Get Your Broadband up to Speed
Is your internet connection running at a snail's pace or are you simply not getting the speeds you're paying for?
That certainly seems to be the case whenever speaking to a group of moderately tech-savvy people. Overwhelmingly, they say, they're not getting what they've been promised and they're annoyed about it.
However, there are two real problems here which I'll characterise as frustration and disappointment.
On the one hand, a slow broadband connection or, not unlikely, one with a consistent problem can be aggravating to everyday life: frustration.
On the other hand, some people are complaining because they're not getting the broadband speed that they were promised when they signed up: disappointment.
In the three strategies here I'll tackle the problem of frustration when it comes to broadband deals.
Before that, though, I just want to deal with disappointment. A lot of broadband complaints come from a misunderstanding of how the fastest broadband works.
Most broadband, which is coming through copper cables, is susceptible to electrical interference as well as attenuation of signal as you get further away from the telephone exchange. This is also true of a voice signal but, because that uses a lot less frequency, it's less likely to be noticeable.
Don't think of broadband like a light switch, think of it like a car.
There's more to think about than whether it's on or off. A car can often have a high top speed and that tells you something about its performance in general, even though you're unlikely to be able to reach that top speed, even if you try.
Basically: cast away your disappointment, focus on any frustration.
When it comes to strategies for that there are, as I've said, three main ones.
The first one is to make the most of where you are and what you can get. Both BT and Virgin Media broadband offer fibre optic services now and they're far faster than copper cable so if you can get that, go for it.
Second, make sure your provider suits the way you spend your time online.
Two broadband connections might have the same download speed but one will actually download a file faster than the other. Why? Because broadband providers have traffic management systems that make one type of internet use a priority over another.
Big on online gaming, for example? There's broadband out there that's made for you.
Finally, do your basic checks. Playing around with a modem to find new channels or with your microfilter can make a big difference.
About the Author:
Julia Cook is a staff writer for a broadband news, reviews and price comparison site that lists all of the UK's major broadband deals. The site also helps users to answer questions like is sky HD worth it
.