Broadband jargon

[fairy!]

I'm looking in to getting broadband & don't really know what I'm doing... Can someone please translate...

Unlimited 1mb (20x speed)
Unlimited 2mb (40x speed)

Then there's ones that say 24mb... & 160X speed & 480x speed.... etc...

Please help!!

[BillyNoMates]

Quite simple really - the Yx refers to the speed compared to using a dial-up modem on a 'phone line.

These are usually quoted as around 56K - so a 1Mb connection is approximately 10 times faster, 2Mb 20 times faster etc. Think of it as a wider pipe the larger the number, so the more data it can pass.

With regard to the unlimited - this means that you can use the connection as much as you like. There is no limit to how much Email, video, music you can download etc. Some companies impose a monthly limit after which you can be charged extra.

2Mb is probably the most common speed these days and 1-2Mb is adequate for the average user. If you are a heavy online gamer or download a lot of music and video you may want something faster.

[eye_nose]

The first thing you have to do is decide if you want to get broadband through your telephone line or via cable. If you alreay have cable tv then cable broadband will probably be the easier option. Your choice in either of these will be limited to what is available in your area. Go here to find out - http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/

Bear in mind - many phone lines (mine included) cannot handle the higher download speeds. Mine is 1Mps tops.

Go here http://www.solo.pipex.net/ and type your full phone # in to step one, and it will tell you what speeds your line can take (if it's a BT line).

[fairy!]

Very helpful, thanks guys!

I have a BT landline (don't have cable where I live) & will be connecting wirelessly.

I'll check out those websites. Thanks again! :-)