To connect to a Broadband service you will need the following...
Computer (obviously!)
MicroFilters (these separate the broadband signal from the voice traffic on your line). You will need one for each telephone socket on your line regardless of whether anything is plugged into it. Unless you get these free from your broadband provider the cheapest we have seen is Tesco in Inverurie.
ADSL Modem this can either be a PCI card, USB or Ethernet based product. Unless you are happy inserting new cards into your computer it is probably best to stay clear of the PCI option. If you think you might at some stage want to connect two or more computers to your broadband connection then your best option is the Ethernet type modem. Many of these are combined modem routers allowing you to share printers and files as well as the internet connection.
Experience shows that users become accustomed to the speeds afforded by Broadband very quickly. The initial enthusiasm created by a 512k connection very quickly wanes and is replaced by the same sort of impatience that you are currently finding with your dial up connection. Whilst it might seem like overkill, we would recommend that you go for one of the 2Gb connection packages wherever possible. This will give you the chance to really experience broadband as many web services are now being built around an expected 2Mb connection.
It all depends on what you will be using your connection for! Everyday browsing, sending e mails, downloading music and the occasional video clip can all be accomplished with a capped service.
However, if you intend on participating in extensive on line gaming sessions,
listening all day to internet radio stations or hosting your own website then
you might need more than a typical 5Gb monthly allowance. For guidance
here is what you can do per month with a 5Gb capped service:-
General web browsing |
15 hours a day! |
Sending/receiving photos (by e-mail) |
120 per week |
Downloading MP3s |
70 per week |
Sending/receiving e-mails (no attachments) |
800 per week |
Watching videos |
80 minutes per week |
Online gaming |
5 hours per week |
TOTAL |
5GB / month |
All of the capped services have the provision to buy extra bandwidth, though be careful, as some broadband providers charge shocking amounts for an extra 1Gb of traffic.
At Broadband 4 Schivas we have decided to go for the Home 2000 package from Eclipse Internet.