Dial-up Internet access is configured using a modem and a standard telephone line. Maximum speeds available are 56Kbps, although more often than not this speed will be lower when you connect. You will need a dial-up account provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you travel a lot, a dial-up account can be very cost effective. Choose an ISP with points of access in as many locations as you require. You can then access the Internet using a local phone call from your hotel room, usually at no cost. Because of the low spped of dial-up access, surfing the web is not particularly enjoyable and downloading files can be very time consuming and expensive. Prices range from as little as $5 per month to $25.

Cable speeds should be around 1.5Mbps download and 128Kbps or higher upload. Cable companies deliver the Internet via the same coaxial cable that brings the television signal and 500 channels of programming to your TV set. As with DSL, you'll need a special modem and an Ethernet network card. Because cable modem access has been around longer than DSL, it boasts more users--about 10.4 million, vs. about 5.5 million for DSL. Prices range from $25 per month to $50 for home use. Business use starts around $80 per month if available.

DSL (digital subscriber line) technology uses copper phone wires to deliver data at high speeds to your home or office. It's the second most popular broadband service behind cable, and its subscriber numbers are growing. To get DSL, you'll need a phone line (your primary home phone line can work; you don't necessarily need a second line); a DSL modem, which usually comes with the service; an Ethernet card; and a company that's willing to sell the service to you at your current location. DSL has become a lot easier to find over the last year or so. Prices range from $25 per month to $50 for home use. Business use starts around $80 per month if available.