INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP)
What exactly does an internet service provider do?
We all have some sort of device in our home or business that connects us to the internet. It's through that device that your phone, laptop, desktop computer, and other internet capable devices reach the rest of the world - and it's all done through various ISPs.
Let's look at an example of where the Internet Service Provider falls in the chain of events that lets you download files and open web pages from the internet...
Say you're using a laptop at home to access this page on About.com. Your web browser first uses the DNS servers that are setup on your device to translate the "About.com" domain name to the proper IP address that it's associated with (which is the address that About.com is setup to use with its own ISP).
The IP address you want to access is then sent from your router to your ISP, which forwards the request to the ISP that About.com uses..
All of this is done rather quickly - usually in seconds, which is actually pretty remarkable. None of it would be possible unless both your home network and About.com'swork have a valid public IP address, which is assigned by an ISP.
The same concept applies to sending and downloading other files like videos, images, documents, etc. - anything that you download online is only able to be transferred through an ISP.
More Information on ISPs
An internet speed test can show you the speed you're currently getting from your ISP. If this speed is different than what you're paying for, you might contact your ISP and show them your results.
Who is my ISP? is a website that displays the Internet Service Provider you're using.
Most ISPs give out always-changing, dynamic IP addresses to customers, but businesses that serve websites usually subscribe with a static IP address, which doesn't change.
Some specific types of ISPs include hosting ISPs, like ones that just host email or online storage and free or nonprofit ISPs (sometimes called free-nets), which provide internet access for free but usually with advertisements.
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