What is Broadband? A broadband connection (ADSL) provides high-speed Internet access over a standard phone line. The advantage of a broadband connection over the older dialup service, is that Broadband is considerably faster, and is 'always-on', meaning that once you're logged on, your PC is online until the PC is turned off again. Broadband offers high-speed Internet access and allows telephone calls and a permanent Internet connection to share a single phone line simultaneously.   What do I need? Broadband coverage in your area. Each broadband provider allows you to enter your phone number or postcode to check availability. A basic test is done on your line, and when you sign up, a more comprehensive test is carried out. A Broadband (ADSL) modem. These cost from around £50 (PC World) - although many providers, inlcuding BT Broadband bundle a free modem with their service. Microfilters. When Broadband is enabled, the broadband signal is available via any extension socket in your home as well as the main point. You'll need to use a filter to cut out the Broadband "crackle". You need a filter on every phone socket that has something plugged into it - such as phone handsets, fax machines and your Sky box.   Installing Broadband If you're looking to get Broadband, you'll need to be in an area of broadband coverage, have signed up with a company to give you Broadband, and have a Broadband modem. Once you have signed up for your account, there's normally around a five day wait, while your provider makes the appropriate changes to your phone service at your local phone exchange. After that, you'll be switched on to Broadband. Here's a summary of what happens next: If you don't have a Broadband modem, you'll hopefully have requested one - if you've gone with BT Broadband, you'll probably be sent a BT Home Hub (pictured). The modem will probably be posted or couriered to you. Once you have your modem and it's your activation day, here's what you'll need to do to connected: Start up the PC, and install the supplied software - it's the modem drivers for the Broadband modem Plug the microfilter into the phone socket (you also need microfilters for other handsets/equipment in your house, as above) Plug the modem's phone lead into the ADSL port of the filter Plug the modem's USB lead into a spare USB port on the PC From the start menu, start up the supplied software, and enter the account details supplied by your broadband provider. You should just have a username and password - unlike a dialup account, there's no phone number Summary of setup       Broadband vs Dialup? Most of the marketing for broadband sells the fact that broadband is a fast, always-on service. If you're considering broadband for home, here's a summary of the key differences between broadband and dialup: Cost - There are no call charges so you don't have to worry about hanging up when you're finished. On the downside, you have to pay a monthly subscription fee to use broadband, and you have to buy a special broadband modem. Connection time - This is where the 'always-on' bit has benefits - you establish a connection, and hang on to it. You don't have to worry about logging off to save money. This saves all the hanging about waiting for your modem to dial in, connect, establish a connection and authenticate with your password Speed - Standard dialup modems have a maximum speed of 56k, and broadband typically offers between 1meg and 8meg connections - up to 160 times faster than dialup. Note that you're sharing your bandwidth with other users in your area, so data transfer speeds vary, and you're unlikely to achieve the maximum throughput (this is known as 'contention', and eases bottlenecks at phone exchanges and ISPs). Phone line - When you're online with broadband, your home phone line isn't tied up. Extras - With Broadband, there's the option to watch TV over the Internet, make voice calls over the 'net, and even take control of your home PC from work.     Frequently Asked Questions (Broadband FAQ) Can I get broadband? If you're looking to get broadband, you first need to select a preferred supplier (see the information above), and then need to check if that provider can offer you broadband in your area. Each supplier should have an online checker that allows you to enter a postcode and phone number to see if ADSL broadband is available. Self-installation? When Broadband first was launched, it was a case of having an engineer call out and connect you up. Now, broadband providers supply self-install kits. When ordering broadband, check what your chosen provider will be sending you. Here's what you need to do: Plug a Broadband modem or router into your PC (normally via a USB socket or an ethernet network cable) Plug a filter into your standard BT phone socket Plug the Broadband modem or router into the ADSL socket of the filter Sharing Broadband? If you're looking to share Broadband between multiple users and PCs, the key question here is do you all want to be able to be online at the same time? Assuming you do, the common way of handling this is to get a broadband router and a single broadband account - you then connect either via network cable or wirelessly using wi-fi from your PCs to the router. If you're looking to share Broadband to different users, perhaps running a laptop elsewhere in the house, the best option may well be for you to get a broadband wireless router, that can be connected to your phone line, then to PCs either via an Ethernet network cable, or wirelessly, using wi-fi.  