single serving site within your network
• Has allocated more than 90% of their total address space to serving sites, with the block size allocated to each serving site being justified based on the criteria specified in NRPM 6.5.2

Transitional Technology

Size: /24 maximum Policy: NRPM 6.5.3.1

• Provide a detailed plan for using the block to implement an IPv4 to IPv6 transitional technology

Note: These justifications will be reviewed every three years and reclaimed if no longer properly utilized.

Size: /36 or /40 upon request Policy: NRPM 6.11

• For each discrete network receiving additional addresses, demonstrate that network meets the standard IPv6 ISP additional allocation requirements

End User Allocations

An end user is an organization operates a network exclusively for its employees but does not provide Internet services to customers. ARIN allocates blocks of IP addresses to end users who request address space for their internal use in running their own networks, but not for sub-delegation of those addresses outside their organization. End users must meet the requirements described in these guidelines for justifying the allocation of an address block.

For policy information, see Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) Section 6.5.8 .

Policy: NRPM 6.5.8

• Have a previously-justified IPv4 end user assignment from ARIN or one of its predecessor registries
• Currently or plan to immediately become IPv6 multi-homed using an assigned valid global ASN
• Have a network that will make active use of a minimum of 2000 IPv6 addresses within 12 months
• Have a network that will make active use of a minimum of 200 /64 subnets within 12 months
• By having a contiguous network that has a minimum of 13 active sites within 12 months
• Provide a reasonable technical justification indicating why addresses from an ISP or other LIR are unsuitable

Organizations meeting at least one of the above are eligible to receive the minimum initial assignment of a /48.

If requesting a block larger than the minimum assignment, provide documentation justifying the need for additional subnets based on the number of sites in the organization’s network within 12 months. Your initial assignment size will be determined by the number of justified sites your network has, for example:

• 2 - 12 sites: /44
• 13 - 192 sites: /40
• 193 - 3,072 sites: /36
• 3,073 - 49,152 sites: /32

Policy: NRPM 6.5.8.3

• Show an overall 75% utilization of all previous assignments

Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs)

An Autonomous System (AS) is a group of one or more IP prefixes run by one or more network operators that maintains a single, clearly defined routing policy. An IP prefix is a list of IP addresses that can be reached from that ISP’s network. The network operators must have an ASN to control routing within their networks and to exchange routing information with other ISPs.

ASN Requests

If your ISP has informed your organization that you require an ASN, simply submit a request and ARIN will guide you through the rest of the process.

Policy: NRPM 5

Any organization may be issued a single Autonomous System Number (ASN) upon request. Organizations that have space issued under Multiple Discrete Networks policy may be issued one ASN per discrete network upon request.

Additional ASN requests should include proof of the requestor’s need for a unique routing policy, or other technical justification for the need for more than one ASN.

Experimental Allocations

Experimental Allocations are granted annually, on a lease/license basis, for a period of one year. Upon completion of any experimental activity, all allocated resources are returned to ARIN’s free pool, and must be requested again to reallocate. Allocation sizes should align with ARIN minimum allocation sizes, unless a smaller or larger allocation size is thoroughly justified for a particular experiment. ARIN reserves the right to modify or withdraw resources if they are being used for commercial purposes or other activities not documented in the experiment description provided to ARIN.

The policies governing Experimental Internet Resource Allocations can be found in NRPM 11 . There are strict criteria to define recognized experimental activity:

• Objectives and practices are described in a publicly accessible document
• Outcomes will be published in a publicly accessible document
• Conditions for concluding the experiment are defined and included in the document
• Demonstration that the activity is technically coordinated

Submitting Your Request

To better understand how to use ARIN Online to submit a request, visit the Get Started page .

All resource requests require an ARIN Online account linked to either an Admin or Tech Point of Contact record (POC) with the authority to request resources for a valid Organization Identifier (Org ID). For assistance creating a POC record, visit our POC Records page . You may also want to visit our page on Org IDs .

• Log in to ARIN Online.
• Select IP Addresses or ASNs from the navigation menu.
• Select Request .
• The subsequent windows guide you through your request.

Note: ARIN may require detailed contact information, organization and network information, or business plan details to justify a request. ARIN recommends providing as many details as possible, as detailed justification documents may result in fewer correspondence cycles and a smoother request process. To view some example documentation that may be used as templates when requesting resources, visit the Examples: Resource Request Documentation page .

An ARIN Customer Service Resource Analyst will review your request (typically within two business days) and reply to either approve your request or request more information. Once all requirements are met, ARIN will approve your request and ask that you pay any applicable fees and submit a signed Registration Services Agreement (RSA) within 60 days. Once ARIN receives a signed RSA and all applicable fees, your resources will be issued within two business days.

If you need a status update on your request or have any questions, please call ARIN Registration Services at 703.227.0660. If you need assistance with paying the registration fee or submitting a signed RSA, please call ARIN Financial Services at 703.227.9886.

The Appeals Process allows organizations to appeal an ARIN decision regarding a number resource request if the organization believes that the community-established policies and procedures for the administration and management of Internet number resources were not adhered to.

Reissuing Returned, Revoked, and Reclaimed Resources

There are a number of ways that previously issued number resources can come back to ARIN. IP addresses or ASNs may be revoked for nonpayment of fees, they may be voluntarily returned by the holder, or they may be reclaimed by ARIN in instances of confirmed fraudulent activity or abandonment of resources.

All returned, revoked, and reclaimed IPv4 addresses are held for a period of 60 days prior to being reissued to allow adequate time for the resource to clear any route filters, and to allow an organization the opportunity to pay their overdue fees. This hold period was reduced as part of ARIN’s transition into Phase 4 of the IPv4 Countdown Plan .

ARIN will continue to hold IPv6 addresses and ASNs for six months prior to reissue.

• Examples: Resource Request Documentation
• ARIN Appeal Process Version 2.0
• Quick Guide to Requesting Resources
• Understanding the Return and Revocation Process
• Internet Number Resource Fraud Reporting
• Introduction to ARIN's Database
• CIDR Chart: IP Address Block Size Equivalents in Classful Addressing, IPv4, and IPv6

Registration Services Help Desk 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET Phone: +1.703.227.0660 Fax: +1.703.997.8844

Tips for Calling the Help Desk

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What are the laws regarding ISP recording IP addresses? How would they know who had which?

Since most internet users have ISPs using dynamic IP addresses (e.g. someone gets a new external IP address every few days) are there any laws requiring the ISPs to keep logs associating an IP address on a certain day with a certain individual? For example if someone hacks a website and their IP address is found, can anything be done about it? If ISPs do keep logs, what is associated with a persons IP address? I mean does DHCP somehow know the geographical location of who gets what IP, and then that information is stored?

• geolocation

4 Answers 4

Some ISPs force a connection reset every 24h and you get a new IP address assigned, others don't force you and yet others give you a fixed ip address.

There are laws requiring the ISPs to log the User - IP association (which in turn is associated with your contract)... but e.g. in the EU there is the data retention directive that requires ISPs to even log individual connections. (Actually the EU directive is a "contract" between the European Council/Parlament and member nations, not between EC/EP and ISPs. The nations must adopt the directives in local law themselves. Usually they either adopt it as is, adopt it and extend it, have already adopted it or refuse to do so (this usually works by ruling that it conflicts with constitution).) read more at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006L0024:EN:HTML . There is a visualisation for retained mobile phone connection metadata at http://www.zeit.de/datenschutz/malte-spitz-data-retention

• Concerning your question about geographical location: There is a limited number of IP adresses available. They are goverened and distributed by organisations like http://www.iana.org and (?) http://www.ripe.net/ . Now your ISP buys IP addresses (whole ranges and networks) and uses them to connect you to the internet. They are not sitting there and free to use like on a private network with DHCP. (Try looking up your IP address and looking it up at https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/query.html )

There are databases like http://www.geoiptool.com/ that try to provide location information for any given ip address, but their accuracy greatly depends on different factors (e.g. if your ISP only operates in a small regional area or in the entire USA). Usually those databases are only good for associating IPs to countries.

• The Data Retention directive was declared invalid in April 2014. Wikipedia and one specific source Court of Justice of the European Union Press Release No 54/14 . –  user Commented Dec 4, 2014 at 15:40

Yes. ISPs do store all DHCP ip assignment logs. They know exactly who had what IP address and when. For them it is a legal obligation to harvest this information to facilitate any legal queries and investigations. In the US, they have to follow The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.

In the US, ISPs keep track of these items (as available) associated from IP assignment logs and their billing system records for any IP address they assign…

• Subscriber's name
• Subscriber's billing address, and service address
• Subscriber's contact number, phone and email whichever are available
• Date and time range of when a particular IP address was assigned to the subscriber
• Service account number and account status any particular time frame, along with their hardware details (modem etc).

They do not keep track of who accessed what site or what IP address and when, no tracking of subscriber's online activities/traffic. It is against privacy laws.

ISP are obligated to provide this information to Law Enforcement Agencies (Police, FBI etc) for any given investigations of frauds, hacking, online crimes, threats to the society and to prevent loss of a life. Every ISP has their own procedure to provide this information to law enforcement agencies, some do it quicker, some take longer time.

Also take a look at Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) . It is a compliance requirement for all ISPs to protect network propitiatory information of every subscriber. It includes, call records, IP address, service details and also Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to some extent.

EDIT : To add more into this, A good example is - ISP has all subscriber IP information, If a subscriber uploads a pirated content on a site, or make it freely available on internet, the content owner can request investigation on this to the ISP and the ISP will dig through their DHCP lease history and actually send the subscriber a Piracy Act violation notice.

EDIT : A correction - For them is it a legal obligation to harvest this information is wrong. I couldn't find any document to support this. Though from my day to day experience I know almost all ISPs harvest client IP information.

• "They do not keep track of who accessed what site or what IP address and when" are you refering to the IP address of the website (etc.) they visited or their own ip address? –  Celeritas Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 5:46
• 1 Website's IP address that they visited. Not their own IP. –  Majoris Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 5:48
• Even if the ISP's were not required to keep this information for legal reasons, they likely would still keep said logs, for the simple fact they would want to be able to track this information for quality control reasons. –  Ramhound Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 11:28
• @KapishM "the ISP will dig through their logs and actually send the subscriber a Piracy Act violation notice."? What information are they consulting? Just DHCP lease records? –  chao-mu Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 12:45
• 1 @Ramhound Citation? No offense intended, it is a claim I have seen frequently. –  chao-mu Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 12:48

As the owner and operator of an ISP, I can say that most of us (90%) keep connection logs. We need these internally for troubleshooting purposes. From these logs I can tell you exactly which user account was assigned what IP address and how long they had that address for (start stop times). I further have MAC address information on the device that made the connection to me. I keep these logs for 7 years and only provide information to law enforcement when provided with a court order commanding it so provided. We usually get a court order per month. When we do, law enforcement provides the time of date range, IP address used, any other pertinent info they have. They ask for just about the kitchen sink on the suspect. We by law only provide exactly what they ask for.

You need to specify the legal jurisdiction, when asking a question about the law.

In the US, I do not know of any legal requirement to record and retain this information (there have been some proposals but I do not believe any were enacted into law), but I believe most ISPs do anyway. In the EU, I believe there is a requirement to retain and record this information.

For further information:

Wikipedia on Telecommunications data retention - includes a summary of the legal requirements in various countries, and supports my statements above

ISP Data Retention: Early Results In - A summary of which major ISPs retain this sort of data.

Resources from several civil liberties organizations on data retention policy: EPIC on data retention , CDT on data retention .

