Beginners Broadband

Beginners Broadband Guide

The beginners broadband guide below is aimed at those of you that are new to broadband either because you have not previously had an internet connection or because you currently have dial up.
The advantages of broadband are discussed as well as the differences in types of broadband package.

Beginners Guide to Broadband

What is broadband?

Broadband is basically a method of connecting to the internet, similar to the way dial up is.

To use a broadband service you can use your existing phone line, this is upgraded when you sign up for broadband with an internet services provider. All you need once you have signed up is a modem (which usually come free with your broadband service) and your computer.

The most common form of broadband is called ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line), there is also SDSL (Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line), which is more expensive and less common.

Broadband, a contraction of 'broad bandwidth', provides high-speed data-transmission rates over a phone line, digital cable or satellite connection, and has changed the way in which people use the Internet, for shopping, downloading, gaming, communicating and much more.

Advantages of broadband

The advantages of having a broadband package are listed below

You can use the phone the same time as the Internet: your phone line is essentially split, so your internet and phone operate on separate systems. Therefore you can use the internet for as long as you want without worrying about tying up the phone.
Speed of downloads: downloading anything using a dial up connection is time consuming and expensive. With broadband, you can download songs in a matter of seconds, and movies in minutes or hours depending on your download speed. Broadband is now up to 480 times faster than dial up.
You are not charged by the minute: stay online for as long as you want since you don't pay for the amount of time you use the internet, therefore any time you waste on online does not cost you any more. The only additional costs related to amount of time is the amount you download, which you can be charged extra for if you are on a limited usage broadband package.
Control what you pay: there are a variety of broadband packages available at different prices with different features. You pay a set monthly figure, therefore you know the cost in advance and don't have to wait until your bill comes through.
Information available: you can find out almost anything on the Internet as there is huge amount of sites with detailed data. This means you don't need to purchase a paper everyday as you can find the up to date news stories with the click of a button. Who needs an encyclopaedia when you can enter what you need into a search engine such as Google and get instant answers.
Learning and development: if you have a family, then this will enable your children to access more information than they normally would get chance to. This will not only assist in schoolwork, but also in their understanding of a great deal of matters.

Disadvantages of broadband

The disadvantages of having a broadband package are listed below

Expensive for low users: if you hardly use the Internet and are used to paying for what you use, then dial up will be ideal for you. This would apply if you spend a few pound on internet access a month and therefore tying yourself into a contract paying over £10 a month would not be suitable.
Need a phone line: In order to have an internet connection you need a separate phone line in many occasions (unless you are a cable or mobile user). Therefore if you currently have no phone line, you will need to get a phone line connected and pay the relevant fees as well as paying a monthly line rental on top of your broadband subscription. Note that you need a phone line for dial up to.
Additional equipment is required: you will need an ADSL modem or router in order to connect to the Internet. In most cases you can get these free from your ISP (Internet Service Provider) when you sign up to a new package or contract.
You can be tied in to a contract: you will have to continue with your monthly payment whether you are using it or not. This can be frustrating if you are away from home for a long period of time or something happens to your computer making you unable to use it.

Overall there are both advantages and disadvantages of having broadband and it will suit some more than others. Broadband will suit those of you that want a reliable, fast connection and use the Internet a fair amount of time or use it for downloading file, movies or music. If you are an occasional user that doesn't mind waiting for pages to be loaded and you don't generally do any downloads then dial up internet will be appropriate.

Types of broadband

You can get broadband in a couple of ways, through either a cable or an ADSL line.

ADSL service providers such as AOL, BT, Plusnet and Eclipse Internet use the BT copper wire network that your phone line uses, to connect you to the internet. All you need to do to get connected is sign up to a broadband package from one of the many providers, get an ADSL modem and wait around a week to get your line provisioned, then you can get instant access to the Internet.

Cable service providers such as Virgin Media and Sky provide Internet in specific areas of the UK. In order to get Internet access you don't need to have a BT phone line, but your ISP will need to arrange for someone to visit and install your cable line.

Differences in broadband packages

Broadband packages can be differentiated a number of ways in order to fit with the particular customer segment the internet service provider wants to attract with each product. Ways to differentiate a service are as follows:

Speed: There are a wide range of speeds now available, generally ranging from around 1Mbps (Megabits per second) to up to 24Mbps. The general speeds most providers offer is 8Mbps. Note that you are unlikely to receive this speed even with an 8Mbps product, this is due to a range of factors such as the distance you are from the exchange as well. You are likely to get the quickest speed your line can support.
Download limits: Many broadband packages now have usage amounts that limit the amount of downloads you can do in a month. These restrictions will not impact the average user who is likely to download around 1GB a month.
E-mail addresses: Some broadband providers dont give away any e-mail addresses or mailboxes, whilst others give away a large number free with their packages.
Connection cost: Most providers give free connection, but some do actually charge you for this. When a provider charges a connection fee, they are generally passing on the amount it costs them to connect a new user to their network
Hardware: ISPs can differentiate through the hardware they provide free (if any). You are often giving a standard modem, specifically with the low cost packages, but some providers offer routers and even wireless routers with some packages.
Introductory offers: Reduced line rentals for the first few months is often offered to new customers to entice them to sign up, and customers switching providers have the incentive of a free months broadband. Recently even free laptops and free Playstation 3's have been offered on some broadband packages.
Security: some broadband providers give you security suites to protect your pc including anti-virus, anti spam and firewalls, free with their broadband. These can be varying degrees of quality and in some cases are not provided at all.
Support: Call centres can be UK based, or overseas based and the opening times can vary dramatically as well as the cost to ring them (0800, 0845, 0870 and 0871 numbers are all used, all with different costs). The service provided can differ significantly also, from the time waiting for someone to answer to the quality of the advisor you speak to
Additional features: There are many other features that can be bundled into your broadband such as backup and free phone calls.

There are a lot of factors to be considered when choosing a broadband package and the benefits of each of these need to be weighed up against the costs in order for you to choose the right package for your needs.

To compare the broadband packages available in the UK click here

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Beginners Broadband