Top 10 things you need to know about broadband

• Broadband is generally 10x faster than using an ordinary phoneline i.e. dialup.
• You can use your phone while connected to broadband.
• The lowest speed broadband is 256kps. This is 5x faster than when using an ordinary phone line but is probably not enough if you are in a rush to download music and movie files. If you can afford it we recommend going for 500kps if you are downloading a lot.
• There are a lot of broadband providers out there, all with different connection speeds and prices, don’t settle for the . Use the top10 broadband list to select the provider you want.
• Most Broadband providers include a number of email addresses.
• You usually get more webspace with broadband.
• Free connection and free modem are often available, but this may tie you into a 12 month contract.
• Broadband allows the possibility of other computers seeing yours. Make sure you use a firewall and anti virus software. Make sure you keep these upto date as well as your windows updates.
• Broadband allows you to easily download movies and listen to radio online.
• You do not need to change your telephone number to receive broadband.
• Most BT service should be supported, including Call Waiting, Call Return and Caller Display.
• Broadband migration can be up to 5-6 working days. New requests can be slightly longer.

Top 10 frequently asked questions about broadband

• What is broadband?

  It is the name given to systems designed for high-speed transmission of huge amounts of electronic data. This makes surfing on the web much faster and downloading music, video clips and playing games online at least 5 times faster than using the web from a normal telephone line.

• Why should I get broadband?

  Broadband makes surfing the Internet much faster and downloading video, music and other files off the Internet lightning fast. You will be able play sophisticated online games with other broadband users from around the world (using your PC, X-box or Playstation 2), listen to radio stations from around the world and use live video conferencing to talk and see your friends and family wherever they are. There’s also no need to log on and off and normal phone calls can be made without having to disconnect from the Internet.

• Can I get broadband from anywhere in the country?

  Yes, even if you live in a remote location, in the middle of nowhere you can still get broadband but depending on where you live dictates what broadband you can use. You can either get broadband through your landline as long as your nearest telephone exchange is ‘broadband enabled’ (called ADSL). Alternatively, if you live in an area of the UK that has Cable you can get broadband that way instead. Failing that you can always get satellite broadband which is available from anywhere in the UK. Click here to find out if you can get ADSL Broadband.

• How much will it cost?

  Generally, you do not pay for the length of time you are using Broadband, instead you are charged either a monthly fee and sometimes an additional fee if you use over a predetermined amount of data. Depending on which broadband provider you use and the type of broadband connection you have expect to pay between £15 and £75 a month. Some broadband providers also charge an initial set up fee but most do not.

• What kinds of broadband are out there?

  There are 3 types of broadband:
  ADSL. This uses your existing phone line assuming your landline is connected to an exchange that has been ‘broadband enabled.
  Cable. This uses cable technology and requires your house to be connected to the cable network, which is only available in some parts of the country. Cable is the most common broadband connection at the moment with ADSL coming a close second.
  Satellite connects you to broadband through the same satellite dish as satellite TV. If you don’t have a dish you will have to have one installed before using satellite broadband.
  

• How can I get broadband?

  Once you have decided which of the top 10 broadband providers you want to use, click on the link next to the broadband provider. This will direct you straight to the broadband provider’s webpage where you can begin setting up your new broadband connection.

• Which of the broadband providers should I use?

  Use Top10 broadband to decide which broadband provider suits you. The things to think about are: How much do you want to pay? Do you want ADSL, Cable or Satellite broadband? How fast do you want it to be? and How important do you rate reliability?

• Can I try it before I buy it?

  At the moment No, but if you want to trial broadband for a month or two, connect to one of the broadband providers that don’t require you to sign up to a 12 month contract then you can cancel broadband at any time.

• How fast will my broadband connection be?

  This depends generally on how much you want to pay. The cheapest broadband connections run at 256kps. This is still 5x faster than using a normal telephone line. We recommend a minimum of 500kbps to see the benefits of broadband (this is 10x faster than a normal phone line). Some broadband providers have broadband packages with speeds upto 4mb. Speedier is better with broadband but anymore than a 1mb and it gets expensive!

• What is a contention ratio?

  This is the maximum number of users who will share an ADSL line. A 50:1 ratio for example means that up to 50 people can use the same ADSL line as you. The higher the ratio the slower the connection is likely to be as there will be more users ‘contending’ for the same service. At peak times when all 50 users might be using your broadband connection, the broadband speed will be lower than at off peak times when only maybe 4 or 5 people are sharing your broadband connection.

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