• I'm in Canada but interested of anywhere. –  Celeritas Commented Jul 17, 2012 at 18:25

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You are here, explained: how is my ip assigned / determined (ipv4).

Infopackets Reader Izzy M. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I am trying to figure out how IP addresses are assigned using IPv4 (IP addressing version 4), but can't seem to find a straight answer online. My question: is there a certain number that my IP address has to be? Is there any correlation between my IP address, subnet mask and default gateway? How is my IP address assigned or determined? Thank you in advance! "

My response:

I think the reason you can't find an answer to this question is because this is an extremely broad question. To put this as simple as possible: the answer to your question depends on your network class (A, B, C, D). The network class then determines whether you are referring to a public IP address which is assigned to your modem by your Internet provider, or a private IP address which is typically assigned by your router on a home network.

Related: How Do I Change my IP Address (IP Banned) ?

Your IP address (with respect to IPv4) is derived from three main things:

1. Your network class (A, B, C, D) - this defines whether you're using a public IP address (from your Internet provider) or a private IP address (typically assigned by your router, on your home network). For the record you can review a list of public IPs (IPv4) here .

2. The subnet , which defines how many IPs are assigned to the network class range

3. Whether the IP is leased or permanent ( static or dynamic )

How an IP is Assigned on a Home Network (IPv4)

Let's look at a typical example for a home user.

Internet access is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) ; data travels from the Internet to a modem inside your home (usually). A router connects to the modem and allows your home network to communicate to the outside world (to the Internet).

The router usually has DHCP (dynamic host control protocol) enabled by default. The purpose of DHCP is to automatically assign any device on your network an IPv4 address. This allows you to share the Internet across multiple devices in your home (or office), and even communicate with other devices across your entire private network.

Here's where things get a bit more technical.

The subnet mask is used to define a subnet range on the network. As a typical example, most routers are assigned a class C range. Class C is defined as having IPs 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 , which yields a total of 2,097,150 usable IP addresses . This is far too large for most home networks; as such, a subnet mask is applied to yield a smaller range of usable IPs on the network.

Thus, a typical network class C range (for use at home) would be 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.2.254 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 , yielding 254 usable IP addresses. There is a mathematical way to derive how IPs are subnetted , which I will not get into - but you read read up on, if you want.

Of that IP range, certain IPs are reserved for special cases. For example:

• 192.168.0.1 is usually the default gateway (also used for the router administration page)
• 192.168.0.2 - 192.168.0.100 are usually reserved for dynamic addresses , controlled by DHCP ; these IPs are leased and expire over time, thus DHCP IPs are not always the same
• 129.168.0.101 - 192.168.0.254 are usually reserved for static IPs
• 192.168.0.255 is the broadcast IP

Assigning an IPv4 Address: Using DHCP or Static IPs

On a typical home network, an IPv4 address is assigned depending on how the router and your machine are configured.

By default, DHCP (dynamic host control protocol) is enabled on the router. This means that the router will automatically assign an IP address to any device on the network automatically according to the DHCP IP range . The DHCP range is defined in the router administration page. Using the example above, the range would be 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.100.

If you prefer to set a static IP rather than one through DHCP, this would be done by adjusting your network adapter settings in the operating system. For example, if you have a ' server ' or ' media pc ' machine in the home and you want to use the same IP address for that device all the time (instead of a random IP address), then a static IP address makes more sense.

I hope this answers your question.

Keep in mind that this is an extremely broad question with many variables involved. That said, in the case of 'home networking' this answer should fit. In the case of how an IP is assigned using an Internet Provider : the same ideas apply, except DHCP is controlled by the Internet Provider and IPs are leased for a certain duration of time (especially if your modem or router loses power).

Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!

About the author : Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form .

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DHCP (dynamic host control

DHCP (dynamic host control protocol)

I know you will get some more comments on this so I am giving you a heads up. DHCP is most commonly referred to as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). It appears that it can be called Dynamic Host Control Protocol as referenced on the below noted Cisco page but its technical name is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. The header in the Cisco page uses the word control but the rest of the page references it as configuration. It may be a country related variation that I am not aware of and if so ignore my post please.

(https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/ios-nx-os-software/dynamic-host-control-protocol-dhcp-domain-name-system-dns/index.html)

Used interchangeably

Dynamic Host Control Protocol and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol are used interchangeably but refer to the exact same thing. Thanks for pointing it out. Old school users like myself refer to it as Dynamic Host Control Protocol.

IP assignment

It would be good to point out that every IPv4 address has 4 numerical values separated by a period. Each of these values range between 0-255. Every ISP has a range of public IPs they assign to their customers. These IPs are given to your home gateway or router. This allows your router to communicate with your ISP's system. All residential/consumer accounts have a dynamic IP assignment, which means that the IP changes every so often. The normal standard is 7 days, and does not always change when the router reboots. However this is normally something you would not see within your home network.

Like Dennis said, most home routers will have a config/gateway IP address of 192.168.x.x. Those x's are either 0's or 1's, depending on what the manufacturer sets. With router DHCP configurations, some default to start IP assignments in the 192.168.x.100 range. If you decide that you want to set static IP assignments for your devices within your home network, note that they all have to match the first 3 fields in the IP address and cannot be the same as the gateway IP. (Unless you change your subnet mask, which then complicates things.) So if your router is configured with a gateway IP of 192.168.1.0, then your devices can have any IP address that falls within the range of 192.168.1.(1-255).

DHCP normally assigns IP addresses in sequential order starting with the first device it connects with. So if the gateway is 192.168.1.0 and it's set to start from the 100 range, the first device will be assigned 192.168.1.100, the next will be 192.168.1.101, and so forth.

For your public IP assigned to you by your ISP they have bigger routers that essentially do the same thing, for your neighborhood, only they can be confogured with a wider range of IP addresses.

I hope this digs a bit deeper, but doesn't get confusing for those who are wanting to learn a bit more. The IP classes & subnet masks are more for high-level corporate networks where they need to separate networks or merge location networks for purposes of maintaining an intranet or VPN connection, which then goes beyond the scope of my own knowledge.

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IPv6 Address Allocation and Assignment Policy

• Policy Proposal 2019-06

This document defines registry policies for the assignment and allocation of globally unique IPv6 addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other organisations. It was developed through joint discussions among the APNIC, ARIN and RIPE communities.

1. Introduction

1.1. overview.

This document describes policies for the allocation and assignment of globally unique Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address space.

[ RFC 4291 ] designates 2000::/3 to be global unicast address space that the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) may allocate to the RIRs. In accordance with [ RFC 4291 ], IANA allocated initial ranges of global unicast IPv6 address space from the 2000::/3 address block to the RIRs. This document concerns the initial and subsequent allocations of the 2000::/3 unicast address space, for which RIRs formulate allocation and assignment policies. All bits to the left of /64 are in scope.

2. Definitions

[Note: some of these definitions will be replaced by definitions from other RIR documents in order to be more consistent.]

The following terms and their definitions are of particular importance to the understanding of the goals, environment and policies described in this document.

Responsibility for management of IPv6 address spaces is distributed globally in accordance with the hierarchical structure shown below.

2.1. Internet Registry (IR)

An Internet Registry is an organisation that is responsible for distributing IP address space to its members or customers and for registering those distributions. IRs are classified according to their primary function and territorial scope within the hierarchical structure depicted in the figure above.

2.2. Regional Internet Registry (RIR)

Regional Internet Registries are established and authorised by respective regional communities and recognised by the IANA to serve and represent large geographical regions. The primary role of RIRs is to manage and distribute public Internet address space within their respective regions.

2.3. National Internet Registry (NIR)

A National Internet Registry primarily allocates address space to its members or constituents, which are generally LIRs organised at a national level. NIRs exist mostly in the Asia Pacific region.

2.4. Local Internet Registry (LIR)

A Local Internet Registry is an IR that primarily assigns address space to the users of the network services that it provides. LIRs are generally ISPs whose customers are primarily End Users and possibly other ISPs.

2.5. Allocate

To “allocate” means to distribute address space to IRs for the purpose of subsequent distribution by them.

2.6. Assign

To “assign” means to delegate address space to an ISP or End User for specific use within the Internet infrastructure they operate. Assignments must only be made for specific purposes documented by specific organisations and are not to be sub-assigned to other parties.

Providing another entity with separate addresses (not prefixes) from a subnet used on a link operated by the assignment holder is not considered a sub-assignment. This includes for example letting visitors connect to the assignment holder's network, connecting a server or appliance to an assignment holder's network and setting up point-to-point links with 3rd parties.

2.7. Utilisation

The actual usage of addresses within each assignment may be low when compared to IPv4 assignments. In IPv6, "utilisation" is only measured in terms of the bits to the left of the efficiency measurement unit (/56). In other words, "utilisation" effectively refers to the assignment of network prefixes to End Sites and not the number of addresses assigned within individual End Site assignments.

Throughout this document, the term "utilisation" refers to the assignment of network prefixes to End Sites and not the number of addresses assigned within individual subnets within those End Sites.

2.8. HD-Ratio

The HD-Ratio is a way of measuring the efficiency of address assignment [ RFC 3194 ]. It is an adaptation of the H-Ratio originally defined in [ RFC 1715 ] and is expressed as follows:

where (in the case of this document) the objects are IPv6 site addresses assigned from an IPv6 prefix of a given size.

2.9. End Site

An End Site is defined as the location of an End User (subscriber) who has a business or legal relationship (same or associated entities) with a service provider that involves:

• that service provider assigning address space to the End User location
• that service provider providing transit service for the End User location to other sites
• that service provider carrying the End User's location traffic
• that service provider advertising an aggregate prefix route that contains the End User's location assignment

3. Goals of IPv6 address space management

IPv6 address space is a public resource that must be managed in a prudent manner with regards to the long-term interests of the Internet. Responsible address space management involves balancing a set of sometimes competing goals. The following are the goals relevant to IPv6 address policy.

3.2. Uniqueness

Every assignment and/or allocation of address space must guarantee uniqueness worldwide. This is an absolute requirement for ensuring that every public host on the Internet can be uniquely identified.

3.3. Registration

Internet address space must be registered in a registry database accessible to appropriate members of the Internet community. This is necessary to ensure the uniqueness of each Internet address and to provide reference information for Internet troubleshooting at all levels, ranging from all RIRs and IRs to End Users.

The goal of registration should be applied within the context of reasonable privacy considerations and applicable laws.

3.4. Aggregation

Wherever possible, address space should be distributed in a hierarchical manner, according to the topology of network infrastructure. This is necessary to permit the aggregation of routing information by ISPs and to limit the expansion of Internet routing tables.

This goal is particularly important in IPv6 addressing, where the size of the total address pool creates significant implications for both internal and external routing.

IPv6 address policies should seek to avoid fragmentation of address ranges.

Further, RIRs should apply practices that maximise the potential for subsequent allocations to be made contiguous with past allocations currently held. However, there can be no guarantee of contiguous allocation.

3.5. Conservation

Although IPv6 provides an extremely large pool of address space, address policies should avoid unnecessarily wasteful practices. Requests for address space should be supported by appropriate documentation and stockpiling of unused addresses should be avoided.

3.6. Fairness

All policies and practices relating to the use of public address space should apply fairly and equitably to all existing and potential members of the Internet community, regardless of their location, nationality, size, or any other factor.

