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Over the past couple of years, the major carriers in Toronto like Rogers, Bell, Sprint, Virgin, Wind have been promoting a wide variety of Internet service connections, making it increasingly difficult for an average consumer to figure out what is the most cost effective solution for them. You now have the choice between a hub, stick and/or DSL. In most cases though, your usage is caped so how do you figure out what is the best option for you. Here are some guidelines to help you better evaluate your options.
What is a hub?
A hub is a portable high speed Internet units that you can take with you to different locations like you cottage or remote small office to connect to the Internet. The latest Bell Turbo hub offers 7.2 Mbps speed. It costs approx. $40 per month if you don’t exceed the monthly commit rate or usage that is set to 10GB unless you upgrade your plan. It has four ports, in case you want to add more machines to your network. For an additional $20 per month you can also use it as a phone.
The unit cost about $400 to own but you will pay almost nothing for the unit if you sign a contract for two years. Bell hub receives Internet signal through the electrical plug in your home. Rogers hub is through airwaves.
What is a stick?
An Internet stick looks very similar to a memory sticks. In fact, the stick also gives you some memory capacity. It comes with a SIMM card similar to a mobile phone. You will get a new phone number when you purchase your stick. It connects to your computer USB port and allows you to freely move around when you are connected to the Internet. Installation is fairly straightforward. It offers the utlimate portability, you can stay connected in the car or on the train. The unit does not need to be directly connected to a power like a hub. The fasts sticks currently cost about $160. You can get about 21 Mbps speed if the network connectivity is good. The previous generation of sticks are still sold and they are significantly slower speed with a price tag is that is roughly $30-50 cheaper. The standard monthly usage set to 3-5 GB and similar to a hub you are charged an overage fee if you exceed it. If you travel frequently to U.S. you may want to consider paying a small fee to lower your roaming charges.
How much will it cost me? Can I get a good estimate?
Yes, you can estimate your usage. If you are already using a DSL you can check the client portal to see how much bandwidth you have used in the previous months. You can also contact customer service to obtain that information. Note, if you are with WinTel through Costco then you will not be able to get E-care from Primus, you would need to contact the customer service.
Another way you can check your usage is to simply type in Google, “what is my Internet Speed” and use a free service like SpeedTest.net to check your connection speed. You can then use a bandwidth calculator to work out your consumption per hour.
What is the cap on Roger or Bell Sympatico DSL ?
You need to check your agreement. In case of Sympatico you are likely limited to 30GB per month.
How about connecting 4G phones to your laptop?
