Finding the right broadband deal

More competition in the broadband marketplace is great news for consumers but how do you work out which features you need, and does a cheap monthly subscription mean you are getting the best value for money?

To help you shop around, here is a guide to the features you will see advertised as part of broadband subscriptions.

Speed and contention ratios
The first thing most users look for is the speed of the service, rated in kilobits or megabits per second. The speed at which you can send files to another user or a website (the 'upload' speed) is usually at least half the download speed.

This is because most home users don't have much need for a fast upload rate. However, if you often send large files, some ISPs offer the same speed in both directions.

The figures quoted are maximums rather than guarantees and that's where our next element fits in. Contention ratios define the maximum amount of people that share your local branch of the internet connection at the same time.

A ratio of 50:1 is standard, although it might be far lower if your neighbours haven't subscribed. You can buy more expensive services at 20:1 but there's no guarantee you'll notice the difference online.

A 128Kbps service will give the benefit of an always-on link but is only suitable for surfing simple web pages and downloading email a bit quicker.

A 256Kbps link is where you'll start to notice the faster speed but we'd recommend paying a few extra pounds for the most popular speed - 512Kbit/s - which is 10 times the speed of a dial-up connection. Ask your ISP how much it will cost you to upgrade to a faster service in future.

Home users who tend to use their internet connection outside office hours should consider off-peak services, where high-speed links are offered in the evenings and weekends. The downside of this is that speeds are limited during weekdays but, if you're not using the connection at those times, that is hardly a problem.

Caps and web space
Some ISPs now impose limits on how much data you can download and we expect to see more of these so-called 'capped' services in the coming year. Services at the cheaper end of the scale (those below £20) are most likely to have caps.

If you are buying broadband to speed up your surfing and email downloads, then caps aren't really a worry. But if you want to take full advantage of the many music and film downloads that are available, make sure the cap fits your needs.

To give an idea, BT claims that 1Gb is roughly equal to 200 music tracks or 20,000 web pages. Ask the ISP to confirm charges for users who exceed a cap.

Most services offer your own email address and some space to create a website, with some offering tools that help you do this. If you want to create online photo albums then 25Mb should be more than sufficient. Check that you have enough email addresses for all your family, and a few spare.

Security
Broadband connections remain active whenever the computer is switched on, so you will need some basic security measures. Some ISPs now include these in the subscription price.

Ask whether you will be getting any antivirus software and how often it is automatically updated. To be effective, this should happen at least once daily.

Family subscribers who want to protect their children from inappropriate material should opt for services that include parental control software, including spam filtering.

Sharing
The final important detail is whether the connection can be shared. The advent of wireless networks in the home mean that a broadband connection can be shared between two or more PCs.

So if you'd like to check your email in the study while the kids research their homework in the front room, make sure that sharing is an option. Many ISPs also offer the equipment you need to set this up, for an extra fee.

Weighing up the deal
Judging the overall value of a service is far easier if you look at how much it costs for the first year. Multiply the monthly charge by 12 and add the cost, if any, for the equipment you will need to get going.

Activating your telephone or cable line for broadband costs money but ISPs often waive this to attract new customers.

Keeping track of the many changing deals on offer is a full-time job in itself, but there is a website that keeps tabs on providers. Visit www.adslguide.org.uk for up-to-date information on services and charges.

See also:

Tuning in to online radio

A few years from now, your old FM radio will look more at home in a museum than in your living room. We tune in to the web see what's on offer.  13 May 2004

Keeping your kids safe online

The internet is a great learning and leisure tool for kids, but it's not always the safest place. We look at some of the products that can help to protect children online.  29 Apr 2004

A guide to microsoft.com - Part 2

In the second part of our guide to Microsoft's website, we look at Newsgroups and the Knowledge Base.  20 Apr 2004

A guide to microsoft.com - Part 1

Overwhelmed by Microsoft's product support websites? Use our guide to pinpoint what you're after every time.  20 Apr 2004

Plug-in to a better browser

We often bemoan the lack of features on our web browsers. The good news is that with a simple plug-in or two you can leave your surfing stresses behind.  19 Apr 2004

How to make more of your photos

Don't settle for merely printing your photos on paper. Get creative with our alternative printing guide.  19 Apr 2004

One fifth of US homes on broadband

US connections reach 20 per cent of homes, while UK trails with 12 per cent  07 Apr 2004

vnunet.com hosts free advice on broadband

Try out our new forums about broadband in business and at home  06 Apr 2004

Broadband brings broad benefits

A new report by an eminent sociologist argues that broadband brings more benefits than we might imagine  30 Mar 2004

Broadband Britain: Where are we now?

If you can't yet switch to a faster internet service what are your chances of being able to in the not-too-distant future?  11 Feb 2004

Banding together for broadband

For those living beyond the reach of cable and ADSL, broadband may seem like a pipe dream. But there are alternatives.  02 Feb 2004

Join the broadband revolution - Part 1

Still using a 56K modem? Then maybe it's time you invested in broadband. In Part 1 of our feature, we explain all you need to know about this high-speed internet access technology.  29 Jan 2004

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!