Family broadband explained

Parents aren't the only ones who use internet at home, kids of all ages are also using the internet regularly for things like instant messaging, social networking and gaming. Families have quite specific needs when it comes to broadband. We have summarised some of the key factors that you should consider before making your decision.

Wireless

With home PCs, laptops and, increasingly, gaming consoles being used by all members of the family, often at the same time, broadband for families has a lot of functions to fulfil. If you are running more than one device on your broadband connection - wireless is the option for you. Many ISPs include free wireless routers with the package, these take a lot of the hassle out of using broadband around the house.

Speed of connection

It is worth noting that the more devices using the broadband connection at once, the slower the overall download speed becomes. Hence, packages that offer higher speeds are the ones to look for if your family is interested in downloading lots of music, playing games over the internet and availing of IPTV.

Download allowance

As well as higher speeds, you should consider the download allowance of your broadband package - you would do well to consider ISPs who offer unlimited downloads to their patrons. When it comes to "unlimited downloads" it is important to note that many ISPs have fair usage policies attached to prevent a minority of heavy users taking up all the bandwidth and slowing the connection for other users at peak times. Be sure and have a look at the terms and conditions of each package so that you fully understand what you are signing up for.

Security

ISPs such as, though not exclusively, AOL and BT provide extensive parental controls to try and help you make sure your children are safe on the internet. They can filter out URLs which they consider to be unsuitable. A small problem here is that selectively changing the level of restriction according to which member of the family is using the computer is not easy. AOL solves this by enabling different family members to have different logins, and BT has a customisable gateway. They also provide other solutions such being able to limit the time your child is on the internet, and having reports detailing the website your child has visited e-mailed to you.

Third-party software

There are also other measures that you can take yourself, for example buying software such as Net Nanny. Here instead of the ISP filtering the URLs your child can access, this software does the job. There a couple of pitfalls with this though, in that you have to update the software regularly and also you are relying on the manufacturer of the software you have bought to decide what is unsuitable for children.

It’s not just children that need to be careful on the internet, everyone needs to be vigilant online. You should check advice from your banks about internet security and never give out personal details, as well as credit card fraud there is also increasingly identity fraud. AOL provides services to try and help with this as well, such ID Shield.

ISPs can provide very comprehensive family protection, and you can find a plethora of software to help, although one should be careful not to rely solely on these. No matter how good they are, measures such as these cannot be 100% safe, so if you’re worried about your children then the best way to protect them is to supervise them as much as possible, and try to get the whole family to be as careful they can.