Streamyx Dns

When you signed up for your broadband package, the chances are you were told you would get speeds of up to 8MB, 16MB, or 24MB. You were probably also told that this speed may not be achievable due to the distance you live from the exchange. You probably weren't told that this speed is nigh on impossible to get, regardless of where you live.

Shocking discoveries have been made as a result of broadband users taking online speed tests, which is an internet tool that checks the speed of your connection by downloading a 10MB file roughly 19 times.

These results showed that when bandwidth is advertised at up to 8MB, for example, the actual speed received can be as low as 2.2MB, regardless of your distance from an exchange. One user who lived close to an exchange received just 9 Mbps of the advertised 16 Mbps. The lowest speed recorded in these speed tests was a meagre 0.09Mbps, which isn't much faster than dial-up.

Unfortunately, there is little the consumer can do to gain faster broadband speed. Computeractive magazine has taken a petition to Downing Street to try and prevent misleading advertising by broadband providers, in a bid to get the word 'typical' on the adverts, in much the same way credit cards advertise 'typical APR'.

Surprisingly, price isn't necessarily a factor in determining bandwidth. A cheap broadband package can be just as slow or fast as a more expensive one. Sometimes switching your provider can help, but it can be costly and stressful, especially if you're trying to end a contract early.

Check all your connections and wires first of all, and if you can't see a problem with those, contact your provider to see what they suggest. You may need an upgrade on your modem, or maybe even a new PC.

Bear in mind that certain times of the day, the internet is slower for everybody. Peak times in the UK tend to be between 4 and 6pm, when people tend to log on at the same time, thus clogging up the exchanges.

Want broadband? Find cheap broadband by comparing broadband providers online.

J Tillotson is a UK author specialising in technology and communications.

What is the Internet?
Most simply, it is a collection of computers that are able to communicate with each other through wires or wirelessly. It is therefore often described as a network of computers that carries information and various different services for example email, chat, file transfer, and web pages.

What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web, sometimes shortened to the Web, is a subset of the Internet. It is the part of the network that refers to web pages, including the (hyper)links, text, pictures and multimedia that comprise them.

Where is the Internet?
Because the it is a collection of computers, there is no static physical location or central point to it. It exists wherever there are computers connected to it, so it is a constant state of flux, as computers join it by making a connection, or leave it by closing their connection.

But where are websites located?
Websites are physically saved on computers. These are special computers called servers which "serve" up the websites they have saved on their hard drives on demand. Servers are usually run by web hosts, but can also be run by individuals or companies.

What is a domain name?
A domain name is a word or words separated by dots (e.g. www.google.com), and which corresponds to a number, known as an internet protocol (IP) number. This IP number or address is used by computers to locate other computers and servers on the internet. A domain name is used because it is easier for humans to remember and work with words rather than numbers.

Who owns the Internet?
Again, because of its nature there is no one owner. Servers are owned individually, however, so websites can be said to have owners.

How do the computers on the Internet communicate with each other?
Computers communicate using a language called Internet Protocol or IP. This language involves the transmission of data in small chunks, known as packets.

Ben Coleman is the CEO and owner of Real Free Websites. He has been designing websites and working on website technologies since 1999. Real Free Websites was created to fill a niche: to offer low-cost customized websites and top quality hosting.

What is the Internet?
Most simply, it is a collection of computers that are able to communicate with each other through wires or wirelessly. It is therefore often described as a network of computers that carries information and various different services for example email, chat, file transfer, and web pages.

What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web, sometimes shortened to the Web, is a subset of the Internet. It is the part of the network that refers to web pages, including the (hyper)links, text, pictures and multimedia that comprise them.

Where is the Internet?
Because the it is a collection of computers, there is no static physical location or central point to it. It exists wherever there are computers connected to it, so it is a constant state of flux, as computers join it by making a connection, or leave it by closing their connection.

But where are websites located?
Websites are physically saved on computers. These are special computers called servers which "serve" up the websites they have saved on their hard drives on demand. Servers are usually run by web hosts, but can also be run by individuals or companies.

What is a domain name?
A domain name is a word or words separated by dots (e.g. www.google.com), and which corresponds to a number, known as an internet protocol (IP) number. This IP number or address is used by computers to locate other computers and servers on the internet. A domain name is used because it is easier for humans to remember and work with words rather than numbers.

Who owns the Internet?
Again, because of its nature there is no one owner. Servers are owned individually, however, so websites can be said to have owners.

How do the computers on the Internet communicate with each other?
Computers communicate using a language called Internet Protocol or IP. This language involves the transmission of data in small chunks, known as packets.

Ben Coleman is the CEO and owner of Real Free Websites. He has been designing websites and working on website technologies since 1999. Real Free Websites was created to fill a niche: to offer low-cost customized websites and top quality hosting.