Broadband Fact Sheet
By Andrew Ferguson
www.thinkbroadband.com
Contents
1. The UK Broadband Market
2. The Big Difference 'up to 8Mbps' Products Make
3. What the BT Wholesale Broadband Checker Actually Means
4. Choosing A Broadband Provider
5. Broadband Hardware
6. Micro-filters
7. What to expect from your broadband provider
8. What should happen if you do not receive a service?
9. How can I improve my broadband speeds?
1. The UK Broadband Market
The UK broadband market, while dominated by ADSL and cable services has a variety of solutions available. A short synopsis of the various options is below:
1. ADSL was launched in the UK in 2000, but over the years the availability has expanded and a number of technical limits changed.
• In 2000 you had to be within 3.5km of the exchange to get any service
• July 2001 the limits changed to allow a 0.5Mbps (Mega bits per second - often referred to as Meg) service with a line length of 5.5km
• December 2002 saw the 0.5Mbps limit rise to around 6km
• September 2004, the limit for 0.5Mbps was abolished
• March 2006, 'up to 8Mbps' service launched with no line limits
It is normal when talking about line distance to mean the length of telephone cable between your house and the exchange building, rather than a radial distance. The changes to the ADSL limits and increased roll-out means that people who applied for ADSL a couple of years ago and failed should try to order again.
ADSL is available to 99.7% of households across the UK. Some exchanges in Scotland has an Exchange Activate service, where only a limited 0.5Mbps service is available.
2. Cable broadband is generally limited to cities and larger towns, coverage is about 50% of UK households. Two providers cover the UK, Virgin Media ( http://www.virginmedia.com/) and Small World ( http://www.smallworldmedia.com/). Small World provides services to the counties of Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Northumberland, Cumbria and parts of Lancashire.
3. Wireless, sometimes called Wi-Fi, is generally confined to hotspots such as at some coffee and fast food outlets. Some commercial services are available with a wider range so check to see what is available in your area. The Western Isles have http://www.hebrides.net/ supplying broadband. WiMAX, which has a greater range than Wi-Fi, is appearing in parts of the country.
4. 3G - many mobile phones offer 3G connectivity. 3G data cards are now available with price plans starting at £10 a month and can be a useful option if you move address a lot.
5. Community Wireless Projects - These started life when ADSL coverage was not so great but some continue and it is worth asking around locally before giving up hope on broadband.
6. Local Loop Unbundling - This is ADSL or its faster version ADSL2+ using the telephone network, but with the providers own kit in the exchange. Generally it is confined to cities and larger towns.
7. Satellite based broadband can provide connectivity where services like ADSL will not be able to. Two forms are available. Two-way which does not require a telephone line at all, or one-way which uses your telephone line to send the requests for data. Satellite broadband will have a greater time lag which makes it unsuitable for the majority of games you can play online.
2. The Big Difference 'up to 8Mbps' Products Make
Almost all providers now sell an 'up to 8Mbps' (8 Meg) product and very often it is all you can buy. The phrase 'up to 8Mbps' refers to the fact that the ADSL service will negotiate the best connection speed every time it connects to the exchange. In some literature this product may be referred to as a Max product.
The 'up to 8Mbps' products have no defined line length limits and will connect at between 160Kbps (Kilo bits per second) and 8Mbps (Mega bits per second). The exact connection speed depends on a variety of factors such as, the length of your telephone line, the state of the telephone extension wiring in the property, how well your ADSL modem copes with your individual telephone line and even the time of day (generally the hours of darkness are the most unstable time for ADSL). Many people with an 'up to 8Mbps' service have improved their connection speeds and stability of service by using things like ADSL faceplates at the BT Master Socket, which is covered elsewhere in this fact sheet.
Please be aware that with 'up to 8Mbps' services, you may find some providers tell you that you are too far away from the exchange to receive it. This is because some providers will only offer a 0.5Mbps for those with long lines, which is somewhat at odds with the advantage of an up to 8Mbps service in that it will adapt and may actually work on lines where a 0.5Mbps service has previously failed.
