broadband pdf document - A guide to North Devon
Contents
1. be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www Be There co uk Welcome to the ConsumerChoices co uk complete guide to speeding up your broadband which we are pleased to say is supported by Be There broadband Most people suffering from slow broadband speeds wrongly believe that it is solely down to the performance of their Internet Service Provider ISP but there are a multitude of other factors which can affect your connection speed Whilst the maximum speed of your connection is ultimately limited by your chosen broadband package there are plenty of things you can do to give yourself a better chance of achieving the headline speed Here we explore the most effective actions you can take be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk 0e The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk First things first Before we get stuck in there are two simple things you can do to prepare for the rest of the journey Checking your current speed and speaking to your ISP are vital first steps to improvement Consumer Choices If you haven t done so already download our free Speed Tester The Speed Tester is a tool that measures the speed at which your broadband connection is running It does this by sending a small file to your computer and recording how long it takes for the data to be downloaded Using the Speed Tester will allow you to find out exactly what speed you are currently a2. 10 Ethernet cable Using a wired connection rather than a wireless connection will boost your internet speeds Sponsored by The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Consumer Choices ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 Sponsored by The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www Be There co uk i i i ee a E a i If you want a fast and reliable connection you need to ensure that you have correctly fitted microfilters A microfilter has two sockets one for your broadband hardware and one for an optional telephone it functions to stop your voice service and your broadband signal interfering with each other You will need to make sure that you have a microfilter connected to each socket that Is in use i e each socket that has something like a phone fax modem or sky box plugged into it This is vital If you are having trouble with low speeds an unreliable connection or you can hear a high pitched noise on your telephone you should definitely check your microfilters are connected correctly and on every extension If you are using ones that you got free from your ISP and are having problems you may want to invest in some more expensive better quality ones You can pick up cheap microfilters for a couple of pounds but better quality ones may cost you up to 10 Maplin Electronics stocks a selection of microfilters One way to speed up your broadband connection is
3. Advertised Speed The reality is that very few people ever hit their advertised speed most people get only half of what they are expecting If soeed is what you need then you should look for a package that offers a faster connection than 8Mbps ADSL vs Cable Although fibre optic cable connections frequently top speed league tables suppliers such as Virgin do not wire these fibre cables to each home Furthermore issues such as your distance from the exchange make it impossible to say definitively whether cable or ADSL will serve you best Use our Broadband Comparison Service at to compare broadband deals and to find a more Suitable package for yourself If you are paying for an advertised high speed that you simply can t achieve from your location you can ask to pay less Ofcom has recently introduced a voluntary code of practice that allows customers with slow speeds to switch to a cheaper package with their current supplier at no extra cost 20 be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Be O2 and Sky are all making the most of advanced ADSL2 and ADSL2 technology the fastest exchange technology available to offer super fast broadband around the country Virgin uses cable technology to achieve its high speeds The following table illustrates the fastest packages that are currently available all the packages featured come with a 12 month minimum contract and unlimited downloads Fastes
4. 30minsorless Lessthan 25 1 Remove the ring wire from your faceplate 1 hourorless Free 3 Install a BT iPlate hourorless Lessthane25 2 Compare ISPs i hourorless Variabe 1 FM POY FH te Fae yt MK PNB TD PNM Th PNMYThM INIT FH Ph Please bear in mind that this is only a guide Some people do things faster than others and you can spend more or less on upgrading items depending on where you buy your equipment 1 Simple you should have no problems doing this 2 More attention required but should be fairly straight forward 3 Technical expertise required consider consulting a professional Ze be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line The technology that converts standard copper telephone wires enabling them to support high speed internet ADSL2 and ADSL2 Next generation broadband technology that can provide download speeds of up to 24Mbps Anti virus software Software that detects and removes or repairs virus infected files from a computer Bandwidth The data transfer capabilities of your broadband connection Bandwidth overhead Data that is not part of your user data but that is stored or transmitted with it for example encryption data Although essential it reduces the amount of user data that can be stored or transmitted Broadband High speed digital internet Browser A program such as Internet Expl
