- Understanding NBN
- Other Broadband Options
- Multiple User Impact to Your Broadband Speed
So you’re looking for a new Internet plan or provider?
Navigating the world of broadband is a struggle to say the very least – with endless jargon that by the end of your search, can leave you more confused than when you began!
Here at Compare Broadband, we are committed to easing the burden of the dreaded broadband buzzwords.
By providing you with unadulterated information at your fingertips, we aim to make your search as simple and easy as possible!
Essential in choosing a plan or provider that is right for you before anything else, is a basic knowledge of broadband and its branches.
What is the NBN?
The National Broadband Network, or NBN, is the new general broadband service upgrade bythe government business enterprise, NBN Co.
It is Australia-wide and promises to enable faster, reliable and more affordable access to the Internet.
The upgrade involves updating the existing network for your home phone and Internet and will need to be installed in and outside the home by a professional technician.
To gain access to the new network however, you will need to take up a plan with an Internet Service Provider, or ISP (such as Optus or Telstra), who will then connect you through their service.
There are three ways your home can be connected to the NBN:
- Fibre to the node – a fibre optics cable that runs direct into the home. Most people will connect this way.
- Fixed wireless – an antenna fixed to the roof that will receive the NBN signal. If fibre is not available in your area, this is the next option.
- Satellite – a dish fixed to the roof that will receive the NBN signal. If the first two options are not available to your home, this is the third.
Other broadband connection types.
The way you connect your home to the broadband network is entirely down to your personal preference.
These are the current ‘delivery methods’ available:
ADSL/ADSL2+
An Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) uses your existing phone line to send and receive internet data.
It is a lot faster than older DSL standards – and up to 140 times faster than dial up.
It is currently the most popular type of broadband in the country and is available in most areas; however there are a number of different factors that can affect the potential speed of your Internet, such as distance from the exchange.
ADSL2+ is an ‘updated version’ of the ADSL service, providing increased functionality and bandwidth.
Naked DSL
Naked DSL is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) that uses your existing phone line to send and receive internet data, but removes the ability for you to make phone calls over that phone line.
The ‘phone’ service on this connection has been ‘stripped’ away, hence the term ‘naked’.
This means that unlike with ADSL/ADSL2+ services, you do not need to purchase an additional phone line specifically for broadband.
Naked DSL often comes with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) instead, meaning that phone calls are made over the internet rather than a fixed telephone line.
Mobile Broadband
A form of wireless Internet technology, Mobile Broadband gives you the flexibility of stable Internet on the go.
Network cards and add-ons like USB adapters and modems that can be plugged into the device are the most popular ways of delivering this service.
How important are download and upload speeds?
Download speed refers to the rate at which data is being transferred from the Internet to a device (e.g. downloading a movie) and upload speed is the exact opposite – the rate at which data is transferred from the device to the Internet (e.g. attaching a file to email).
Broadband plans commonly have a higher download speed than upload as most of the population have more of a need to gather information from the Internet, rather than give it.
What is the impact of multiple devices and users on broadband?
Bandwidth is the Internet speed available to the home, as a whole.
Using multiple devices simultaneously means that this bandwidth (or potential speed) needs to extend to all of them.
Therefore doing so affects the download and upload speeds of your Internet drastically, usually by slowing them down.
As well as a large bandwidth, a strong Wi-Fi signal within the house is paramount to maintaining a reasonable Internet speed across many devices.
We hope this cleared a few concepts up for you, call us on 1300 106 571 if you need advice - its a FREE service.
Happy comparing!
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