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Internet Connections
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Contents
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Internet Broadband Guide
What is broadband?
Broadband is essentially a fast Internet connection. In fact you’re probably on a broadband connection right now as most people connected to the Internet are these days.
While there are a number of different types of Broadband including 3G, Satellite, WiMax, SDSL, and LLU but most people and businesses either have ADSL or Cable although 3G in increasing quickly in popularity as an added option for those on the move (road warriors for example) as it is wireless. Connecting to the Internet is done by using a modem that plugs into your telephone or cable connection and your computer(s). Most modems these days can support a network of computers as they usually include 4 plugs (called ports) for adding other computers as well as WiFi for connecting computers wirelessly.
The most obvious differences between a broadband modem and the old style ‘dial-up’ modems is that you don’t need to dial-up as it is always on, the connection is much faster, it supports more than one computer and you can connect wirelessly.
If you're setting up an Internet connection for the first time, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the start as the entry-level packages are generally much better value than the dial-up alternative. As well as this, there is simply no comparison between a 56K dial up connection and a 2,048K (called 2MB) broadband connection. The first will feel like you’re watching paint dry after if having used a broadband connection.
Broadband speeds have been increasing and now most providers offer 8MB and if you’re really lucky 24MB. In order to benefit from these speeds, make sure that you buy what is called an ADSL+2 modem, no real difference in price.
What will I be able to do with my broadband connection?
You'll be able to do things that just weren't practical with a dial-up connection. You'll be able to:
- Watch video clips and listen to music in real time, including live broadcasts.
- Download music, software, film trailers and other files much more quickly.
- Play games online.
- Do everything you could do before, just much, much, much more quickly!
Is broadband difficult to install?
Not at all! First, you need to sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP will supply you with your Broadband connection. If you don’t already have an ISP shop around but DO NOT base your decision solely on price as all ISP’s are definitely not created equal. There are many places to see reviews of ISP’s to help you make your choice.
If you are signing up for a contract, most ISPs will arrange a date to get you connected and usually supply you with everything you need to get started.
As well as connecting you, most ISPs will send you a CD. They want you to put this into your computer and follow the step-by-step instructions – personally I never use the CD’s and you don’t need to either (reason explained below). Some companies also offer a home installation service and will send over an engineer to set up your Broadband connection - frankly a waste of money. A few VERY IMPORTANT things to remember to are:
- Check to see the CD isn’t adding other unwanted things to your computer and/or changing your email settings – which happens about 90% of the time when using a CD sent from an ISP
- Ensure that you change the password of the modem
- Ensure that you enable WPA security for your WiFi and you change the name of the WiFi network.
If you get stuck with any of this, zuuMedia can talk you through the initially connecting to the Internet and then set up the security for you.
What are the different types of broadband Internet connection, and which type is best for me?
What are the different types of broadband Internet connection, and which type is best for me? There are only a few different types of broadband connection. And it's usually not hard to choose which type to go for - your choice will often depend on where you live.
You may choose an ADSL connection for Broadband as it's widely available and easy to set up. Cable is another option if it's available in your area. Which begs the question: ADSL or Cable? The truth is, one isn't better than another and it really depends more on where you live and how good the supplier is and both are racing to provide faster and faster speeds – cable is winning at the moment. So, your choice will probably be based upon the deal offered and the reputation of the ISP that provides the service.
The main types of broadband Internet connection are:
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
ADSL coverage is available to around 80% of the UK population. As such, it is the most likely choice unless you happen to live somewhere remote, or in an area where cable is available. ADSL broadband is delivered through your existing British Telecom (BT) telephone line, using a special modem or router. There is no need to have an additional telephone line installed and you will be still able to make and receive calls whilst surfing the web.
When you have an ADSL connection it is necessary to fit small devices called micro filters to all your telephone sockets. You need to plug them in to prevent the ADSL signal from interfering with your voice calls. Typically your ISP will provide you one or two micro filters and, if you need any more they only cost a few pounds.
