There are a few different types of Broadband, however the main ones you need to know about are ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and Cable. The others less common ones are Satellite and Wireless ISP. Satellite and Wireless ISP are used in remote areas where broadband access is unavailable as a rule they cost more than the more common ADSL and cable and are seldom used when the less expensive options are available. Wireless ISP uses a Wi-Fi radio system to connect to the internet rather than your phone line. This wireless broadband should not be confused with a wireless router as explained later. And satellite broadband uses a telephone line to request the information and a satellite dish to receive the information. Down sides of this are the cost and the time delay that can be experienced due to the distance the signal has to travel.
Archive for August, 2007
This question depends on what area you live but with UK broadband coverage now at over 95% the short answer is yes. Different areas are best suited for different types of broadband so you may not get to choose from every possible ISP, but odds are you will be able to get broadband. Use our broadband postcode checker to see what broadband is available in your area.
The speeds available vary, and you should work out what your requirements are. Most ISPs will offer different broadband packages with different prices. For example the faster your connection the more it will usually cost, also the more you can download the more it will cost. Theses days the minimum speed you will get from your ISP, with ADSL and Cable is 512K this is fine if you want to use the internet mainly for emails, surfing and shopping. 2Mb is more common now and is fast enough to do all you will need to if you are a low end user.
However if you want to download large files like movies and games then a faster connection with higher download limits would suit you. Also for online games a fast connection is helpful. Speeds available can go up to 24 Mb however this is less common and most providers will offer 2-8 Mb.
Most ISPs will upgrade your speed for free over time as technology improves. For example BT internet upgraded for free all there customers who had 2Mb connections to 8Mb and charged the same flat fee each month.
You can find out roughly what speeds you can expect in your area using our broadband availability checker
With most Broadband Providers the price of the package is not only related to speed but also the amount you can download each month. This means that once you have reached your limit for that month you will not be able to download any more or risk being charged for the additional bandwidth used. If you are a low end user only using the internet for shopping and emails etc then the download limits may not be a problem.
When the download limit may become problem for low end uses is if during a particular month you need to download many updates or photos of friends. However if you keep an eye on your downloads and stay within the limit your monthly charge from the ISP will be lower than the unlimited download package. However should you exceed your limit you may be charged extra that month.
If you enjoy downloading music, games and videos online then a high download limit or even better, an unlimited download package is for you. For example if you pick the least expensive monthly broadband package you may have a download limit of 2Gb. When you consider most online films are 0.7Gb then this means you cannot even download 3 movies a month to watch. Also updates for online games such as Counter Strike or World of Warcraft can be very large and you cannot play without them.
More and more people are opting for unlimited downloads which provides more than enough monthly downloads for everyone except for the heaviest of down loaders and although you would think that “unlimited” would mean that you could download as much as you like this is not strictly true. Extremely heavy users may find themselves falling foul of the providers “fair use policy” so if you consider yourself in this category it would be wise to do some research on your chosen provider to see at what level they set this “fair use” cap
The first thing you will need to do if you want to switch is get your MAC or Migration Authority Code. This MAC allows you to move smoothly and without interruption from your current ISP to your new one and is obtained from your current ISP. Simply make contact with your current ISP and ask for the MAC code they will give it to you within 5 working days, usually faster. Upon asking for the MAC code your current service provider will realise you are planning to leave then for another ISP so may try to get you to stay with them by offering you a better deal. Sometimes this deal can be better than the one your new ISP was offering. Once you have the MAC number you contact the new ISP you have chosen and give them this number when you sign up to there service, you don
Cable broadband or cable internet access is most commonly used if you already have cable TV or live in an area with cable access. It is very similar in quality and price to ADSL and one is not necessarily better than the other they just use different technologies. Cable can only be received if you live in an area with cable access, in general these areas are in large towns and cities. As with ADSL you will need a cable modem, or router to access the internet, and the connection uses the existing cable phone / TV line. If you don
Switching in this way is a little different from simply switching from one ADSL provider to another because they don
Talk Talk are offering broadband customers a free Freeview box & two months free Setanta sports when customers sign an 18 month contract .
Setanta the new home of the Barclays Premier League will bring you 46 exclusively live games, all of which feature the top teams, not available on Sky Sports.
Please note that you have to pay for sentanta for the remaining 16 months , so i would only recommend this deal to someone looking to sign up to Setanta anyway as otherwise its not a great deal if you are only interested in the freeview box as they can be picked up pretty cheap these days
It seems PC World and Orange Broadband have teamed up to offer customers signing up in store a free laptop when they sign up for an 24 month contract on the entry level “Orange Starter” Package. The Laptop is a budget level system but you can trade up to a better laptop and receive a more advanced version- Not a bad deal if you can handle a 2 year contract
visit orange for more details
Voice over Internet Protocol or VOIP is a relatively new yet simple technology that has taken advantage of the broadband revolution. In essence it is a broadband phone using your computers broadband high-speed line to talk to people over the internet for much less money than a standard line, no matter where they are in the world. This has made VOIP very popular with people with friends and relatives living abroad. Furthermore if you talk from PC to PC then the call using VOIP will be completely free.
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