5. network and vice versa To change the channel used by your router you will need to log into the router settings through your web browser see right Find wireless options and there should be a drop down box with a list of available channels Simply testing other channels using trial and error may help you find a better one gt Accessing your router settings To access your router settings you need to use the IP address listed in your router s manual This local address usually looks like this 192 168 then followed by either a O or 1 and a number between 1 and 255 Enter this number into your web browser to access your router settings and make any necessary changes like this gt Get up close and personal For optimum quality and speed position your modem or router as close as possible to your master socket or faceplate This is the broadband entry point in your home the main white box on the wall or such like aS oppose to other telephone extension points Use the shortest cables that you can to connect the modem or router to the faceplate If you re on an ADSL connection up to 8Mb then moving your modem closer to the faceplate can increase your internet speed by up to 3Mb hi Sas jr Fele a drop Paw k Pn Ads oer alee Rem apn ler E kan Pr i Firmu Ha jF aed ee arog BONUS BOOST To analyse the wireless Signals present around you download Netstumbler from www stumblernet This will show you
6. providing thoroughly researched practical unbiased and comprehensive information on the following services gt Broadband gt Home Phone gt Digital TV gt Financial services gt Gas and electricity and gt Insurance We provide informative consumer guides up to the minute news on key industry developments and the chance for you to Ask Our Expert for personalised responses to specific questions and issues As well as detailed insightful editorial ConsumerChoices co uk has a wide selection of comprehensive calculators allowing you to compare products and services across a broad range of suppliers The site also provides access to a community of like minded individuals where you can read reviews and share your thoughts Consumer Choices La oe a ba Aia If you would like further information about the services we offer including the full range of Consumer Choices Complete Guides then visit www ConsumerChoices co uk or email customerservices consumerchoices co uk Consumer Choices Complete Guide to Speeding up your Broadband ConsumerChoices co uk and the Consumer Choices Complete Guides are trade marks of Decision Technologies Limited ConsumerChoices co uk Working hard to save you money ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 All rights reserved A m d l a Bnsored by E be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk sam Pac
7. to remove the ring wire wiring on your landline face plate inside the white box at the landline entry point to your home The ring wire was added to UK phone lines to send the bell tone the old ring ring around the home i e to extension phones however most modern phones do not require this extra wire Now that it s not needed it often just acts as a conductor for electrical interference A simple way to eradicate the effects of the ring wire and reduce this electrical interference is to purchase a BT iPlate Interstitial Plate The iPlate is quick and easy to install as it just sits between the existing master socket frontplate and backplate without any need to rewire BT have claimed that the device could improve home ADSL broadband speeds by as much as 3Mbps and on average improves speeds by 1 5Mbps The iPlate can be bought for around 15 from Vispa You can remove the ring wire yourself this normally involves disconnecting it at terminal 3 in the face plate but you should only try this if you are completely confident and competent in what you are doing If you are unsure be sure to seek professional advice and assistance as you are fully responsible for anything you do to your phone line or wiring 12 If you are having problems with noise on your telephone line you might want to try using two microfilters together Many people have found this helps JIC The Broadband Experts 080
8. 8 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Sponsored by Section 4 Software amp applications gt Spring clean your cache Every time you visit a web page your web browser will store or cache it This can make web browsing faster as your computer can call up some or all elements of a previously visited web page from your computer s local memory thus taking less time to display the page However all the items stored in your cache do take up space and over time it can get very full Periodically clearing out your browser s cache will enable it to function more effectively and will free up Space on your computer Here s how to clear your cache gt How to clean your cache E Internet Explorer 7 From the Tools menu select Internet Options Select the General tal and click Delete under Temporary internet files and Browsing history E Safari From the Safari menu select Empty Cache then when prompted click Empty E Firefox From the Tools menu select Clear private data and then choose Cache Screen shot Browsing history page 6 of screen grabs gt Upgrade your browser If you are unhappy with the browsing speed of your connection then you should definitely look at upgrading to a newer web browser Using the latest version of Internet Explorer currently Internet Explorer 7 or using an alternative browser such as Mozilla s Firefox could greatly re