Cable
If you already have cable TV, or if you live in an area served by a cable operator, which basically means Virgin Media, then a broadband cable Internet connection may be an option for you.
A cable Internet connection requires a special modem, which is connected to your cable along with your cable TV box (if you have one). Most cable companies offer packages that include telephone and TV channels as well as a broadband Internet connection.
As with ADSL, cable Internet providers usually offer a selection of broadband deals for different requirements.
3G
Mobile broadband uses the mobile phone network to connect you to the internet. This is made possible by a new technology called High Speed Downlink Packet Access or HSDPA, which is known as Mobile Broadband. You’ll be provided with a special USB Dongle or Stick which plugs into your computer to allow you to connect. You don't need to use your mobile phone – in fact many providers try to stop you doingg this as often 3G on a phone has unlimited data whereas they charge you for the amount of data you use with the dongle. In other words, you don’t pay for how long you use the internet but rather you pay for the amount of data you send and receive. The great advantage is that you don't need a phone line and you aren't tied to one physical location. 3G has pretty good coverage but is not available everywhere and if not, most 3G devices will revert to GPRS which runs at dial up modem speed and is not broadband.
If you want the very latest in mobile broadband technology then look no further than a built-in 3G data card. If it Built-in to your laptop, you’ll be able to connect to the internet, no matter where you are, without having to plug in a dongle or a USB modem stick - truly wireless mobile broadband.
Internal 3G data cards are mobile broadband modems that are built-in to your laptop with a slot for you to insert your SIM card into, so you won’t need to a USB modem stick or dongle and hopefully can use your phone’s data allowance (sometimes unlimited) otherwise you’ll need to sign up to a either a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband package or a fixed monthly mobile broadband contract which will have a monthly data allowance.
Wireless
In some of the more remote or rural areas of the UK, ADSL and Cable Internet connections may not be available. Increasingly in these areas, some Internet providers are providing local coverage using wireless technology, WiMax.
For a wireless Internet connection, a small antenna is installed on the outside of your house, much like a TV aerial, and this sends signals to a connection point on the inside, which in turn is connected to your computer. No telephone line of any kind is required.
Satellite
Satellite is generally views as a last resort for people who live in remote areas and cannot receive any other form of broadband. It is available almost anywhere in the world as it uses the same satellites that deliver satellite TV. Naturally this requires a satellite dish however, if you have a satellite TV subscription you may be able to use that satellite dish if you receive the satellite broadband service from a provider using the same satellite. There are two types of satellite connection.
The first type is a one-way connection. You receive (download) data (web pages and such) from the satellite but send requests for this data or send data itself (such as emails or uploading photos) by using either a modem over a telephone line or a 3G card which can be plugged into your computer or the satellite receiver or even be your mobile phone.
Two-way services. With this, data (download and upload) are both sent and received through the satellite dish. This type of connection tends to be quite expensive.
SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Some providers also offer SDSL services. An SDSL connection is very similar to an ADSL connection. The difference is that ADSL can download data from the Internet faster than it can upload data, while SDSL is just as fast at uploading as downloading.
SDSL requires an extra telephone line, separate from the one you use for voice calls. Due to this and the extra cost SDSL is not a popular option for the home user or in fact most businesses. SDSL is really just a specialist option for some businesses that need to send large amounts of data and require guaranteed bandwidth.
LLU - Local Loop Unbundling
Some providers also offer SDSL services. An SDSL connection is very similar to an ADSL connection. The difference is that ADSL can download data from the Internet faster than it can upload data, while SDSL is just as fast at uploading as downloading.
SDSL requires an extra telephone line, separate from the one you use for voice calls. Due to this and the extra cost SDSL is not a popular option for the home user or in fact most businesses. SDSL is really just a specialist option for some businesses that need to send large amounts of data and require guaranteed bandwidth.
Broadband speeds
Internet connection speeds are measured in kilobits per second and megabits per second.