What software do I need? Broadband suppliers will normally provide you with all you need to get connected. If they're providing a modem, then you'll be provided with a driver disk. You'll also get a broadband CD that contains a web browser and a setup walkthrough. You're normally also provided with a username and password, in case you'd rather set up the connection yourself, have a non-standard computer (Windows and Mac software is normally supplied), or are using a wireless router. Each broadband provider tends to have a slightly different setup process - some use a connectivity application tied to the modem, and some will customise the web browser to integrate broadband. TV over broadband Known as IPTV, we're about to see a large increase in the number of companies offering TV programmes over Broadband. Services will allow you to download TV shows that you've missed, get movies on demand, and do a whole range of clever stuff, either to your PC, or to your TV via a set-top box. Services include BT Vision (free to BT Total Broadband customers, using a BT Home Hub), Tiscali TV and Virgin Media (in cable areas). Download limit When you're looking to sign up to broadband, you may see mention of monthly download limits or a monthly cap. If you're not sure what this is all about, read on. Some broadband customers make an awful lot of use of their broadband connection, downloading movies, file sharing and streaming audio/video. Heavy users can cause congestion and slow down access for other broadband users on the same phone exchange and ISP. For this reason, many broadband providers "cap" usage, to make sure that the heavy users don't degrade the service for others. Persistent offenders are likely to be moved onto a more expensive tariff, or have their account "throttled" to a slower speed. Some providers don't 'cap' accounts, but most of the mainstream suppliers cap anywhere from 2Gig to 30Gig. The download allowance includes the download of all content (email, files, images, audio, video) made over the Internet within a month. Download speeds If you're looking to work out how long it takes to transfer a file over Broadband, here's a rough guide of how long it takes to transfer 1 Meg over various connection speeds: Dialup (56kps): 2½ minutes 512kpbs: 16.5 seconds 2 Meg Broadband: 4 seconds 8 Meg Broadband: 1 second Videocalling over Broadband BT started pushing videocalling over broadband in 2006. If you're keen on the idea of keeping in touch with voice and video, videocalling might be worth a look. BT's service uses BT Broadband Talk. You can use BT's Softphone application on a PC, or there's a more convenient option - getting one of BT's new range of videophones, which includes a colour screen and a built-in video camera. Online gaming? Another of the great benefits of a high-speed Internet connection, is that of online gaming. The first true online gaming platform, Microsoft's Xbox revolutionised online gaming. The original Xbox was supplied with a built-in Ethernet 10/100 communications port - all you do is plug the RJ45 ethernet lead into your broadband point, insert the game disc, and follow the on-screen instructions... you'll then be able to connect with other gamers. With Broadband, you can get your console online and get playing. Can't get Broadband? If you're not able to get Broadband where you are and still want to get the speed benefits of a Broadband connection, there are a few other options open to you: Dial-up accelerator: There's a way to make your dial-up connection faster, using a service from OnSpeed. If you are running on a dial-up (narrowband) connection the speed difference with this service can be dramatic. It should increase your speed by up to 10 times. To use it, you'll need to download the special software from www.onspeed.com. Once installed, you won't even notice it's there, it runs in the background speeding up your Internet connection and compressing data automatically.   BT Satellite Broadband: There's an option to get broadband via a satellite download for those too far out from an exchange. Not cheap, at over £900 for equipment and installation, plus £60 a month for speeds of only half a meg – but it’s still an option. More on BT's Openworld site.   skyDSL Satellite Broadband - No ADSL availability? Check out skyDSL - offering satellite broadband from £9.90 a month   Mobile Internet. Get high-speed Internet access to your PC. If you want to connect your laptop or PC to the Internet while away from home or the office, take a look at T-Mobile Web 'n' Walk offering - Their 3G network covers a reasonable amount of the UK. At the time of writing, their Web 'n' Walk tariffs come with a free USB data modem offering wireless data speeds of up to 1.8Meg.   Radio over Broadband If you're looking to get Internet radio stations streaming around the house, try the BT Internet Radio. This portable radio uses a wireless connection to stream Internet radio stations MP3 files to you wherever you are in the house. This means that you can listen to thousands of Internet radio stations from around the country and around the world without having to be glued to your PC. The radio runs off mains or batteries and allows remote channel changing. For more details on the BT Internet Radio, see the BT Shop's page.  have ISDN Before you can be converted to Broadband, you will need an engineer's visit to remove your ISDN box, and convert you back to a standard BT socket. Check your provider for prices.