9. are for the future availability of up to 100Mbps broadband go for a router that supports the new faster draft N 802 11n Routers and network adapters from different manufacturers should work in perfect harmony but the fact is that you can often get better performance if you pick ones of the same brand be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk The position of your router can have a significant effect on the quality of your wireless connection Positioning your router wisely can increase the range of the wireless signal and improve the speed and reliability of your connection Basically the closer your router is to your PC or laptop the stronger the signal will be However there are other aspects to consider and you need to position your router in a location where the signal will be affected by as few obstructions and little interference as possible Finding the best place for your wireless router can be a process of trial and error but following these top tios should help Establish a central location The shorter the straight line distance from your computer or laptop to the wireless router the stronger the signal will be If there are multiple computers sharing your wireless network you should place the router somewhere central between them in order to minimise the distance to each computer For example if you have several computers in bedrooms upstairs you may choose to position yo
10. chieving and see what difference the following suggestions make If you are not getting the speed you expected from your ISP then give them a call There are several external factors that affect speed for example the traffic management performed by your ISP You may be able to boost your connection simply by asking your ISP if there is anything they can do to help If you have been on the same package for a long time more than 12 months there s a good chance that it is now outdated Your ISP may be able to upgrade you to a faster and better value package for around the same price if you agree to start a new contract Ask your ISP what the maximum speed is that you should be able to achieve and then let s see if you can reach it 1 For internet connections of 24Mbps or more speed test results may be inaccurate Many speed testers cannot currently provide accurate results for such high speeds as they do not have a fast enough connection to the internet You may be able to boost your connection simply by asking your ISP if there is anything they can do to help 0e The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk 4 Sponsored by 7 De The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Routers In this the largest section of the guide we look at how to get the fastest speeds from your router whether this is through repositioning it replacing it or jazzing it up
11. conductor for electrical interference Router Hardware used to connect more than one computer or device to the internet Task Manager A special program that gives you advanced control over the programs that are running on your computer You can access it by right clicking on the Task bar or by pressing CTRL ALT and Delete simultaneously Traffic management Also known as traffic shaping this describes the way in which your ISP controls computer network traffic It can include throttling your connection if you download excessively during peak hours WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy Wireless encryption providing security against hackers and protecting data sent over wireless networks WPA Wifi Protected Access Newer more advanced method of encryption for wireless networks Provides more security than WEP Wireless WiFi The use of radio signals to connect computers to modems without cables so that they can connect to the internet without wires anywhere within the reach of the signal Wireless repeater A stand alone unit which increases the coverage of your wireless network by bouncing signals to remote wireless devices be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk 24 Sponsored by The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk About us At ConsumerChoices co uk we empower you to save money and make the best choices to suit your own circumstances We do this by
12. duce the time it takes your computer to download a web page You can check www download com for free downloads of the latest browsers but should be careful when making any changes to the settings on your computer 14 Generel secunty Privacy Comens Connectors Programe advanced Hiara ae a To create home page Babe Opp ech actrees on tin overt ine i Sera ee ipy amp Deiet temporary i feilir y cooked caved pacemonche p Change search detsults sema Genotton etbpape we deplved Setengs BONUS BOOST Switching off conflicting firewalls and unnecessary anti virus software should improve your connection speed as they constantly scan everything but you should be very wary of doing this WARNING Disabling any kind of software that is designed to protect your computer could leave you at risk of viruses and at the mercy of hackers Sponsored by be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Consumer Choices ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 Section 4 Software amp applications gt Monitor your applications Although you may not be able to see them there are many applications that may discretely start running when you log in to or turn on your computer such as Windows updates Real Player pop ups and security suite updates Whenever you log on to your computer these can start running and slow your computer d