The following table illustrates how the Internet transfer speeds apply to the kinds of things that normal people do on the Internet. All figures are approximate and represent best-case download speeds, but actually speeds will generally be lower.
| Internet Connection Speed | Time to load a typical web page (assuming 50 kilobytes of data) | Time to download a typical 5-minute song(assuming a 10 megabyte MP3 file) | Streaming Video Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56K dial-up modem | 7 sec | 24 min 30 sec | Pathetic |
| 256K broadband | 1.5 sec | 5 min | Low Quality |
| 512K broadband | 0.8 sec | 2 min 60 sec | |
| 1Mb broadband | 0.4 sec | 1min 36 sec | |
| 2Mb broadband | 0.2 sec | 40 sec | Medium Quality |
| 4Mb broadband | 0.097 sec | 20 sec | |
| 6Mb broadband | Instantaneous | Instantaneous | |
| 8Mb broadband | Instantaneous | Instantaneous | TV Quality |
As you can see, an entry level 512K broadband Internet connection is around ten times faster than a 56K dial-up Internet connection, allowing you to view web pages with barely any noticeable delay and with an 8Mb broadband connection, you could watch TV quality video over the web.
Any of the broadband speeds will be perfectly good for viewing the majority of web pages - having to wait a second or two for a page to load is bearable.
But the Internet is so much more than just pages of text and a few images: what about music, video, animations, games and all the other stuff that makes the Internet so much fun? Consider the download time for a typical 5-minute pop song - around one and a half minutes with a 512K connection. The time it takes to download is less than the time it takes the song to play. What this means in practice is that your computer will be able to play the song while it downloads. We call this streaming - the sound 'streams' to your computer fast enough that it can be played as it arrives, without all that waiting around.
Streaming also applies to video. You'll find that many web sites allow you to watch video, even live video, without having to wait around for more than a few seconds for it to start. In many cases video is offered in two or more different sizes or at different qualities - so that you can choose the one that plays best with your connection speed. Having a faster connection means you can watch the video at a larger size and better quality.
And what about gaming? Well, it depends on the type of game. For those of us who want to play a little backgammon or a card game on a wet afternoon, any kind of broadband connection will work fine.
If however you're one of those people who want to take on the world at Counter-Strike or Doom 3, or connect your a sixth-generation video game console (Xbox) to the Internet, you may want to consider going for the fastest connection you can practically afford: playing first-person shooters is one of the most demanding ways to use a broadband internet connection. But don't worry too much - most providers will allow you to upgrade to a faster connection at any time (you'll just pay a higher monthly charge).
Rule of Thumb: Here is a summary of our recommendations:
- The Best All-Rounder - For the majority of Internet users, a 1Mb deal will offer the best balance between price and performance.
- Entry-Level - (256K or 512K) doesn't offer the performance you'll need to be able to get the best out of streaming audio and video. Of course, if you only use the Internet to read web pages and send email, a slower connection may be adequate.
- Heavy or Shared Usage - A faster connection (2Mb or faster) is probably worth considering if you intend to play a lot of games, or if you intend to share the Internet connection between more than two or three computers at home or in the office. A connection at the higher end of the scale (4Mb upward) will allow you to take advantage of newer trends - such as video and music on demand or Digital Broadband Internet TV.
Download limits
Another important factor in your choice of a broadband Internet deal is whether there is a download limit, sometimes called a usage allowance, and how high this limit is.
Not every broadband provider imposes a limit on how much use you can make of your Internet connection, although most have clauses in their terms and conditions to prevent what they consider to be excessive use.