3.7. Minimised overhead

It is desirable to minimise the overhead associated with obtaining address space. Overhead includes the need to go back to RIRs for additional space too frequently, the overhead associated with managing address space that grows through a number of small successive incremental expansions rather than through fewer, but larger, expansions.

3.8. Conflict of goals

The goals described above will often conflict with each other, or with the needs of individual IRs or End Users. All IRs evaluating requests for allocations and assignments must make judgments, seeking to balance the needs of the applicant with the needs of the Internet community as a whole.

In IPv6 address policy, the goal of aggregation is considered to be the most important.

4. IPv6 Policy Principles

To address the goals described in the previous section, the policies in this document discuss and follow the basic principles described below.

4.1. Address space not to be considered property

It is contrary to the goals of this document and is not in the interests of the Internet community as a whole for address space to be considered freehold property.

The policies in this document are based upon the understanding that globally unique IPv6 unicast address space is licensed for use rather than owned. Specifically, IP addresses will be allocated and assigned on a license basis, with licenses subject to renewal on a periodic basis. The granting of a license is subject to specific conditions applied at the start or renewal of the license.

RIRs will generally renew licenses automatically, provided requesting organisations are making a “good faith” effort at meeting the criteria under which they qualified for or were granted an allocation or assignment. However, in those cases where a requesting organisation is not using the address space as intended, or is showing bad faith in following through on the associated obligation, RIRs reserve the right to not renew the license. Note that when a license is renewed, the new license will be evaluated under and governed by the applicable IPv6 address policies in place at the time of renewal, which may differ from the policy in place at the time of the original allocation or assignment.

4.2. Routability not guaranteed

There is no guarantee that any address allocation or assignment will be globally routable.

However, RIRs must apply procedures that reduce the possibility of fragmented address space which may lead to a loss of routability.

4.3. Minimum allocation

The minimum allocation size for IPv6 address space is /32.

4.4. Consideration of IPv4 infrastructure

Where an existing IPv4 service provider requests IPv6 space for eventual transition of existing services to IPv6, the number of present IPv4 customers may be used to justify a larger request than would be justified if based solely on the IPv6 infrastructure.

5. Policies for Allocations and Assignments

5.1. initial allocation, 5.1.1. initial allocation criteria for lirs.

To qualify for an initial allocation of IPv6 address space, an LIR must have a plan for making sub-allocations to other organisations and/or End Site assignments within two years.

5.1.2. Initial allocation size

LIRs that meet the initial allocation criteria are eligible to receive an initial allocation of /32 up to /29 without needing to supply any additional information.

LIRs may qualify for an initial allocation greater than /29 by submitting documentation that reasonably justifies the request. If so, the allocation size will be based on the number of users, the extent of the LIR infrastructure, the hierarchical and geographical structuring of the LIR, the segmentation of infrastructure for security and the planned longevity of the allocation.

5.2. Subsequent allocation

LIRs that have received an IPv6 allocation may receive a subsequent allocation in accordance with the following policies.

5.2.1. Subsequent allocation criteria

Subsequent allocation will be provided when an LIR:

a) Satisfies the evaluation threshold of past address utilisation in terms of the number of sites in units of /56. To this end, the HD-Ratio [ RFC 3194 ] is used to determine the utilisation thresholds. or

b) Can justify new needs (which can't be satisfied within the previous allocation), according to the initial allocation size criteria as described in section 5.1.2.

5.2.2. Applied HD-Ratio

The HD-Ratio value of 0.94 is adopted as indicating an acceptable address utilisation for justifying the allocation of additional address space. Appendix A provides a table showing the number of assignments that are necessary to achieve an acceptable utilisation value for a given address block size.

5.2.3. Subsequent allocation size

When an LIR meets the subsequent allocation criteria, it is immediately eligible to obtain an additional allocation that results in a doubling of the address space allocated to it. Where possible, the allocation will be made from an adjacent address block, meaning that its existing allocation is extended by one bit to the left.

If an LIR needs more address space, it must provide documentation justifying its new requirements, as described in section 5.1.2. The allocation made will be based on the relevant documentation.

5.3. LIR-to-ISP allocation

There is no specific policy for an LIR to allocate address space to subordinate ISPs. Each LIR organisation may develop its own policy for subordinate ISPs to encourage optimum utilisation of the total address block allocated to the LIR. However, all /48 assignments to End Sites are required to be registered either by the LIR or its subordinate ISPs in such a way that the RIR/NIR can properly evaluate the HD-Ratio when a subsequent allocation becomes necessary.

5.4. Assignment

LIRs must make IPv6 assignments in accordance with the following provisions.

5.4.1. Assignment address space size

End Users are assigned an End Site assignment from their LIR or ISP. The size of the assignment is a local decision for the LIR or ISP to make, using a value of "n" x /64. Section 4.2 of ripe-690 provides guidelines about this.

5.4.2. Assignments shorter than a /48 to a single End Site

Assignments larger than a /48 (shorter prefix) or additional assignments exceeding a total of a /48 must be based on address usage or because different routing requirements exist for additional assignments.

In case of an audit or when making a request for a subsequent allocation, the LIR must be able to present documentation justifying the need for assignments shorter than a /48 to a single End-Site.

5.5. Registration

When an LIR holding an IPv6 address allocation makes IPv6 address assignments, it must register these assignments in the appropriate RIR database.

These registrations can either be made as individual assignments or by inserting an object with a status value of 'AGGREGATED-BY-LIR' where the assignment-size attribute contains the size of the individual assignments made to End Users. When more than a /48 is assigned to an organisation, it must be registered in the database as a separate object with status 'ASSIGNED'.

In case of an audit or when making a request for a subsequent allocation, the LIR must be able to present statistics showing the number of individual assignments made in all objects with a status of 'AGGREGATED-BY-LIR' in such a way the RIR is able to calculate and verify the actual HD-ratio.

5.6. Reverse lookup

When an RIR/NIR delegates IPv6 address space to an LIR, it also delegates the responsibility to manage the reverse lookup zone that corresponds to the allocated IPv6 address space. Each LIR should properly manage its reverse lookup zone. When making an address assignment, the LIR must delegate to an assignee organisation, upon request, the responsibility to manage the reverse lookup zone that corresponds to the assigned address.

5.7. Existing IPv6 address space holders

LIRs that hold one or more IPv6 allocations are able to request extension of each of these allocations up to a /29 without providing further documentation.

The RIPE NCC should allocate the new address space contiguously with the LIRs' existing allocations and avoid allocating non-contiguous space under this policy section.

6. Anycasting TLD and Tier 0/1 ENUM Nameservers

The organisations applicable under this policy are TLD managers, as recorded in the IANA's Root Zone Database and ENUM administrators, as assigned by the ITU. The organisation may receive up to four /48 prefixes per TLD and four /48 prefixes per ENUM. These prefixes must be used for the sole purpose of anycasting authoritative DNS servers for the stated TLD/ENUM, as described in BCP126/ RFC 4786 .

Assignments for authoritative TLD or ENUM Tier 0/1 DNS lookup services are subject to the policies described in the RIPE Document entitled " Contractual Requirements for Provider Independent Resource Holders in the RIPE NCC Service Region ".

Anycasting assignments are registered with a status of 'ASSIGNED ANYCAST' in the RIPE Database and must be returned to the RIPE NCC if not in use for infrastructure providing authoritative TLD or ENUM Tier 0/1 DNS lookup services any longer.

7. IPv6 Provider Independent (PI) Assignments

To qualify for IPv6 PI address space, an organisation must meet the requirements of the policies described in the RIPE NCC document entitled “ Contractual Requirements for Provider Independent Resources Holders in the RIPE NCC Service Region ”.

The RIPE NCC will assign the prefix directly to the End User organisations upon a request properly submitted to the RIPE NCC, either directly or through a sponsoring LIR. 

Assignments will be made from a separate 'designated block' to facilitate filtering practices.

The PI assignment cannot be further sub-assigned to other organisations.

7.1. IPv6 Provider Independent (PI) Assignment Size

The minimum size of the assignment is a /48.

The considerations of "5.4.2. Assignments shorter than a /48 to a single End-Site" must be followed if needed.

7.2. IPv6 Provider Independent (PI) Assignments for LIRs

LIRs can qualify for an IPv6 PI assignment for parts of their own infrastructure that are not used for customer end sites. Where an LIR has an IPv6 allocation, the LIR must demonstrate the unique routing requirements for the PI assignment.

The LIR should return the IPv6 PI assignment within a period of six months if the original criteria on which the assignment was based are no longer valid.

8. Transfer of IPv6 resources

The transfer of Internet number resources is governed by the RIPE Document, " RIPE Resource Transfer Policies ".

9. References

[RFC 1715] "The H Ratio for Address Assignment Efficiency", C. Huitema. November 1994,  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc1715.txt

[RFC 2026] "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3 IETF Experimental RFC  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc2026.txt  see Sec. 4.2.1

[RFC 2462] "IPv6 Stateless Address Autoconfiguration", S. Thomson, T. Narten, 1998,  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc2462.txt

[RFC 4291] "IP Version 6 Addressing Architecture", R. Hinden, S. Deering. February 2006,  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc4291.txt

[RFC 2928] "Initial IPv6 Sub-TLA ID Assignments", R. Hinden, S. Deering, R. Fink, T. Hain. September 2000  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc2928.txt

[RFC 3194] "The H-Density Ratio for Address Assignment Efficiency An Update on the H ratio", A. Durand, C. Huitema. November 2001,  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc3194.txt

[RFC 4786] "Operation of Anycast Services", J. Abley, K. Lindqvist. December 2006,  ftp://ftp.ripe.net/rfc/rfc4786.txt

10. Appendix A: HD-Ratio

The utilisation threshold T, expressed as a number of individual /56 prefixes to be allocated from IPv6 prefix P, can be calculated as:

Thus, the utilisation threshold for an LIR requesting subsequent allocation of IPv6 address block is specified as a function of the prefix size and target HD ratio. This utilisation refers to the use of /56s as an efficiency measurement unit, and does not refer to the utilisation of addresses within those End Sites. It is an address allocation utilisation ratio and not an address assignment utilisation ratio.

In accordance with the recommendations of [ RFC 3194 ], this document adopts an HD-Ratio of 0.94 as the utilisation threshold for IPv6 address space allocations.

The following table provides equivalent absolute and percentage address utilisation figures for IPv6 prefixes, corresponding to an HD-Ratio of 0.94.

11. Appendix B: Background information

11.1. background.

The impetus for revising the 1999 provisional IPv6 policy started with the APNIC meeting held in Taiwan in August 2001. Follow-on discussions were held at the October 2001 RIPE and ARIN meetings. During these meetings, the participants recognised an urgent need for more detailed, complete policies. One result of the meetings was the establishment of a single mailing list to discuss a revised policy together with a desire to develop a general policy that all RIRs could use. This document does not provide details of individual discussions that lead to policies described in this document; detailed information can be found in the individual meeting minutes at the www.apnic.net, www.arin.net, and www.ripe.net web sites.

In September 2002 at the RIPE 43 Meeting in Rhodes, Greece, the RIPE community approved the policy allowing Internet experiments to receive temporary assignments. As a result, Section 6 was added to this document in January 2003.

11.2. Why a joint policy?

IPv6 addresses are a public resource that must be managed with consideration to the long-term interests of the Internet community. Although regional registries adopt allocation policies according to their own internal processes, address policies should largely be uniform across registries. Having significantly varying policies in different regions is undesirable because it can lead to situations where "registry shopping" can occur as requesting organisations request addresses from the registry that has the most favorable policy for their particular desires. This can lead to the policies in one region undermining the efforts of registries in other regions with regards to prudent stewardship of the address space. In cases where regional variations from the policy are deemed necessary, the preferred approach is to raise the issue in the other regional registries in order to develop a consensus approach that all registries can support.

