Broadband speeds

For many people, the speed of the connection is the deciding factor when choosing a broadband package. Ease of surfing, quick downloads and efficient use of websites such as YouTube and Facebook have become standard requirements for nearly all internet users.

Compare the best broadband deals available in your area using the uSwitch broadband postcode checker

How fast is your current connection?

Speed tests are useful, as many customers don't know what speed they are currently experiencing and therefore don't know what 8Mb, or indeed 50Mb, would mean in practical terms. Test the speed of your broadband connection with our uSwitch broadband speed test.

In order to get an accurate reading, you should close all other programs, webpages and games before starting the speed test.

Can a connection be sped up without changing provider?

Yes. If you use a wireless connection, you can try changing the channels or broadcast type of your router. If you are feeling incredibly geeky, you can forward the ports on your router. This works very well for programs, games and utilities, but cannot be done for internet browsers like Internet Explorer or FireFox.

More information about broadband speed

The speed of broadband that you can get depends mainly on where you live.

• Are you in a cable or ADSL-only area? The fastest speeds are reserved for locations served with a cable network.
• Are you in a rural or urban area? Broadband is consistently faster in urban areas.
• The distance of your house from the telephone exchange will also affect your speed. The closer you are, the faster your connection

To see an accurate approximation for your home, try our postcode checker, which scans your connection, analyses your broadband exchange and works out what broadband speeds you can get. In general, with ADSL broadband (excluding fibre-optic, cable broadband and mobile broadband via dongle / 3G), the closer you are to your BT exchange, the faster your broadband will be. UK broadband speeds currently range from 512Kb to 100Mb.

We also rank fast broadband packages for your ease.

Why is my connection slower in the evenings?

ADSL broadband is a shared service. Therefore, the more people who are using it, the slower it will be. The amount of people using a broadband connection in an area affects the “contention ratio”, which is the ratio of users to the BT area’s telephone exchange, and the coping capacity the exchange has for those connections. Most home users use their computers in the evening, so connections tend to be a lot slower at these peak hours (i.e. 7pm to 10pm). The best time to use broadband is between 12am and 8am.

Cable broadband speed does not change during the day, making it a more consistent alternative.