Plan ahead. It is always best to purchase more bandwidth than you need so your company is adequately prepared for increases in employee size and bandwidth requirements.

Hidden agenda? Keep in mind that brokers who sell products like computers and routers in addition to Internet access may steer you to ISPs that don’t provide them as part of their service.

Lease, don’t buy. If possible, do not purchase equipment for your company’s Internet access. Make it part of the deal and let the company own and maintain them so they can fix problems when they arise.

Get support. Your access solution should at least have 24/7 tech support, and preferably have a dedicated team of experts who stand ready to support all of your business needs.

Know your terms of service. Be sure to read and understand any provider’s SLA to understand the specified levels of service, uptime and customer support; the range of available support options; enforcement or penalty provisions; and what software or hardware will be provided and for what fee. Also, realize that pricing, promotions, and availability may vary based on your service location.