Here is a quick outline of the essentials. If you need further help or would like Angus PC Repairs to quote for any work, please contact us.
Providers
There are dozens of ISPs offering broadband access packages, almost all of which are cheaper than BTs own retail product.
My provider of choice is Plusnet who are offering a connection from £6.49 a month. If you are interested in setting up a connection, including all the necessary security software and configuration, please contact me for a quote. See Plusnet’s ad on the left for details of their services.
What has changed recently?
The technology behind broadband (called ADSL) is constantly developing and being improved. You should be able to get some sort of service no matter how far away you are from the exchange, although the exact speed of this service will depend on factors such as line length and quality. 8Mb used to be the normal speed for broadband, but 20Mb connections are now available from almost all providers.
Some exchanges are still not enabled for the 20Mb services, so 8Mb may be the maximum available to you. If you are upgrading, however, the speed you will get will be the same percentage of the maximum as you received before. i.e. if you had 4Mb before upgrading (50% of 8Mb) you will get 10Mb after (50% of 20Mb).
Equipment
Broadband requires an ADSL modem to be connected to your phone line through a filter and to your computer using an Ethernet (LAN) connection. The filter splits the ADSL signal from the phone line signal, sending broadband data to the computer and the phone line to the phone.
If you want to connect additional computers to your broadband connection, see the Networking section below. If you want to move your computer to a different room in the house, all you need is to connect the filter to a different phone point. Additional filters are easily available at about £2.
An ADSL router is very different from a dial-up modem. ADSL routers are generally external units which connect to your PC using an Ethernet cable. It is, however, a good idea to keep your dial-up modem installed as a backup, in case broadband goes down at any time.
Security
Remember that broadband is ‘always on’ and therefore anti-virus and firewall protection are essential.
A good anti-virus product is a must for anyone connected to the internet, but in the case of broadband the importance cannot be overstressed. However, just having it installed is only half the story. Anti-virus programs work by identifying a virus based on its signature, or profile. In order to catch a virus coming in, the program must have a list of all the virus profiles, or definitions as they are known. Keeping this list of definitions up to date is vital.
Norton or MacAfee are popular products, but they charge between £25 and £60 to keep the program updated after the first year. If you have a copy of these older than 12 months and have never paid any money, you are not protected at all. Check the virus definitions, or virus database dates on these programs to find out. If it is older than a month ago, watch out.
The other problem with Norton, MacAfee and other commercial products is their need to produce new versions every year. Norton 2010 is replaced by Norton 2011 and so on. Because there is a new version, there has to be a greater range of features included, or there would be no reason to upgrade. This leads to the programs becoming bigger and more complex every year.
The first problem this creates is the ability of a PC to run this software. Norton 360, for example, will struggle to run on any machine with less than a dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM, which is more than most machines older than 18 months old have.
The second problem is complexity. The more complex a piece of software is, the harder your PC has to work to run it. Free anti-virus programs are available which are just as good. Using free software is not risky as long as it is a trusted and proven piece of software. Please contact us to get details.
A firewall is a piece of software, or hardware in the case of large organisations, which monitors the incoming and outgoing messages on an internet connection. If it detects any unauthorised access, it blocks that attempt and reports it.
Firewalls are also vital for broadband connections. Hackers look for unprotected ‘ports’ or connections to the internet. If these automated programs detect an unprotected port, they send that info back for the hacker to investigate further. They will then try out passwords or other means of attack to find out if you have anything worth stealing.
A firewall makes your internet ports invisible, thus blocking all attempts at access. It is also configured to allow the traffic you want to go in and out to pass unhindered. The correct configuration of the firewall is the key.
Good free firewall programs are widely available. Again, Please contact us to get details.
Networking
If you want to have more than one computer in the house or office share a broadband connection, there are a couple of ways to do this.
Networking two, or more, machines allows them to share an internet connection. Networking can be done using wired connections, or by wireless. The wireless solution will allow you to access the internet anywhere within a 30 metre radius of the base station in your house, but the signal is easily interrupted by walls and other objects and is not always a practical choice.
Prices for wireless solutions and conventional wired network solutions are available on request. Please contact us to get details.
Finally
Don’t let all the jargon and technology put you off. It’s not that difficult and Angus PC Repairs can help out with anything you can’t handle – at the usual reasonable rates.
Happy surfing
