Products
Frequently Asked Questions:
On
this page we've put together a list of detailed answers to all the most
common
questions we get asked regarding the Connect 247 Broadband service.
NEW: Download the Connect 247 Broadband User Manual. Click here
Please select from the list below:
What is Broadband? What is ADSL? Is there a difference?
What speeds will I be able to download or upload at with Broadband MAX?
Will Broadband MAX benefit me even if I live quite far away from my exchange?
Who can use the Cymru 1 Broadband service?
I have an ISDN or Highway line. Can I have Broadband?
Will I always be able to download at 2Mb/s (or 1Mb/s or 512Kb/s) and upload at 256Kb/s ?
Will you block any ports? Are there any download/bandwidth limits?
What on earth are these Kb/s and Mb/s you talk about all the time? What do they actually mean?
I already have Broadband from another provider. Can I move to you? How?
Do I need a BT telephone line in order to use the Cymru 1 Broadband service?
What happens after I sign up? How quickly will my service be activated?
My service has been activated. How do I use it?
What is the Connect 247 Control Panel?
How do I access the Connect 247 Control Panel?
What Email address will I get if I sign up for a Broadband account?
How do I Cancel or Migrate my account?
Are there cancellation charges?
What does "contention ratio" mean?
Is my fax machine compatible with a Broadband line?
Will Broadband affect my normal telephone connection?
Will telephone calls be charged separately?
Who is responsible for billing?
Will all BT Calling Features be supported?
Will Broadband affect my burglar or security alarm system?
What computer equipment do I need?
If I move premises what will happen to my Broadband connection?
Is it dangerous to be permanently attached to the Internet?
My question isn't answered here!
What is Broadband? What is ADSL? Is there a difference?
ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber line. In very simple terms it is a technology that can provide you with a very fast, "always on"* connection to the Internet through an ordinary phone line. It is the technology used to provide Broadband Internet access to the vast majority of people in the UK.
The words Broadband and ADSL are often used interchangeably. But technically "Broadband" refers to the speed of a connection (i.e. significantly faster than a dial-up connection, which is known as a "narrow band" connection), while ADSL refers to the technology used to deliver the connection.
Some of the benefits of Broadband over conventional dial-up Internet connections include:
1) Your connection to the Internet is "always on"*. There is no need to "dial-up" like you do using an ordinary modem to get the connection each time you want to use the Internet.
2) You can continue to use the phone line as normal to make and to answer ordinary telephone calls, even when your computer is connected to the Internet (but remember that you must continue to pay BT for your normal line rental, and for your normal phone charges).
3) Because a Broadband connection can be as much as 40 or even 160 times faster** than an ordinary dial-up modem connection, you can download files, including music and videos, in a fraction of the time it would normally take.
* With a normal modem connection, your modem needs to "dial-up" and connect before a connection to the internet can be made. This can often take 30 seconds or more to happen. But with Broadband there is no dial up process involved. The Internet connection is always available (subject to faults and service outages) on your telephone line. All that's necessary to access it is to tell your Broadband modem or router to use it and to identify itself to our systems by providing the correct username and password. This process is normally almost instantaneous. Note that in order to interface with Window's Dial-up Networking facilities, many Broadband Modems still pretend to "dial" a telephone number (usually "0") when establishing the connection.
** An ordinary V.90 modem can theoretically allow you to connect to the Internet at a speed of up to 56Kb/s. However, under normal circumstances a typical modem connection is generally around 50Kb/s, and this is the speed that we are using for all comparisons we make. So, for example, a broadband connection offering a download speed of up to 512Kb/s is up to 10 times faster than the ordinary modem connection. Similarly, a conventional broadband connection featuring download speeds of up to 2Mb/s is up to 40 times faster than the modem, and a Broadband MAX product offers download speeds of up to 8Mb/s, which is up to 160 times faster. Please note, however, that a user:bandwidth contention ratio applies to all broadband packages, which means that these maximum speeds we quote may not be possible to achieve, or at least not all the time. Please click here to learn more about this contention ratio and how it can effect connection speeds. Please also note that upload and download speeds can also vary depending on the quality of your telephone line/your distance from your local exchange.
