Dom@in Web Technologies

Broadband

Broadband is now common place in the UK with around 21 million (83%) of households having internet access which accounts for around 99% [source: Office of National Statistics] of all internet connections. Broadband can be provided either be fixed line; landline ADSL, cable, fibre optic or wireless; mobile phones and dongles and also via satellite or wireless community networks such as (I Love Broadband).

When choosing your broadband services consider the following questions:

Will I be using video streaming services?

If you are going to utilise online video or audio streaming services such as; BBC Iplayer, Spotify, YouTube etc. It may be wise choice to choose an unlimited usage package. Internet services with limits of 10gb may frequently be exceeded otherwise and you may incurr additional charges. Most providers do offer this option with typical prices averaging around £25 with line rental charges. Being an independent advisor Dom@in recommends:

bskyb and plusnet

These recommendations are based on past experiences for both vvery good customer service (not just because both bskyb and plusnet have Yorkshire based call centres) and service uptime. We do understand that there are other providers and some past customers of both BskyB and Plusnet may have had a bad experience.

Will I be playing games over the internet?

Online game services such as Valve's Steam, Sony's Playstation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live allows users to compete against and cooperate with others from all over the world within video games and also communicate via text and voice. A connection speed of around 2mbps, regaular updates for both the services and the games played on these platforms could easily exceed low usage limits of 10gb in a month. If other people are using your internet connection at the same time or you connect during peak periods you may notice a signifcant amount of lag (a lot of freezing and also inaccurate timing between users).

Things to consider

Splitting your connections up into sizeable chunks and using quality of service so that no one internet connected device can exceed a stipulated speed, this way each device will have an equal share of the internet connection.

What is the maximum speed I can achieve in my current location?

Try to take speed estimates of "Up to 16mb" with a pinch of salt as this report suggests. To get a most accurate idea of what speeds you can achieve visit samknows broadband checker and enter either your telephone number and post code or your house number and post code if you do not yet have a fixed line service. The checker will estimate your speed by calculating your distance from the local telephone exchange to your house.

When your service is active or to check your current speed websites such as Ookla Speed Test and Broadband Speed Checker can test your connection speed. Please be aware that wireless connections can also reduce your speed as the data is travelling from your computer to the router then through your internet connection. Dom@in recommends using an Ethernet cable connected to your router when performing speed tests to produce a more accurate rating. Also be sure to close or stop any streaming services or downloading programs when performing tests.

Am I going to share my internet connection with other people?

When sharing your internet connection, take a moment to consider who will be using your connection.

Teenagers will most likely be using social media services, audio and video services such as; Spotify, YouTube, internet radio stations and/or online gaming services such as; Xbox Live and The PlayStation Network. And also using video and music downloading services such as iTunes though a large majority may use illegal file sharing websites and software.

Things to consider

There have been many horror stories over the years with online bullying and online paedophile rings. Some parents have also received correspondence from legal firms demanding payment for videos and music tracks that their children have downloaded illegally. For this reason Dom@in recommends regularly speaking with your children and possibly also checking their online activities.

Guests and Customers to your premises may need to use your internet connection for video conferencing, social media communication and also streaming services. Trust is a big issue when sharing your internet connection. Be aware that when a user views a webpage on your internet connection, this is logged to your internet IP address, not the users laptop. So if the user visits websites with pornography, illegal sharing of video, music or software then this will be logged as coming from your internet connection, regardless of if they used their own desktop, laptop or tablet computer.

Things to consider

Websites with pornographic or illegal video, music or software content can contain malicious code that can redirect traffic to websites which may be used to steal your personal information, for this reason it may be practical to either restrict which websites are allowed to be accessed and or also limit the speed at which users connect to your internet connection.

Dom@in will gladly discuss any requirements you may have on this matter.

How much can I afford to spend on my internet connection?

If you require internet access and price is the main priority, consider purchasing a mobile broadband connection. Typical prices could be around £10 per month (usually subject to a 24 month contract). In the East Riding of Yorkshire area wireless community network services such as those provided by iLovebroadband consists of a wireless antenna being attached to your house and connecting to another antenna which has an active internet connection, these services are great for those who cannot get access to fast internet access and also do not require a fixed landline, which could save around £10-£14 per month. Additionally if you require a telephone number you could also use a VOIP service.

Things to consider

If your current connection is fine and you would like to try and shave a few pounds off the cost of the service consider speaking to your current provider. Dom@in have spoken to companies on behalf of our customers and have saved them around £10 per month simply by being a little persistent and asking the right questions. Contact Dom@in for more information via telephone on 01262 262126 or via email at enquiries@domainwebtech.com.

Do I need a telephone service as well?

Today, most of us have a mobile phone and so the only real advantage of having a landline phone is to answer calls from cold-callers and call FREE Phone numbers such as 0800. One obvious reason why the majority of us still have a fixed telephone line is so we can have ADSL broadband, though as mentioned above Wireless Community networks are one way we can remove the line and save around £14 per month, the speeds at which these companies can supply access may also beat that of most fibre-less broadband services (up to 50mb connections are available).

Things to consider

Speaking to your current ISP may result in the offer of a deal to reduce your monthly commitment, be sure that this does not result in a reduction of network performance or usage limit. Before you switch providers it is also worth considering that some alarm systems may require a fixed line service to establish a connection to emergency services such as 999, so please check beforehand.

If you require further assistance you can contact Dom@in for more information via telephone on 01262 262126 or via email at enquiries@domainwebtech.com.