by Alnisa Allgood of the Nonprofit Tech Association

Internet connectivity is a must for any technology center serving the community. The world of Internet connectivity offers an abundance of options, which are outlined below. Knowing your options is just the first step. You also have to decide how to choose among them.

Questions to Consider

Making a good decision can be hard: It requires a combination of pragmatism and forward thinking. Here are some questions to consider:

1. How many users will you be serving per day, per week and per month?
2. What are your priorities? To train people to use traditional software, to produce multimedia projects, to involve kids in project-based learning?
3. Will you run a server in-house? This is an important consideration if you wish to reduce costs by using routing software.
4. What is your budget?

Many organizations attempt to tackle item four first, then move on to the other considerations. Truly, budget should be your last consideration. You always want to explore all options before assigning a price tag. Then shoot for the biggest bang for the dollar. Your primary considerations should be whom you are going to serve, how often they will need access and what internal capacity you have for maintenance (internal server, technical support and so forth).

When you start a technology learning center, choosing the best method of Internet connectivity involves many considerations, from the size of your client base to your organization's primary purpose for providing access. Knowing the answers to the non-technology-related questions will allow you sift through the technology-specific questions more quickly. For example, modem access quickly ceases to be an option if your center has more than 10 workstations that will require simultaneous access. The cost of the modems, 10-user accounts, and additional telephone lines practically guarantees better cost options with frame-relay, DSL or fractional T-1 connections. Focus on your goals and mission first, and the rest will follow.

Connection Options

This article makes two assumptions: 1) You have more than one user wishing to gain Internet access at a time, and 2) You had the foresight to install an Ethernet network for general file-sharing. Six basic connectivity options exist for providing Internet access to your center: dial-up, frame relay, ISDN, DSL, T-1 and fiber optics.

Dial-Up

Dial-up Internet access is by far the most common method for gaining Internet connectivity. A computer, a modem, a telephone line and an Internet account allow users to be up and running quickly. Unfortunately, that is all that will happen quickly. In today's age of high-graphic Web content, many Web sites, particularly media-rich sites for youth and children, do not load quickly enough through a dial-up connection. Although the access is relatively cheap in terms of pure financial considerations, you will pay in terms of time and degree of access.

Another pitfall of dial-up access is that many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) disconnect users in 15- to 20-minute intervals to make lines available to new users. Constant redialing to complete research or check email can lead to high levels of frustration.

Frame Relay

Frame relay is a little-known Internet access option. The technology allows users to connect at speeds equal to and above the traditional 56 kilobytes per second (kbps) modem while providing "always-on" Internet connectivity. "Always-on" connectivity means just what it sounds like: a twenty-four hour a day connection. This option is more readily available if your organization is working with a school district or other large organization to set up a center.

Many ISPs provide frame relay options but rarely promote them as heavily as other options. The benefits of frame relay technology include relatively low cost of ownership, flexibility and stability. The downside is that few general support technicians understand how it works and or how to troubleshoot it if something goes wrong.

ISDN

Integrated services digital network (ISDN) provides faster Internet access than a dial-up connection. It can double the speeds of dial-up access (up to 128 kbps). The largest drawback to ISDN access is the abundance of additional equipment needed to install it, combined with the per minute line-use charges still levied by some Internet service providers (ISPs). ISDN used to be considered the "problem child" of connectivity, but with many years of service now under its belt, installation and daily service have been finely tuned to provide stable access.

DSL

Many centers choose a digital subscribers line (DSL) connection. Using traditional copper telephone lines, DSL uses a compression process that allows it to push data over lines at speeds ranging from 128 kbps to 1.5 megabytes per second. Performance is excellent with DSL, but DSL is available in only a limited number of areas.

It is always important to research your ISP, but it is essential when purchasing DSL. Many well-known providers are experiencing major downfalls in providing DSL service. Installation time can take weeks or months, and user support can be inconsistent or minimal. Once you ensure availability and quality of service, DSL can provide blazing fast Internet access with low-to-moderate cost of ownership.

T-1 and T-3

T-1 and T-3 line access traditionally has been considered the corporate access tool. Many nonprofits cannot afford the basic monthly charge just for the line rental, which is different from the actual monthly cost. The pros are that T-1 and T-3 lines are lightning fast. They also are stable. You can purchase fractions of the speed at much lower rates. Purchasing fractional lines means you will share the bandwidth with others and also the cost. The downside is cost, pure and simple. The monthly cost is often prohibitive for many nonprofits.

Nevertheless, don't totally eliminate T-1 access from your list of options. If you are paying or considering paying $300 a month or more to outfit your center with DSL, ISDN or frame-relay, then you can be in the market for a fractional-T1 connection.

Fiber Optics

Welcome to the high-speed, high-speed. Fiber optic lines can provide you access up to 10 times faster than a traditional T-1 connection. The technology is definitely future wave, but perhaps too futuristic for nonprofits not located in large metropolitan areas such as New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco or Los Angeles. Fiber optic lines will eventually provide incredibly versatile data transmission options along with Internet access. Although this type of access is not really an option for most nonprofits, it is always worth a quick look if it is available in your area.