What is Broadband MAX?
Broadband MAX is the latest innovation in Broadband technology which allows you to download at speeds of up to 8Mb/s - that's up to four times faster than an ordinary Broadband package. What's more, Broadband MAX also allows you to upload much faster. For home user accounts, you can achieve upload speeds of up to 448Kb/s while for Business accounts you can achieve up to 832Kb/s - in both cases this is significantly faster than ordinary Broadband connections.
Best of all, Broadband MAX is available on roughly 99% of all Broadband-enabled telephone exchanges in the UK.
What speeds will I actually be able to download or upload at with Broadband MAX?
Few customers will actually achieve the absolute maximum download and upload speeds that are theoretically possible with Broadband MAX. Exactly what speeds you will experience will depend on the quality of your telephone line, the contention ratio of your account and your distance from your local telephone exchange - the better the line, the lower the contention ratio and the closer you are to your exchange, the closer you will get to the maximum possible speed.
Realistically you should not expect more than 6.5Mb/s download speeds even if you have a very good line unless you live virtually next door to your local exchange (and even then you will not be able to achieve actual download speeds that are any higher than 7.1Mb/s due to technical overheads). And if you have a less than ideal line or live quite far from your exchange then you are very likely to find your download speeds are much lower than this (see below). Similarly, for most customers upload speeds are unlikely to exceed 600Kb/s (business) and 300-400Kb/s (home) and are likely to be lower if you have a less than ideal line or live far away from your local exchange.
Customers using USB Broadband modems may also have additional problems since the USB interface on some Broadband modems and some older PCs may not be able to deliver the full speed provided by a Broadband MAX line. Modern Broadband routers are unlikely to cause any problems, however.
The exact speeds will be determined *after* your line has been activated; In the first ten days after your line has been activated with Broadband MAX, a special monitoring system will check your line at regular intervals and optimise the upload and download speeds in such a way as to provide you with the fastest possible connection that your line will support. Your connection may drop more often than normal during this period - this is an unavoidable side-effect of the optimisation process. In addition, your initial download and upload speeds may not be any different to those of a normal Broadband account - it may take the full 10 days for you to see any increase in speed. For example, even if your line is of a very good quality and you live close to your local telephone exchange, you may initially only experience download speeds of around 2Mb/s and upload speeds of 256Kb/s. These speeds may only slowly ramp up towards the final maximum speeds that will be possible on your line over the 10 day period, or may not change at all until the 10 days have passed. You may even see your speeds decrease after first having increased if the monitoring system determines that your line can't sustain the higher speeds reliably. These are only an examples, however, and some customers may find that they are almost immediately able to reliably surf at faster speeds. But whatever speed your connection ends up at, it will always be the fastest speed that Broadband MAX technology can provide over your line.
Will Broadband MAX benefit me even if I live quite far away from my exchange?
As we've explained above, upload and download speeds with Broadband MAX are related to the quality of your line and your distance from your local exchange. This means only those who have good lines and are relatively close to their exchanges will get the most benefit from the technology. However, Broadband MAX can be of benefit even if the quality of your line isn't ideal or if you live quite far away from your local exchange. For example if you are unable to get a connection with download speed faster than 512Kb/s or 1Mb/s with a conventional (non-MAX) Broadband package due to the quality of your line or your distance from your local telephone exchange,you may find that by ordering or regrading to a Broadband MAX package you will be able to get a faster connection. To give you a specific example, before Broadband MAX was introduced, one of our customers was only able to have a Broadband connection with a maximum download speed of 1Mb/s and a maximum download speed of 256Kb/s. But when we regraded their line to our Business Broadband MAX package their download speed increased to 2.2Mb/s and their upload speed increased to over 600Kb/s. Needless to say, the customer was delighted with the improvement. You must keep in mind, however, that there can be no speed guarantees with Broadband MAX and the exact speed at which you can upload or download on your line using a Broadband MAX package can only be determined after your line has been activated and that in some cases it may be of very little benefit.
Who can use the Cymru 1 broadband service?