3. What the BT Wholesale Broadband Checker Actually Means
There is a broadband checker at http://www.btwholesale.com/getbroadband that will give an estimate of what BT believes your telephone line is capable of delivering in terms of ADSL connection speeds. The figures given by the checker are largely based on the paper records for a specific telephone line, but if you have an 'up to 8Mbps' Max product, data is fed back to the checker from the lines actual performance.
The checker while useful and reasonably accurate in many cases is not 100% accurate but unfortunately some broadband providers do take it as gospel. It should also be noted that some broadband providers refuse orders on lines that are termed as 'very unlikely' when in a significant number of cases ADSL would actually work. When you have a telephone number for a line always use that, the alternate postcode checker is a lot less accurate and generally should not be used.
If you have just moved into a property or have changed the telephone number of a line the checker takes around 48 hours to a week to catch up as the info rmation percolates through the BT group.
The best way to explain the checker is to show some examples:
BT Wholesale The ADSL Broadband Availability Checker Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a line rate up to 2Mbps. Our test also indicates that your line should be able to support a potential ADSL Max broadband line rate of 8Mbps. The actual ADSL Max line rate supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use, after which time the highest stable rate possible will be set. If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the service you wish to purchase. Thank you for your interest. Note: If you have an ISDN or Home Highway service connected to this number and you wish to purchase Broadband ADSL, this can be arranged through your Service Provider. You will only be able to keep one of your ISDN / Home Highway telephone numbers - generally you can choose any of your numbers but there are some rare exceptions. If you have an existing Broadband ADSL service and wish to change service providers then please contact both your new and existing service provider to have this service transferred. If you do not know who the current Service Provider is, please contact your new Service Provider, who would be able to help you to resolve this issue. | The first paragraph gives an estimate of the speed for a fixed speed service such as the 0.5Mbps, 1Mbps and 2Mbps products. The second paragraph refers to ADSL Max which is the BT Wholesale up to 8Mbps product. While speeds of 3Mbps in this case are estimated this is not guaranteed. The third paragraph can be confusing. At no point is the maximum speed for a Max line set, it is referring to a figure stored for fault finding purposes. The final paragraph indicates that this line has an ADSL service running on it already. |
Note: You will be able to receive a Broadband service but could experience a slightly longer product delivery time, typically within 10 days as your telephone line running from your premises will need to be changed to enable this (a process referred to as 'de-DACS'). In some rare instances BT may need to undertake significant engineering work to provide service that could further extend the product delivery time (up to around 40 days is possible, but rare). An estimated service delivery time will be provided to your Broadband Provider following a site survey. | A small number of lines will receive a message referring to a line sharing device called a DACS. Some broadband providers reject orders like this. If your order is rejected within 24 to 48 hours then usually it is down to the broadband provider, the actual checking process will normally take around a week. BT will work to remove the DACS unless it will cost £1000's to do so. If you have dial-up and it connects at over 28Kbps, then the message is likely to be in error and needs correcting. |
Note: Our records indicate that BT has supplied service to this number using a special fibre. This explains why the checker message has returned this marginal result. If you still wish to order then please note the order will be delayed until a site survey has been carried out to see if service can be provided. | This is a TPON (Telephony Passive Optical Network) warning, which means you have a fibre connection between the exchange and the street cabinet. BT needs a week or so to check records and see if the line can be moved to a copper pair compatible with ADSL. A number of broadband providers are known to reject orders on TPON lines without checking with BT Wholesale. |
Our initial test indicates that it is VERY UNLIKELY you will be able to receive 512Kbps broadband service due to the very long length of your telephone line. However, your order will be accepted if you still wish to order. An engineer may need to visit who will, where possible, supply the broadband service. If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable. | Very long telephone lines will get this message. The message seems to suggest a very poor chance of getting ADSL, but you can still order and there are many people who order an up to 8Mbps product and get reasonable speeds. The engineer visit will not occur automatically and would normally be booked by your broadband provider if once the service is activated it does not work. |
Your exchange has ADSL broadband. However, despite an engineer's visit to your premises it has been proved not possible for your telephone line to support broadband service. Please accept our apologies. We are continuing to look for alternative technology solutions and this site will be updated with developments as they happen. Note: If you have already placed an order for Broadband and now wish to change to a new supplier, then you will need to cancel the existing order with your current service provider or your new request will be rejected. If you do not know who the current Service Provider is, please contact your new Service Provider, who would be able to help you to resolve this issue. | This is worst message possible from the checker and is often called a RED message by providers. This suggests that ADSL was tried on this line, but even after an engineer visit it did not work. if you know an engineer has visited, or ADSL has never been ordered, then you need to contact your provider to resolve this error. If you have ordered ADSL, this message usually shows up once the order has been logged with BT Wholesale. A variation is if it is mentions a cease is due by certain date, which indicates you are probably cancelling your existing service or moving to an unbundled service. |
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4. Choosing A Broadband Provider
There are hundreds of broadband providers to choose from, but the market is dominated by just six large providers. The large providers can often prove to be less flexible than the smaller providers when you have an unusual situation, such as line sharing devices (DACS) or special fibre (TPON) messages from the checker.