13. he box marked No Also make sure that you quit the programme fully when you close it You can make sure you have done this by checking your Task Manager also accessible by pressing CTRL ALT and Delete simultaneously 15 Because they continu ally upload and download data P2P applications will not only slow you down but can also use up your download allowance BONUS BOOST It s important to be aware of your usage limits use our Download Monitor www BroadbandChoices co uk broadband download monitor htm to help you keep track of your down loading and uploading and ensure you don t exceed your allowance Sponsored by be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Consumer Choices ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 Sponsored by be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www Be There co uk N m Section 5 Connection gt Hate thy neighbour If you have wireless broadband the first and most important thing you should do is secure your wireless network If you are unwittingly sharing your connection with unauthorised users then they will be using up valuable bandwidth This means that the speed of your connection could really be suffering not to mention the security threat this poses gt HOW TO Check your wireless network To check whether your wireless network is secure go to My network places and click Scan for wireless
14. ireless devices that are connected to your network the slower your connection speeds will be To achieve the fastest broadband speeds make sure that you switch off any other devices that may be using your wireless connection whilst surfing be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Wsponsored by 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk A n j P i4 N xp At the end of the day if your current package can t deliver the soeed you want then it may be time to switch to another provider that can better support your needs In this section we explore your options Consumer Choices If you are currently on a low speed package then you are restricted in what speed you will ultimately be able to achieve Plenty of people are already on an up to 8Mbps connection however in a trial by Which customers with these packages achieved an average speed of just 2 7Mlbps The speed you will be able to achieve does depend on some factors which are out of your control such as your distance from the telephone exchange If you are more than 5 Km from the exchange your service could be significantly degraded whichever provider you choose It s important to evaluate the time and money needed to improve on your Current connection and only you can decide whether the cash would be better spent on an upgrade If you do decide to switch to a new package here are a two important factors to consider
15. kage Speed Monthly 1st year charge cost Be Value Up to el SHee 148 50 8Mbps Be Unlimited Up to 17 50 192 50 24Mbps Be Pro Up to 21 50 s2050 24Mbps Table correct as of 05 01 2009
16. n each website s servers Hence you ll find you experience a slower connection during peak periods Heaviest traffic is usually in the evenings so to benefit from the fastest soeeds you should try to surf when internet traffic is low generally in the day time or very late at night If you have heavy downloading to do you will get the fastest download speeds during off peak periods so you may want to set your computer to download large files overnight Another issue to bear in mind when timing your surfing is the limits that your ISP places on downloading Some ISPs as part of their traffic management will throttle dramatically slow down your connection if you are downloading large files during peak hours For example Virgin Media sets daily usage limits for its users If users exceed these limits set between 10am and 3pm and between 4pm and 9pm they could see their connections reduced by up to 75 PlusNet has clear download allowances for its users during the day and charges per GB if these limits are exceeded but it allows unlimited downloading free for all its customers between midnight and 8am To avoid having your connection cut make sure you know what your limits are and play by your ISP s rules If you have heavy down loading to do you will get the fastest download speeds during off peak periods so you may want to set your computer to download large files overnight As a general rule the more w
17. nd has to travel the more likely it is to deteriorate and lose quality gt Powerline Networking If wireless isn t working for you but it is impractical to connect your computers or laptops to your router using wired connections then you might want to try powerline networking This is actually a lot easier than it sounds Powerline networking or powerline communication is the technology that allows you to use the existing electrical wiring in your home to create a computer network It involves using special equipment which will send your network signals around your house via your household plug cables This works because although electrical power is distributed around your house at 50Hz the wires are actually capable of carrying a range of other frequencies Basically you just plug a Powerline device into a normal plug socket and use an Ethernet cable to connect it to your router or modem It will now be sending data signals down the power line You can then plug other Powerline devices at any other electrical outlet in your house to receive the signal and thus create a network Costing around 90 for two adapters it s not cheap but this method has seen a surge of popularity in recent years For the best speeds look for the latest HomePlug AV Standard which supports theoretical soeeds of up to 85 Mbps Bear in mind that performance can suffer if not all sockets are on the same ring main or are linked via different fuse boxes