In order to subscribe to any of our Broadband services, including Broadband MAX, you must have an ordinary BT telephone line and your local telephone exchange must be "Broadband enabled". This means that BT has upgraded it to be compatible with ADSL/Broadband technology. Not all telephone exchanges in the UK are Broadband Enabled. Additionally, there are certain other restrictions. For example your home or office must not be located too far away from the exchange, your line must be of a certain quality, or you must not have any incompatible equipment on the line (including line sharing equipment, some types of payphone, and older RedCare burglar alarm signaling equipment and so on). Please also note that even if your exchange is Broadband Enabled, depending on the quality of your telephone line, and the distance between you and your local exchange and certain other factors, it may not be possible to provide you with 1Mbit/s, 2Mbit/s or Broadband MAX connections..
IF YOU HAVE AN ISDN or HIGHWAY LINE:
You cannot have Broadband enabled on an ISDN or Highway line. In order to have Broadband your line must first be converted to an ordinary analog line. You can arrange this with BT. 24-48 hours after your line has been converted to analog, you can then place an order for one of our broadband packages. Please note that even if the line checker (click here) indicates that your line is compatible with broadband, there is always a risk that the more detailed tests conducted after you place your order will discover a problem with the line which would prevent you from having a broadband connection. If this is the case then you will have to ask BT to convert your line back to ISDN or Highway. Minimum contract terms exist for BT line rental, and you should carefully check the implications of this with BT before having your line converted to or from ISDN or Highway. BT may also charge you for converting your line to analog from ISDN or Highway and vice versa.
Will I always be able to download at 2Mb/s (or 1Mb/s or 512Kb/s) and upload at 256Kb/s ? If I have Broadband Max, will I always be able to download at 8Mb/s ?
No. This is very important. The limitations of all Broadband services mean that there can be no guaranteed speed at which you will always be able to download or upload at, no matter what speed is specified for the package you subscribe to.
Indeed, the speeds mentioned in the specification or description of a particular broadband package or account are simply the theoretical maximum speeds possible and in reality, the actual speeds you will be able to download or upload at will be slower than these theoretical maximums. The actual speeds you will experience will depend on a number of factors, including the quality of your telephone line and the length of the telephone line between you and the telephone exchange you are connected to. They will also depend on the number of other people connected to your local exchange who are using the Internet at the same time as you, and what and how much they are uploading or downloading. This latter point is particularly important, because Broadband services involve a user to bandwidth contention ratio. For Home Broadband accounts the ratio is 50:1, and for Business Broadband accounts it is 20:1. The lower the ratio (20:1 is lower than 50:1) the more likely you are to experience faster transfer speeds more of the time, and vice versa. Please click here for more information on Contention Ratios.
For Broadband Max customers, the maximum speed at which you will be able to download is particularly sensitive to line quality and the distance from your exchange. Few, if any, customers will ever see the maximum speeds Broadband MAX can theoretically provide. Nevertheless, a Broadband MAX connection will always offer the fastest speed that the technology can provide over your line.
Please see the entry for Broadband Max for more information on the download and upload speeds you might achieve with this technology.
Do you block any ports? Are there any download/bandwidth limits?
There has been some speculation in the press regarding the prospect of port blocking on broadband services, especially those related to Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing programs such as Napster, Gnutella and iMesh and so on.
We have no current plans to introduce port blocking although this may change in the future if the service is adversely affected by regular flagrant abuse or if such limits are imposed on us by our suppliers.
With regards to download limits, if you subscribe to our Pay As You Go broadband services then there are set limits on how much information you can upload or download each month.
If you subscribe to our Unmetered broadband, packages, however, there is no pre-set limit. Customers are asked to try to keep their total data transfer below 50Gbytes per month, however, and if you regularly exceed this then we reserve the right to impose speed limits on your account. 50Gbytes is a huge amount and unless you are a regular user of P2P filesharing applications such as Bittorrent, you are highly unlikely to get anywhere near this.
What on earth are these Kb/s and Mb/s you talk about all the time? What do they actually mean?
Essentially these are descriptions of the maximum theoretical speed of your connection.
