Wireless broadband

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	Hardware	Setup	Monthly price	Contract	Speed (Up to)	Downloads
Sponsored link	95 reviews	O2 Premium 20Mb speed broadband FREE for 3 months - with unlimited downloads. Normal monthly price £15/mth or £10 for O2 mobile customers.					Go 0800 4661 043
1	75 reviews	FREE	£17.74	12 months	20Mb	10 GBper month	Go 0800 4661 043
	Plusnet Value + Talk Evening & Weekends	Phone: Includes telephone line rental plus free evening/weekend UK calls and 300 minutes of free evening/weekend international calls Extras: Free wireless 4-port router and 24/7 support. Free usage between midnight-8am.
2	220 reviews	FREE	£9	18 months	20Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 2947338
	Orange Home Select	Extras: Wireless router included. 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Wednesdays. Non-Orange customers pay £12/mth
3	233 reviews	FREE	£10	12 months	20Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 8405386
	Sky Broadband Unlimited	Extras: Now available without taking Sky TV Includes free evening & weekend UK landline calls
4	233 reviews	£30	£19	12 months	20Mb	2 GBper month	Go 0800 8405386
	Sky Everyday Lite broadband with Sky+ box	Offer (Ends 23 Sep): ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Free Sky+ box PLUS £25 M&S voucher TV: Sky Variety pack with access to 150 channels Phone: Free evening and weekend calls Extras: Sky+ Box
5	664 reviews	FREE	£34.50	12 months	50Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 4661045
	Virgin XXL 50Mb Broadband + TV (M+ extra channels) + Phone	Offer: Free installation and activation TV: Virgin (M+) TV with 60 channels Phone: Unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines and Virgin mobiles (+ £11.99/mth line rental) Extras: Enhanced performance Wireless "N" Router and V box (HD ready) V+ HD box available for £49 plus £5/mth
6	220 reviews	FREE	£10.50	18 months	20Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 2947338
	Orange Home Ultra	Phone: Free anytime UK calls, plus a second line for free internet calls to 30 countires (+ £10.50/mth line rental) Extras: Free Livebox wireless router (connects up to six computers at one time). 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Wednesdays. Non-Orange customers pay £13.50/mth
7	207 reviews	FREE	£7.49 £14.49 after 3 months	18 months	20Mb	10 GBper month	Go 0800 783 0968
	Broadband and Calls	Offer: No connection fee if you need a new line Phone: Free weekend calls to UK landlines plus free 0845 & 0870 at weekends (+ £12.79/mth line rental, or £9.49/mth if you pay 1 year in advance) Extras: Wireless BT Home Hub with Option 1 broadband, plus Unlimited WiFi
8	75 reviews	FREE	£22.74	12 months	20Mb	60 GBper month	Go 0800 4661 043
	Plusnet Extra + Talk Evening & Weekends	Phone: Includes telephone line rental plus free evening/weekend UK calls and 300 minutes of free evening/weekend international calls Extras: Free wireless 4-port router and 24/7 support. Free usage between midnight-8am.
9	95 reviews	FREE	£9.50 £19.50 after 3 months	12 months	20Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 4661 043
	O2 Premium + Evening & Weekend Phone package	Phone: Includes telephone line rental plus unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK landlines Extras: Wireless router, free 24/7 support, 200 web texts/mth, McAfee security software (3 licences). Non-O2 customers pay £24.50/mth
10	664 reviews	FREE	£23.50	12 months	10Mb	UNLIMITED	Go 0800 4661045
	Virgin L Broadband + TV (L) + Phone (M)	Offer: Free installation TV: Virgin (L) TV with 100+ channels Phone: Unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines and Virgin mobiles (+ £11.99/mth line rental) Extras: Free Virgin Media Hub and V box (HD ready) V+ HD box available for £49 plus £5/mth

Wireless broadband

Let's be honest, no one likes a big mess of wires running along their walls. And with the possible exception of your hi-fi system, it's likely that your PC - and the area where your cable connections come into the house - are the worst of all.

