Section 1What Packet Basics is
Packet Basics is an independent publisher and marketplace. We do three things: explain IT concepts in plain English, rank software on a published rubric, and list managed service providers that have passed our verification checks so buyers can find them.
We are not an IT provider, a reseller or an agent. We do not install, support or manage anything. Using this site does not create a professional relationship between us.
Section 2Reference material, not professional advice
Our explainers describe how technology generally works. They are written and fact-checked by the editor named on the page, and configurations are checked against the vendor documentation that defines them before publishing. They are still general reference material.
Your network, your compliance obligations and your risk tolerance are yours. Do not paste a configuration from this site into production without understanding it, testing it and adapting it. For a decision with legal, financial or regulatory consequences, consult somebody who is accountable for your specific situation.
Section 3Rankings and reviews
Scores are editorial opinions formed by applying a published 40-point rubric to the evidence each ranking names. Reasonable people can weigh the criteria differently, and a tool that scores lower here may still be right for you.
Prices are what a vendor quoted or published on the date printed next to them. Vendors change prices without telling us. Always confirm the current price with the vendor before you buy.
A vendor may dispute a factual error and we will correct it. A vendor cannot buy, negotiate or influence a score.
Section 4The provider directory
A listed provider has an active business registration that we confirmed against the public state register, matching the legal name on the listing. Nothing is listed without that.
Four further checks, a live website and answered phone, a physical office, certifications confirmed with the issuing body, and reviews from clients we were able to contact, are published on the provider profile exactly as they stand, each carrying the date it was last looked at, and a listing may therefore show checks that have not yet been completed.
The whole record is re-run every six months, and a provider that fails a check is removed rather than moved down the list.
Verification means those five things were true when we checked. It is not a warranty of the provider's work, an endorsement of any contract they offer you, or a guarantee that they will still be a good fit tomorrow. Do your own diligence, read the contract and ask for references.
Provider details are supplied by the provider and by public records. If you find an inaccuracy, tell us and we will check it and correct or remove the listing.
Section 5Quote requests
When you request quotes we forward your request to up to three listed providers, as described in the privacy policy. From that point you deal with them directly.
Any contract, price, statement of work or service level you agree is between you and that provider. We are not a party to it, we do not guarantee their performance, and we cannot resolve a dispute between you. We do want to hear about it: a provider that mistreats a reader loses its listing.
Section 6Affiliate links and referral fees
Some software links pay us a commission if you start a trial or buy. Providers pay a flat referral fee when we send them a quote request. Both are disclosed on the pages where they appear and in the affiliate disclosure. Neither changes a score, a ranking position or a verification result.
Section 7Acceptable use
Read the site, quote it with attribution and a link, and share it freely. Do not scrape it at a rate that degrades it for others, do not republish substantial parts as your own, do not submit false quote requests or fake reviews, and do not attempt to break, probe or overload the site. We may block access that does any of these.
Section 8Content and copyright
The text, diagrams, tables and code examples on this site are ours unless credited otherwise. Short quotations with a link back are welcome and need no permission. Wholesale copying is not.
Product names, logos and trademarks belong to their owners and appear here for identification. Their presence is not an endorsement of us by them.
A company logo in the directory is taken from that company's own website, and we keep a record of where and when. It is removed or replaced at the owner's request, through the contact form.
If you believe something here infringes your copyright, write to [email protected] with the details and we will act promptly.
Section 9Liability
The site is provided as it is. We work hard on accuracy and we correct errors publicly, but we do not warrant that everything here is complete, current or fit for your purpose.
To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from your use of the site, from a decision you made after reading it, or from your dealings with a provider or vendor you found here.
Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
Section 10Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of the jurisdiction in which Packet Basics is established, which will be named here with our registration details before launch. If a clause is unenforceable, the rest stands.
Section 11Changes
We may update these terms. The date at the top shows when. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.