Some useful general rules on choosing a provider are:
1. Consider a local provider who may understand local issues better
2. Create a shortlist of providers based on your budget
3. Read the small print
4. Watch out for surcharges based on where you live and payment method
5. Make sure the monthly fee is not just an introductory price
6. Check what any excessive usage charges are to avoid unexpected bills.
7. Remember that when switching to broadband you are likely to use it more than an existing dial-up service
8. With long contracts check what the costs of moving home would be, or charges to cancel the contract early
9. Some unlimited products use traffic management which can be more restrictive that another provider who has defined usage limits
10. Check out what others are saying about a service provider, particularly as packages that may look identical may offer widely varying experiences
11. Make sure that calling support will not be an expensive process
12. If getting free set-up or free hardware, check the contract for what happens at the end of the contract
13. If one provider promises an 8Mbps connection do not believe them, until you are enabled no-one can guarantee your possible speeds
5. Broadband Hardware
The precise type of hardware you will need depends on the broadband service you select. Some providers only support a small number of ADSL modems, while others supply hardware with the service. Many providers do allow a choice of hardware and for people with long telephone lines this is useful as some kit will work better on a long line.
The most common modems are basic USB ADSL modems, which while suitable for many, are not ideal for very high speed connections (faster than 4Mbps) or very long lines with a poor ADSL signal. Generally an ADSL modem/router that connects to your computer via wireless or Ethernet can provide a more stable connection and provide much better feedback on the state of the ADSL line.
One myth propagated about modem/routers is that they need to be left on 24/7, if you use your connection a lot this is probably worthwhile, but for people using their broadband for a few hours each evening there is nothing wrong with switching it off when you go to bed. Doing so also saves money on your electricity bill, and can avoid a low IP Profile due to slow speed reconnects while asleep.
If buying ADSL hardware it is recommended that you buy kit compatible with ADSL2+ since this is available already and will be more widely available soon.
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=dslrouter is a good place to see what others people are saying about the hardware available.
Obviously if ordering a cable or wireless service different hardware will be required, so check with your broadband provider.
6. Micro-filters
Micro-filters exist for ADSL and ADSL2+ services since the telephones connected to the line can interfere with the ADSL service and may slow it down or stop it working.
The biggest single question with micro-filters is how many filters do I need? The answer is simple, count the number of devices plugged into your phone line and you need that many filters. If you are using socket doublers then you can save a filter, by putting the filter before the doubler. A warning - if your ADSL modem is on an extension it will not work if there is a filter on the other end of the extension. Remember Sky boxes and alarms connected to the phone line also need filtering.
One good place to source micro filters is http://www.adslnation.com/ whose XF-1e filter has a 30 day money back guarantee. http://www.solwise.co.uk/ is another site with a good range of filter hardware and both sites provide information on how they should be used. Both these sites also sell ADSL faceplates. Micro-filters can be purchased in the high street but watch out for over priced cheap imports, always look for a filter than says it meets or exceeds the BT SIN 346 v2.2 guidelines.
