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