Broadband Speed

How Broadband Speed is Measured

Broadband speed is measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) and megabits per second (Mbps). The higher the number of bits you' can download per second, the faster the connection.

There are two elements that contribute to your overall broadband speed - download speed, and upload speed.

The download speed is the speed at which information is transferred from the internet to your router (i.e. if you download a movie, or TV show)

The upload speed is the rate at which information is transferred from your router, or other devices, back to the internet (i.e. sending an email, or posting to social media)


What affects broadband speed?

‍There are numerous factors which affect the speed of your connection, they include the chosen product, the number of devices using the connection at the same time, whether a wireless or wired connection is used, the speed of the websites visited and time of day (speeds can be lower at evenings and weekends).


What broadband speed do I need?
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The speed of your broadband is important. If it isn’t fast enough for the number of people in your home or the office, and the things you do online, you’re likely to experience connection issues.

These will be worse when everyone tries to get online at the same time.
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ADSL

Standard Broadband (ADSL) runs at average speeds of around 10-11Mpbs, this would be a suitable connection for a small business or household of 1-2 people.
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Fibre

When available, fibre is the sensible choice. This type of broadband service typically delivers speeds of between 30-60mbps and is a much more stable option than standard ADSL.
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In a busy household or office, you’ll want to make sure you have a reliable connection to avoid issues like buffering, so aim for a fast fibre-optic broadband deal with an average speed of at least 63Mbps.
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What broadband speed can I get in my area?
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As we touched on earlier, download speeds for broadband can be affected by a number of factors, the 2 main ones being services available, and how far you are from the local exchange or street cabinet.


How can I improve my speed ?

Although the speed of your service is largely down to location and the product ordered, there are a few things you can do within your home, or office, to optimise your service.
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Know your connection’s maximum speed

Before looking for ways to increase your connection speed it’s important to know the maximum speed your line is capable of to begin with.  You could ask your current provider for this information or run a check online.
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Test your speed

When you know what your maximum speed is, test the average speed you are actually getting.  You can do so using an Online Broadband Speed Test.
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Make sure that you do this test a few times, and at different times of the day, to make sure you are getting an accurate reflection of your average speed.  

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Make sure your router is up to scratch
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If you want fast speeds, investing in a decent router is a great idea as this can lead to  improvements in speed and reliability. Furthermore, make sure that your router is up-to-date as older models might not support more recent upgrades.

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Reposition your Router

‍The position of your router can have a big impact on the broadband speed you achieve, particularly if you run over WiFi.

The closer your device is to your router, the faster your connection will be. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to place your router in or near the room in which your internet is used most frequently.

Your broadband speed will also be helped by placing your router in an elevated, clutter-free position to allow for an evenly-distributed signal.
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Electrical appliances such as microwaves can affect your router’s signal, as can things such as thick walls and doors. In order to have as little interference as possible, try to place your router in the direct line of view of the place your broadband is used most often.
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Use a wired connection

Of course wireless broadband is handy - especially when it comes to mobile devices, but if you want the fastest and most reliable connection you should use a wired connection.

Connecting using an ethernet network cable avoids the aforementioned WiFi problems and can significantly improve speeds.


Turn it off and back on again
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Something I'm sure we've all heard! 

As we mentioned earlier, broadband connections can run into interference which can cause them to slow down. This Interference is generally caused by your signal being physically blocked by something or if there are too many devices trying to run off the same channel.
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Turning your broadband router off and on again causes the router to search for the best channel to reconnect your broadband to.

Your broadband connection can run on up to 13 channels (depending on your router) so, if you and your neighbor are both running on channel 1, then your signal will suffer. Reconnecting to channel 4, for example, allows for that extra separation between services.



Speak to the team today for further information, or to find out what services are available to you, and, more importantly, what speeds !
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info@teamsirius.co.uk
‍01914198181