Top Five UK Broadband Providers for 3rd Quarter 2006
Figures have just been released for the 3rd quarter of 2006 from the Internet Performance Indicator (IPI). Reports showing that BT has come top for the second quarter in a row according to http://www.ukispreview.co.uk
The study published from Internet Performance Indicator (IPI) showed that the top 5 UK broadband providers for the last quarter are: BT, PIPEX, Demon, Plusnet and http://Virgin.net.
This was taken for overall technical performance, which included the following: Real-time data on the speed, reliability of Internet connections, how long it takes to
connect to the Internet, file upload and download speeds and performance of both ping and DNS lookup.
Testing was taken from eleven locations around the UK from 1st July to 30th September 2006. The sample ISP’s were tested on an average of 58,313 times, and once again BT took the overall ranking for topping the broadband charts in that period.
After the study, it was found that the national upgrades to Broadband/ADSL Max are providing a much faster total speed than the earlier 2Mpbs IPStream and Datastream
Broadband/ADSL Internet services.
In the period 1st July to 30th September the average connection speed was 3817.82 kbps. The highest connection speed was achieved Plusnet in the 3rd Q3.
The national upgrades to Broadband/ADSL Max are providing a much faster connection speed, but what the customers are after is a faster Internet service and a more reliable resilient connection. Customers need to know and should be aware of, is buy an “up to 8Meg” connection doesn’t really mean it gives you 8Meg all the time. This is down to the further you live from the telephone exchange to slower the
speed becomes.
There’s no point having a fast connection if it is not available when you want to use it.
After the figures had been revealed in the 3rd quarter there was some surprising results.
Tesco had the lowest number of connection failures.
Plusnet achieved the highest overall connection speed.
BT performed best in the uploading and downloading speeds which the customer experienced.
BT also topped the HTTP download speed, (which means, the faster the HTTP speed the better the browsing becomes).
Plusnet also managed the fastest ping test.
Demon had the lowest packet loss.
So what does all this mean? If your not happy with your Internet service provider then change it, after all the price for Broadband/ADSL connections are becoming cheaper
and faster, as the performance and demand for competition increases.
I was tasked to find a piece of software that was able to monitor what the companies employees are doing and where our network bandwidth is going. To put it into a list:
– Monitor Bandwidth usage (Preferably by device or user)
– Monitor Websites visited
– Monitor what a user is running on there computer (Not as important as the first two)
Anyone use any software that preforms these functions and likes it? I am far from being a 15 year Network Administrator for a corp. that is running 180 blade servers so a little simplicity would be amazing too.
What kind of router/firewall are you running on the perimeter of the network?
Your firewall vendor may have a reporting module that you can use to find this information and perform ongoing monitoring. It won’t tell you what the end users are running on their PC’s, but there some packages out there that can. I don’t have one to recommend.
If you’re looking for info on these servers only, you may install it on an intermediary firewall.
Satellite Internet services are used in every location in the United States were DSL and Cable Internet is not available and customers need an always on, fast Internet service that dial-up ISP’s can’t provide.
Although there are some technical issues for end users to be aware of, such as latency, this only affects customers seeking to play real-time interactive games online. Signal loss due to precipitation is extremely minimal and the service is up to 30-times faster than dialup Internet providers and considerably more reliable.
Latency is caused when the request for data is transmitted from your satellite modem to the satellite orbiting the earth and then returned. The delay is approximately half a second, not noticeable if you are browsing the Internet, reading email or even downloading. It can however cause significant headaches to customers trying to use applications like VOIP, VPN and video conferencing.
Another way satellite Internet differs from cable, DSL or dialup is the use of a Fair Access Policy, a device put in place to guarantee that every end user can download a pre-determined amount of files, using an allotment of bandwidth, without affecting other users. Ever been on a DSL connection that for whatever reason begins to crawl or attempted to connect to a dialup server but couldn’t because of capacity issues, satellite providers afford their customers this protection policy. It is also important to note that only 4% of all WildBlue Satellite Internet customers are ever affected by FAP. HughesNet considerable higher by comparison, however HughesNet offers a daily allotment of bandwidth to it users, while WildBlue uses a revolving 30-day period, in other words whatever you use today you will receive back in your account in 30-days. This rolling 30-day period makes going over your bandwidth threshold less likely.
Satellite Internet is not as scary as it seems, for the timid, the hardware involved is as follows:
Satellite Modem – connected to your computer through a USB port, this allows the ISP’s routers to connect to proxy servers, which enforce bandwidth limits and guarantees fair use by all end users.
Satellite Dish – The satellite modem connects to a cable that is run to the satellite dish, either mounted to the physical property or a pole.
That’s it!
For dialup and DSL users, no need for a phone line. The service is always on. For customers seeking to use Satellite Internet’s speed over that of a dialup ISP, for the purposes of working from home or distance learning or e-learning, a word of caution about the use of VPN’s. VPN or Virtual Private Network software doesn’t handle the delay or latency of packets sent to VPN servers. Because the VPN acts as a tunnel from one network to another it requires authentication and once accepted needs to keep that handshake throughout the process of working on that network. The latency will break that authentication handshake and cause the end user to constantly have to validate to access the VPN. Not recommended with satellite Internet, but consult the IT guru for the VPN for their input. Special IP stacks and possibly proxies can lessen the effects of latency, so check into it.
