RYA-Online Broadband FAQs
What is ADSL?
ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It allows High-Speed Internet Access. It is provided as an added service to your existing BT telephone line.
Will everyone be able to take advantage of ADSL?
There are a number of factors that will affect whether or not an individual can have ADSL: Your local exchange needs to have been provisioned for ADSL.
You need to be located a certain distance from their local exchange because ADSL is distance dependent. This distance is typically around 5 to 7km maximum. Around 90% of the UK population live within this distance from their exchange.
BT will then carry out a survey on the PSTN line, to ensure that ADSL can actually be delivered over the individuals line.
Where is ADSL available?
ADSL service is available from about 5000 exchanges across the UK.
What speed does the service run at?
| |
Download |
Upload |
| ADSL Classic 50:1 |
Up to 2Mbps |
Up to 448Kbps |
| ADSL Max 50:1 |
Up to 8Mbps |
Up to 448Kbps |
Business ADSL:
| |
Download |
Upload |
| ADSL Classic 20:1 |
Up to 2Mbps |
Up to 832Kbps |
| ADSL Max 20:1 |
Up to 8Mbps |
Up to 832Kbps |
What is contention ratio?
When you connect to the Internet using ADSL Broadband technology you are in effect sharing the connection infrastructure with other users. The term contention is simply a ratio used to measure the extent of this sharing. For example on a package with a contention of 50:1, up to 50 other Broadband users may share the equipment and bandwidth in your local BT exchange.
An analogy would be driving a car in peak (rush-hour) and off-peak traffic. During the rush hour you contend the road with everybody else and it may take you longer to get to your destination than during off-peak.
A 20:1 contention ratio would be better that a 50:1 ratio when you look at the worse case scenarios e.g. if you are a Home 500 user then that means you are sharing your 512kbs with 49 other people. If you are all downloading at the same time then you will get approx. 10kbs (about a quarter of the speed of a normal dial-up analogue modem).
In reality it is unlikely to make much difference to the speed of your connection, and would just depend on how many users are online at the same time as you i.e. peak times may be marginally slower.
Will telephone calls be charged separately to data usage?
Yes. Normal telephone rental and call charges will still apply.
Can all BT Select services be supported?
Yes, all Select Services can be supported on the PSTN line, including Call Waiting, Call Return and Caller Display.
Can I keep my existing telephone number
Existing BT PSTN numbers will be unaffected; most end users will be able to keep their existing telephone number.
Does ADSL work with an ISDN line or BT Home/Business Highway?
No. BT´s ADSL services only run over a normal PSTN line however you can have the ISDN line converted to a standard PSTN line as part of the installation.
What equipment is installed?
An ADSL router, modem and splitter is installed. The router will have a standard ethernet network interface.
How does ADSL speed compare to other access technologies?
Speed comparisons are very hard to make since there are a number of influencing factors - the contention ratio, web site server speed, international bandwidth constraints, etc. However, the following shows the differences in potential speed:
Comparison to Bandwidth Range 56K home modem:
Dial-up Modem 28 - 56kbps - 0.5 - 1.0x
ISDN 64 - 128kbps - 1.1x - 3.3x
ADSL based services 2Mbs - 8Mbps - 36 - 146x
What is the difference between Capped and Uncapped services?
In order to keep costs down, many service providers apply a "Cap" to their connections. What this means in simple terms is that there is a limit to the amount of data you can download / upload before the service stops working or before you incur an overuse penalty.
Generally, Capped products are cheaper due to this limitation, but are not suitable for business use, where there is a need to use the connection constantly without interruption.
All RYA Online Broadband Connections are uncapped, meaning that you can use them as much as you like without incurring extra overuse penalties. We believe that uncapped services are the best and most suitable class of product available for personal and business users.
What are the tests that BT carry out to determine availability?
BT will carry out tests on:
- Line Length
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BT need to check the length of your telephone line. The length of the cable must be less than 6km in order to be accepted for 1MB or higher speeds. Note, your premises may be physically closer to the exchange; BT only take into consideration the cable length from the exchange, which may be much further than the physical distance.
- Noise
- BT need to ensure your line has suitable quality for ADSL, you need noise of no more than 60db for 1MB products or 43db for 2MB products. 512K products have no noise limitation, but the line will still need to pass viability tests based upon the quality of the serving cabling to your premises.
- Capacitance
- Again, this is to establish line quality, to pass, this should be below 160nf.
- Whoosh Test
- The final test. BT tests again to ensure that everything will work correctly with the installation. This is the last point at which an installation can fail, and failure at this point is very rare.
What is the Minimum Contract Term?
All RYA-Online Broadband come with a 12 Month minimum contract. You will be liable for full term payment if service is cancelled within the minimum term.
Why do I need Microfilters?
The splitter separates the ADSL (high frequency) signals from the analogue phone (low frequency) signals, to prevent your Broadband service from interfering with the normal telephony services that run on the same line.
One Microfilter is required for each socket that is connected to your ADSL Line, and must be fitted directly to the wall socket. Service cannot be guaranteed if the Microfilters are connected to Telephone double-adapters or to any other linking equipment first.
Is ADSL more secure than a dialup?
No more security is provided by having an ADSL line than a Dialup Modem. As with any product that leaves you permanently connected, to be secure you should invest in a security product (eg. a firewall).
RYA-Online recommend that you invest in a firewall to protect your network from attack. ADSL is an "always on" service and so open to the Internet as along as your PC's are switched on.
Will ADSL make my Telephone Calls cheaper?
No. BT will treat the ADSL line as a standard Telephone line for the purposes of voice calls. Hence, your normal BT Telephone Bill will still apply.
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