11.3. The size of IPv6's address space

Compared to IPv4, IPv6 has a seemingly endless amount of address space. While superficially true, short-sighted and wasteful allocation policies could also result in the adoption of practices that lead to premature exhaustion of the address space.

It should be noted that the 128-bit address space is divided into three logical parts, with the usage of each component managed differently. The rightmost 64 bits, the Interface Identifier [RFC 4291], will often be a globally unique IEEE identifier (e.g., mac address). Although an "inefficient" way to use the Interface Identifier field from the perspective of maximizing the number of addressable nodes, the numbering scheme was explicitly chosen to simplify Stateless Address Autoconfiguration [ RFC 2462 ].

The middle bits of an address indicate the subnet ID. This field may often be inefficiently utilised, but the operational benefits of a consistent width subnet field were deemed to be outweigh the drawbacks. This is a variable length field, determined by each LIR's local assignment policy.

11.4. Acknowledgment

The initial version of this document was produced by the JPNIC IPv6 policy drafting team consisting of Akihiro Inomata, Akinori Maemura, Kosuke Ito, Kuniaki Kondo, Takashi Arano, Tomohiro Fujisaki, and Toshiyuki Yamasaki. Special thanks goes out to this team, who worked over a holiday in order to produce an initial document quickly.

An editing team was then organised by representatives from each of the three RIRs (Takashi Arano, Chair of APNIC's Policy SIG, Thomas Narten, Chair of ARIN's IPv6 WG, and David Kessens, Chair of the RIPE IPv6 Working Group).

The editing team would like to acknowledge the contributions to this document of Takashi Arano, John Crain, Steve Deering, Gert Doering, Kosuke Ito, Richard Jimmerson, David Kessens, Mirjam Kuehne, Anne Lord, Jun Murai, Paul Mylotte, Thomas Narten, Ray Plzak, Dave Pratt, Stuart Prevost, Barbara Roseman, Gerard Ross, Paul Wilson, Cathy Wittbrodt and Wilfried Woeber.

The final editing of the initial version of this document was done by Thomas Narten.

What Is an ISP? Everything You Need to Know

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is like an unsung hero that provides all the capabilities to make your internet life easier, whether you want to use Facebook, shop something on Amazon, play Minecraft with your friend living in the other half of the globe, or doing video conferencing with that client from abroad.

The internet is the magic that provides a lot of opportunities and fun, but ISPs are the wizards that make all this possible for you.

Whether you are a business using stable connectivity for your operations, a student researching on the web, or an individual sitting on your comfy couch and watching cat videos all day long, thank your ISP for providing you with hassle-free internet life.

In this article, we’ll learn all about what ISPs are and how they work. We’ll also talk about why you need them in the first place and how to go about choosing the right ISP for you.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

What Is an ISP?

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) refers to an organization that offers various services to enable users to access and use the internet. ISPs can be privately owned, community-owned, commercial, or non-profit organizations. They offer common services, such as internet access, web hosting , internet transit, email services, proxy servers , colocation, domain name registrations , and more.

In a nutshell, without an ISP, you won’t be able to use the internet and do all the cool stuff you enjoy, like playing online video games, using social media, shopping online, etc. — or managing your business’s activities, for that matter.

What Are the Top Examples of ISPs?

Some of the top ISP providers in the US are:

• AT&T: AT&T is one of the biggest ISPs in the US, offering high-speed internet services to millions of customers in many states. It offers Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) broadband, fixed, and fiber wireless internet service.
• Verizon: Verizon is among the first ISPs that offered fiber optic internet services. Its presence is in various US states serving over 30 million customers. It also offers DSL services with fast internet speeds.
• Xfinity: Xfinity offers internet, cable TV, wireless, and telephone services. About 50+ million people living in around 40 states use Xfinity for their businesses and homes. It provides extraordinary fast internet service ranging from 20 Mbps to hundreds.
• Spectrum Internet: Introduced quite recently in 2014, this ISP serves 25+ million consumers from around 41 states. It offers a variety of fiber and broadband services both for commercial and residential purposes.
• CenturyLink: Around 52 million people from 36 states use CenturyLink for its internet services like DSL, fiber-based internet, etc. It also offers bundled services with DIRECTV so that you can avail of the complete package.

Other providers in the US are Frontier, Cox, Sparklight, Mediacom, Windstream, Earthlink, and more.

Where ISPs Came From

The internet was initially developed to be used by governments and some university departments for research. Eventually, these entities started giving access to their faculties and staff, and other organizations and companies also joined by indirect and direct links.

By the 1980s, efforts were made to make the internet available for commercial and public use. Regulators removed some restrictions on internet usage by 1991, and the general public could access it via the World Wide Web.

In the beginning, only a few ISPs, such as America Online (AOL), were around, and they provided limited access through dial-up connections utilizing phone lines. Gradually, connectivity speeds and options increased to birth the internet economy using advanced technologies like broadband via cables and DSL modems until in 1995, internet usage restrictions were finally removed from commercial traffic.

Types of ISPs

Back in the 90s, ISPs were one of three types: dial-up services, DSL by phone providers, and broadband by cable companies. Over the following two decades, though, dial-ups grew rarer, owing to low speed, while other options flourished.

Let’s look at the different types of ISPs available today.

Dial-Up Internet Providers

Dial-up internet uses your current phone line to connect you to the internet. To establish connectivity, it requires you to dial an access number (similar to a phone number) with a modem. When you are online, you can’t make a phone call with your number, unlike with a DSL connection.

Dial-up is easily accessible via landline, and it’s secure and cost-efficient. However, it’s very slow — 56 kbps is the maximum internet speed you can attain with it. Given the advanced technologies we use today, this speed is not sufficient for most operations, especially as some web pages or apps will show trouble loading and may time out before they load.

This is why people are shifting to other options. According to a 2021 Statista report , only 1.9% of households used dial-ups in the US. It’s used in some rural areas with no broadband availability, but it’s been otherwise abandoned.

DSL Providers

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) enables internet connection through a telephone line. The services are widely available because houses are wired for phone connections already. It’s provided by traditional phone companies.

The DSL technology leverages extra signals that telephone signals don’t use. It utilizes a DSL router to connect to a telephone jack through a phone cable. These capabilities enable the users to use the internet even when using their telephones or the telephone is ringing.

DSL is not shared among the users and can be the best option if you don’t have other options accessible at your place. It offers average internet speed and does not require you to invest in expensive equipment. Just buy a modem, and your telephone connection will enable you to connect to the internet. So, when you buy a DSL connection, make sure you are close enough to the service provider because the speed affects distance.

According to another Statista report published last year, around 57% of US consumers use broadband such as DSL and cable, making it the most popular option.

Broadband Cable Providers

Cable TV companies generally offer broadband cable services. Broadband cables use coaxial cables, which deliver cable TV to homes. The service providers also offer internet services that are reliable and fast to help you perform a variety of operations at home or office. You may achieve internet speeds from one to a hundred Mbps.

The benefit of using broadband cables is they involve low latencies, which doesn’t affect you much. You may experience fewer lag times while performing certain actions like opening a website , watching a video, or playing an online video game.

Due to their wide availability, broadband cables are popular among internet users. You can also refer to the above statistic, where more than 50% of consumers use it to connect to the internet. However, these services also depend upon your geographic location. It’s shared by different users in your neighborhood, and the bandwidth allotted is distributed between everyone. So, the fewer users or traffic coming from them, the faster the internet connection will be.

Using a broadband cable gives you the option to save some money by allowing you to bundle your services, like the internet and cable TV.

Fiber Internet Providers

The internet connection leveraging the technology of fiber optics is the fastest internet service. The ISPs offering this service use fiber-optic cables created from glass strands for data transmission at the speed of light. It does not use copper. The reason for using fiber are numerous — it’s a medium to transmit light and results in qualities like:

• Immunity from electromagnetic interference
• High bandwidth capability like gigabytes per second
• Higher transmission signals of a maximum of 150 miles
• Consistency and reliability

Fiber offers the maximum speed and lowest latencies while using the internet. You can expect to experience few delays while playing games online, doing video conferencing, streaming videos, and so on. Fiber connection is built to support heavy internet usage, with maximum bandwidth and support to allow users to stream videos simultaneously, share large files, and use IoT devices at home or office.

At present, new advancements are being made, such as establishing connections between countries via fiber optics running along the ocean bed for incredible speeds without interference. However, this type of connectivity is expensive, so there are fewer areas and establishments where fiber-optics connectivity is enabled.

In addition, many areas are still not wired to help this technology reach consumers. Since it’s a relatively new concept, efforts are made to increase its availability through satellite dishes.

A popular example of fiber-optics connectivity is Google Fiber, offering a full gigabyte of bandwidth at a similar price as many DSL and cable providers. A 2021 report says that fiber usage has exceeded 30% of broadband subscriptions in many countries.

Satellite Internet Providers

Satellite internet service providers utilize geostationary satellites for data transmission between the internet and users.

Since data travels from space to earth — a distance of 22,000 miles — these high distances may cause considerable delays. In fact, satellite internet offers the highest response delays among all the other types of connectivity. In addition, speed can be severely impacted by weather conditions. Speed is also dependent upon network congestion, or how busy a network is at a particular time.

Another drawback with satellite is that you can constantly be disturbed by limited bandwidth. It won’t be sufficiently reliable if you want consistent connectivity to conduct your business process or play online games.

However, it’s the only hope for many people in rural areas, deserts, mountainous places, and farms who want relatively high speeds. It’s a better option than mobile internet and dial-ups. Although it’s not that fast compared to other types of connectivity, the benefit is that it poses fewer environmental impacts and offers greater location flexibility. (It’s also a great option for recovery centers after a natural calamity.)

Wi-Fi Providers

Another type of ISP provider is the one that offers Wi-Fi connections. Multiple users can access Wi-Fi connectivity with ease and flexibility like nowhere else because a modem isn’t required. Using Wi-Fi gives you the option to move around while staying connected. Nowadays, you can get Wi-Fi connections using a small pocket device that you can carry anywhere and work with much independence.

Moreover, Wi-Fi is also offered by governments, hotels, restaurants, and train stations freely in various parts of the world. This allows internet access to larger masses and helps people who can’t afford internet plans.

Access Providers

Access providers offer internet access by using various technologies to establish the connection for the users. They may use computer modems, fiber optics, TV cables, and telephone lines. Small businesses and individuals can use traditional options like copper wires for dial-ups, cable modems, asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), etc.

For large and medium-sized organizations with consistent, high-speed internet needs, access provider ISPs offer ethernet, faster DSLs, synchronous optical networking (SONET), and more. In addition, they can also use satellite internet connections for disaster recovery, wireless access, etc.

Hosting ISPs

Web hosting companies can act as an ISP to offer services like web hosting solutions , online storage systems, email providers, cloud solutions , server operations, virtual servers, and more. Numerous hosting providers are available, such as Kinsta, offering exceptional performance, speed, scalability, and flexibility.

Mailbox Providers

Mailbox providers offer services to host email domains with storage access for mails. They offer email servers for sending, receiving, accepting, and storing emails for organizations and individuals.

Transit IPs

There are different levels of ISP providers. Upstream ISPs have larger networks than contracting ISPs, which provide access to contracting ISPs that can’t access parts of the internet by themselves. It works similarly to how customers pay for internet access: Contracting ISPs pay upstream ISPs.