Connection speeds are measured in units of "bits per second", usually Kb/s (Kilo bits Per Second) or Mb/s (Mega bits Per Second).
Kilo means 1,000 and Mega means 1,000,000
This 512Kb/s means 512 Kilo bits Per Second, 1Mb/s means One Mega bit Per Second and 2Mb/s means Two Mega bits Per Second.
In contrast, data transfer (and computer data in general) is measured in units of Bytes. One Byte contains 8 bits.
As well as KB (KiloBytes) and MB (Mega Bytes) you will also find GB (GigaBytes) mentioned when talking about file sizes and data transfer limits.
Indeed, for Broadband, data transfer amounts are almost always expressed in GB (Gigabytes)
1GB = 1,000 MB (MegaBytes) [ or 1,024 MB to be totally accurate]
1GB = 1,000,000 KB (KiloBytes) [or 1,048,576 KB to be totally accurate]
1GB = 1,000,000,000 B (Bytes) [or 1,073,741,824 B to be totally accurate]
Please note, however, that you will often see "b" and "B" used interchangeably - it is an easy mistake to make. So don't always assume that when you see, for example, Gb written in a document or web page that the author really means Giga bits as they could just as easily mean Giga Bytes instead (and vice versa).
I already have Broadband from another provider. Can I move to you? How?
Yes, in most cases you can move to us. The process is called "Migration" and is simple and quick. In order to Migrate you first need to contact your existing ISP to obtain a MAC (Migration Authentication Code) number. This special code number is required when migrating from one Broadband service provider to another. Then, with your MAC number to hand, visit http://www.cymru1.net/broadband/migration.php and follow the instructions you'll find on the page.
After you have initiated the Migration process to us, your existing Broadband service will continue working as normal. Then, within about 14 days, your service will be switched over from your old ISP over to us. During the switchover process your Broadband connection may stop working for a short while - but normally for no more than for a few minutes. And once this has happened you will need to use a new username and password in order to connect to the Internet - you can contact us for these details, or you can find them in your new Connect 247 Control Panel (see a little later).
Please note that migration works very differently if you are currently connected via an LLU service provider (e.g. Orange, Sky, Carphone Warehouse) and are on an LLU line for your telephone and broadband service. Note that not all customers of LLU service providers are connected by LLU lines - usually only customers living in larger towns and cities are connected via LLU lines. LLU means "Local Loop Unbundling" and is the process where the service provider installs and maintains its own telephone equipment within BT's telephone exchanges and takes over the provision and maintenance of all aspects of your telephone service including the telephone line. LLU should not be confused with Wholesale Line Rental (WLR ), where a company other than BT bills you for your line rental and your telephone call charges. With WLR BT still provides and maintains your line - you simply pay another company for the service. With LLU BT does not provide or maintain your line.
Because LLU migrations are different, our free migration offers do not apply when switching from an LLU operator if you are on an LLU line.
Do I need a BT telephone line in order to use your Broadband service?
Yes. We cannot emphasise this enough. A standard BT telephone line is required. It must also be connected to a Broadband enabled telephone exchange, and conform to certain other requirements. Please click here for more details. Telephone lines provided by NTL, Telewest, Kingston Communications etc are NOT compatible.
Please note, however, that as long as you still pay BT for your line rental and your line confirms to the various requirements outlined elsewhere on this page, you should still be able to use our Broadband services even if you get bills for your telephone calls from a company other than BT (e.g. OneTel, Tele2, TalkTalk).
What equipment do I need for broadband?
In order to connect your computer to the Internet using a Broadband connection, you need two basic items:
1) A Broadband (ADSL) modem or router. This is basically a box of electronics that connects your computer to your Broadband-enabled telephone line. It is basically the Broadband equivalent of the modem you currently use to dial up and connect to your ISP.
2) One or more Microfilters (sometimes known as splitters). These are small devices that you must plug into all (used) telephone sockets connected to an Broadband-enabled line to prevent interference between the high-speed Internet data and normal telephone conversations. Microfilters must also be used on sockets used for things like Sky Digiboxes, ordinary modems and burglar alarms that can automatically dial-out if activated. Each microfilter has two sockets on it, one for a normal telephone and one digital socket into which you plug an Broadband modem. Please note that you do not need to plug a microfilter into telephone sockets that have nothing plugged in to them, and you should not plug more than 4 microfilters into any one line. You should also never have more than one microfilter wired in parallel.
