..to ask you how broadband works?

[OnlyHerefortheBiscuits]

Can someone more knowledgeable than me explain how broadband works?

I have a broadband package with advertised download speeds of 11-36 mbps.

I have done a few broadband speed tests online and I sit at about 27mbps (with and without ethernet cable into device). So about 10 mbps under the ‘gating’ of my current package.

Does this mean that even if I purchase a bigger package it would be futile as my home is not capable of receiving those speeds?

Is that how this works?

(Obviously if I phone my provider the answer will be yes yes, let us sell you more, give us your money, take a bigger package, just buy it, it will solve all your problems etc)

Thinking about the gigabit broadband when it arrives later this year

You're sharing bandwidth with your neighbors so the speed will vary. As your provider promised, you're in the correct range. Upgrading your package will get you a bigger slice with a higher range of normal speeds.

We got fiber optic gigabit last summer and really love it, especially when we're all home at the same time. I usually get about 700-800 mbps when I test it. It's not going to be a full gibabit all of the time, but that's fine. It's plenty fast enough.

It is one of the biggest criticism of broadband companies that they advertise their speeds as “up to” xMBPS. In addition, there are two speeds download and upload. Download is faster and what they usually advertise. Anyway, to have package advertised at 11-36 Mbps but get 27 Mbps is actually very good.

If you pay for a faster package, your speeds will go up. The speed isn’t dictated by your house is much as the hub they install AND the infrastructure in your local area.

Thanks, Plan. That's what I thought re infrastructure in the area. My home is 1000m away from the BT box in the street! So when they guy set me up he did warn me that the distance of the house to the green box on the street would affect the speed. (I can just see green box distances being advertised on RightMove in the distant future)

Sounds like when you upgrade you get a bigger slice of the available pie for your area.... that makes sense. Thank you.

OP, is your connection coaxial cable or DSL phone line broadband? The coaxial cable is the thick one that used to be just for telly.

Fiber optic is nice as it doesn't slow down with distance and the upload and download speeds are much nearer to being equal

Uhhhhhh...we don't have the option of Virgin broadband here so I think that means it's not cable and DSL phone line only!