The different levels are:

Virtual ISPs

Virtual ISPs (VISP) buy services from other ISPs (or wholesale ISPs). They allow the VISP’s customers to use the internet operated and owned by the wholesale ISP.

VISP can be local exchange carriers to enable voice communication or mobile virtual network operators.

How Do ISPs Work?

As discussed above, there are different tiers in ISPs. Let’s understand better what they are and how they operate to provide internet services to the end-users.

• The topmost ISPs are Tier 1, with access to the entire networks the internet can have through peering agreements. They connect every corner of the internet, and some of their examples are popular ISPs such as Verizon, Deutsch Telekom, and Bharti.
• Tier 1 ISPs sell their network access to the next tier, i.e., Tier 2. Homes, individuals, businesses, etc. can buy internet access from Tier 2. However, Tier 1 ISO might also choose to sell the end-users internet access.
• An intermediary ISP — Tier 3 ISP can also exist that may buy network bandwidth from its upper-level ISP (Tier 2 ISP) and then sell it to the end-users.

Think of an ISP as a gateway or access point that provides internet access to users, typically for a certain fee. This is how all the providers work with each other to serve internet access to consumers.

Now, let’s understand what really cooks inside.

When the internet traffic travels from your home or organizational network to reach its destination for information, it encounters lots of hops. It may route from a modem to a Tier 3 network, a Tier 2 network, and a Tier 1 network. After fetching the information, it again goes back through different ISPs before reaching its destination.

To establish connectivity, ISPs use various technologies — cables, telephone lines, DSL, satellite, fiber optics, and Wi-Fi, among others.

Now, end-users must have a modem and an active account to establish a connection to their internet providers. Modems have cable outlets or a telephone line to connect to the ISPs.

So, upon verifying your account, your ISP will assign an IP address that will be unique for your modem. Thus, you will be given internet access, and you can enjoy exploring the web for your personal or professional use.

The Role of an ISP

Whether you have a business to run or just want to explore the internet for fun, a steady, reliable internet connection is all you need. Your smartphone, laptop, business devices, IoT devices at home — everything needs you to have an internet connection, which is provided by none other than ISPs.

And ISPs make this simpler by doing all the background work so that you have a trouble-free internet connection, of course by paying some money, at least in most of the cases. They help you provide an excellent customer experience when they visit your site to browse for your products or services, buy something, or read your articles. All these help you drive your business.

Let’s look at the benefits you can expect from an internet service provider.

Stronger Network Security

Cybersecurity issues are rising faster than ever. Bad actors’ tactics are rapidly changing and advancing; hence, using a secure connection by a reputed ISP helps you secure your network and all your data .

Top ISPs use strong security mechanisms like encryptions, privacy policies, monitoring capabilities, and so on. The features and capabilities vary from ISP to ISP.

Higher Bandwidth

You need sufficient bandwidth to support all your business operations. Plus, it needs to be faster. These two are important aspects even for personal use. Taking internet service from a good ISP will offer you enough bandwidth and speed to help you accelerate your business processes while saving you hassles while you watch your favorite shows online.

Wide Range of Options

Internet service providers offer a variety of services to their customers so that they can choose the plans based on their requirements, such as personal or business use. If you have a business, you need a robust plan with high-speed connections and bandwidth so that you can choose similar plans based on your business size, large, medium-sized, or small. However, if you need it for personal use, you will also get various plans to choose from.

Reliable Network

Using an internet connection from a good ISP doesn’t let you or your customers down due to frequent downtimes, response delays, or lags. You will get higher uptime and smooth connectivity that is reliable to support your business, delight your customers, and offer you a trouble-free experience to explore the internet. They also have automatic failover systems that can reroute traffic if one of the links is down.

Drives Business

By offering a consistent, smooth experience to your customers, you can serve your customers better. It will drive your business through sales, revenue, and customer loyalty toward your brand. Your employees will also find it easier to work and deliver on quick turnaround times; you might even witness an increased rate in productivity.

ISP Glossary: Some Common ISP Terms

In the world of ISPs, there are some frequently used terms that you must be aware of if you want to have a better understanding of the concept.

• Broadband: You can use this internet service at any time because it’s always running. Its download speed is a minimum of 25 Mbps, while upload speed is a minimum of 3 Mbps.
• Wi-Fi: Wireless network is an internet connection that enables you to connect your devices, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, virtual assistants, etc., to the internet. It’s created with the help of a router with radio waves.
• Bandwidth: This is the amount of data transmitted by a network at a time.
• Packet: Data moves via the internet in “packets.” If the packets fail to reach their destination, it’s called packet loss, resulting in lags and reduced speeds.
• Data cap: Your internet service plan will have a limitation on a certain amount of data per month. Some of the plans can also have unlimited data.
• Bundle: If you take multiple services from an ISP such as the internet connection and cable TV connection, they’ll often group those services in payment, forming a “bundle.” Other services you can bundle could be Voice over Internet Protocol phone (VolP), home automation, increased security protocols, etc.
• ADSL: Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a DSL service for residential usage. It comes with faster upload and download speeds.
• SDSL: This is a DSL for businesses and features equal upload and download speeds. It allows organizations to accelerate their processes, such as cloud backups, running operations, and more.
• Consistency: Consistency refers to how reliable an ISP’s internet services are in terms of their speed during high usage.
• Download speed: When you search for something on the internet, stream videos, play games, browse web pages, play music, etc., you are essentially downloading data. The speed at which you can download this information is your download speed.
• Upload speed: This is the speed at which information is sent via the internet, such as when you send a picture to a friend or colleague.
• Latency: This is the delay a user can experience when requesting some information from the internet, like when they load a webpage.
• Mbps, Kbps, Gbps: Megabits per second (Mbps) is the unit of measurement for uploading and downloading speeds in seconds when data moves via a network. 1 Mbps is 1000 kbps or kilobits per second, and 1000 Mbps equals 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps).
• Hot Spot: This type of internet connection covers smaller areas.
• Modem: This stands for Modulator-Demodulator — the electronic equipment to interact with the internet, enabling data transmission using a computer, smartphone, or other digital devices. It can be used inside the same device that has a router.
• Router: This connects you to a modem and utilizes radio waves to enable a wireless network.
• VoIP: Voice over protocol (VolP) is a technology or app that allows you to make phone calls or answer them using a broadband service rather than a telephone line.
• Reaching your data cap
• High data usage during peak times like evenings, weekends, and holidays
• If the ISP suspects an illegal activity like file sharing, torrenting, etc.
• The ISP chooses to reduce a site’s speed (for instance, a streamlining platform), often to maximize communal bandwidth

How To Choose a Good ISP

To have an excellent internet connection and service, you must choose an ISP mindfully. Here are some of the points to pay attention to.

Connection Type

The type of internet connection is the first thing you must consider when you are choosing an ISP. As discussed above, ISPs are of different types, offering different types of internet connectivity such as broadband, fiber-optics, cable, dial-ups, satellite, DSL, copper-based, wireless, and so on.

If you require incredibly high speeds, you can go for fiber or broadband over cable or copper. However, you will have to confirm it’s supported in your area, which is what we’ll be going to discuss next.

Availability

If you’re in an urban area, you’re free to choose just about any connectivity based on your usage, budget, and requirements.

However, if you hail from a rural area, the choice is unfortunately limited as of now. Availability will be important to research before finalizing an ISP choice.

Check what type of internet connection is available in your area. Homes and businesses in rural areas have few options like some broadband connections from companies such as Xfinity and AT&T, satellite connectivity, 4G-LTE network, and even dial-ups.

So, check what’s available in your areas, and then go for a reputed ISP based on your needs.

The next important consideration is speed. If you run a business, you need outstanding speed to ensure all your operations, systems, and services are running smoothly at all times. The right ISP will ensure your cloud backup service is always on so that you don’t lose any data owing to an unexpected outage

Speed again depends on your geographical location. Urban consumers might even touch thousands of Mbps, while rural consumers might be stuck on a few Mbps.

So, don’t just look at the advertised speed and bandwidth in your plan; test it yourself. You can carry speed tests to ensure how much speed you can expect in your area before you pay hefty sums to the wrong provider and end up disappointed.

Furthermore, enquire about the upload and download speeds , as they are different. If you run a business, you need both your upload and download speeds to be high. This will enable you to browse the web as well as share information, make changes to your site or app, join video conferencing, etc., at a faster speed.

However, if you are an individual user using the internet for recreational purposes, you might look for higher download speeds than upload, as you’ll probably need more speed for downloading information via browsing the internet, playing games, streaming videos, etc. than you will for sending information yourself.

Cost is always a deciding factor when you invest in something. If you’re a small business or an individual consumer, you can look for affordable plans that can give you sufficient bandwidth and speed to carry out your work.

However, if you’re a large business and need a high-speed connection all the time to fuel your operations, having a robust network, bandwidth, and speed will suit you the best. If you fall in this category, look for the best providers who can offer a similar service, though be aware that this will likely carry a higher price tag

To make the best choice, compare the pricing and features of different ISPs available in your areas, offering the type of connectivity you need. Choose the one that strikes the best balance between its pricing and features.

Clarity of Service

Apart from those, having an internet connection from a reputed ISP will have clear-cut Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to define ISP’s responsibility and what to expect and what not to. It saves you from confusion or friction. They will outline things like:

• Establishing upload and download speeds
• Ensuring no persistent delays happen in service deliveries
• Testing packet transmission speeds
• Securing the network
• Restricting what you must not do on the network
• Clear payment terms
• The time when they may cut off your services
• Protocols to restore services

A service level agreement (SLA) establishes an agreement between you and your service provider. It will outline all the necessary details of your service, such as uptime, packet loss, latency, response time, etc. This increases the transparency between both parties and tells you what services you will get without any hidden agenda from the service provider.

However, many companies don’t provide that. And if you take services from such companies, you may end up paying more than you were asked initially. They may ask for hidden charges, service binds, or other surprises that you did not sign up for.

Hence, always look for service level agreements, read them carefully, and then go ahead with buying services from them.

Fair Usage Policy (FUP) is a common term that you might have faced yourself. It has to do with the fair sharing of internet connectivity resources.

Have you ever felt your internet speed reduced after consuming a high data volume?

If yes, you’ve experienced throttling.

ISPs may offer unlimited internet plans but throttle speed if you consume a high volume of data based on your internet plan. This is because your ISP will have limited bandwidth to supply. So, if a single user consumes all the speed, other users will face a poor internet usage experience.

For that reason, the ISP reduces your speed to maintain a balance, so everyone will have a fair share of internet usage. That said, it rarely affects everyday internet users, even those binge-watching videos or scrolling social media for hours on end.

Customer Support

Customer support is a factor that you must not take lightly. If your internet connection is interrupted frequently or remains down for several hours, it could have a devastating effect on your business. In this modern business landscape filled with competition, you can’t afford to remain offline while your customers struggle. But things can go wrong at any time. If a problem exceeds your ability to fix rapidly, you’ll need quick assistance, which is why having a responsive customer team pays off.

Look for service providers who can offer outstanding customer service through different channels, such as chat, email, and phone, with knowledgeable yet friendly and professional agents who can resolve your queries in little time. Use sites like Reddit, Quora, and Google to research an ISP’s reputation and discover how their customers feel about their services before finalizing your decision.

How Do I Find My ISP?