Payment is always in advance and your regular monthly subscription payments will be charged to your account on the 1st day of each Month.
When you sign up will be asked to pay for any hardware you choose to order and for the Broadband Line Activation Fee or Migration Fee (if appropriate). You will also be charged for your first month's service fee on a Pro-Rata basis for the days that remain in the current month.
Invoice-based payments are available for large orders of for those wishing to pay a year in advance.
You can use your Connect 247 Control Panel account to view VAT receipts for your payments.
Depending on the package you select, you may be billed directly by Cymru 1 Limited or alternatively by ISP Payments (our payment processing partners). Your credit or debit card statement will therefore list an item similar to "Cymru 1 Limited" or "ISP Payments" for payments for your Internet access account.
How do I sign up?
You'll find a signup link at the bottom of each Broadband package's product description page. Just click on it.
The signup process is simple:
1) Enter your telephone number for us to check compatibility
2) Choose the type of broadband service you want (and opt for static IP addresses if you need them)
3) Choose the type of modem/router you want, and order any microfilters you need
4) Agree to our terms and conditions
5) Enter your contact details (and choose a new email address)
6) View and confirm a summary of your order
7) Enter your payment details
8) Finished!
What happens after I sign up? How quickly will my service be activated?
After you have completed the signup process you will automatically be logged in to your new Connect 247 Control Panel account and will see a page showing that your order has been accepted and is being processed. There is no need to download any files or configure anything at this point unless you want to. Instead you can either just logout of the Control Panel immediately, or alternatively you can explore some of the features it offers.
Then what happens?
Our acceptance of your order does not necessarily mean that your line is compatible with the broadband service or the particular speed of service you have requested, even if the basic "line checker" test available on our site indicated that it should be. Actual compatibility and speed can only be determined after you place your order, at which point BT will carry out a much more comprehensive line compatibility test on our behalf. Please note that there may be a slight delay between the date you place your order and the date the comprehensive line compatibility test is carried out - it is rarely performed instantly.
If your line is not compatible: We will inform you of this as soon as possible and your credit or debit card will be refunded for the full amount you paid us and the order will be cancelled.
If your line is compatible: Your broadband service will be queued for activation by BT. Activation normally takes place between 7 and 14 days from the date you place your order, though occasionally it can take longer. If you purchased a modem/router or any microfilters or other accessories during the signup process, these will be sent to the address you give us and should arrive in time for the activation of your broadband service. Note that if BT determine that the speed of the connection you have requested will not be possible on your line, they will automatically provide the next fastest speed available (e.g. 512Kb/s instead of 1Mb/s or 1Mb/s or 512Kb/s instead of 2Mb/s).
You can check on the progress and status of your order, and see if a provisional activation date has been assigned, through your Connect 247 Control Panel
My service has been activated. Now what?
The first step is to use your existing Internet connection to login to your Connect 247 Control Panel account to find your special broadband account Username and Password (plus any additional technical settings you may need to enter by your Broadband modem or router).
The second step is to install your Broadband modem or router and any microfilters according to the instructions provided with them. If you have any difficulty doing so, please contact the special hardware helpline, the details of which should be included with your modem or router, and NOT Cymru 1 as we are unable to directly help you with hardware installation problems.
Finally, configure your Broadband modem/router to connect to your Cymru 1 Connect 247 Broadband account using the username, password and any other necessary configuration information that is available from your Connect 247 Control Panel account. See below for details on how to login to your Control Panel account and how to access the configuration details.
A basic outline of the process of installing and configuring a typical USB Broadband modem can be found below. This is a generic outline to give you a flavour of the process only. It may not apply to all types of Broadband modems, and so should not be considered a substitute for reading the manual that comes with your Broadband modem:
1. Check that you have your Broadband modem, microfilters, all relevant connecting cables and your modem's installation CD. Read the supplied manual carefully!
