You can choose from three AOL Broadband packages – Silver, Gold or Platinum with a free wireless router to all new customers who sign up to a minimum 12-month contract on any broadband package

• AOL Broadband Silver – for just £14.99 a month, you get download speeds up to 1Mbps* (up to 20x faster than dial-up) as well as a free wireless router
• AOL Broadband Gold – for just £24.99 a month, you get download speeds of up to 2Kbps (up to 40x faster than dial-up) as well as a free wireless router
• AOL Broadband Platinum – for £29.99 a month, you get a download speeds ranging from 2-8Mbps** (up to 160x faster than dial-up) as well as a free wireless router

All speeds quoted are download speeds.

*If you can’t get speeds  up to 1Mbps, you may be offered speeds up to 512Kbps. Standard costs still apply.

** Download speeds from 2 to 8 Mbps depending on where you live and technical factors such as the quality of your telephone line.

To work out which is right for you, find out more about your AOL Broadband options here. Back to top

The good news is that AOL Broadband does not have any limits.

All three terms refer to the speed of your Internet connection, with bandwidth being measured in Kbps or Mbps.

• Bandwidth - the capacity of your Internet connection to send and receive data. Imagine your Internet connection is a pipe - the bigger the pipe (or bandwidth) - the faster the information will flow.
• Kbps - stands for Kilobits per second. Kbps is used to measure bandwidth, the higher the number, the faster the information is sent or received.
• Mbps - stands for Megabits per second. Mbps is also used to measure bandwidth, with 1 Megabit (MB) equivalent to 1000 Kbps.

When you have broadband, your access to the Internet is much less restricted than with dial-up, which means you may be more vulnerable to attacks from computer hackers and viruses. That's why it's important to make sure your security software is up to date.

With AOL Broadband, you get a range of security features to help keep you safe online. These include:

• McAfee® Personal Firewall PlusT - helps keep your computer and home network safe from hackers and viruses. AOL Broadband members get this as part of the broadband package.
• Email Anti-virus scanning - AOL automatically scans all incoming emails and attachments for viruses and other infections.
• Spam controls - AOL's advanced spam filter automatically blocks known junk email. We block around 700 million messages a day.
• Web pop-up blocker - this helps to block any unwanted pop-up windows when you're surfing the Internet.
• Parental control and AOL Guardian - we help you monitor and control your children's use of the Internet.
• AOL Computer Check-up - this checks and corrects a variety of AOL-related and general computer-related problems to help improve the performance of your system. We'll also check your security settings to make sure they offer adequate protection.

Whether you have AOL Broadband or not, you may find it useful to read our security tips for more information about staying safe online.

AOL Broadband Gold
AOL is the only provider that gives you the choice to connect to a high speed broadband package via either ADSL or cable. AOL Broadband Gold is available at speeds of up to 2Mbps via ADSL or cable.

In the UK, the most widely available type of broadband service runs over a normal telephone line, and is known as ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). ADSL is supplied by BT, and since the end of May 2002, it has been available to more than two-thirds of the UK population. AOL then supplies AOL Broadband services using this technology.

Broadband is also available via cable modem. In this case it connects the home computer to the Internet via a high-speed cable modem using ntl's cable network.

Whichever option you take, you will get the same high-speed Internet access and the same exclusive AOL Broadband content.

AOL Broadband Silver and AOL Broadband Platinum
These services are only available if you have a BT telephone line.

No, you’ll still be able to use your phone while you’re online with no need to install a separate phone line or change your phone number.

You must have a BT phone line. Broadband access is also subject to local availability and capacity levels and line survey. To check if broadband is available where you live, please use our availability checker.

• Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me (Millennium Edition),
• Windows 2000 or Windows XP
• At least a Pentium 233 MHz processor or equivalent
• At least 64MB system memory (RAM)
• A spare USB (Universal Serial Bus) port for AOL Broadband Silver and AOL Broadband Gold or a spare Ethernet port for AOL Broadband Platinum.

Please note - the AOL Broadband ADSL option is not compatible if you have any of the following services:
ISDN, Home Highway, Business Highway, 30k loop, private circuits, Red ABC, RedCare (BT burglar alarm system), Featurenet5000, other broadband XDSL services, a meterpulse facility.

With AOL Broadband you use  your BT phone line so you don’t need any permission as long as the phone line is in your name.

You will be able to set up AOL Broadband yourself using the AOL Broadband in a Box installation and router package we will send you.

Once you have ordered online or by phone, it’s very straightforward.  You’ll be able to set up your connection using the AOL Broadband in a Box installation and router package we will send you as soon as your order is processed.

You’ll be able to set up your connection using the AOL Broadband in a Box installation and router package. This  contains a wireless router, three filters, a CD that contains your software, all the cables that you need, AOL 9.0 software and our easy step-by-step guide on how to install.

How to set up a home network using your wireless router.

That's fine - with AOL Broadband, you get a 'cooling off period'. Here's how it works: Starting from the day after your order for AOL Broadband has been accepted, you have the right to cancel it for up to seven working days. (A working day is any day except Saturday, Sunday or a UK holiday). To cancel your order, please call us on 0870 320 2020* or email us at canceluk@aol.com.

You can also change your mind when your AOL Broadband in a box package arrives. This second 'cooling off period' runs from the working day after the day on which you receive your installation package.

If you cancel AOL Broadband during either of these 'cooling off periods' then you will not have to make any payments. After you have cancelled, you will not be able to access or use AOL Broadband.

It is important to remember that once the 'cooling off period' has expired, you are committed to the AOL Broadband service for a minimum of 12 months.

If you move house, please contact us on 0870 320 2020* to set up AOL Broadband at your new address. Alternatively, you can contact us by visiting www.aol.co.uk/help

Just call us on 0870 320 2020*. We’re here seven days a week. Alternatively, you can contact us by visiting www.aol.co.uk/help

What you need depends on the console and AOL Broadband connection method you choose.

Consoles

• For Xbox Live you will need your Xbox and Xbox Live starter kit, which contains your Starter disk and 12 month subscription.
• For PS2 online gaming, you'll need your PlayStation2 console, a Network Adapter and Network Access Disk (NAD), plus an 8MB memory card. The latest NADs in the shops allow you to select AOL as your ISP making it really easy to get set up.

Connections

• If you choose to connect your console to the Internet using a Home Networking solution, you will need a gateway device from the range of AOL supported routers, plus straight Ethernet cables to connect everything up*.
• If you choose to connect your console using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), you won't need a router, but will need special Ethernet Crossover cable or a hub.
• If you were offered a wireless router when you signed up to AOL Broadband , you will be able to connect your games console directly to the Internet via this router. You can't connect your games consoles directly to the Internet using an AOL USB modem.

In all cases you'll need a PC with the following:

• A Network Interface Card (NIC), which provides a free Ethernet port
• Windows 2000 or XP
• AOL 8.0 or above