Yes you can switch to Pipex and take one of our up to 8Mb broadband products, all you need is your Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) which is available from your current broadband service provider. If you check your telephone number using the availability checker you will get an estimate of what speed you could receive.

he availability checker shows my telephone line could achieve up to 8Mb download speeds, is this definitely what I'll get?

The availability checker result is only an estimate. The actual speed that your telephone line can support will only be known once the service has been installed and the 10 Day Stabilisation period has been completed.

What does "up to 8Mb" mean?

"Up to 8Mb" refers to the maximum connection speed that could be established between the device you use to connect to the internet (a modem or router), and the equipment in your local telephone exchange. It is also the theoretical maximum download speed. Line rates vary from property to property so you won't necessarily get 8Mb, that's why we use the phrase "up to 8Mb".

Will I always be able to download at the same speed as my line rate?

No. Actual download measurement is known as throughput. The line rate is the theoretical maximum throughput, in reality throughput performance varies with the demands placed on the network as broadband is a contended service. So your connection will run slower during peak periods and faster when it's quieter on the network. For example if your line rate is 5Mb, your throughput performance could be 2Mb at 7p.m. and 4.5Mb at 3 a.m.

Up to 8Mb broadband is rate adaptive, what does this mean?

One of the advantages of up to 8Mb Pipex Broadband is that it is rate adaptive. This means your speed will fluctuate as your connection adapts to changing characteristics of your phone line, to optimise performance. The rate adaptive nature of up to 8Mb means it is able to maintain connection, by this ability to change speed, whereas a fixed rate service would fail. In other words it's more reliable.

What factors may influence the speed of my connection?

The maximum speed connection that your telephone line can support will depend on lots of factors, but distance from the telephone exchange, the quality of the line and line conditions/characteristics will play a big part. Internal wiring, poor quality broadband micro-filters, out of date modem/router drivers and electrical interference can all affect the speed of your broadband as well.

Why does my broadband performance fluctuate for the first 10 days?

This is perfectly normal and is part of optimising the configuration of your broadband. Once you first connect using your Pipex Broadband, it enters a 10 Day Stabilisation Period which is needed in order to establish the broadband performance your telephone line will support. During this time you will experience both fluctuations in the speed of your broadband, and reconnections, as we attempt to establish the correct configuration for your line. These events are perfectly normal and not a fault of the service. Once the 10 Day Stabilisation Period is complete your service will work as normal.

Do you get a higher upload speed with up to 8Mb Pipex broadband?

Yes, and this is up to 448Kb. Generally the download and upload speeds are linked, so if you get a high download speed the upload speed should be high too.

I've checked my phone number in the availability checker and I can't get faster broadband, why?

Unfortunately there are a small number of exchanges that will not be upgraded to support faster broadband services.