WARNING: In most cases you MUST install the software provided with your Broadband modem BEFORE you plug the modem into your PC. If you plug your Broadband modem into your PC before you install the software you may have difficulty getting things to work. Please read the instructions that came with your Broadband modem CAREFULLY to check on the exact order in which to do things. These outline instructions assume you must install the software first.
2. Insert the CD into your computer and follow the installation procedures.
3. Plug microfilters into your telephone sockets. Microfilters need only be plugged into the sockets on the line that Broadband Broadband is being supplied on. The microfilters prevent the different signals of the Broadband service and the standard voice telephone service interfering with one another on the same line. You must plug all communications equipment (including telephones, fax machines and Sky Digiboxes) into the microfilters, as well as the connecting cable from your Broadband modem. You will normally need a telephone socket within 2m or 3m of your Broadband modem and computer, as this is the average length of a connecting cable. Do not try to extend any supplied cables yourself - contact your local PC accessory shop and ask them to obtain a longer cable for you instead.
4. Connect and install your Broadband modem, referring to the instructions provided in the manufacturer's user guide or manual.
5. Access the dialler box by clicking on the connection icon that will usually be displayed on your desktop or in your system tray once you have successfully installed the modem drivers.
6. Enter your username into the dialler-box. Then you will need to enter your password. Then Press 'connect' or 'Dial' to complete the connection. Your Broadband connection username and password can be found in your Connect 247 Control Panel. To access it please click here and use the Control Panel username and password you chose when you ordered your Broadband service (contact technical support if you need help). Once logged in, click on Connectivity, then on List. Your account details will be shown in the main part of the page. To display your Broadband login username and password, simply click on the [Setup Info] link.
7. With the appropriate username and password entered, you will then be connected to the Internet and can type the URL address for any site you wish to visit into your browser.
If you have any difficulties installing your hardware, please contact the special hardware technical support telephone helpline that will have been supplied with your modem. Please do NOT contact Cymru 1 for hardware installation problems as we will be unable to help.
What is the Connect 247 Control Panel?
The Connect 247 Control Panel is where you choose which Connect 247 service you wish to use, configure your account and add or configure email addresses and webspace. You can also use the Control Panel to buy additional services such as more sophisticated connectivity and hosting options, inform us of changes in address, alter usernames and passwords and so on. You can access the control panel from the Connect 247 Control Panel link in the navigation bar on the left, or you can just go to http://cp.cymru247.net.
To check on the progress of your order and see if an activation date has been set:
Click on Connectivity, then on List, then click on the [More Info] link.
To find your Broadband Username and Password and other details:
Click on Connectivity, then on List, then click on the [Setup Info] link.
To create and configure Email and personal web space:
Click on Domains & Email, then on List to configure existing email addresses or web space, or click on Add New to add new email accounts or web space. For step by step instructions on adding an email address and using webspace, please visit the Broadband Support section of our website.
To access online receipts for your payments:
Click on e-billing. A list of the payments you've made will appear. Click on the reference number to view a full VAT receipt for that payment.
How do I access the Connect 247 Control Panel?
Go to http://cp.cymru247.net or you can visit the Connect 247 section on the Cymru 1 Website where you'll find a link to it.
What Email address will I get if I sign up for a Connect 247 Broadband account?
Email addresses for Connect 247 customers all end in cymru247.net and take the following format:
[yourchoice]@[subdomain].cymru247.net
You get to choose the [subdomain], and you can have up to seven different email addresses for [yourchoice].
How do I Cancel or Migrate my account?
Cancellations:
Please send an email to billing@cymru1.net including your Broadband username, password and full address explaining you want to cancel and we will reply with an acknowledgement and details of any other steps that may be necessary. Note that minimum terms of service and notification periods apply. Please see below.
Migrating:
Please send an email to billing@cymru1.net including your Broadband username, password and full address, explaining that you want to migrate and which ISP you want to migrate to. Where appropriate we will reply with the special reference number you will need to give your new ISP in order to migrate. However, please note that minimum terms of service and notification periods apply to your contract with us. Please see below.
