ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Categories: Tech
You're sitting in your underwear at home. You want to know the latest sports scores, view Reddit logs, and check out the latest, um, art films on your favorite sites. Your computer whirrs a bit...fans blow...and then you dial or telnet or ping...somewhere.
Where? Likely the home server of your ISP, or Internet Service Provider. They provide internet service to you. Duh.
For many in America, Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, and others are their primary ISP. Around the world, ISPs come in myriad flavors and forms, and all bill you for your connectivity...something between $20 and $300 in America, depending on how fat a pipe (fast a connection) you want (from slow dial-up...to your own T1 Fiber optic line, the racetrack Ferrari of internet connections).