An alternative to micro-filters that is both neater and can often improve your broadband speeds is to fit an ADSL master socket faceplate. These have the advantage of isolating multiple extensions from the ADSL modem using just one device. A guide to fitting a faceplate can be found at:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/install.html#226
The type of lead used to connect an ADSL modem is important; it should be a twisted pair type cable. Avoid telephone extension kits that wind up onto a drum, do not use flat ribbon cables, and do not run ADSL wiring parallel to mains cables. The best types of cables will be made using CAT3 or CAT5 cable.
7. What to expect from your broadband provider
When you have problems it is worth going through some basic checks before trying to call support:
1. Check leads connecting hardware together
2. Check the micro-filter and ADSL modem are plugged in
3. Is the ADSL modem showing an ADSL signal? If not try switching it off and then on again after a couple of minutes.
4. Check it is not the computer by rebooting it.
5. Connect the ADSL modem to the test socket in the master socket to eliminate the home phone wiring.
6. See whether the ADSL modem can see the telephone exchange i.e. is reporting upstream and downstream connection speeds.
7. Try using a dial-up connection or pop around to friends and check your provider's online status pages for a widespread problem before calling them.
Intermittent problems are always the most difficult to solve, so it is best to contact the provider at the time the problem is exhibiting itself.
Broadband providers should have an escalation procedure so that if your fault is not handled you can escalate it higher up within the company.
8. What should happen if you do not receive a service?
This section covers what should happen if you have ordered ADSL and your broadband provider insists it is activated but you cannot access the Internet.
In the first instance you should check all your wiring and the set-up of the computer and ADSL hardware. Most broadband providers will run through this sequence with you and also recommend trying the ADSL in the test socket of the BT master socket. The test socket can be seen to the left, the faceplate has been removed to reveal the test socket on the box attached to the wall. If your ADSL works using the test socket then it is time to check all the phone extensions and make sure every telephone device has an ADSL micro-filter on it.
If your hardware and wiring checks out the broadband provider should arrange a BT engineer visit. The provider may warn you of a potential cost for this visit, this is usually around £80 but will only be charged if it turns out the fault was down to you, for example using the wrong lead for the ADSL modem, or extensions you have put into the property which are stopping the ADSL working.
When the BT engineer finally visits, they will want to know where your BT master socket is and he will test using his own ADSL modem and laptop in the test socket. If
this fails to work they should normally proceed to test again out in the street and if that does not show any ADSL signal they may visit the exchange to verify whether your line is ADSL enabled or not. Not all engineers who do home visits are able to verify the exchange side, so it may take a few days for that side of things.
If the broadband provider simply tells you that your line is too long after doing the preliminary checks but without arranging an engineer visit, insist on the visit being booked. If they refuse it is time to cancel the service and move to a provider that will arrange a visit. Bear in mind that there is always the chance that the computers say your line is enabled, but a mistake has been made and maybe the neighbours line was enabled (this has been known to actually happen).
9. How can I improve my broadband speeds?
The first thing you should do is ensure the computer itself is not the problem, for example is it slow because it has too much software running at once on it? Secondly check at http://www.broadbandreports.com/tweaks whether your computers MTU (Max Transmittable Unit) and RWIN (Receive Window) are optimal for broadband.
The various broadband speed testers are useful, and generally are accurate but are actually an end to end test with many places that could be a bottleneck between you and the server. The BT Wholesale tester at http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ in most cases will be the tester that should demonstrate minimal effects from congestion and will also let you see your current IP Profile setting. It is important to test speeds at several times of the day to get the full picture.
For those with an 'up to 8Mbps' (rate adaptive) service, removing unused telephone extensions can help to reduce the amount of noise affecting the ADSL service. To get an idea of the best speed you can achieve plug the ADSL modem into the test socket of the BT master socket and see what speed the modem is connecting at. Due to the way the IP Profile works speed tests will take between a few hours and days to catch up to changes in connection speed.
For those on a fixed speed service who want to know what speeds they may get on a rate adaptive service obtain the current line speeds and associated attenuation and noise margin (Signal to Noise ratio margin) figures from your ADSL modem then see what maximum speed the calculator at http://www2.farina1.com/adsl gives. http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm shows how to get the data from most kit.