If you don’t know who your current internet service provider is, performing an ISP speed test will help you find out. The test will display your ISP’s name and upload and download speeds. For this, you can try ISP speed test tools by Ookla .

Alternatively, there are many sites available on the internet such as whoismyisp.org , that allow you to look up your IP address , with most of them also showing your ISP’s name.

Here are some common questions and answers about ISPs.

1. What information can my ISP see?

Your ISP will know your IP address. Therefore, it can track your online footsteps. This includes your browsing history, like the content you consume, sites you visit, and so on.

Data retention laws allow ISPs to track their customer base. In fact, some countries even allow the selling of user data to third parties.

Using a proxy or VPN can help avoid this issue by masking your real IP with a different IP.  You can also consider switching to a secure, privacy-focused browser and search engine to help cover your tracks.

2. What’s the difference between a national and local ISP?

A national ISP provides internet services to consumers located in various parts of a country. They have heavy infrastructure and capabilities to meet customer demands at competitive pricing. They are reliable, but they can be tough for consumers from some rural areas to get access to.

On the other hand, local ISPs offer internet connectivity and services to a small number of local areas, including rural regions. They also have robust capabilities to meet customer demands, but their service areas are relatively smaller than those of national ISPs.

3. How much do internet services cost?

The cost of internet services differs from ISP to ISP. The costs can vary based on the service provider, plan speed, location, type of connectivity, features, and so on. Plans with advanced connectivity like fiber and broadband can cost a pretty penny. Similarly, an internet connection with incredibly high speed will cost higher than those of average or slow speeds.

On average, fiber, satellite, or cable internet services may cost anywhere between $20 to hundreds of dollars per month, while DSL costs less — around $50 per month on average.

4. What equipment do I need for internet service?

The primary piece of equipment needed is a modem to communicate with the web. Other than that, you’ll need a digital device, such as a laptop, smartphone, game console, etc., with internet connection capabilities.

For wireless devices like tablets or smartphones, you’ll need a Wi-Fi router. Nowadays, a gateway is used that houses both the router and modem.

Lastly, you’ll need a coaxial or ethernet cable to connect the devices to your router.

In other setups, more equipment may be needed, such as:

• A dish antenna for satellite connectivity
• Optical network terminal (ONT) in case of fiber
• Line filters in case of DSL

Internet Service Providers are the ones you must thank for opening the enormous world of the internet for you that’s filled with opportunities and fun. They help you support your business by offering internet connectivity and services so you can continuously serve your customers.

Whether it’s online shopping, chatting with friends from across the world on social media, or playing online games, the ISPs supply you with the capability to help you browse the internet with security, speed, and reliance.

So, when you choose an ISP, look for the type of connectivity available in your area, speed and bandwidth, customer support, SLA, and other points highlighted above to ensure you choose the right one based on your needs and budget.

What knowledge about ISPs has helped you when choosing a service? Let us know in the comments section below.

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What can your ISP really see and know about you?

The fcc wants to help you protect your privacy when it comes to your internet service provider. technologists who grasp both law and tech believe you might make incorrect assumptions after reading a paper about online privacy and isps, so the upturn team wants you and policymakers to know what your isp can really see..

Unless you are paying your bill or having connectivity issues, then you might not give much thought to your Internet service provider (ISP). Do you ever stop to think about what your ISP can actually see and knows about you? Much like Google, your ISP knows pretty much everything about you. And ISPs share your personal information for marketing and other uses.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler doesn’t believe consumers really grasp how much personal data they hand over to their ISPs, so the FCC wants ISPs to get their customers’ consent before sharing that data. Wheeler pointed out that all your network traffic goes through your ISP which can see all unencrypted traffic and even “private information such as a chronic medical condition or financial problems” when the data is encrypted.

Some high-profile ISPs were not pleased after the FCC proposed rules ( pdf ) to give broadband consumers more privacy. To dispute the notion that ISPs are “somehow uniquely positioned in the Internet ecosystem,” AT&T wants you read Georgia Institute of Technology professor Peter Swire ’s paper titled “ Online Privacy and ISPs: ISP Access to Consumer Data is Limited and Often Less than Access by Others .”

Although Swire’s paper may be used to assist the FCC as it decides how to handle broadband privacy, the same paper was criticized for technical inaccuracies by Princeton professor Nick Feamster before Feamster revised his statement to say Swire’s paper skips over “important additional facts that should be considered by policymakers.”   

Technologists at Upturn , who “understand law and policy,” also believe Swire’s paper could mislead readers into believing what broadband ISPs can see. So the Upturn team provided an “alternate, technically expert assessment” of what ISPs can see ; it includes four key technical clarifications.

1. Truly pervasive encryption on the Internet is still a long way off.

Of the 50 most popular websites in three areas, 86% of health and shopping sites and 90% of news sites do not encrypt. ISPs can see the site URLs and content on each page. “Many sites are small in data volume, but high in privacy sensitivity,” Upturn wrote. “They can paint a revealing picture of the user’s online and offline life, even within a short period of time.”

Even a site that uses HTTPS can throw browser warnings at users because some part of the site is not encrypted, such as third-party advertising. Then there’s IoT devices that fail to encrypt all traffic sent and received. That’s a lot of data that’s fully visible to your ISP.

2. Even with HTTPS, ISPs can still see the domains that their subscribers visit.

When a site does use HTTPS, the Upturn team explained that an “ISP cannot see the URLs and content in unencrypted form,” but it can see and monitor requests made to the Domain Name System (DNS). Swire’s paper suggests that it “appears to be impractical and cost-prohibitive” for ISPs to collect and use DNS queries, but Upturn argues that ISPs logging DNS is pretty common “to detect potential infections of malicious software on user devices;” it’s “relatively cheap” and your DNS logs can be stored for later analysis. Comcast, for example, deploys “security-focused, per-subscriber DNS monitoring functionality on its network.”

“Detailed analysis of DNS query information on a per-subscriber basis is not only technically feasible and cost-effective, but actually takes place in the field today,” Upturn wrote. If you don’t really grasp the problem, Upturn offered this example of what an ISP could determine about a person based on domains visited over a short period of time:

• [2015/03/09 18:34:44] abortionfacts.com
• [2015/03/09 18:35:23] plannedparenthood.org
• [2015/03/09 18:42:29] dcabortionfund.org
• [2015/03/09 19:02:12] maps.google.com

Now add metadata collected over a longer period of time by an ISP and it “paints a revealing picture about a subscriber’s habits and interests.”

If you’ve never checked and you are curious, you can see what DNS servers you are using ; you can even setup alternative DNS servers to use as well a protocol that will stop DNS spoofing.

3. Encrypted Internet traffic itself can be surprisingly revealing.

Upturn cites numerous research studies that show how much monitoring an ISP can still pull off even if a subscriber’s Internet traffic is encrypted. Such “side channel” monitoring is a big hit in countries which censor the Internet.

While the Swire paper claims that “[w]ith encrypted content, ISPs cannot see detailed URLs and content even if they try,” Upturn technologists claim, “Web site fingerprinting is a well-known technique that allows an ISP to potentially identify the specific encrypted web page that a user is visiting.”

Even when users surf over HTTPS connections, researchers have been able to successfully infer “the medical condition of users of a personal health web site, and the annual family income and investment choices of users of a leading financial web site,” as well as “reconstruct portions of encrypted VoIP conversations.”

ISPs overall may not rely on those methods, but that can certainly change if people start using encryption more. “Policymakers should have a clear understanding of what’s possible for ISPs to learn, both now and in the future,” Upturn wrote.

4. VPNs are poorly adopted and can provide incomplete protection.

Although you can protect your privacy by using a VPN, Swire cited a survey which found a pathetic 16% of users in the US have ever used a VPN; many of those are believed to be business users. Upturn suggested, “Relative to other countries, the rate of VPN use in the US is among the lowest in the world.” The cost of a reliable VPN might be an adoption hurdle. There are free VPN services, but Upturn noted that “subscribers generally get what they pay for.”

Swire maintains that using a VPN blocks an ISP from seeing where you surf and the domains you visit, but Upturn says that’s not always true; a VPN is not a “privacy silver bullet.” It “depends entirely on the user’s VPN configuration – and it would be quite difficult for non-experts to tell whether their configuration is properly tunneling their DNS queries, let alone to know that this is a question that needs to be asked. This is particularly common for Windows users.”

It’s your data and you should care about the FCC’s proposed rules to protect your online privacy from ISPs. I highly recommend reading the Upturn post in full. Oh, and happy Pi Day! If you think about it though, every day is PII day.

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Darlene Storm (not her real name) is a freelance writer with a background in information technology and information security. It seems wise to keep an eye on new hacks and holes, to know what is possible and how vulnerable you might be. Most security news is about insecurity, hacking, cybersecurity and even privacy threats, bordering on scary. But when security is done right, it's a beautiful thing...sexy even. Security is sexy.

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internet service provider (ISP)

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An Internet service provider (ISP) is an entity that provides broadband service to subscribers. Broadband refers to all services that supply high-speed Internet to subscribers. In the United States, ISPs are regulated at the federal (per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)) and state level. The largest ISPs in the United States include AT&T Internet Services , CenturyLink , Charter Communications , Comcast High Speed Internet (i.e., Xfinity) , Frontier Communications , Verizon High Speed Internet , among others.

During the earliest days of the Internet , most end users connected to the Internet through dial-up internet service through local telephone lines. As a result, for more than two decades ISPs were regulated as common carriers , providing basic services and subject to Title II of the 1934 Communications Act . All common carriers are subject certain duties, including that they " furnish . . . communication service upon reasonable request ," engage in no " unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services ," and charge " just and reasonable " rates. By contrast, enhanced services involved " any offering over the telecommunications network which is more than a basic transmission service ," such as when " computer processing applications are used to act on the content, code, protocol, and other aspects of the subscriber's information .” ISPs, while classified as basic services–and not enhanced services–were subject to common carrier treatment under Title II of the Communications Act .

Most Internet access today is provided by "broadband" service, ISPs that furnish high-speed communications technologies , often by cable modem service. The phrase ‘net neutrality’ refers to an open relationship between ISPs, the end user, and websites; put simply, net neutrality is achieved when ISPs are prevented from interfering with access to the Internet by both end users and websites.

Federal Regulation of ISPs

At the federal level, ISPs are regulated by the FCC, the agency with jurisdiction over " all interstate and foreign communications by wire or radio ." The FCC derives its substantive authority under the Federal Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 . Despite the differences in time and dramatic differences in technology, the goals of both Acts remain similar: to promote competition and technological innovation in the telecommunications industry. Currently, the issue of competition remains a touchstone in the debate over the ability for ISPs to control access to internet content, otherwise known as net neutrality. 

The 1934 Act gave the FCC authority to " regulate interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio ." This delegation of authority reflected Congress’ efforts to provide greater consumer protections against the growing monopolies and consolidation of American business, a problem that remains salient in the ISP marketplace. While the 1996 Act is more recent, the FCC derives most of its substantive powers and jurisdiction to regulate ISPs from the 1934 Act. For instance, the FCC obtains rulemaking power over different forms of communications services from Titles II, III, and VI of the Act. And Title I gives FCC “ ancillary jurisdiction ” over information providers. Specifically, Title I grants FCC authority to " perform any and all acts, make such rules and regulations, and issue such orders, not inconsistent with this chapter, as may be necessary in the execution of its functions ." The Supreme Court read broadly FCC’s power to serve the public interest under Title I in National Broadcasting Co. v. United States .

