Think small, save big

May 14th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Deals, Broadband Providers

Most internet users have at least heard of some of the giant names in the industry, like BT Total broadband, O2 broadband, Orange home broadband and Sky broadband. But what about some of the smaller beasts out there in the web jungle? Here’s a quick overview of just one of them.

TalkTalk Broadband (which recently absorbed Tiscali broadband) offers two well-priced packages, depending on how frequently you use the internet. The “Essentials” package caters for those who do a little casual surfing to book holidays, indulge in a little retail therapy, and so on. At £18.99 a month (which includes £11.49 line rental), it beats the cost of equivalent packages offered by some of the industry giants. BT’s option 1 comes in at £27.53 and Virgin’s XL will set you back £34.45, although it does offer an unlimited download allowance. Over 18 months, including the connection fee, this translates into a saving of £108.91 over BT and £252.47 over Virgin. And you’ll get a generous 40GB download allowance in comparison with BT’s10 GB.

TalkTalk’s “Pro” package offers a similar speed to Essentials (up to 24 Mbps) but caters for those who like to download lots of music and video files, it has an unlimited download allowance and allows calls to UK landlines, including 0870 and 0845 numbers, any time (Essentials offers UK landline calls for weekends and evenings only). You can also call UK mobiles at a flat rate of seven pence per minute. The cost is a mere £28.48 per month (including line rental and security), which compared with £41.02 for BT’s equivalent (a total saving of £171.73 over 18 months) and £40.45 for Virgin’s (a saving of £143.64) proves that sometimes, going small can lead to big savings.

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Think Broadband – for all your broadband informational needs!

May 12th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers, Broadband Reviews

Think Broadband is the largest independent information site and news source for broadband related topics within the UK.  Well known for its fair, unbiased news-centric approach, Think Broadband is an excellent source for new information in regard to existing broadband plans, service, and providers, while keeping a strong eye and focus toward developing broadband technologies.  With in-depth guides not only on comparing existing broadband providers, but also allowing users to speed test their current provider, Think Broadband has an excellent focus on providing only the information the user needs, while remaining completely impartial throughout all their reviews.

As a whole, Think Broadband carries a wide range of articles which range in both topic and technical detail pretty widely.  There is information geared toward casual consumers looking to make certain that their existing service is living up to its promises, as well as highly technical articles written specifically for the leading edge users that are interested in the state of affairs within the broadband industry. 

In addition, Think Broadband has an open forum for discussion of broadband topics and articles.  This forum has a focus on the technical, however as a whole the user base is rather friendly and more than willing to help troubleshoot broadband related problems, or answer broadband related questions.  All in all, while not focusing on making specific suggestions, Think Broadband is an excellent source of information about broadband tailored to a UK audience, and should be consulted before making decisions about broadband service.

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BT Total Broadband Overview

May 10th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers, Broadband Reviews

BT Total Broadband is a broadband internet service provider offering both home broadband service, as well as mobile broadband service to mobile device owners in the UK.  Each service has its strengths and weaknesses compared to other firms; however as a whole BT Total Broadband trends toward providing a high end service, at a slightly higher price than its competitors.

In the realm of home broadband, BT Total Broadband offers a “talk and surf” programme at £14.49, offering service at 20 megabits per second, with a download cap of 10 gigabytes per month.  Typically, this is a sufficient level of download service, at an excellent rate of performance, however some will simply feel that this service is in no way feasible on the grounds that their usage is simply too great to be contained to 10 gigabytes per month.  In addition, the mandatory 18 month contract is a bit of a concern for buyers in this category.

In the world of mobile broadband, BT Total Broadband offers service at a rate of 7.2 megabits per second with a one gigabyte download cap per month at a cost of £7.22 per month.  As a whole, this service is relatively well reviewed, offering a relatively low price for service at a very high rate.  For some, the one gigabyte download cap is a concern, however for light users that demand performance, this service delivers on all accounts at a price half the cost of many competitors.

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Broadband choices – the list goes on and on!

