Wireless broadband

Wireless broadband explained

Wireless broadband (or Wi-Fi) is quickly becoming the norm in almost every household with a broadband connection. With wireless broadband, several people can get online at once. In fact, a wireless broadband connection means that as many people as you want can access the internet at any one time.

The great advantages of portable devices like laptops, PDAs and netbooks, is that you can carry them around, from room to room, or even out into the garden. With a wireless broadband connection, you can make full use of the portability of your devices by using them anywhere in range!

To get wireless broadband in your home, you need a wireless router. Wireless routers are the devices that transmit data from the internet around your home. This data will travel through the router, and is broadcast and picked up by wireless adaptors that you plug into whichever device you want to pick up wireless broadband.

Want to know more about wireless broadband? Read our guide - What is wireless broadband?

Most internet service providers (ISPs) now supply customers with wireless routers (often for free) allowing them to go wireless with their broadband packages. The trend for wireless broadband has really taken off in the last two years, with more and more households having a wireless router so every member of the family can make the most of broadband capabilities whenever they want or need to.

Wireless broadband is for everyone

Quite literally! Wireless broadband makes broadband readily available throughout the home, from families to students and shared houses, or even to people who live alone and simply want the freedom of internet everywhere:

• Families The broadband revolution has seen households up and down the country become owners of multiple PCs, laptops and games consoles that operate online. If you’re part of a family where everyone seems to wants to access the internet at once from different rooms of the house, wireless broadband is the answer. To view all family broadband packages, see our family broadband page
• Gamers The gaming world has never been so competitive, with a greater, more sophisticated range of consoles than ever before, the world of computer gaming has become an international pastime operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For gamers using PS3s, PSPs, Nintendo Wiis and other wireless gaming consoles, wireless broadband is essential. Compare all gaming broadband packages on our gaming broadband page.
• Laptop users Maybe you’re tired of being tied down by your telephone point? If you’re a laptop or netbook user, then you’re bound to be getting frustrated with having to sit in the same place all the time. Maybe you want to relax on the sofa while you stream some catch-up TV or sit in your bed on a Sunday morning and shop. Wireless broadband will give you the freedom to roam with your laptop and get online wherever you are in the house. See all broadband and free laptop packages.
• Multiple computer owners For those of us who want to expand the number of computers used at home, or who have several computer users living at home, wireless broadband is the most obvious solution to multiple internet users.

Wireless broadband is unnecessary if

• You solely connect to the internet on a desktop computer that is near a telephone point.

Wireless broadband routers

A wireless router does exactly what the name suggests - it routes signals without the use of wires. Most wireless routers have at least one aerial or antenna, which the router uses to send signals wirelessly to your computer’s wireless adaptor.

Many computers have an in-built wireless adaptor that you can turn on to pick up wireless broadband signals from your wireless router. However, if you do not have this facility on your laptop, you can get a wireless network card that will pick up the wireless broadband signal from your wireless router.

There is a lot of jargon to understand when it comes to wireless routers; you will need to look out for 802.11g and 802.11n. These numbers are a wireless broadband standard that indicate the speed at which information can travel using your wireless router. Older wireless routers are 802.11g. The n standard means faster data transfer - these are newer models.

For more information on wireless broadband routers, check out our guide: What is a wireless router?

Each ISP offering wireless broadband has its own wireless router that comes free with their wireless broadband packages.

O2’s wireless broadband routers

O2 currently offers two different wireless routers depending on the wireless broadband package that you choose.

O2 home wireless broadband Standard, Premium or Access packages come with the O2 wireless box II which supports 802.11b and 802.11g standards.

The O2 home wireless broadband Pro package comes with the O2 wireless box III which supports the new wireless N technology and provides improved coverage. O2 wireless box III requires n enabled laptop and WPA security enabled to obtain performance improvements.

Both the O2 wireless box routers come with pre-set security features including a built-in firewall.

