To access the Internet from locations outside of the Dartmouth campus, you will need to contact a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) to investigate what kinds of connection service they offer in your area and which will work best for you.
Local Internet Service Providers
Listed below are ISP companies used by members of the Dartmouth community at one point. Contact information comes directly from the provider. You should contact the ISP(s) that serves your area for additional information about the types of service they provide, price and support capabilities.
Check the agreements carefully. Some of the ISPs listed below charge a fixed fee for a certain number of connect hours, with an additional charge for extra hours. Check the web pages of these ISPs to see if the high-speed service is available in your particular area.
Information,Technology & Consulting (ITC) makes no recommendations about the reliability, ease of use, or customer/technical support abilities of any of these companies. Nor can we provide support for installation, configuration or troubleshooting of connection problems to any of these services.
* Recommended to try these providers first
AT&T Wireless
Telephone Number: (888)333-6651
Web URL: http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/solutions/wireless-laptop/
Area Codes Served: National
* Comcast
Telephone Number: (800)266-2278
Web URL: http://www.comcast.com/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802, and many others
* Consolidated Communications (f.k.a. Fairpoint Communications)
Telephone Number: (844)968-7224
Web URL: https://www.consolidated.com/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802 and many others
Earthlink
Telephone Number: (800) 327-8454
Web URL: http://www.earthlink.net/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802, and many others
* ECFiber
Telephone Number: (802) 763-2262
Web URL: https://www.ecfiber.net/
Area Codes Served: 802
HughesNet (part of Direct TV)
Telephone Number: (800) 428-9570
Web URL: http://go.gethughesnet.com/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802 and many others
NetZero
Telephone Number: (888) 349-0029
Web URL: http://www.netzero.net/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802 and many others
SoVerNet, Inc. (a.k.a. ValleyNet, Inc.)
Telephone Number: (877) 877-2120
E-mail Address: sales@sover.net
Web URL: http://www.sover.net/
Area Codes Served: All 603 and 802 exchanges; some exchanges in New York and Massachusetts
TDS Telecom
Telephone Number: (866) 571-6662
E-mail Address: cservice@tds.net
Web URL: http://www.tdstelecom.com/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802, and others
* VTel Internet
Telephone Number: (802) 885-9002 or (888) 242-7584
E-mail Address: info@vermontel.net
Web URL: http://www.vermontel.net/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802, and some in New York
Verizon Wireless
Telephone Number: (800) 225-5499
Web URL: https://www.verizonwireless.com/home-services/home-services/
Area Codes Served: National
WildBlue (part of Dish Network)
Telephone Number: (866) 974-7174
Web URL: http://www.wildblue.com/
Area Codes Served: 603, 802 and many others
For other options and information, enter your zip code on this site: https://broadbandnow.com/
Types of Internet Connections
Some basic types of Internet connections include:
- Cable modem: a type of modem that provides data communication on a cable television (CATV) infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high bandwidth of a cable television network. Good for most home and work-from-home scenarios.
- Cellular modems: wireless modems which connect to the Internet over the cellular network. Several connectivity options exist. A cellular enabled "router" can be installed in your home, a portable "hotspot" device can provide basic service, or a wireless cellular USB stick or card can be installed into a computer. All of these options use the cellular network to connect to the Internet. Services are provided by the same carriers which provide cell phone access. Can sometimes provide faster speeds than other options, but coverage areas vary greatly.
- Dial-up Internet via a phone line: a form of Internet access via telephone lines. The user's computer uses a modem connected to a telephone line to dial into an ISP to establish a modem-to-modem link, which is then used to connect to the Internet. This method of connecting to the Internet is not recommended.
- DSL: A digital subscriber line (DSL) provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL can be used at the same time and on the same telephone line with regular telephone service. Typically, upload speed is lower than download speed. A DSL filter will be required on each phone line. DSL service quality can vary greatly depending on your home's distance from the ISP's central office. Speeds that are offered do not always reflect the actual speeds you can receive.
- Fiber Optic: Internet access via fiber-optic transmission lines. Best option if it is available in your area.
- Satellite service: links your computer to the Internet via small satellite dishes. A modem is used to attach the user's computer to the satellite dish which links to the Internet through he use of uplink and downlink connections from central satellite dishes. Many of these services come with a monthly data cap. Satellite service is also not ideal for realtime audio/video streaming or conferencing.
- Wireless Internet access: wireless communications transfers data without the use of wires. Internet providers deploy wireless access points for end users to connect to via a wireless Ethernet card installed in their computers. If there is a ISP's "hotspot" located nearby, you can often purchase WiFi Internet access (like at an airport), though speeds and quality of service may not be guaranteed.