May 7th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Comparison, Broadband Providers

Orange home broadband, Tesco broadband, Plusnet broadband… the list goes on and on. As broadband technology has developed over recent years, the choice of broadband providers has increased exponentially. The decision as to which of the broadband providers you opt for is a personal one, or possibly a group decision within the family or boardroom, and it’s a good idea to check the many broadband comparison websites to see which broadband provider best caters for your needs. There’s no point in signing up to a business broadband package if you’re after a basic home connection, and equally pointless for a corporation to opt for Orange home broadband. But between these admitted extremes there is a range of broadband providers, broadband deals, packages, bundles and contract types that need to be considered before coming to a decision.

Use the mobile broadband comparison sites such as Broadband Finder not only if you’re after mobile broadband but also for general information, as it might turn out that mobile broadband suits you better than terrestrial broadband, which comes through cables. Broadband providers also often offer package deals, in which you get them to provide your cable TV, telephone line and broadband connection as a bundle of services. Virgin Media broadband and Sky broadband both have great broadband deals on offer if you choose them to provide your other communications services.

The choice you make depends on a range of criteria, but all the information is out there for you to make an informed decision.

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Wi-Fi Explained

May 5th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Equipment, Wi-Fi Networks

It’s generally estimated that today; from six to seven million people in the UK have wireless broadband access to the internet. But although many regard it as a ‘must have’ item, few would be able to describe exactly what it is. So, whether you’re with BT Total Broadband, Sky Broadband, Think Broadband or Tiscali Broadband, to name but a few of the many providers competing for your subscriptions; here is a quick guide to ‘Wi-Fi.’

A ‘Wi-Fi enabled’ device such as a laptop, mobile phone, games console, or iPod, for example, can hook up to the internet without cables or wires so long as it’s within range of a wireless network. Mobile phone manufacturers have been quick to capitalise on this technology, establishing numerous ‘wireless hotspots’ across the country, where you can access the internet ‘on the move.’ These vary widely in size, but tend to be concentrated in ‘high traffic’ public areas such as airports, motorway services stations, hotels and large railway stations. As they grow in popularity, though, they’re increasingly popping up in smaller settings, like cafes, public houses and restaurants.

For home PCs, the removal of clutter is in itself a major advantage, no more trailing cables and ‘wire spaghetti.’ If you have a laptop, a wireless connection means you can access the internet from any room in the house, or even from the garden. Not only this, but you can use wireless to connect to your printer or to other computers in the home without a single wire between the devices.  Provided you install a Wi-Fi Access Protection key, your connection will be private and secure.

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Is It Hard To Set Up A Broadband Connection?

May 2nd, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Equipment

Broadband service is available just about everywhere today.  Whether at home, on the go, or at the office, this high-speed connectivity to the Internet is a tool used by people all over the world each day.  For those who are contemplating opening a broadband account, but consider themselves to be less than technologically competent, the question of how hard it is to set up the equipment and establish a connection is often a major concern.

The good news is that many broadband providers make the process very simple.  When you establish the account, you will have the option of purchasing a modem, or possibly a gateway that allows you to set up a home network.  For your convenience, these devices are configured with the right settings to allow the connection to take place.  Many providers set the devices to connect with a web site that allows you to quickly set up your connection on the computer of your choice, with nothing more than a few keystrokes. 

Even if you are setting up a mobile broadband connection, the provider often does most of the work for you.  By following a set of simple instructions, you can easily be browsing online in no time at all.

Many providers do offer the option to have someone come to your home and set up the equipment for you.  However, this option is usually somewhat expensive.  Before you assume that you need to go this route, try setting up the connection using the resources provided.  Unless there is something highly unusual, you should have no trouble at all.   

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Comparing Mobile Broadband Plans

April 29th, 2010 | Broadband Comparison, Broadband Providers, Mobile Broadband

Mobile broadband is increasing in popularity these days.  The combination of mobile phone services, with the ability to get online and manage most of the same tasks that can be handled with a laptop or desktop computer, is ideal for people who like to stay connected. If you are thinking of obtaining mobile broadband, here are some things to keep in mind.

Set the base criteria for your mobile broadband comparison process. First, consider range.  Just as with any mobile services, some broadband providers can offer a wider range for your handheld device.  A wider range means less chance of being unable to connect to the Internet.  It also means you can play games with less incidences of the signal slowing or being interrupted. 

