Since the idea of the free Internet has gone by the wayside, it is the cheap ISP that is now coveted by most computer users. While there are plenty of cheap Internet service providers that are eagerly competing for your business, not every cheap Internet provider offers the same service. As a matter of fact, there are some tell tale signs that you are simply not happy with your ISP and it might be time for a change. Here are the most commonly reported five signs:

The best cheap ISP will offer you the ability to host your own website. This should be either free of charge or at a very low cost. If your ISP charges you for this service, or if the cost is outrageously high, it might be time to switch.

If your ISP experiences frequent outages and you find yourself unable to access the Internet at your leisure, you will probably want to change providers. While some outages are to be expected due to inclement weather or extremely heavy usage, they should be the exception, not the rule.

Perhaps your ISP is one of the companies that keeps raising the rates yet not raising the service. There is no reason to pay more money for a cheap ISP service if you can have a cheap broadband ISP

You might have outgrown your ISP if you find that your needs switch from primarily web surfing and word applications to extensive file downloads and photo storage. If this is the case in your situation, then a cheap broadband ISP will do wonders for the time you spend waiting for downloads to finally finish.

You still have a cheap dialup ISP. No matter how inexpensive your service is, the odds are good that you spend precious time waiting in front of your computer. It is definitely time to upgrade to DSL or broadband service.

There are now so many cheap ISPs out there, that picking and choosing is not that hard. Do not fall for the first gimmick, but instead take a look at the service and see if it can grow with you. If you notice that new services keep getting added, you might have found a winner and signing up with this service means that you will be able to gradually ease your way into bigger, better an perhaps even home business applications!