Decades later, the 1996 Act was passed to deregulate the broadband industry. The 1996 Act’s goal was " to promote competition and reduce regulation ” to lower prices, improve quality, and increase technological innovation “ for American telecommunications consumers ." The 1996 Act made an important distinction between information services and telecommunications services; the latter were regulated while the former were mostly unregulated. But the 1996 Act failed to classify the Internet solely as either service, leaving its regulatory status ambiguous.

As a result, during the Internet’s early history, ISPs were largely exempt from Title II regulation. In 2002, FCC determined that cable company ISPs was an "interstate information service" in the 2002 Cable Modem Order; they did not qualify as telecommunications carriers and were therefore “ entirely exempt from Title II regulation .” The Supreme Court upheld FCC’s interpretation in National Cable & Telecommunications Ass'n v. Brand X Internet Services (2005). In Brand X , the Court deferred to the FCC's interpretation that cable broadband providers provide a " single, integrated information service ," even if they own and operate the last-mile transmission facilities. In turn, FCC classified other ISPs (e.g., DSL and wireless ) as information service providers exempt from Title II’s regulatory requirements.

In 2015, the Obama Administration formally adopted open Internet rules to “ compel internet openness ” among ISPs. To strengthen the authority of these rules, FCC then reclassified broadband access as a “telecommunications service.” This reclassification brought ISPs under the purview of Title II of the Communications Act. FCC believed that ISPs were more akin to traditional telephone transmission and warranted extensive “common carrier” regulation. Such classification gave FCC power to ensure that ISPs treat all internet traffic the same regardless of source. Industry groups challenged these rules in court arguing, inter alia, that FCC lacks the authority to reclassify. The D.C. Circuit in U.S. Telecom Ass'n v. FCC (2016) upheld both the rules and FCC’s decision to reclassify broadband access as a common carrier service.

In 2017, the Trump Administration repealed the Obama-era rules and reclassification with the 2017 Repeal Order . Specifically, the FCC reversed the 2015 Title II Order to "restore broadband Internet access service to its Title I information service classification." In support of its light-touch regulation, FCC argued that broadband access is an information service or, in the alternative, “inextricably interlinked” with information services. In other words, since ISPs provide a single unified information service, they squarely fit the definition of “an information service” of the 1996 Act.

[Last updated in July of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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Home Internet

T-Mobile vs. AT&T: Which internet provider is better for you?

Published 3:30 pm ET Sep 12

Editorial note: This post may contain links to internet offers and services from which Allconnect receives a commission. Broadband partners and the associated compensation do not influence our editorial decisions. Read more about our advertising policy .

AT&T Fiber

Prices from

Speeds up to

Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install charge may apply.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

AT&T Air

Why trust our broadband experts

Allconnect’s team of broadband experts regularly reviews the top internet service providers in the U.S., scrutinizing each company under a rigorous scoring system to help our readers make informed internet purchases. We keep our data points accurate and up to date based on thorough research and partnership communications. Our content is not directed by partners. Visit our full methodology page and advertising disclosure to learn more.

When considering service between AT&T and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, our research and comparisons of speed, pricing, plans and more can help you make an expert decision. Use this guide to choose the right provider for you.

AT&T vs. T-Mobile

We’ve evaluated over 30 internet service providers (ISPs) by considering factors like internet speed, technology type, fees, availability and customer satisfaction. Based on these criteria, AT&T scored 4 out of 5, while T-Mobile scored 3.6 out of 5. 

AT&T stands out for its high-speed fiber technology, unlimited internet and no contracts. T-Mobile excels in customer satisfaction, availability, and straightforward, no-contract packages. Compare and contrast other features of both high-speed internet providers in the following sections. 

Methodology

We rated the largest internet providers in the U.S. for 2024. Each provider was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 based on over a dozen factors, including speed, cost, availability, fees, customer satisfaction, connection type and more. We also used data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to compare the average speed offered by internet companies in the U.S. to set a baseline for what is considered a good internet speed. Additionally, we analyzed data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to understand how each internet service provider (ISP) fares in customer service and perceived value. 

How is T-Mobile better than AT&T?

Pros of T-Mobile vs. AT&T

• Availability: One of T-Mobile’s best features is its availability in all 50 U.S. states. T-Mobile’s 5G internet uses a fixed wireless infrastructure that requires no hard-wired lines, so the company has been able to quickly expand coverage across urban, suburban and rural areas.
• Customer service: According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), T-Mobile consistently receives high marks for customer satisfaction year after year.

Cons of T-Mobile vs. AT&T

• Speed: Limitations to T-Mobile’s home internet service include speeds that reach a maximum of 245 Mbps — more than 20 times slower than AT&T’s maximum 5 GB speed. Additionally, T-Mobile’s 5G internet technology is more susceptible to speed fluctuations compared to AT&T’s fiber internet.
• Price: T-Mobile’s standalone internet pricing is on the high end of monthly internet costs at $65/mo. However, adding autopay or catching the package on an occasional sale may allow you to sign up for as low as $50/mo. T-Mobile also heavily promotes its internet and mobile bundles. Getting a bundle can reduce the price to just $40/mo. when you add a qualifying mobile phone service. 

How is AT&T better than T-Mobile?

Pros of AT&T vs. T-Mobile

• Internet speed: AT&T Fiber has speeds up to 5 GB with symmetrical, or equal, upload and download speeds . Even AT&T’s base plan of 300 Mbps is faster than T-Mobile home internet. 
• Technology type: Fiber’s higher bandwidth makes it perfect for any online activity, from high-speed gaming to streaming on multiple devices. A fiber connection is also known for its resistance to lag and buffering, which can be an issue with a 5G connection.

Cons of AT&T vs. T-Mobile

• Availability: AT&T Fiber’s 21-state availability is much lower than T-Mobile’s nationwide coverage. Additionally, in some areas, AT&T Internet relies on a copper line, which offers slower speeds that max out at 100 Mbps. In other areas, only AT&T Internet Air is available, a fixed wireless service similar to T-Mobile’s 5G home internet. AT&T Air has a top speed of 225 Mbps and a monthly cost of $60 (with autopay), making it nearly identical to T-Mobile’s 5G deal. 

AT&T vs. T-Mobile speeds

Home Wi-Fi speed is where you will find the largest disparity between AT&T and T-Mobile.

• T-Mobile internet speeds: T-Mobile has just one internet plan with speeds from 72–245 Mbps. T-Mobile will also throttle your speed if you exceed 1.2 TB of data in a month.
• AT&T internet speeds: AT&T has five speed tiers ranging between 300 Mbps and 5 GB, so you can upgrade if you need faster speed . Additionally, AT&T offers speeds up to 1 GB and multi-gig internet — something T-Mobile doesn’t provide with its single plan option. 

AT&T vs. T-Mobile pricing

Cheap internet plans with AT&T or T-Mobile start at $60–$65/mo. if you are not bundling with a cell phone plan. AT&T Fiber’s base plan is $65/mo. for 300 Mbps. This AT&T plan is most similar to T-Mobile’s single internet plan at $60/mo. for up to 245 Mbps. 

However, with AT&T, you benefit from the consistent fiber technology and the symmetrical upload and download speeds. Overall, AT&T Fiber’s competitive pricing aligns with other fiber ISPs. 

AT&T vs. T-Mobile internet plans

The following tables list AT&T’s various internet plans, including its copper line and 5G technologies, plus T-Mobile internet options with and without a cell phone bundle. 

AT&T Internet plans

T-Mobile internet plans

Can you bundle cellular with AT&T or T-Mobile?

Internet and mobile bundles with AT&T or T-Mobile include a discounted internet price. 

• AT&T internet and mobile bundle deal: With AT&T, you save 20% on your home internet when you also have mobile service (both accounts must have the same account holder and address). 
• T-Mobile 5G internet and mobile bundle deal: T-Mobile offers a $20/mo. discount on internet with a qualifying phone service.

AT&T vs. T-Mobile deals

• AT&T and T-Mobile both regularly offer internet deals for new customers, such as reward cards ranging from $50 to $200, depending on the plan. 
• Both providers offer savings when you bundle with their mobile services.
• AT&T and T-Mobile offer low-cost or free internet for students , seniors , teachers, first responders, military members or veterans.
• T-Mobile also provides additional perks like free streaming services and discounts on movies, dining and travel. 

T-Mobile vs. AT&T coverage

In simplest terms, there is a stark difference between T-Mobile and AT&T coverage (AT&T Fiber only) — 60% vs. 11% U.S. availability, respectively.  

AT&T coverage: Although AT&T Fiber is available in just 21 states, including California and Texas , the additional coverage provided by AT&T Internet Air (fixed wireless) and AT&T Internet (copper lines) increases AT&T’s overall availability to 44%. Still, many areas have near-zero AT&T coverage, including New England and much of the Northwest region.

AT&T Fiber is found in urban and suburban areas, while AT&T Internet and AT&T Air are typically in outlying areas. Cities with AT&T include Atlanta, GA ; Charlotte, NC ; Louisville, KY ; and Orlando, FL . 

T-Mobile coverage: T-Mobile covers a portion of all 50 states, making it the most available U.S. home internet provider. T-Mobile also covers more areas outside of city limits, making it a good choice for rural internet . Cities with T-Mobile 5G include Baton Rouge, LA ; Boulder, CO ; and Pittsburgh, PA . 

Does AT&T or T-Mobile have extra fees?

Both AT&T and T-Mobile internet keep fees to a minimum by providing no-contract internet plans without early termination fees (ETFs) or data overages. Both companies also do not charge extra for equipment rental, but they do have a non-return fee if you fail to give back the modem and router equipment after ending service ($370 for T-Mobile; $150 for AT&T Fiber; $200 for AT&T Internet Air).

• T-Mobile 5G home internet: T-Mobile home internet does not charge for self-installation but does require a $35 activation fee.
• AT&T internet: AT&T typically charges a $99 installation fee, but this fee is often waived during ongoing promotions. (One caveat: AT&T’s copper-line service, called AT&T Internet, also has a $49 activation fee and a $12.95 shipping fee for the equipment). 

AT&T vs. T-Mobile FAQs

Is fiber better than 5g internet.

Fiber internet is generally considered better than 5G because of its increased speeds, faster upload rates and more secure, reliable technology.

Is AT&T better than T-Mobile?

AT&T Fiber is a higher-quality internet service than T-Mobile 5G and is often less expensive. However, if you plan to bundle T-Mobile 5G internet with your T-Mobile cellular service, then T-Mobile could be the less expensive and more convenient option for you. However, it also partially depends on the type of AT&T technology available in your area. If you’re in an area with AT&T Internet Air, it’s fairly similar to T-Mobile 5G, and if you are in an area with AT&T Internet (which uses copper lines), T-Mobile 5G will likely offer faster speeds, making it the better choice.

Is AT&T or T-Mobile worth switching to?

AT&T or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet can be worth switching your internet service if you’re dissatisfied with your current internet provider. If your current speeds are less than 200 Mbps, AT&T Fiber or T-Mobile 5G can likely offer faster speeds. Also, if you’re currently paying over $60/mo. for home internet, switching could save you money, especially if you’re already an AT&T or T-Mobile cellular customer.

This content is produced through an alliance between USA TODAY and Allconnect.com. Under the alliance, Allconnect publishes articles about broadband-related topics upholding strict editorial integrity standards in line with USA TODAY’s Principles of Ethical Conduct . The opinions, analyses, reviews and recommendations expressed are those of the Allconnect editorial staff alone. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information. Read more about our Allconnect Advertising Disclosure.