Next, think in terms of the commitment you must make.  The best deals often require a contract that will be in effect for as much as three to five years.  If making that type of long-term commitment leaves you feeling a little wary, focus your attention on providers that will allow you to begin with a one year commitment, or even a month to month commitment.

Last, make sure you understand what you receive with the package you select.  Know the limits on data transfers, and make sure you can reasonably stay within those limits.  To be safe, also find out what sort of charges you will incur if you do exceed the limits.  Many people overlook this aspect of broadband comparison, and later regret it when they see a billing statement that is much higher than they expected.

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What is DSL?

April 26th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Equipment

DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, is one method of broadband access to the internet.  The term is actually a shorter version of the more correct ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, the most common type of broadband access in the UK. 

One very large advantage of ADSL is that the service can be delivered along existing telephone lines.  This means no re-wiring of a room or house, and very little installation of extra equipment.  In fact, a homeowner can usually do the minimal installation required, as it just involves clipping filters into existing phone points.

Filters are needed because, although ADSL uses the existing phone lines, the digital data is transferred at a different frequency than the voice data.  Without filters, interference would degrade both types of data.  Phone calls would get dropped or have a lot of static, and data might never get to the internet. 

The designation of Asymmetric is due to the fact that data coming into the customer typically transfers at a higher rate than data leaving the customer and heading toward the internet.  Using a Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or SDSL can solve this, but the monthly cost of this type of line is typically higher, and it’s rare for a residential customer to have this type of service.

DSL broadband services also require a DSL modem to convert the voltage signal from the phone line into a digital signal that the computer can use.  However, in many cases when you sign up for ADSL broadband services, the service provider will supply the modem for free or at a very low cost.  If you change providers, it typically has to be returned.  Read the fine print in your subscription contract or ask a salesperson about the requirements before you commit to anything.

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Be Broadband Review

April 23rd, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Deals, Broadband Providers

Be Broadband is a broadband internet service provider in the UK.  They a relatively new broadband provider, however, they are one of the fastest growing and they offer exceptional download speeds.  Be Broadband offer several different broadband packages, with the cheapest costing £7.50 per month.  The most expensive service is £21.70 per month, offering up to 24mb of download speed.  This is one of the fastest download speeds available on the market.

Depending upon which broadband package you sign up for with Be Broadband will obviously dictate what level of service you will receive.  With broadband packages from Be Broadband a range of download speeds are available, with up to 1.3mb upload speed, a 40gb to unlimited usage allowance, on a 12-month contract.  

You should think carefully before deciding on which broadband package to purchase.  The various broadband packages are designed to meet individual needs of the customers.  If you enjoy fast online gaming and watch a lot of videos and television on the internet, then it would be better to purchase a more expensive and faster broadband package from Be Broadband.  If however you want to use the internet, but you do not browse regularly and when you do you are not downloading vast amounts of information, it is more sensible to purchase a cheaper broadband package from Be.

Be offer broadband coverage across most of the UK, however to be certain if you can receive it in your locale you should check on their website where they have a handy table with the areas of broadband coverage shown.

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Sky TV and Broadband deals

April 20th, 2010 | Broadband, Broadband Providers

The multi-national media company Sky offers a broadband service.  Customers are able to choose from a wide range of services when signing up for broadband with Sky.  Many of these packages include television services, as well as landline with free evening and weekend calls. 

Sky Broadband is one of the fastest growing broadband providers in the UK, and they offer broadband at speeds of up to 20mb (not available in all areas).   This is perfect for you if you have a family who enjoy downloading music and video, and playing online games. 

If you decide to sign up with Sky Broadband you will get free extras to go with your new broadband package.  So that you are able to use the broadband on several different computers at once, a free wireless router will be included in your Sky Broadband package.  Also, so that your computers are protected from all online security risks you will receive a free 12 months of internet security packages.  Furthermore, an outstanding customer support team will be on hand to help you out 24 hours a day with any problems that you might have. 

If you are considering getting Sky Broadband check with them that they offer coverage in your area.  Although they may offer some, you should check with independent reviewers to make sure that they broadband service that Sky Broadband offer in your area is optimal.  You should also look through all of their various deals to make sure that you get the broadband package that is suitable for you. 

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