18. networks Your own network should appear in the list which will usually be identified by aname and number for example SKY5678 If you are unsure which network is yours look for a label on your router or contact your ISP If your network is secure there will be a padlock next to its name on the screen If there is no padlock you need to take action At the very least you should have a Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP password and if your hardware is compatible you should set up amore secure Wifi Protected Access WPA encryption A WPA encryption is stronger and harder to crack but it is not compatible with all networks The WEP or WPA you use is simply the passkey used to access your network which encrypts data before transmission Most people create a simple password usually one that is easy to remember and keep it for months if not years However using a more complex WEP or WPA key and changing it more frequently will make it much harder for hackers to access your network gt HOW TO Change your passkey To change your WEP or WPA you need to go into your router settings as explained earlier look for wireless options and then security options When you have found the password option simply type or copy and paste your new chosen access key into it Once you have changed the access key you will need to make sure you enter it on each machine on your network to give them access to the network 1 7 hri
19. orer or Firefox which is used to view websites Cable A method of obtaining broadband via fibre optic cables Cache Temporary memory used in various ways but on the internet it s used to speed up your connection to sites you ve already visited Connection speed The speed at which data is transferred from the internet to your computer usually measured in Mbps Downloading Transferring files from the internet directly onto your computer Download limits The limits that some ISPs impose on downloads restricting the amount of content you can download from the internet usually on a monthly basis Encryption The scrambling of data so that it can only be read by the sender and authorised recipient Ethernet A type of computer network that allows a number of PCs to be linked together Faceplate The point at which your broadband enters your home Firewall Either as hardware in your router or software in your computer it guards against hackers and other unauthorised access to your computer via the internet Headline speed Advertised speed The up to maximum speed that ISPs use to describe their broadband packages Very few people ever reach this advertised speed Hi gain directional antenna An antenna which allows you to control and focus the direction of your wireless signal Interstitial plate A device that sits between the existing master socket frontplate and backplate which eradica
20. outer brand and model We recommend routers made by Netgear and Belkin as they are known for their reliability and the quality of the connection they provide In order to use your own router you will need to obtain your ISP s broadband network username and password Sometimes this is accessible from your old router using your IP address but sometimes you will need to contact your ISP to get it Sky Broadband will not give you access to this username and password and it will not provide any technical support unless you are using the Sky router provided If you do opt to use your own router you will be in breach of the terms and conditions of your contract and in theory could have your service suspended Most other ISPs although they will allow you to use your own router are unable to provide technical support to you if you choose to do so This is due to the almost infinite number of hardware combinations and router selections which make it impractical for ISPs to train their technical staff to deal with every possibility TalkTalk however will provide technical support to those who choose their own router ideal for those who want faster speeds but lack confidence in their own technical expertise This is a recommendation We have no affiliation with Netgear or Belkin Virgin Media has already announced the launch of its 50Mbps broadband and it s likely that faster speeds are yet to come If you want to prep
21. own Almost all of these can be set so that they don t start up automati cally which will reduce your bandwidth overhead and should make a noticeable difference to your connection speed To find out which applications are running on your PC right click on the Task bar and go to your Task Manager You can see what s running in the Applications tab and also see if anything is running secretly by clicking on the Processes tab You should always choose to give permission before an application runs or ensure the applications are set up to run at more convenient times for example only downloading podcasts at night gt Disable P2P software While the new breed of TV download applications such as the BBC s iPlayer and Channel 4 s 40D are great for entertainment they are not so great for your connection speed These applications can slow down your connection dramatically because they continue to run in the background even after you think you ve turned them off Because they continually upload and download data using a legal peer to peer system constantly using your internet connection they will not only slow you down but can also use up your download allowance To avoid this check the settings and make sure the programme is set to no peer to peer so it won t run when you are not using it To do this for example on BBC s iPlayer you simply click on Settings and where it says Allow P2P Access check t
