Gaming broadband

Online gamers need a few things from their ISP; fast up and download speeds to make the experience as slick as possible, low contention ratios and high or no-limit monthly downloads.

The following broadband ISPs are ideal for gamers.

Sort packages by: All packages Bestsellers		Speed	Downloads	Contract	Monthly cost
#1	Be Unlimited Super-fast broadband, free wireless router & static IP Sign up on 0808 101 3422 More info...	up to 24Mb	Unlimited	3 months	£17.50 Buy now »
2	PlusNet Pro for Gaming Gaming traffic prioritised. Free wireless router, 240 mons VoIP calls & static IP Sign up on 0845 141 0004 More info...	up to 8Mb	15Gb	1 month	£19.55 Buy now »
3	O2 Broadband Standard Free wireless router. UK's best-rated home broadband. Sale! 3 months free on Premium & Pro packages More info...	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£7.34 (£12.23 for non-O2 customers) Buy now »
4	Be Pro Super-fast broadband, free wireless router, static IP & up to 2.5Mb upload Sign up on 0808 101 3422 More info...	up to 24Mb	Unlimited	3 months	£21.50 Buy now »
5	Tiscali Option 1 Free wireless router, connection & weekend calls More info...	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£6.49 (first 3 months) Buy now »
6	TalkTalk Essentials Free wireless router, off-peak calls & inclusive broadband. Add boosts for only £4 each with myTalkTalk Sign up on 0800 049 7864 More info...	up to 8Mb	40Gb	18 months	£6.49 (line rental £10.50) Buy now »
7	Virgin Media M Phone (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free weekend calls, modem & PCguard More info...	up to 2Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£4.50 (first 6 months, landline £11) Buy now »
8	AOL Broadband Wireless Off-Peak Free wireless router & off-peak calls. Sign up on 0800 049 1283 More info...	up to 8Mb	10Gb	18 months	£4.99 (for 3 months, price can vary on area) Buy now »
9	BT Option 1 Free wireless Home Hub & UK calls. Optional BT Vision. Order online for a free BT Home Hub Sign up on 0800 328 1587 More info...	up to 8Mb	10Gb	18 months	£7.78 (first 3 months) Buy now »
10	O2 Broadband Premium Free wireless router. UK's best-rated home broadband. New year offer! Get 3 months free More info...	up to 20Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£9.79 (£14.68 for non-O2 customers) Buy now »
More broadband deals...
11	Virgin Media M (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with a free modem & PCGuard. Landline not required More info...	up to 2Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£10.00 (first 6 months) Buy now »
12	PlusNet Option 1 Free modem, VoIP calls & overnight usage Sign up on 0845 141 0004 More info...	up to 8Mb	2Gb	1 month	£9.75 Buy now »
13	AOL Broadband Wireless Flexi Off-Peak Free wireless router & off-peak calls. No minimum contract. Sign up on 0800 049 1283 More info...	up to 8Mb	10Gb	1 month	£4.99 (first 3 months, price can vary on area) Buy now »
14	Tiscali Talk 1 Free line rental, wireless router & weekend calls More info...	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£9.99 (first 3 months) Buy now »
15	Virgin Media L Phone (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free wireless router & weekend calls More info...	up to 10Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£8.00 (first 6 months, £11 line rental) Buy now »
16	BT Option 2 Free wireless Home Hub & off-peak UK calls. Optional BT Vision. Order online for a free BT Home Hub Sign up on 0800 328 1587 More info...	up to 8Mb	15Gb	18 months	£13.69 (for 3 months) Buy now »
17	Virgin Media XL Phone (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free wireless router & weekend calls More info...	up to 20Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£10.00 (first 6 months, £11 line rental) Buy now »
18	O2 Broadband Pro Free enhanced wireless router. Prioritised customer service. New year offer! Get 3 months free More info...	up to 20Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£17.13 (£22.02 for non-O2 customers) Buy now »
19	BT Option 3 Free wireless Home Hub, phone & UK calls. Optional BT Vision. Order online for a free BT Home Hub Sign up on 0800 328 1587 More info...	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	18 months	£18.59 (for 3 months) Buy now »
20	Orange Home Max Free line rental, free calls, VoIP & wireless LiveBox modem More info...	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	18 months	£25.00 (price can vary on area) Buy now »
21	Virgin Media XL (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free wireless router. Landline not required More info...	up to 20Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£29.00 Buy now »
22	Virgin Media L (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free wireless router. Landline not required More info...	up to 10Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£17.00 (first 6 months) Buy now »
23	Virgin Media XXL (Cable) Fibre optic broadband with free wireless router. The UK's fastest broadband package More info...	up to 50Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£51.00 Buy now »

Gaming broadband explained

Although still a relatively small sector of the videogame industry, internet gaming is increasing in popularity exponentially, and it has never been easier to get involved. This guide will take you through a few things to take in consideration if you decide that you want to start gaming on the internet.

Award winning gaming broadband:

See who won the award in the gaming broadband category in the Top 10 Broadband Awards >>gaming broadband

Factors to consider:

Speed- obviously you are looking for as fast a connection as possible.
Download allowance- download limits are soon reached when gaming intensively, so if you‘re a high internet user you might prefer an unlimited package.
Low latency
No throttle
Static IP
Low contention ratio
Avoid ISPs that use datastream- such as Tiscali and Bulldog as the internet speed slows down as the telephone exchange becomes busier with datastream.

What platform do you want to play on?

PC - Connecting to the internet is simple enough.
PSP, PS3, Wii or DS- Pretty simple to connect too and these three have wireless capability - just make sure your wireless router is compatible.
Xbox 360- You're going to need to buy a wireless adapter, or connect directly to a modem.
Playstation 2, or Xbox, or older- You may have to buy additional hardware such as a network adaptor.

Note: - Some internet games require subscription payments even after you have bought the game. Mostly these are MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) such as the very popular World of Warcraft, this is because when you play these games you involve yourself in a community that needs maintenance, hence the subscription.

However if you just want to race someone on the other side of the world on Mario Kart DS, then your DS will connect immediately through a wireless network straight out of the box.