TalkTalk wireless broadband router

The TalkTalk wireless broadband router allows provides the latest ADSL2/2+. There's also an Ethernet port and WLAN port so you can connect different items like your PC or games console in wired mode. The TalkTalk Huawei Mt882 router is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista and Mac Os 8-10.4.4 Tiger.

BT wireless broadband routers – the BT Home Hub

The BT home hub has been a driving force in raising the standards of the wireless router game for all ISPs. The Home Hub wireless router has twice the wireless range of any other wireless router on the market.

The BT Home Hub is a next generation wireless router with 'N' technology. It's easy to connect to multiple devices such as PCs, laptops and gaming consoles without the need for wires. The built-in firewall helps keep you safe from viruses and unwanted intruders. The BT Home Hub even updates itself automatically with new features including all-important security updates.

• ADSL (Broadband)
• Wifi: 802.11b / 802.11g / 802.11n (Supports WEP, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK)
• 130mbps 2 antennae (internal Broadcom BCM94321MP)
• Dimensions:175mm x 88mm x 182mm
• Connectors: 4 x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet sockets (RJ45), 1 x USB, Broadband In (RJ11), telephone socket.

Be Box wireless broadband modem

The Be Box is a DSL broadband wireless router. It offers 802.11bg wireless LAN interface, supports ADSL2+ and is backward compatible to ADSL offering. The Be Box comes equipped with a 4-port 10/100 meg Ethernet.

Be describes the Be Box as a ‘feature-rich’ wireless broadband router, allowing seamless use of multiple high-bandwidth applications, which makes it really popular with gamers.

Be Box wireless router technical specification:

• IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11b
• Data rate: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6 megs for 802.11bg 11, 5.5, 2, 1 megs for 802.11b.
• Modulation technique: OFDM for 802.11bg; CCK (11 megs, 5,5 megs) for 802.11bg; DQPSK (2 megs) for 802.11bg; DBPSK (1 megs) for 802.11bg.
• Operating frequency: 2.4 ~ 2.497 GHz.
• Operating channels: depending on local regulations. For example, 11 channels (North America), 13 channels (Europe), and 14 channels (Japan).
• Coverage area: 802.11bg: line of sight (LoS - outdoors): max. 50 metres; indoors: max. 20 metres 802.11b: LoS (outdoors): max. 180 metres; indoors: max. 60 metres.
• Supports WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) mechanism with 64-bit or 128-bit key length.
• Supports 802.1x and WPA and WPA2.
• Supports the access control function: only registered WLAN clients can be allowed to associate to this IAD.
• SSID can be hidden for added security.
• Supports the repeater function to extend the coverage area (WDS).

Award winning wireless broadband

See who won the best wireless broadband award in the Top 10 Broadband Awardswireless broadband award.

BT's success in 2008 was repeated in 2009 when it once again stole the show with its fantastic range of broadband deals that include its market-leading HomeHub 2.0. To find out more see the best wireless broadband award page.

How to set up a wireless broadband connection

You will need to set up a simple WLAN (wireless local area network) – but don’t worry – most broadband providers provide simple ‘plug and play’ wireless equipment which involves little more than:

1. Plugging in a wireless modem/ router
2. Loading up a CD-ROM with the wireless broadband software.

That said, if you do get stuck, most ISPs provide immaculate support to help you set up your home wireless network if you get stuck. Setting up wireless broadband at home is easier than 1-2-3!

Future of wireless broadband

Mobile broadband is becoming an ever more popular proposition for UK broadband users and many are looking to cancel their landlines in favour of mobile broadband sticks which offer them a greater level of flexibility.

Up until August 2008 however, mobile broadband was a "one connection per laptop" affair. However, more recently the company that manufacturers USB modems/dongles, Huawei, has developed a wireless router for mobile broadband users. In order to avail of wireless broadband you just plug your USB stick into the router and you're ready to go.

Compare bestselling deals here wireless mobile broadband

Wireless broadband trouble?

If you are struggling to get up and running with wireless broadband at home, refer to our mini article about wireless broadband: wireless broadband problems?