The internet has revolutionised Christmas shopping for me and although it isn’t great for the high street shops, it a lot less stressful for me and my wife especially if you are trying to cart around two small and tired children at the same time.

The internet also gives you a lot more choice when it comes to presents too, and even with delivery costs I always end up saving money which is an added bonus.

The internet really does take the stress out of Christmas shopping.

Always On

This is a common term which means your internet connection remains on at all times.  Unlike other services, such as dial-up, you never need to disconnect.  As soon as your computer turns on, your broadband connection is available.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is another way of saying how fast you can receive and send data.  Higher bandwidth equals faster speeds.

Mbps and Kbps

These are acronyms for Megabits per second and Kilobits per second.  All upload and download speeds are stated in terms of these acronyms.  Most broadband speeds are listed as Mbps.

Modem

A modem is the hardware that allows you to connect your computer or router to the internet.  This allows your broadband provider to provide you with access to the internet.

Router

A router is what allows you to connect multiple devices to the internet, such as two or more computers.  With a router, all you need is a single modem for multiple devices to use the internet.

Wi-Fi

This is an abbreviation for Wireless Fidelity.  Wi-Fi connections allow you to connect to the internet wirelessly. You must have either a wireless modem or router in order to create a Wi-Fi environment for your broadband connection.

Disruption to your broadband connection can be a nuisance or, in the case of business broadband, a serious impediment to your company’s productivity.  Broadband connection problems can stem from a number of different causes.

If you are using broadband from a fixed telephone line, it may be that the landline itself is experiencing a fault.  You can check if your home telephone is still working or check with BT, which owns the majority of landlines in the UK, to see if your line is operational.  Any faults will likely need to be fixed by a telephone line engineer.

You can check the telephone line access point.  Unscrew the telephone line master socket and carefully check the connection of the wiring.  If you are unsure you should ask an electrician or telephone line engineer as it can be unsafe to manipulate the wiring yourself.

Microfilters

A significant number of broadband connection faults are caused by faulty microfilters.  A microfilter is a device that connects your broadband enabled telephone line with the cable or wiring that plugs into your personal computer.  A microfilter acts as a switch point and as such can be the weak link in the broadband connection. 

Faults with microfilters can include accidental damage that has affected the internal mechanism, broken wiring or other types of wear and tear.  If your microfilter is broken or damaged, you can buy a new one or request a replacement from your internet service provider.

I was in Preston for work earlier this week and meet up with a colleague of mine for lunch in the hotel he was staying in and he was telling me that even though the hotel had internet access he was struggling to do his work because it kept cutting off or was slow. I told him that I had a mobile broadband dongle and very rarely had any issues with it. He said “it must cost you a bomb for that”, and I told him that I pay £5 per month until the end of July and £15 a month after that.

He was shocked at how cheap it was and said he was going to look into getting one for himself; he also said that it was cheaper than what he was paying a month for his home broadband connection.

The competitiveness or broadband companies and the introduction of broadband comparison sites has made broadband and mobile broadband cheaper than it has ever been.

There are a number of companies to look at when considering mobile broadband. This is especially true of the broadband UK customers can choose from, with companies offering a variety of broadband deals, such as Virgin Media Broadband, BT Total Broadband, Sky Broadband and Tiscali Broadband, just to name a few. Connectivity is still an issue in countries where the cellular infrastructure is not yet up to third-generation standards (3G connections). Individuals on the go may sometimes find that while they can connect to the Internet regardless of where they are in the world, there are limitations based upon the technology of a given area. Still, if access to the Internet 24/7 is a necessary part of your business, a mobile broadband connection is the only way realistically to stay connected whenever you need it.

I have decided to get myself a mobile broadband package as they seem to have come on leaps and bounds since there first introduction and could help me to stay connected with the minimum of fuss when I’m away on business.

I looked at a few broadband comparison sites and settled for one of the most popular mobile broadband packages, Virgin Mobile broadband. It gives a speed of up to 7.2Mbps, 3GB download limit and costs just £5 for the first three months and £15 thereafter.

The USB Modem also features a microSD card slot capable of holding cards up to 4GB, which will be handy when transferring files from my laptop to my office computer. I can also use it when I’m out in the garden as my home wireless system doesn’t have good strength.

Can’t wait to get it delivered and try it out, I will do a full review when I have played with it for a few days.

I’m not really up on all the deals and packages out there (my broadband is through Sky and doesn’t cost me anything), so I decided to do a Google search. After clicking through a few websites to no avail, I stumbled across a broadband comparison site called Broadband Finder.

Broadband Finder is really easy to use, simply enter your postcode into the compare broadband box at the top and click on compare. The site then gives you a list of broadband packages, giving you information on the speed, download limit, setup cost and monthly cost as well as customer reviews and contact numbers. This is a great way to compare different providers as well as different packages offered by those providers.

As my parents already have a BT line and don’t need the bundled phone calls offered by some providers, I decided that the PlusNet Value package would be enough for my parents. This 12 month package comes with a broadband speed of up to 8Mbps, 10GB download limit a month and free setup for only £5.99 a month.

After choosing the broadband package I was transferred to the PlusNet website where I completed my parents order. If everything goes to plan they should be joining the internet revolution in the next week or so, but I bet I’ll have to set it up for them as they don’t really know a lot about computers.

For anyone who is looking for a broadband deal I would recommend Broadband Finder, the easy to use interface and range of options is great for finding the best deal.