Are there cancellation charges?
If you migrate (move to another ISP) or if you cease (totally disconnect) your broadband account before your minimum contract period is finished than you will be charged a £70 + VAT early release fee. The minimum contract period is normally 3 months or 12 months depending one which option you chose when you signed up.
From May the 1st 2007, if you cease your broadband account (totally disconnect - without immediately moving to another ISP) either before or after the minimum contract period is over you may be charged a "cease fee". We do not think it is right to charge for a disconnection but we have no choice in the matter since this fee is being imposed on us by our suppliers following changes made by BT. However, although it was initially set at £40 + VAT, at the time of writing (01/09/07) the "cease fee" is £5.00 + VAT (£5.88 inc). Our suppliers reserve the right to change this at any time, however, and we will have to pass this charge on to our customers if it changes.
In all cases please note: If your telephone line is disconnected by your telephone service provider for any reason (e.g. if you are late paying bills, moving house or in some cases if you move to a different telephone service provider etc) of if you request that your telephone service provider make any type of significant change to your line (e.g. change the name on the bill) then your broadband service may automatically be ceased by BT at the same time. In such a case you will be liable to pay the early release fee or the cease fee or both depending on whether you are still within your minimum contract period when the cease happens. To avoid this situation where possible, before making any changes to your line or switching telephone line service provider you should contact your existing and new telephone service providers and ask them to give you written assurance that such changes will not affect your broadband connection and that they will rectify the matter themselves at their own cost if it does. Cymru 1 regrets that it cannot intervene or re-instate ceased connections due to the way that broadband connections are provided in the UK. If your account is ceased without you explicitly requesting it you should therefore contact your new or old telephone service providers for help.
In particular, please be aware that if you switch your Broadband connection to a service provider that makes use of LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) to provide the service, although from your point of view it may appear that you are simply migrating your Broadband service (for which no fees are applicable unless you are still within your minimum contract) in reality your existing service will be totally ceased and you will be liable to pay a cease fee (and an early release fee if you are still within your minimum contract period). Please contact your prospective new service provider to find out if they will make use of LLU for your new connection - we will not be able to advise you.
What does "contention ratio" mean?
In the context of ADSL/Broadband, the contention ratio indicates how many other customers share the bandwidth available to your account.
In very simple terms, the higher the contention ratio (50:1 is higher than 20:1), the more likely it is for you to experience upload or download speeds that are lower than the maximum speeds stated for your chosen type of account. For example, when many other customers are also connected and all are making heavy use of the internet at the same time you are, you will find that your download and upload speeds may be significantly less than the maximum speed specified for your connection.
In technical terms, the contention ratio is the ratio between customers and available bandwidth.
This type of contention ratio is totally different to the contention ratio of dial-up Internet accounts, where the ratio represents the number of users compared to the number of dial-up ports available.
Please also note that the quality of your telephone line and your distance from your local exchange will also have an effect on the upload and download speeds you will experience. The lower the quality of your line and the further away you are, the more likely it is that you will experience upload and download speeds that are lower than the maximum speed specified for your connection.
You'll find plenty of information and advice on this page, but for more extensive online help on our Broadband services, please visit the Connect 247 Broadband Help pages on our website (click here).
My question isn't answered here!
Although we've tried to include just about every question customers ask us about the service, inevitably the one question (which nobody has thought to ask before) you need to know the answer to isn't included in a list like this! In a situation like this there is only one solution - please contact us.
Is my fax compatible with a Broadband-enabled line?
Although compatibility problems are rare, we cannot guarantee that your fax machine will work correctly if you have had broadband activated on the line used by your fax machine. Please check with the fax machine manufacturer/vendor to check compatibility.
Will Broadband affect my normal telephone connection?
No. You may possibly notice a very slight change to the way your telephone "sounds" after you have broadband installed, but that's about it and is perfectly normal for broadband lines and is not a fault. However, it is possible that any standard (i.e. NOT Broadband) modems you might want to use on your telephone line to connect to the Internet or another remote location may connect at a reduced speed after you have Broadband installed.
Will telephone calls be charged separately?
