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It's time to try Broadband

Prices are falling, access is speeding up - so what's involved in migrating from dial-up to Broadband?

Dial-up Internet access is undoubtedly a wonderful thing. It's cheap, requires nothing more than a phone line and modem (usually supplied as standard with new PCs) and has provided millions of us with the means to tap into the information revolution.

On the other hand, using a dial-up connection can be a frustrating business. If you're in a hurry, the log-in process can take what seems like an age and most of us have probably cursed and drummed our fingers with mounting impatience as we wait for graphics-rich pages to download. Now, with ISPs offering broadband access for £20-25 a month, such frustrations could be a thing of the past.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) offers Web users an always-on* connection (no need to log-on or log-off) and much faster data transfer speeds than can be achieved using a standard dial-up connection and 56k modem.

In practical terms, an ADSL connection will make your computer a much more convenient and useful tool for both work and play. Because the connection is permanently on, email will arrive at your desktop within seconds of being sent and if you need to check something quickly (such as a phone number from Yell.com or a contact from a corporate Website) there will be no infuriating wait while your modem dials and shakes hands with your ISP's servers.

Of course, if you already pay a flat rate for unlimited dial-up access, you can in theory leave your computer connected for hour upon end and enjoy the same benefits. However, a dial-up connection ties up the phone line while you are logged on. ADSL, on the other hand, allows you to simultaneously use a single line for both voice calls and data transfer. In other words, you won't miss important calls just because you're surfing the Net.

The other obvious advantage is speed. ADSL enables consumers and small business users to download data at a maximum 500kbps (kilobits per second), which is 10 times faster than a conventional modem. In other words, pages will open quicker, downloading large documents will take one or two minutes (rather than 15 to 20) and watching a video stream might just become a pleasure rather than a chore.

So, how do you go about upgrading from dial-up to ADSL? Before rushing out to buy new equipment, the first step is to establish whether you live close enough to a suitable British Telecom telephone exchange to make the switch. Most ISPs which offer ADSL allow you to check this online. For instance, if you visit Demon's homepage, and begin the process of ordering an ADSL product, you will be asked to key in your postcode and phone number. The system will tell you within seconds if your existing connection is suitable. If you live in an urban area, the chances are that the answer will be yes.

The next thing to consider is how to move from dial-up to the new technology. In all but a few cases, ISPs resell British Telecom's IP Stream, a wholesale ADSL product using the company's existing network of exchanges and copper wire connections to homes and businesses. However, while you won't need any new wires laid from the exchange to your home or office, the line in question will have to be ADSL-enabled and you will need a new modem.

Until this year, that meant a visit from a BT technician who would install a new phone socket designed to handle voice and data simultaneously. The same engineer would also modify the line and supply a modem and disc with the necessary drivers for your PC (as long as you have chosen a USB service rather than a business-oriented ethernet one).One of the obstacles to mass uptake of ADSL initially was a perception that waiting lists were long and installation costs high.

In response, BT has now introduced a self-installation option. Under this system, the ISP enables the phone line for ADSL remotely, removing the need for an engineer to call in person. However, if you go down the self-install route - and it is probably the most hassle-free option - remember that you will have to source and connect your own DSL modem and filter (see solo support for more information on this).

Thankfully, connection is simple. By following the instructions that come with the modem, plug the appropriate lead into a free universal serial bus (USB) port on your computer. The next step is to connect the filter to your existing telephone socket. The filter itself has two free sockets. Connect your remaining modem cable to one and your phone lead to the other. Then, if necessary, install new modem drivers from the disc supplied. Finally, configure your PC with a new IP address, hostname and password details. The ISP will tell you how to do this.

Self-installation is simpler and cheaper than third-party installation. For instance, Demon's Solo Express product can be bought online with no connection fee plus £24.99 a month, with the user free to seek out the best hardware deals. Expect to pay between £30.00 and £100.00 for a modem.  Of course, you may wish to have an engineer install the service. Contact our Product Advisor who can advise on our installation charges.

In addition to the self-install or engineer-install options, there are a number of other factors to be taken into consideration when choosing a service. Perhaps the most important of these is the contention ratio. A ratio of 50:1 means that you will be sharing bandwidth between the nearest exchange and your home or office with up to 49 other users. This is the standard for home users and small offices. The higher the number of users at any one time, the lower the bandwidth available to you. For this reason, businesses with a number of connected PCs might prefer paying extra for a 20:1 ratio to ensure a greater share of available bandwidth and better performance. Forthcoming Premier Express products from Demon will offer contention ratios of 5:1 and 1:1.

It's also important to consider the type of connection. Modems that connect to USB ports of PCs are the standard for home users, but if you have a number of workstations in the office, ethernet cards (which connect computers to a local area network) provide a better solution. A business-focused ISP such as Demon will be able to help you make your choice.

Once everything is up and running, you will have 24/7 access to the Internet for a fixed monthly fee. In other words, ADSL offers the kind of connectivity that has until recently been enjoyed only by those who owned a leased line. As uptake increases, we could be seeing the second phase of Britain's Internet revolution…

*subject to service downtime, outages and maintenance

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