Where download limits are imposed, they can range from as little as 1GB (one gigabyte) per month to 15GB or 30GB per month. However this mainly depends largely on what you intend to do while connected to the Internet. Here's a table to show you what download limits could mean for you in practical terms, all figures are approximately:
| Usage Allowance(GB per month) | Number of web pages (assuming 150 kilobytes of data per page) | Number of songs (assuming 1 song is a 5 megabyte MP3 file) (10 songs/1 albums) |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7000 | 256 (about 25 albums) |
| 2GB | 14,000 | 512 (about 51 albums) |
| 6GB | 42,000 | 1536 (about 153 albums) |
| 15GB | 104,000 | 3840 (about 384 albums) |
| 30GB | 209,000 | 7680 (about 768 albums) |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
At this point we should probably make it clear that we're not advocating the downloading of music, films or other files via file-sharing network. Contrary to what you might think, there are plenty of perfectly legal sources of music on the Internet!
It should be fairly obvious from the numbers that you're hardly likely to exceed your monthly download allowance just by looking at web pages - unless you're still working on that speed-reading record.
The limit will only become a problem if you start to use the Internet to download a lot of audio or video files or to download a lot of software. If you spend several hours of hours a day online, perhaps making use of online radio stations, or playing games, then it's surprising just how much of your usage allowance you'll get through.
Rule of Thumb: We would recommend the following:
- Avoid any deal with a monthly allowance of 1Gb (one gigabyte) or less, unless you're a very light Internet user or can only afford one of the cheaper deals.
- Many deals currently available offer a 15Gb monthly allowance; for most people this should be fine – or less you’re a family with two teenage kids or like downloading music and watching youtube. Many ISP’s do offer unlimited download limits for the similar prices – BEWARE of their download ‘fair usage’ policy however.
- If you think you are likely to want to download large numbers of files, or are a serious online gamer, go for a larger download limit - or better still a deal with no limit – BEWARE of their download ‘fair usage’ policy however.
Modem Setup
Step 1 - Connection
1. Plug your modem into your phone line.
a. Remember to use and ADSL filter on that and all other telephone points.
2. Connect your PC to the modem using the Ethernet cable (thick cable with two clear plugs on each end).
3. Turn on the modem – make sure the lights indicating you have an Internet connection are gree.
4. Open your Internet browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari).
5. If you can type google and the page comes up, then you just need to change the security settings on the modem. If you can’t open any web pages then you will need to add some additional ISP information (username and password). If you purchased the modem separately you will need to do this, if it came from your ISP, you probably won’t.
6. Usually the configuration page of the modem can be found by entering 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.64 in the address bar of your Internet browser (the modem will tell you this IP number).
7. Log on using the supplied username and password, often it is admin or administrator for the username and admin or password for the password (this is why you need to change this to protect your security).
8. Enter ISP supplied username and password – only do this if you need ot (ie you can’t reach google or any other websites).
9. If the option is there, set up connect on demand - max idle 20 minutes
10. Ensure the time zone is UK (GMT) or whichever time zone you are in.
11. You may need to change these settings, less liely if you the modem cam from your ISP.
- Encapsulation - usually PPPoA
- Multiplexing - usually VC
- VC - usually 0/38
12.Save settings
Step 2 - WiFi (wireless)
1. Click on WiFi tab.
2. Choose mixed for WiFi network mode (usually b and g)
3. Choose a network name (SSID) – we suggest you do not use the modem name (default) or a name that easily identifies you or your address.
Save if need be and go to the wifi security tab
4. Choose authentication type - WPA or WPA2 are best, WEP is not very good.
5. Choose encryption type, TKIP or AES - choose both if available.
6. Enter a password (min 8 characters, use letters and numbers).
7. Save settings.
Step 3 - Modem Security
1. Go to the main security tab.
2. Change the default password, don’t use the same one as you used for the WiFi.
3. Save settings.
Step 4 - Test the connection is working - go to google and do a search.
Step 5 – Once all is working, log back in to the modem and 'backup' settings. This is useful in case the modem needs resetting sometime in the future as it saves you having to reenter all the details. You would simply log into the modem at that time with either your password or the default password if the rest lost this and upload the settings file that you saved earlier.
Step 6 - make a note of the setting in the CRM.