Yes. Your normal telephone line rental and call charges must still be paid to your telephone service provider (normally BT) just as they did before you had Broadband installed.
Who is responsible for billing?
You will make payment arrangements with us for your Broadband services, so if you have any queries about your Broadband account you should therefore contact us and not BT. The price, billing and payment for your standard BT telephony service (telephone line rental and call charges etc) will remain unchanged and they remain BT’s responsibility (and possibly the responsibility of your alternative carrier if you pay a company other than BT for your call charges). You must therefore continue to pay BT (and your alternative carrier if applicable) for these things just as you did before you had Broadband installed, and also to contact them if you have any problems with your telephony service or the billing for it.
Are all BT Calling Features supported?
Having Broadband installed will not prevent Calling Features (also known as Star Services or Select Services) such as "call waiting", "call minder" and "distinctive ring" and so on from working on your line, just as they did before you had Broadband installed.
Will Broadband affect my burglar alarm or security system?
Having Broadband installed may well adversely affect security or burglar alarm system if it is connected to your telephone line. And indeed the reverse is true - your burglar alarm may adversely affect your Broadband service. These problems can normally be eliminated, however - so please check with your alarm company for advice before arranging for Broadband to be installed.
What computer equipment do I need?
The equipment required and minimum specification of PC depends upon which hardware you choose, and whether you will connect it using a USB or Ethernet connection (if available).
For USB installation you will need the following: PC with the minimum specification of: Windows 98SE or Windows 2000 operating system, a free working USB port (if you are not sure about this, please see your supplier - most Broadband modems use USB to connect to your PC), 4-speed CD ROM drive, 200Mhz Pentium or above, 32 Mb RAM or higher Video card, a display capable of 800x600 in 256 colours, an SVGA monitor, a 16 bit sound card and at least 150 MB free hard drive space.
For the Ethernet multi-user Broadband modem/router installations, you will need the following: PC with the minimum specification of: Network Interface Card (10BaseT Ethernet port), TCP/IP communications stack, and Netscape 4 or IE 4 or above must be loaded onto at least one of the PCs connected to the service. The browser must be JavaScript enabled. You may also require network cables and an Ethernet hub or switch.
Other specifications will depend upon the applications you want to use with your Broadband service and the operating system you are using.
Windows Vista is the new version of Windows. It offers many new and enhanced features compared to Windows XP.
Although Microsoft has included software drivers for a huge range of hardware as standard, not all Broadband modems are currently supported. In addition, not all Internet Security vendors have updated their software (including Anti-Virus and Firewall software) to work correctly with Windows Vista.
The potential for compatibility issues and other problems in the first few months following the release of Windows Vista is therefore very high.
Until Windows Vista becomes more established and a wider range of software drivers become available Cymru 1 will therefore not be providing support for this operating system and does not yet recommend that you install it unless you are a very experienced PC user.
If I move premises what will happen to my Broadband connection ?
Your contract with BT and with ourselves is for your specific location and is subject to a minimum contract period. This minimum subscription period would remain payable if you move, even if your new house or office cannot be supplied with a Broadband service. Please see the cancellation fees section for additional information.
Who do I report faults to?
You should report faults with your Broadband service to us and not to BT in the first instance. The only exception to this is if the fault affects only your telephony services.
Is it dangerous to be permanently attached to the Internet?
A computer connected to the Internet using Broadband is exposed to exactly the same security risks as would be the case for an ordinary dial-up connection. However, since Broadband users are typically connected to the Internet for longer periods of time (potentially all day long), the dangers can be greater. You should therefore make you understand the dangers that the Internet can pose, and how to protect your computer as fully as possible from them. Please read our security section for more details. You may also want to turn your computer off when it is not in use, and to disconnect from the Internet when you don't require it. Also turn off Windows File and Printer Sharing unless required, and install a virus checking software product and a firewall -- and ensure that you keep both up to date at all times.
Disclaimer
Please note that although we endeavour to make sure that the information included in this FAQ is up-to-date and accurate, we cannot guarantee that it is exhaustive or free from error, nor that changes won’t be made at any time without prior notice.
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