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The Best Internet Services for Your Home

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In this modern age of easy-access technology at our fingertips, internet access is one of the most important tools for your family to have. Don't believe it? Just turn off your home's internet router without warning and watch what happens — your family members will show up from all corners of the house within seconds, demanding to know what's wrong. All joking aside, the internet provides a lot of value to your family beyond the obvious access to entertainment.

If you have school-age children at home, they can't keep up in a modern classroom without access to online information and resources. Similarly, adults who don't have access to online news alerts quickly end up out of the loop when breaking news occurs. So much of our lives revolves around the internet, from shopping and paying bills to applying for jobs and keeping up with family news, so naturally we want strong, reliable connections. Here's what you need to know about choosing the best internet service for your home.

Cable Internet

In the mid-to-late 1990s, most of the world was still using painfully slow dial-up internet connections or moderately slow DSL connections when cable internet blazed onto the scene and created the first impressive connection speeds. Today, cable internet — which uses the same types of cables as modern cable TV companies — is the most common form of high-speed internet in the United States. Almost all cable providers around the country offer internet service as a solo option as well as bundled with cable TV.

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Most homes are already wired for cable TV connections, which makes connecting cable internet easy as long as the cables aren't damaged. Once your cable line is activated for service, you simply connect the cable internet router to the line. In many cases, homes have more than one cable connection outlet, giving you flexibility to choose where you want to position the router. As with any type of router, it achieves the best wireless coverage to all parts of the house by placing it near the center of the home.

Depending on your location, top providers include Xfinity, Spectrum and Suddenlink. The price can vary a great deal, depending on the provider and the speed — 10 Mbps to 940 Mbps. Plans start as low as $20 in rare cases but more frequently average $30 to $40 for low to modest speeds. Be sure to gather quotes from different providers and look for promotional deals, which are common.

Fiber Internet

As one of the newest innovations in the sector, fiber internet currently provides the absolute fastest internet connection speeds, but the technology hasn't spread to all parts of the country yet. At this point, only a few providers offer the technology in large urban areas. If you happen to live in one of the large cities where fiber internet is an option, you might want to check it out, especially considering the cost is usually comparable to cable internet. Powerhouses Verizon, AT&T and Xfinity are among those branching out into fiber.

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Like cable internet, fiber delivers blazing fast download speeds, but it blows its cable competition away on upload speeds, which are often just as high. With fiber, you can say goodbye to frozen screens during video conferences and streaming sessions. If you're a gamer, lags and interruptions will be a thing of the past as well.

DSL Internet

In this modern era, DSL — which still uses a type of phone line — feels like a very old-school, retro choice, but it's the only choice that many people in some small urban or rural areas have. As the first technology that exceeded the speed of dial-up internet, DSL has come a long way since the mid-1990s, but it's still outdated in some regards. Besides the geographic restrictions, DSL is sometimes the only viable option for older homes that aren't equipped to handle cable internet. Key DSL providers include AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier.

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Unfortunately, the lower quality doesn't translate into cost savings, as DSL service typically runs in the same price range as cable internet. If DSL is your only option, you probably won't have any issues with routine internet surfing for things like shopping and social media, but streaming videos may be a problem if more than one person tries to stream at the same time.

Satellite Internet

For those who live in rural areas far away from any towns or cities, all the previous options frequently aren't available, which means satellite internet may be the only option for home internet service. In some rural areas, cable companies provide service, but they charge much higher prices than they charge in cities. Unfortunately, satellite internet rarely impresses anyone with its speed, but the technology has gotten better over the years, increasing speed to the point that it qualifies as a valid broadband option. On the positive side, satellite internet is usually much cheaper than cable internet in rural areas.

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4G LTE Internet

Okay, 4G LTE — and potentially 5G LTE in some areas — is technically the technology used by cell phone providers, but you can use this technology to enjoy internet access in your home via connected devices like cell phones, tablets and laptops. To access the technology with minimal fuss, you either add each device to your existing cell phone plan or open a new account to connect the devices (more expensive). This option typically appeals to those who are determined to cut the cord and eliminate TV and internet packages or those who get great cell phone service at home and only need to connect a couple of devices.

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If you opt for service through your existing cell phone provider, then 4G LTE plans are usually very reasonable per device and may include unlimited internet usage. Another advantage is you can take your access with you anywhere you go on tablets and laptops, not just on your phone. Your provider may even offer promotional deals on 4G LTE-enabled tablets and computers when you sign up for new service.

Another option exists for 4G LTE internet access, but the process is more complicated, and the availability is more limited. Some companies, like Verizon, have started offering 4G LTE home internet plans that require installation and provide full internet capabilities to all the devices inside the home, just like other internet services. The target market for most companies who have launched this technology is rural homes that don't have good internet options. These services aren't yet available on a broad scale but could eventually become much more widespread.