| When you signed up for your broadband | | | | speed. Computeractive magazine has taken |
| package, the chances are you were told | | | | a petition to Downing Street to try and |
| you would get speeds of up to 8MB, 16MB, | | | | prevent misleading advertising by |
| or 24MB. You were probably also told | | | | broadband providers, in a bid to get the |
| that this speed may not be achievable | | | | word 'typical' on the adverts, in much |
| due to the distance you live from the | | | | the same way credit cards advertise |
| exchange. You probably weren't told that | | | | 'typical APR'. |
| this speed is nigh on impossible to get, | | | | Surprisingly, price isn't necessarily a |
| regardless of where you live. | | | | factor in determining bandwidth. A cheap |
| Shocking discoveries have been made as a | | | | broadband package can be just as slow or |
| result of broadband users taking online | | | | fast as a more expensive one. Sometimes |
| speed tests, which is an internet tool | | | | switching your provider can help, but it |
| that checks the speed of your connection | | | | can be costly and stressful, especially |
| by downloading a 10MB file roughly 19 | | | | if you're trying to end a contract |
| times. | | | | early. |
| These results showed that when bandwidth | | | | Check all your connections and wires |
| is advertised at up to 8MB, for example, | | | | first of all, and if you can't see a |
| the actual speed received can be as low | | | | problem with those, contact your |
| as 2.2MB, regardless of your distance | | | | provider to see what they suggest. You |
| from an exchange. One user who lived | | | | may need an upgrade on your modem, or |
| close to an exchange received just 9 | | | | maybe even a new PC. |
| Mbps of the advertised 16 Mbps. The | | | | Bear in mind that certain times of the |
| lowest speed recorded in these speed | | | | day, the internet is slower for |
| tests was a meagre 0.09Mbps, which isn't | | | | everybody. Peak times in the UK tend to |
| much faster than dial-up. | | | | be between 4 and 6pm, when people tend |
| Unfortunately, there is little the | | | | to log on at the same time, thus |
| consumer can do to gain faster broadband | | | | clogging up the exchanges. |