22. reless network without having to fit any extra wiring They work by bouncing signals to remote wireless devices They preserve the integrity of signals which may not otherwise have had the power to reach the destination device and extend the distance over which data can safely travel For example if your router is downstairs and your study is upstairs you could place a repeater on your landing Simply placing a wireless repeater halfway between your wireless router and your computer should result in an instant boost to signal strength A hi gain antenna allows you to control and focus the direction of the signal letting you literally aim it towards the area of your house where the wireless devices are located There are many ways to tweak and adjust your router or modem settings which can increase speeds These tweaks will likely be manufacturer specific so have a good read of your router s manual be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Section 2 Routers gt Change your Channel Changing the wireless channel through which your router transmits data can improve speeds and make your connection more reliable A wireless router can select from one of 13 different radio channels to use but many people don t change theirs from the default This means your wireless network is most likely on the same channel as your neighbours which could be interfering and slowing down your
23. s 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Wireless routers will normally contain an in built omnidirectional antenna An omnidirectional antenna will transmit your Wifi signal equally in all directions However if you want a stronger signal and thus a better connection you might consider replacing this antenna There are basically two options 1 Buy an external omnidirectional antenna This will be significantly stronger than the router s in built antenna and should increase network performance as well as allowing further locations to be better reached However strong omnidirectional signals can raise security issues as they are more likely to extend beyond you property boundaries and thus make your connection more susceptible to piggy backing neighbours 2 Buy ahi gain directional antenna Rather than transmitting your wireless signal in all directions a hi gain antenna allows you to control and focus the direction of the signal letting you literally aim it towards the area of your house where the wireless devices are located This can improve the quality and strength of your wireless connection To give your wireless signal a real kick invest in a wireless repeater These can be quite expensive costing from around 30 to over 100 but they promise to improve your wireless signal Wireless repeaters sometimes called range expanders are stand alone units which provide an easy way to increase the coverage of your wi
24. s Tacks rd bebe ieee Fl i da bet Up aie it l lo aho OF ma a Jy iat tos srai rearing of Charge the onde ul ieaie tetris F Charge rfm Seren Tite rites n bha lai beksa bo canat bo a pareiect aie i lane oe bo et nee information p u imeri mali verimi reiri APA alll g T aj eo SEYakgTi SV Ta alll C Desir Ey arabin oop chi tee PI PEIA 1ER n Dadu aibe ver iii pete A ail T Reeuniby sprabheed war elers naiari alil BONUS BOOST Use our WEP WPA key generator at www Broad bandChoices co uk wireless key generator html to create the most complex access key for the type of encryption you use Simply visit the generator click refresh or press F5 on your keyboard and the generator will present a list of 64 128 and 256bit WEP keys as well as 64 128 256 and even 504bit WPA keys for you to choose from Each key is unique and the same one will never be generated twice so you can change your access key as often as you like Sponsored by be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Consumer Choices ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 The time of day at which you surf can greatly affect your connection speed This is because when lots of people are attempting to access the internet at the same time not only will there be more traffic on the physical phone lines there will also be more traffic o
25. t speed available 1st year cost of Eroviger high speed package Monthly charge Up to 24Mbps L150 192 50 Table correct as of 05 01 2009 To find out whether super fast broadband is available in your area type your postcode into our Broadband Calculator at be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk 1 The 1st year cost includes any promotional discounts modem costs and connection fees but does not include monthly line rental 21 2 When taken ou with Virgin Phone M and phone line for 11 a month This table sums up the tip we have been through in this guide It gives an estimate of the time cost and difficulty level of each task Task Time Cost Difficulty Secure your wireless network 30 mins or less Free_ 2 Switch off other devices 10minsorless Free 1 va Fe 1i Upgrade your router 1hourorless Morethang25 2 Reposition your router 1 hourorless Free 2 Upgrade your antenna 1hourorless Morethang25 2 Add a wireless repeater 1hourorless Morethan 25 2 Switch to a wired connection 30minsorless Lessthang25 2 Try powerline networking 1 hourorless Morethang25 2 Upgrade your browser 30minsorless Free 2 Monitor applications 30minsorless Free 1 Disable P2P software 10minsorless Free 1 Clean your cache 10minsorless Free 1 Change your wireless channel 30minsorless Free 1 Upgrade your microfilters
