Broadband Questions & Answers

How to Get Faster Broadband
If you're sick of hearing that the easiest way to improve your broadband speeds would be a move to Muswell Hill then this guide is for you.

Broadband Speeds Explained
It's not always down to paying for the fastest headline rate anymore, read on to find out which providers really do offer the fastest broadband speeds.

Moving House, Moving Broadband
Moving house can be a stressful experience; don't let moving broadband connections add to it.

How much broadband usage do I really need?
Unlimited broadband? 10Gb usage allowance? Just how much broadband usage allowance do you really need?

Protecting your wireless broadband from pesky pirates
What's the best way to stop others from nicking your precious bandwidth? We explain the best way to protect your broadband connection.

Mobile Broadband versus Landline Broadband
We compare mobile broadband and landline broadband in this feature guide to the future of mobile broadband.

The Definitive Mobile Broadband Jargon-Buster
Here's a mobile broadband jargon-buster, to explain just about everything you ever needed to know about the technical ins and outs of mobile broadband.

10 Things you Need to Know about Broadband Deals
When you compare broadband deals there are a lot of things hidden beneath the bonnet that you probably don't know about. We reveal the top 10 things most people never knew about broadband deals.

Is Virgin Available in my Area?
Is Virgin available in my area? Asks a user. We show him how to find out.

Do I need to pay BT a reactivation fee when I switch?
Paying £125 to re-install a phone line when you switch broadband providers isn't a necessity, read our FAQ guide to find out why.

Which broadband providers offer the best security?
A user asks: will the broadband provider I choose make a difference to the security of my connection? We answer.

Why do your postcode checker and my broadband provider disagree?
A user asks: why do your comparison table and my local broadband provider seem to disagree? We say: sorry about that, it's all about exchange capacity.

My Speedtouch 330 doesn't work with Windows 7, what's the most economical way to get back online?
The Speedtouch 330 is a very basic modem. Not only is it old, you'll be hard pushed to find operating systems newer that work well with it. However, there are reports of drivers for Windows 7 available that will enable you to connect with the Speedtouch 330.

Which broadband 3G dongles work best with an Apple MAC?
There have been some problems with the mobile broadband dongles provided by a variety of providers including T-Mobile, O2 and 3G, all with different problems surrounding their use with OS X Snow Leopard. However, some providers such as Orange and Vodafone have found quick resolutions to the problem.

Is broadband reliable enough for broadband TV services such as Tiscali TV yet?
While broadband alone is not reliable enough to support a high-quality streaming digital TV service, Tiscali TV's advanced technology and special infrastructure do indeed make it possible.

What does it cost to reconnect to BT?
So long as you have a dialling tone on your phone, it is likely that you won't have to pay anything to get your line switched over to BT again.

Can I use my BT Broadband V2091 router with TalkTalk?
The short answer is yes, you can use the BT v2091 router with your new TalkTalk connection, but not straight away.

It will require a little bit of work on your part. You see, BT don't like you using their hardware with other broadband providers, so they make it as hard as possible for you by locking the router/modem to only work with a BT connection.

You need to unlock it! Here's how.

Why won't my Bang and Olufsen phone work with Virgin Media?
You'll be disappointed to hear that Virgin Media feel the problem lies more with B&O’s phone than with their service. Interestingly, they have told us that they haven’t heard of this problem occurring before, which either suggests that other Virgin Media customers do not use your model of B&O phone, or there is indeed something unique about your set-up.

Which broadband package is best for 6 months?
After giving your conundrum some thought, we felt that your best bet would be to go with Plusnet's packages Value, Unlimited or Pro.

I recently signed up to Virgin Media but was eventually told that they would not run a cable to my house despite the fact that my neighbours all have Virgin Media. Have you heard of this happening before?
Yes, you are not the only one to be left stumped by the fact that your neighbours can receive Virgin Media cable broadband but you can't. Without knowing the exact reason why your house is not connected but your neighbours are, you can safely assume that back when the cable infrastructure was laid in the 90's, your house was unfortunately excluded. As to why they won't lay a new cable just for you, well, the simple answer is economics. Virgin Media can surely do with your business, but the actual cost of digging up the pavement to give your house access (ignoring any reason why this was not done in the first place) would far exceed any revenue Virgin Media would be able to generate from you.

Should I be worried about Virgin Media's negative feedback?
Reading online reviews of Virgin Media is a bit like running the gauntlet in Gladiators! Everywhere you turn you're smacked in the face with negative comments. How can any broadband provider be that bad?

The truth is, Virgin Media are not really that bad. There is no doubt they have had an extremely rocky first year, but all indications are that they are ironing out the creases quite nicely now. We were pleased to see the Guardian re-iterating that sentiment last week.