Lisa Iscrupe is a senior writer helping readers understand the complexities of broadband, internet and other home services, including energy and renewable products. Her work appears on SaveOnEnergy.com and CNET.com, with national sources such as CNN, The Daily MBA and The Media Bulletin referencing her articles.

Hannah Whatley is an editor who enjoys collaborating with writers to offer readers the most relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information for their home purchases. She has previously edited for The Motley Fool, The Modest Wallet, Grammarly, JoinCake.com and SaveOnEnergy.com, gaining expertise in several industries. Hannah has a B.A. in English from Thomas Edison State University. When she isn’t editing, she enjoys studying linguistics and languages.

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Internet providers in St. Petersburg, FL

• Residential (7)
• Business (6)
• Mobile (6)

Get WiFi & Mobile FREE for 12 months with Spectrum One 

Get fiber internet free for 30 days

Sign up for Fiber 2 Gig Internet and claim a $200 Visa Reward Card.

Order online and get a $200 prepaid Mastercard when you switch to T-Mobile Home Internet.

Only available to Spectrum Internet customers. Buy one line of Unlimited Data Plan and get the second line FREE for 12 months + extra $100 off when you trade-in an eligible device with the purchase of a new line and phone activation.

◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey .

What’s a good internet speed?

Take our quiz to find out how much internet speed you need . Or use our internet speed test to test your current speeds.

• Checking email
• Streaming music on one device
• Searching on Google
• Streaming video on one device
• Video calling with Skype or FaceTime
• Online gaming for one player

40–100 Mbps

• Streaming HD video on a few devices
• Multiplayer online gaming
• Downloading large files

100–500 Mbps

• Streaming video in UHD on multiple screens
• Downloading files quickly
• Gaming online for multiple players

500–1,000+ Mbps

• Doing a lot of almost anything

Internet Provider Availability Map

Learn more about Spectrum

Learn more about T-Mobile Fiber

Learn more about Frontier

Learn more about WOW!

Learn more about T-Mobile Home Internet.

Learn more about T-Mobile Home Internet

Learn more about Hotwire Communications

See internet providers in nearby cities.

St. petersburg residential internet coverage.

Jutting out onto a peninsula in western Florida, the city of St. Petersburg has many established internet service providers that bring coverage to its residents.

Frontier is one of the largest providers in this region. Their fiber network covers most of the city, reaching southern areas like Greater Pinellas and Bahama Shores before reaching north as far as Riviera Bay and Brighton Bay. While the fiber network doesn't reach the entire western half of the city, the DSL network does span all of St. Petersburg.

Service is available through WOW! This company has a network that runs as far west as Jungle Terrace, as far east as Venetian Isles, as far north as Brighton Bay, and as far south as Isla del Sol.

Through Megapath, most neighborhoods can access high-speed coverage. Some southern neighborhoods are not in this provider's service area; these neighborhoods include Child's Park and Perry Bayview.

Fiber coverage is offered by FPL FiberNet to most areas, except a handful of southwestern and southcentral neighborhoods.

Last, reaching the whole city of St. Petersburg, Brighthouse Networks is a popular choice in this area.

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Summary of st. petersburg internet providers.

Availability and speeds displayed are not guaranteed and are subject to change.

Technology Type

DSL provides internet service via phone cables and is up to ten times faster than dial-up service.

Cable provides internet speeds faster than DSL through the same cables used for cable TV.

Satellite internet is widely available, but offers slower speeds due to a far-traveling signal.

Fiber relies on glass strands to relay digital code and is much faster than both DSL and cable.

Customer reviews of internet providers in St. Petersburg

Louise C  |  03-02-2024

Every night my tv stops, buffers and you can even watch a show without stopping in mid speech. I could call and be on the phone for ever.

Peter S  |  04-07-2023

They say they give you 500 megs however on Wi-Fi you run between 10:00 and 200 mags you never see 500 megs from spectrum. Also they're streaming is absolutely pathetic I stream music it lasted for about 2 and 1/2 to 3 minutes before the music started skipping and messing up total waste if you have Google minis in the house 90% of the time the Google minis say that there is a glitch so obviously they don't work I've had technicians there and they told me if I want to have them do any work it'll cost me $70 so they are truly the worst company I have ever dealt with.

Lubasha W  |  03-24-2023

I set up service with Spectrum for internet on conditions that they will use my ACP with 0 money from my pocket. They ended up charging me $70 rounded without further notice. It's a total shock to me.

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Internet Providers in Saint Petersburg, FL

Over 940 people in Saint Petersburg found the best Internet Provider in the last 30 days.

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Spectrum provides Cable Internet , Television and Phone services in Saint Petersburg, FL .

Viasat provides Satellite Internet and Phone services in Saint Petersburg, FL .

Exclusive offer for qualified addresses. For new residential Internet customers only. Max speeds are wired, Fiber 1 Gig location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. Max speed capable range for Fiber 500 (450-500 Mbps download/upload), Fiber 1 Gig (846-1000 Mbps download, 792-1000 Mbps upload), Fiber 2 Gig (1800-2000 Mbps download/upload) and requires 2 Gbps capable devices and wiring. Fiber 5 Gig (4500-5000) and requires 5 Gbps capable devices and wiring. Performance details: frontier.com/internetdisclosures . Requires Auto Pay or $10/mo fee applies. Printed bill available for $2.99/mo. Fee does not apply to select customers. $50 expert installation fee applies. A $50 equipment restocking fee per household applies when Internet is disconnected. A fee up to $150 per device for Fiber 500, 1 Gig, and 2 Gig, and up to $400 for Fiber 5 Gig also applies if equipment is not returned. Other applicable charges and additional services are extra. Subject to availability. Price and terms subject to change. Cannot be combined with other offers. Other restrictions, Frontier policies and service terms apply.

Frontier provides Fiber Internet , Phone services in Saint Petersburg, FL .

HughesNet provides Satellite Internet and Phone services in Saint Petersburg, FL .

EarthLink Fiber

EarthLink Fiber provides Fiber Internet and DSL Internet services in Saint Petersburg, FL .

Television Only Providers in Saint Petersburg, FL

#1 dish network.

Dish Network

DISH Network is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power

Dish Network provides Television in Saint Petersburg, FL

• DISH is ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power for the third year in a row.
• 2-Year TV Price Guarantee.
• Free Google Voice Remote and Smart DVR Included.
• Record up to 16 shows at once.
• 80,000 On Demand Titles.
• FREE Standard Professional Installation from a trusted, local expert.

DIRECTV has been rated #1 in customer satisfaction over cable for 17 years running.

DIRECTV provides Television in Saint Petersburg, FL

• Best entertainement options for any sports fan over Cable TV, including NFL Sunday Ticket!
• Includes local channels
• HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax free for first 3 months
• Free upgrade to Genie HD-DVR
• Free professional installation in up to 4 rooms

Best Provider Overall

Best Provider for Gaming

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Compare Saint Petersburg, FL Internet Providers Ranked by Fastest Speed

Use the below tables to compare high-speed internet service providers with internet speeds as well as data caps in Saint Petersburg, Florida

Your Best Internet Service Option By Usage

• Best Provider for Overall Usage - EarthLink Fiber
• Best Provider for Fast Speeds - EarthLink Fiber
• Best Provider for Gaming - EarthLink Fiber
• Best Provider for Streaming - EarthLink Fiber
• Best Provider for Availability - Spectrum
• EarthLink Fiber - 5 Gbps ** Fast Download **
• Spectrum - 1 Gbps
• Frontier - 1 Gbps
• Spectrum - 99.9%
• HughesNet - 98.7%
• Viasat - 96.7%

Below is a list of the Fiber Internet options in Saint Petersburg, Florida with up to Gigabit connections. Search Fiber-optic internet plans and internet packages.

• EarthLink Fiber - 5 Gbps - Fiber Internet and DSL Internet
• Frontier - 1 Gbps - Fiber Internet , Phone

Here are the internet providers that have the best availability in Saint Petersburg, Florida, ranked by quality of service and fast speeds.

• Spectrum - 1 Gbps - Cable Internet , Television and Phone
• HughesNet - 100 Mbps - Satellite Internet and Phone
• Viasat - 150 Mbps - Satellite Internet and Phone

Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Petersburg, FL

EarthLink Fiber is the best internet provider in Saint Petersburg, FL , with download speeds up to 5 Gbps and pricing starting at $49.95.

There are currently 5 providers that offer internet service in Saint Petersburg, FL .

Spectrum, HughesNet, Viasat, EarthLink Fiber and Frontier offer internet service in Saint Petersburg, FL .

EarthLink Fiber is the cheapest internet provider in Saint Petersburg, FL , with pricing starting at $49.95.

EarthLink Fiber is the fastest internet provider in Saint Petersburg, FL , with maximum speeds reaching 5 Gbps .

Compare Internet Providers in Saint Petersburg, Florida by Coverage Area

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Internet Providers in St. Petersburg, Florida

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Home Internet in St. Petersburg, FL

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Best Internet Providers in St. Petersburg, FL

Spectrum, Frontier, and WOW! are the top internet providers in St. Petersburg. Spectrum is the leading internet provider because it covers 95.8 percent of the city with download speeds up to 1 Gbps (wireless speeds may vary). Although Spectrum’s internet-only plans are slightly more expensive than those offered by WOW! , it offers affordable bundles for internet, TV, and phone services.

Frontier is a great option if you’re looking for fiber internet. It covers 39.6 percent of St. Petersburg, while its DSL service covers 1.4 percent. Its speeds and prices vary by location.

The third internet provider that offers fast download speeds is WOW! It covers 80.9 percent of St. Petersburg with speeds up to 1.2 Gbps. Where WOW! beats its competitors, though, is pricing. WOW!’s most affordable plan starts at $30 per month.

• EarthLink - Fastest Provider
• WOW! - Cheapest Provider
• HughesNet - Widley Available
• HughesNet - Great for Rural Areas
• Verizon - Offers 5G Home Internet
• EarthLink - Great Value

What’s a Good Internet Speed?

Learn more about internet speeds:

• Internet speed test tool
• Bandwidth calculator tool

Internet Availability in St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg is a large city in Florida, which means it has a handful of wired internet providers that offer high speeds. The providers have various coverage zones, so you may have access to one or many of them depending on where you live. Let’s take a look at which providers have the most presence in select areas of the city.

Spectrum is a cable internet provider available in 95.8% of St. Petersburg. From the Villas at Flagler Pointe to Shore Acres, Spectrum covers nearly the whole city. The only exceptions are parks, lakes, and some dead zones downtown. Spectrum also covers residents who live along the coast in Pinellas Point or Coquina Key.

An alternative cable internet provider in St. Petersburg is WOW!, which covers 80.9% of the city. It shares similar coverage zones with Spectrum, including Coquina Key and Shore Acres, but it has more patches of unavailability in areas such as Wilders Mobile Park and select neighborhoods west of Pine Acres.

Fiber internet providers — specifically EarthLink and Frontier — also service St. Petersburg. The former has 34.8% availability, while the latter has 39.6%. Both have the same coverage areas, although they cover significantly less than Spectrum and WOW!. They have a strong presence in Lakewood Terrace and Lake Maggiore Shores, but they don’t cover Old Southeast and the Villas at Flagler Pointe.

Internet Provider Store Locations in St. Petersburg, FL

Provider connection types in st. petersburg, fl.

List of Internet Providers in St. Petersburg, FL

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• Apollo Beach, FL
• Belleair Bluffs, FL

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