26. tes the effects of the ring wire IP Internet Protocol address The identifying number of a computer attached to a network D C ISP Internet Service Provider The company that provides your internet connection l ia i The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 Modem The hardware used to connect your computer to the internet annu elaecoik 29 Mbps Megabits per second A measure of the speed at which data is transferred used to represent the speed of your broadband connection MB Megabytes and GB Gigabytes Measures of data size these could refer to your download limit Microfilter A channel filter used to alleviate noise interference from the ADSL line on phone and fax extensions Modem A device that connects a computer to the internet by transferring data between the two Network Adapter Also known as a network interface card this allows networked computers access to another device such as a printer Ofcom The independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries including broadband providers Omnidirectional antenna An antenna which transmits your wireless signal equally in all directions Powerline communication The technology that allows you to use the existing electrical wiring in your home to create a computer network Ring wire Wiring in your faceplate that was originally used to send the bell tone around the home but now often just acts as a
27. ur router on your landing Avoid obstructions Any barriers between the router and your computer will have a negative effect on your wireless signal The strongest barriers tend to be walls and doors but any obstructions including bookcases other furniture and especially metal objects can have an impact Get high Because many obstructions are closer to floor level you may find that positioning your router near the ceiling can improve signal coverage High shelves and bookcases are popular locations Prevent frequency wars Position your router at least a metre away from any appliances that emit wireless signals in the same frequency range around 2 4GHz usually marked on the appliance or in the user manual Appliances such as cordless telephones baby monitors and some microwaves can all interfere with and weaken your wireless signal Mind the electrics Electrical equipment can also interfere with and degrade your router signal Avoid locations near fridges electric fans fluorescent lighting and other electrical equipment Avoid reflections Some wireless signals will literally bounce off windows mirrors and metal countertops This can reduce your network range and performance so sacrifice your vanity and hide those mirrors away You need to position your router in a location where the signal will be affected by as few obstructions and little interference as possible be The Broadband Expert
28. which channels are currently in use by you and your neighbours and help you find a channel that is clear If you re on an ADSL connection up to 8Mb then moving your modem closer to the faceplate can increase your inter net speed by up to 3Mb Sponsored by be The Broadband Experts 0808 101 3421 www BeThere co uk Consumer Choices ConsumerChoices co uk 2008 Section 2 Routers gt Get wired Whether you connect wirelessly or via a cable will make a difference to your connection speed If you have a generally reliable and fast connection then connecting wirelessly shouldn t be a big issue However if you are suffering from frustratingly slow speeds and have been using a wireless router then it s definitely worth trying to connect via a cable Using a wired connection rather than a wireless connection will boost your internet soeeds because data packets travel faster through wires than air Plus a wired connection will be faster as there is no need for advanced encryption and security measures For optimum speeds connect to your router via a good quality Ethernet cable rather than a USB cable Most PCs contain an Ethernet card which has its own CPU memory to manage the internet connection Accessing this by using an Ethernet cable will result in faster soeeds than using a USB cable which uses the main CPU of the computer Use the shortest cables you can as the further your broadba
29. with an external antenna or wireless repeater We also look at the difference in speed between wired and wireless connections and delve into the technology behind powerline networking Consumer Choices If you are using the wireless router that you received free from your ISP then you may not be getting the fastest speeds available Routers supplied by ISPs are normally very basic which is why they are free If you re confident when it comes to reconfiguring hardware and diagnosing any problems you may experience with your router you may want to swap your under performing free router with a more powerful model Investing in a higher spec more powerful router which will give you a much stronger signal could greatly improve your connection speed and will generally also have other benefits such as a better firewall If you choose a multi port router you will be able to use multiple wired connections and allocate specific ports for gaming If you re using an 802 116 wireless network the most common type and its performance is unsatisfactory i e speeds are substantially slower when using your wireless connection than when using a wired connection you might want to consider replacing your equipment Routers and network adapters that are 802 11g compatible can be up to five times faster You can usually check which network your router supports by referring the manual looking at the manufacturer s website or Googling the r
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search