About the Author:
Satellite Internet is one of the fastest growing consumer electronic products out there and its target demographic continues to be rural America, where dialup is the only option. However the pending merger between ViaSat, a satellite equipment maker and WildBlue, the leading satellite Internet provider, will merge their technologies and provide customers with speeds comparable to cable Internet speeds within the next year.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a comprehensive identification for a family of communication technologies used for the conveyance of voice and or data communications when routed throughout IP networks such as the Internet or separate packet-switched data networks. Shared terms associated to VoIP may be recognized as: IP Telephony, voice over broadband, broadband phone, Internet telephony, or Broadband telephony.
When placing a phone call utilizing a VoIP Phone Service, the dialed number is conveyed to a voice gateway. The voice gateway then decodes the dialed digits and concludes the destination IP address of the gateway that will be capable to service the dialed phone number. The remote gateway now notifies the intended party of an incoming call via ringing the intended phone number.
When the phone is picked up on the other end, a communication is dispatched amongst the gateways and a virtual path is conveyed between the gateways. The virtual path now receives the audio communication, converts the signal to digital form, compresses and packages and rendered information, includes the destination gateway address for each packet dispatched, then routes the packets via the Internet to the destination gateway. In conclusion, the packets are converted from digital audio back to their original form of analog.
Getting Started With a VoIP Phone Service
You have three basic types of phone alternatives to select from when choosing a VoIP phone service.
- PC based Softphone
- Dedicated VoIP Phone
- Analog Telephone Adapter
PC based Softphones – The cheapest selection of the three is the application of a PC Based Softphone (also identified as digital phones or Internet Phones). The user must first install a software program onto their computer that enables VoIP calling without the need for dedicated hardware.
Typical fulfillment of a softphone is to execute calls between an Internet telephony service provider to existing softphones, or to conventional telephones. At present, some VoIP phone service providers may offer PC-to-PC calls at no extra charge; but take note that most PC-to-phone and phone-to-PC calls are typically charged a fee for usage, be sure to check with your Internet service provider as offers may vary.
The greater part of softphones that are being currently implemented today are designed to function similar to conventional telephones. The image of a phone appears on the users computer screen as a representation of a traditional phone, displaying a panel with buttons enabling the user to interact the same way they would when placing a call on a conventional phone.
Your computer must be connected to the Internet during the duration period for making and receiving phone calls.
A headset is then plugged into a USB port or PC sound card to place or receive phone calls. To heighten call voice quality, it is suggested that you invest into a good quality headset that is capable of delivering clear voice recognition. Cheaper headsets deliver unreliable voice clarity with back feeds and echo’s.
Presently, there are three Internet telephony service providers for PC based softphones; Vonage, Skype, and Google Talk that supply proprietary software to their end users. The software used by these companies is locked and can not be shared with other providers disallowing phone calls between them.
Dedicated VoIP Phone – Dedicated VoIP phones support VoIP calls without the presents of a computer. In appearance, they parallel your traditional desktop phone set or mobile phone. No adapters or computers are needed for this type of VoIP phone service. The conveyance of phone calls is routed directly to an IP network via a connection of an Ethernet port and cable or WiFi service. Service is established by way of a VoIP provider that is accountable for routing your calls through the network making this type of VoIP phone system the most expensive to operate.
VoIP phones may also be known as SIP phones. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a common protocol that is widely used support the administration of multimedia communication sessions, voice data, and video calls over IP (Internet Protocol). Some of the applications that may use this technology are online gaming, video conferencing, streaming multimedia, and instant messaging.
Dedicated VoIP Phones main advantages are that most incorporate XML based applications; large LCD screens for user input that may display keypads and or touch pads, display messages and caller-ID information, Ethernet or wireless network hardware to send and receive messages on data network, voice mail functions, and finally, provide an excellent choice for voice quality for the end user.
Analog Telephone Adapter – Analog Telephone Adapters (ATA) incorporate an Ethernet port on one end and a RJ11 phone jack on the other which are used to link one or more standard analog phones to a digital or non-standard phone system such as a Voice over IP based network.
The Ethernet port connects to your router that is used in a broadband connection for an IP network, and the RJ11 phone jack plugs into your house phone. Your computer does not need to be turned on to place phone calls. Most ATA phone systems offer acceptable voice quality but, may require the end user to adjust their phone to minimize echo in the background and back feed issues which sometimes may be present.
This type of VoIP phone service is primarily offered by broadband Internet providers, cable companies, and traditional telephone companies at a considerably lower rate when in comparison to conventional phone services.
Finally, VoIP phone services provide a variety of plans, services, and features. Be sure to research a VoIP phone service that will benefit your needs and desires for your home or business.
Roy King, is the editor for VoIP Solution Journal. Selecting a VoIP Phone Service for your Home and Business. Discover how VoIP Phone Services and VoIP converge providing huge savings for your Home or Business.
Broadband Phone Service for Business – Music On Hold – IronVoice