But your internet doesn't have to add to those problems. People used to dial-up or early fixed-line internet connections may be surprised to find out how cheap and easy it can be to upgrade to a wireless broadband set-up.

It has other advantages too, one of the main ones being multi-connectivity. Many people now have several internet-ready devices, such as laptops and game consoles, as well as a PC, dotted around the house. With a wireless broadband connection, you can connect them all at once.

Is wireless broadband like mobile broadband?

The simple answer is no, but there are similarities. Mobile broadband uses a mobile network such as O2 to connect to the internet - the same as your mobile phone. Wireless broadband uses your fixed-line home broadband signal, but instead of the cable from the wall going straight into your computer, it instead goes into a wireless modem router.

The router then sends the signal around your home or office, so that all machines within its range (that have a wireless adaptor) can pick up the same signal. The range tends to be about 150-300ft (46-92m), but they are password protected so you don't have to worry about your nieghbours using your connection!

How to go wireless?

Making your home broadband wireless should be a relatively painless process: generally it is as simply as first upgrading your router with a wireless modem router. Then, you need to make sure your computer is set-up and ready to receive a wireless signal. This may mean buying a small piece of computer hardware, called either a wireless card (internal) or adaptor (external, connecting via a USB port). Most laptops already have this technology built in, but it is advisable to check your manual.

Going wireless for free

As wireless broadband technology has become more common, the price of the hardware has dropped dramatically. This has led to some broadband providers giving away wireless modems or routers to new customers to help sweeten the deal.

If you've already been with your provider such as BT for the full length of your initial contract it is worth looking into a possible switch anyway. Prices are continuing to drop, speeds are rising and data allowances are improving - you may find you are paying the same as new customers elsewhere such as Virgin Media but getting a lot less for your money. And you could get a free wireless modem or router into the bargain!

To see what deals and offers are available in your area, simply go to Broadband Genie's home page and enter your UK postcode (and your phone number for a more accurate result) - don't worry, we won't pass on your information to anyone. This will give you a list of broadband deals available for your home, see which is the cheapest and make a comparison. It is also possible to read customer views so you know which provider gives the best overall broadband experience.

Now, look across to the 'extras' column towards the right of the table. This is where you will find goodies such as free calls and free hardware.

What are the disadvantages of wireless broadband?

The biggest cause of complaint with wireless broadband is a weak signal. This can be caused by many things, but the most common is 'noise' between the wireless modem and the computer that is trying to receive the signal. This can often be overcome by keeping the wireless router as far from other electrical devices as possible, especially other wireless ones. Changing the channel the router is transmitting on can also solve this problem.

Difficulties can also arise because of the adaptor you choose. As is so often the case, you tend to get what you pay for: if you pay for a cheap adaptor, and then put your PC a long way from your router, it might not be able to do the job. It is best to seek advise from the store you are buying  the adaptor from, or an internet forum, informing them of your personal circumstances and asking whether the adaptor you are planning to buy is fit for purpose.

Finally, it is worth remembering you still have the one wire leaving your home: if you connect multiple devices simultaneously, you may see a serious hit on performance as the devices fight for connection bandwidth, or connection speed.

Is wireless broadband for me?

For multiple connections, as well as general tidiness and flexibility, wireless would seem to be the way to go. If you only have machines near your incoming broadband cables, then it may not be worthwhile. However, it will future-proof your home if you are upgrading your internet package anyway. And it is worth noting the vast majority of wireless broadband modem routers allow for a number of cable connections to run through them too, so you get the best of both worlds. Many wireless routers will take four broadband cables as standard, while the latest models will also take mobile broadband dongles. This means if you have mobile broadband dongle, you can ensure your home set up will stay connected even if your fixed-line connection goes down.

Also, for some internet usage such as gaming and downloading, those cluttered wires will continue to be the method of choice. Where a steady connection is required, a good old fashioned wire is still more likely to keep you hooked up without interruption.

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