The Newbie’s Guide to Business Broadband

When one decides to begin a business one must contemplate various factors such as staff, premises and broadband connection. Many smaller, home-run businesses feel it is passable to use a personal home broadband connection; however this can be both inconvenient and damaging to the new company. Instead it is advised to look at a business broadband with static IP address. There are numerous benefits attached to this business broadband option which are not available with a home connection. Not only are you presented with a static IP address, but you also receive priority treatment from providers.

How do I get speedier broadband?

One of the most common complaints regarding home businesses is that their broadband speeds are unacceptable. This is generally due to traffic management and the prioritising of business broadband traffic. If one were to use a business broadband package you would receive the faster business speeds instead of the lower home connection speeds. Furthermore, this will be most evident during the provider’s peak hours when traffic management strategies are implemented.

If you are a business broadband client, you may find your contention ratio is lower than that of the home broadband client. Business ratios are usually 20:1 whereas the home ratios are 50:1. These contention ratios indicate the number of individuals with which you are sharing a broadband line connection. The fewer the masses, the less the congestion.

It should be noted that even in times of heavy congestion business broadband consumers are provided with a higher priority status to ensure their data download speed do not decrease.

What is the customer support like on a business broadband connection?

Although one of the benefits is a higher priority in traffic management during peak hours, there are other advantages to note. Business broadband clients will receive a speedier and higher quality response from customer support. This is due to business broadband providers understanding how being disconnected from the internet can damage a company. Should you not have access to your information you will not be able to assist clients or manage everyday trading.

As is mentioned the customer support feature of the business broadband package is more efficient than the home broadband packages. Any issues you may be experiencing with your connection will be resolved within a shorter time frame and answered online. As may be expected certain service providers will be more efficient than others and this must be considered when choosing a provider.

Are upload speeds important?

The upload speed of a broadband connection is not particularly important to the average home internet user, which is why many packages offer approximately 1mb/second upload speed. However, businesses find good upload speeds to be an essential aspect of the package and thus require the provider to allow for this. The majority of business packages will offer a maximum of 5mb/second with an average of 2.5mb/second in certain locations.

Many businesses required speedier uploads and they are more likely to upload information to the internet either to place on a website or send via email. A greater upload speed means the information is available online in a timely manner which makes sending this data to others more secure as you do not have to wait for it to attach and send.

What about the download allowance?

A business broadband package generally requires a greater amount of download allowance. Should you have multiple members of staff working online you will have to share your internet connection, thus the number of downloads will be high as the various individuals complete their different tasks. If one decides to remain using the home broadband package you will experience highly detrimental effects as the connection will not be able to support all the data downloads. It is only with a business broadband package that even small businesses can handle the vast quantities of information being transmitted.

What is business broadband with static IP?

The static or fixed IP address is the main differential feature which separates home broadband connections from business ones. A home broadband connection utilises a dynamic IP address system whereby the computer IP alters each time the user logs onto the internet. However, this is highly impractical for any businessman where his computer needs to be identified for business reasons. Should you wish to use a remote access application, a fixed IP would be more beneficial.

Further advantages to using a broadband with static IP address connection is the FTP server. The FTP server refers to file transfer protocol and the instance of one hosting their own server instead of paying an external service. By creating this service you will be able to send large files over the internet, while ensuring both the security and confidentiality of this data.

Email addresses as part of the package

As with all broadband packages, business broadband packages include some added extras. One of these essential incentives is multiple email addresses for your employees. This is an ideal feature for any size business as it allows a sense and representation of cohesion. Furthermore, it creates a professionalism for the business by attaching the company name to the email address making it a 'work email address'. There is also the option for smaller businesses to assign different parts of the business a particular email address. For example the customer support facility will have a different email address to the marketing unit.

Web-space as part of the package

Nowadays every business should present with a website in order to compete in their relevant industry. Once you have an up and running website you will be have the opportunity to connect with potential clients. However, the problem facing several smaller companies is the expense of web hosting and domains. As part of the business broadband packages providers are now offering web hosting including domain names. It must be remembered that the type of hosting and web space is dependent on the deal and often it includes only a single domain name.

What about the business packages and bundles?

When exploring the options of business broadband you can opt for either business broadband bundles or broadband only packages. The bundles will vary and many will include both the broadband connection with phone line rental. However, there are those which offer a mobile service as well. The broadband only package will include the benefits of a broadband with static IP address but will allow access to broadband exclusively. If you are looking to take a bundle you must consider whether the expense is worthwhile.

Getting a good deal on broadband with static IP was easy for Sam Jones . By using uSwitch and similar sites he could see how to save his hard-earned money.