As a gamer, what internet provider should I go with?

Internet Provider :-

The internet provider is the single most important factor that determines how great your internet speed will run. Some areas are very limited on selecting different providers and will not have much choice on their speed. For those of us that have the luxury to select from different providers, I prefer the following:

Verizon

Verizon has been widely accepted as the ultimate provider for the gaming masses. When they launched their Verizon FiOS campaign a few years ago, they had a very intense emphasis on gaming. For a period of time they even sponsored the female gaming team PMS as spokespersons for the FiOS product. FiOS is still very hard to come by and is primarily located on the east coast.

Comcast

They have actually improved over the last few years, especially with their customer service. They have recently upgraded most of their infrastructure to a fiber-optic network. There are some seriously fast speeds they claim to attain nowadays.

There are many different internet providers within each region of the US, try to get some feedback from other people using their provider before committing to one.

Internet Speeds :-

FiOS

Is currently the king of internet speeds. There is still limited availability, but if you are fortunate enough to game using a Fiber Optics connection you know what all the fuss is about. Verizon FiOS delivers speeds around 20MB Down / 5MB Up.

Cable

Cable is faster than DSL and Dial up (slower than FiOS) and usually offers anywhere from 3MB of bandwidth to 15MB of bandwidth. The reality of Cable internet is that it is usually shared between however many people are using the providers connection within a given neighborhood or area. During peak hours, Cable internet users takes a huge hit in their download speeds.

DSL

DSL is almost a cross between Cable and Dial up. Speeds vary from 768KBps to about 3MB of bandwidth. The speeds are based on the proximity to your service providers office – an obvious disadvantage of having DSL. Another slight disadvantage is that the upload speeds (data sent out) over the internet are always slower than Cable. If you live in close proximity to your service provider, DSL is a great service.

Download & Upload :-

Let’s get a few things out in the open; a consistent download speed is pretty much all you need to game, however if you experience frequent highs and lows or “spikes” in your download speed you have an issue on your hands. Spiking can mean a wide variety of things such as a bad router, peak time for internet use, or bad ISP equipment. If you are in a dorm or using cable internet, you know all about the peak time connection spikes – there’s really no remedy for college students. Routers and equipment need to be tested and optimized in order to get the most out of your connection speed. A basic rule of thumb is the higher your download speed, the less likely you will experience lag.

Hope it hepls .

BEST OF LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally depends on your location, but generally, I would suggest that you go for an ISP that won't hesitate to disclose whatever fair usage policy they have. Most ISPs hide this information from their customers, and that's probably one reason why you get disconnected or keep getting slow connections in the past. By hardline connection, do you mean "fixed"? If yes, you made the right option. Every gamer needs a fixed connection since it is more stable than wireless, something you need when concentrating when you're playing. See this article to know the importance of comparison shopping when selecting ISPs: http://www.technology-in-business.net/featured-art... Good luck!

Comcast rarely has problems, but when they do it takes forever to get them fixed, as their Customer service is lacking. If you get Comcast i suggest a package. I have the XFinity one.

Verizon has problems often, but their Customer service is less lacking than Comcast.

I have no experience with Cox, but I hear they are Good, but also more expensive then the other two.

If you need some fast internet, than go with verizon. Comcast also works great, aspecially if you plug in to the router.

If it is available in your area, I would suggest Cox. Cox is one of the fastest internet service providers I've seen.

FiOS if it's available in your area and you can afford it. Comcast otherwise. I use Comcast and my gaming speeds never lag out.