Our Broadband Buying Advice offers a complete buying guide for anyone in the market for a new broadband package, whether they happen to be novice or expert. So get yourself connected!

Broadband

It wasn’t so long ago that the only way for most people to access the Internet was via a dial-up connection. However, since the advent of broadband for the mainstream, connections have become up to 150 times faster than they used to be, and it’s no surprise that this has coincided with a huge leap in popularity of the Internet in the home.

With so many services now available online, the Internet is changing everything – from the way we listen to music, watch TV, play games and communicate with people – and there is no question that broadband has played a huge part in its development.

There are several things to consider when investing in a broadband service – and this is what you need to think about….

Buying Broadband

There are many ways to get a broadband connection, here’s a look at the typical services on offer from providers:

Free Broadband

There are many broadband ISPs that offer what they term as ‘free’ broadband. Of course, the broadband on offer is only ‘free’ if you subscribe to another of the provider’s services.

As an example, if you sign up to Sky’s satellite TV package and switch your phone to them as well, you can take advantage of a basic broadband package slapped on top.

Contract Broadband

The typical broadband contract will last for 12, 18 or 24 months and can range across a wide range of prices.

There are benefits of being on a contract, as providers are willing to provide you with more for spending more money with them.

For example, most contracts will provide you with a free connection and free modems as operators can spread their costs – if you only want a month’s broadband, expect to get charged a lot for it the first time you use it.

No contract Broadband

There are some providers that will offer broadband without a contract, or for short-term contracts. As you can imagine, most of these deals will be more expensive than a typical contract, but are perfect if you don’t want to commit long-term.

As many network providers will rent their broadband lines from BT, you may have to watch out for extra – and maybe hidden – line charges.

Some providers will also charge you a line connection fee, and there is generally no way from getting out of this – unless you go for a longer contract.

Broadband Technology

There are a number of ways you can get access to broadband, so depending on what kind of speed or mobility you want from your service, you will need to choose from one of the following….

ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line broadband is available in almost every single UK household. It is supplied by BT, who rent its copper-wire lines to other providers.

ADSL broadband allows data transfer to occur at very fast speeds and works by converting the analogue signal from your normal phone line into digital, while allowing it to transmit voice calls alongside the broadband.

ADSL broadband speeds are at least 0.5Mbps/512Kbps, much faster than the normal dial-up Internet which runs at 56Kpbs.

LLU ADSL Broadband

Local loop unbundled (LLU) ADSL broadband occurs when other broadband providers are allowed to access and install their own equipment in BT exchanges, while using BT’s copper-wire lines.

LLU broadband is available in around 80% of UK households and although it can offer cheaper and faster broadband services, you need to be careful in deciding whether or not to plump for it.

Many providers will not allow you to switch, because the particular line you use is now not classed as being owned by BT – and providers who do allow a switch will generally do so only if you pay for a completely new line.

Fibre Broadband

Virgin Media’s fibre optic cables are probably the most well-known example of fibre broadband, which offers some of the highest broadband speeds currently available.

BT are also supplying a fibre broadband network, which could see speeds between 40Mpbs and 100Mpbs to almost 70 per cent of UK households by the end of 2015.

BT will also open up their fibre broadband lines to other network operators, so they can piggy-back in the same manner they do with LLU lines.

Satellite Broadband

Satellite broadband works exactly how its name suggests; by transmitting your broadband signal to and from a satellite dish.

You would only need to consider satellite broadband if you live rurally, in an area that other broadband types are available in – and it is very expensive.

Not only do you have to buy the dish and have it installed, but the monthly cost is also huge in comparison to normal broadband, although it is getting cheaper – expect a price of around £25 per month at cheapest.

Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband uses the same 3G broadband network as your mobile phone and can be used on your laptop or tablet PC, whether you are at home or travelling on a train, for example. You will generally need some form of mobile broadband receiver, either built into your device or via an external dongle.

Broadband Download Speeds & Limits

Make sure you don’t get caught out with slow broadband or extortionate charges!

Broadband Connection Speeds

Some packages will offer you up to 20 or 25Mbps, while others will start at 512Kbps, but don’t necessarily believe the hype; the chances are that your true connection speed will be markedly different.

Checking Your speeds

Many websites use speed checkers to ascertain your real broadband speed, which will very much be determined by how many others are using the local broadband lines. However, while these are useful, you can’t use them before your broadband is installed, so have an ask around your neighbours to see what sort of speeds they get.

Download Limits

It’s really important to adhere to your broadband limits in terms of usage. Even if your broadband package is classed as ‘unlimited’, the truth is it probably isn’t; providers expect you to adhere to a ‘fair usage’ policy and, once you have reached your limit, will employ ‘throttling’ to your broadband, meaning your service could get particularly slow. Even worse, if you go over your limit, some providers will charge you extortionate fees for each GB you exceed.

Broadband Providers

There are dozens of broadband providers out there, all keen to get your attention. The following list is not exhaustive, but includes some of the largest broadband network providers you are likely to come across….

* BT

* Post Office

* AOL

* Virgin Media

* Plusnet

* TalkTalk

* Primus

* Orange Tesco

* Sky

Broadband Accessories

Most broadband packages will give you what you need to get connected, but you may need to replace parts after a while, or prefer to grab yourself a brand new, better-quality piece of kit. Here are our top broadband accessories to look out for…

Broadband Router

Broadband routers are essential for connecting to your broadband connection and offer multiple users the opportunity to use the Internet at the same time. Your router will offer you protection and most come with built-in firewalls to prevent people from accessing your broadband connection without permission.

In general, your broadband router will plug into your phone line via Ethernet cables and filter, receive the broadband signal, before allowing your laptop/computer/Internet-enabled device to connect, either through cable or wirelessly.

Broadband Filters

A broadband filter is installed into your phone socket to prevent interference from any computer-based device while you are using the telephone. You will normally get one – or two – of these included with your broadband starter kit, but the chances are that you will need to replace them at some stage, as ADSL filters are a common point of failure for home broadband.

In terms of cost, a cheaper filter may be an issue if you are far away from your phone exchange and only receive moderate broadband speeds, while the same filter could work perfectly well when close to the exchange. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that spending a lot of money (£18-20 +) will solve your problem – always do some research online before buying.

Computer

Of course, there isn’t much point in spending a lot of money every month on broadband if you don’t have a computer – and if you’re looking to buy a new one, there is plenty of info right here on this site to get you started…

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