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Internet Service Provider (ISP)

What exactly does an internet service provider do?

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 10, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section What Does an ISP Do Is the ISP Experiencing Network Issues or Am I Hide Internet Traffic From an ISP More Information on ISPs Frequently Asked Questions An internet service provider (ISP) provides access to the internet. This access can be through a cable, DSL, or dial-up connection. All internet-connected devices run each request through an ISP to access servers where they can view web pages and download files. The servers provide these files through their ISP. Examples of ISPs include AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Cox, and NetZero. These ISPs may be wired directly to a home or business or beamed wirelessly using satellite or other technology. Yagi Studio / Getty Images

What Does an ISP Do

Most homes and businesses have a device that connects to the internet. It's through that device that phones, laptops, desktop computers, and other internet-capable devices reach the rest of the world—and it's done through an ISP. Here's an example of the role an internet service provider plays when you download files and open web pages from the internet. When you use your laptop at home to access a page on a site such as Lifewire.com, the web browser uses the DNS servers that are set up on the device to translate the Lifewire domain name to the IP address that it's associated with, which is the address that Lifewire is set up to use with its ISP. The IP address is sent from your router to your ISP, which forwards the request to the ISP that Lifewire.com uses. At this point, the ISP for Lifewire.com sends the page to your ISP, which forwards the data to your home router and to your laptop. All this is done quickly—usually in seconds. However, for this to work, both the home network and the Lifewire.com network must have a valid public IP address, which is assigned by an ISP. The same concept applies when sending and downloading other files such as videos, images, and documents. Anything you download online is transferred through an ISP.

Is the ISP Experiencing Network Issues or Am I

When you can't open a website, try a different one. If other websites display properly in the browser, your computer and your ISP aren't having issues. Either the web server that stores the website or the ISP that the website uses to deliver the website is having problems. The only thing you can do is wait for them to resolve it. If none of the websites work, open one of those websites on a different computer or device in the same network. For example, if your desktop computer doesn't display the website, try it on a laptop or phone that's connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the desktop computer. If you can't replicate the problem on those devices, then the issue is with the desktop computer. If the desktop computer is unable to load any of the websites, restart the computer. If that doesn't fix it, change the DNS server settings. However, if none of the devices can open the website, restart the router or modem. This usually fixes network problems. If the problem persists, contact your ISP. It's possible the ISP is having problems, or it disconnected your internet access for another reason. Why Isn't This Site Loading for Me? If the ISP for your home network is down, disconnect the Wi-Fi on your phone and use your phone's data plan. This switches your phone from using one ISP to using another, which is one way to get internet access when your home ISP is down.

How to Hide Internet Traffic From an ISP

Because an internet service provider provides the path for all your internet traffic, it can monitor and log your internet activity. If this is a concern for you, one popular way to avoid tracking is to use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN provides an encrypted tunnel from your device, through your ISP, to a different ISP. This hides your traffic from your ISP. Instead, the VPN service can see your traffic, but one of the benefits of most VPNs is that they don't usually monitor or log their users' activities.

More Information on ISPs

An internet speed test shows the speed you get from your ISP. If this speed differs from what you pay for, contact your ISP and share the results. Who is my ISP? is a website that displays the internet service provider you use. Most ISPs give out always-changing, dynamic IP addresses to customers, but businesses that serve websites usually subscribe with a static IP address, which doesn't change. Other types of ISPs include hosting ISPs, like ones that host email or online storage only, and free or nonprofit ISPs (sometimes called free-nets) that provide free internet access usually accompanied by advertisements. FAQ What can my ISP see? ISPs can see the URLs and content on the websites you visit. An ISP can also see where you are downloading from and the size of the files you download. How do I Find the IP Address of Your ISP's DNS Servers? Use the ipconfig command in Windows command prompt. Then, locate the DNS Servers line to find the IP addresses of the DNS servers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is a Public IP Address? (and How to Find Yours) DNS Servers: What Are They and Why Are They Used? What Is an IP Address? Can a Router Get a Virus? Can't Connect to the Internet? Try These 10 Tips What Is Bandwidth Throttling? Why Does Anyone Do It? The Best Free and Public DNS Servers (October 2022) How to Browse the Web Anonymously How to Change DNS Servers in Windows How to Change DNS Server Settings How to Fix Netflix Error Code NW-2-5 on Any Device Private IP Addresses: Everything You Need to Know Internet Speed Test Sites (Last Updated October 2022) What to Do When Windows 11 Can't Connect to a Network How to Fix It When There's No Internet Connection How to Connect a Router to the Internet Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies