What is Broadband ?

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Asymmetric, because the download speed is faster than the upload speed. The speeds are the same each way for SDSL.

The DSL protocol splits your existing copper line into 256 logical channels, only one of which is needed to provide the telephone/fax service that the whole line used to provide. That single channel remains connected into the national switched telephone network and its traffic continues to be time-chargeable as before. Thus the manner in which you use the line does not change and is quite unaffected by what is happening on the 255 DSL channels. Your line rental agreement can be transferred to us without in any way affecting the broadband operation.

The other 255 channels are used for the parallel transmission of IP packets, which are the currency of internet traffic. IP stands for Internet Protocol. These channels connect into the national IP network, a different part of your local BT exchange. Data from the 255 channels is re-assembled by a router at the exchange and transmitted across the internet. Your DSL connection is always on, and is not time-chargeable. It gives you access to the internet at speeds more than 10 times as fast as dial-up. Unlike dial-up, you are safe from exposure to rogue dialler trojans.

Residential systems usually have a 'contention' of 50:1 and this also suits basic business use. These products are labelled as 'Single' below. The label 'Network' means 20:1, or business level contention. A contention level of 50:1 means there really could be 49 other people trying to get down the same line at the same time as you, which is why the 'network' products are rated to give you more exclusive access. Such congestion really does happen with some mass market home broadband ISP's who manage their own BT exchange delivery and data. In such instances increasing the download speed does not help much. The only solution is to change to a less congested provider. Like us.


Why M-Line Broadband ?

1. High quality, very reliable. Our service is delivered over BT's IPStream system *.
2. It is billed along with your calls on same bill. A single bill for all your land line telephony.
3. Only one month's notice period. Most suppliers make you commit for 3 to 12 months minimum.
4. Contention ratios are lower in practice than the services are rated
5. No premium number help lines. Normal 0800 number access as for the telecoms service. We do not out-source to call centres.
6. No download limit (except in the capped instances shown below). Many providers restrict this, and/or charge extra.
7. Upload limit for e-mail attachments is a very generous 25mb. No limit for FTP.
8. All systems below give you a single fixed IP address. Free.

* BT's IPStream is very stable and reliable. It uses BT's traffic prioritisation (contention ratios) and as such cannot be overloaded and has no single point of failure. We use multiple data 'pipes' across the data centres and are thus able to balance the load from our end-users. Even at busy times there is no degradation of quality or connection and in the event of a 'pipe' fault or failure there is built-in redundancy.

Products and Monthly Rates

Figures are monthly and exclusive of VAT

Many customers, both business and residential, find the basic Single Max Lite with a 2gb cap quite adequate for normal usage. We can monitor the volume usage and It is a simple matter to upgrade if the specification needs to be refined.

There is a set-up charge of £40 plus VAT (free, if migrated from an existing broadband system). Our initial charge also comprises one month of rental, which acts as a deposit. Then we charge one month in advance. Upon termination, the closing charge is calculated from the day your system went live to the day it is closed, and corrected by the return of the deposit month.

Other Parts of the Offer

Web or e-mail hosting and 20 e-mail addresses for £10 per month, or £100 per annum. Four additional IP addresses for £4 per month.

This is a 'wires only' offer. That is, you are responsible for acquiring and programming the router (and the filters) to give you access. You may wish to take on a local installer to do this for you. Installers invariably have their own modems/routers which they can fit for you. Alternatively your local supplier can be persuaded to programme your router for you according to the details we send you immediately upon sign-up. We do not offer technical assistance for installations over the phone ! You will need a filter for each socket on the line whether or not the broadband cable is plugged into it. The filter gives you separate telephone and ADSL sockets at each point.

OK, Let's Do It !

From you we will need the telephone number you have selected for the installation of broadband, its address and postcode, the type of service you select, and your prime and secondary contact numbers and e-mail address.

If you already have broadband active on the line, we will need a MAC code (migration authority code) from your existing supplier, together with a note of their name. When relaying this to us, you need to be careful about l's and 1's, 0's and o's, etc. It is best to do this by copying and pasting, so as to avoid transciption errors.

It will take 7 days to activate (more like 10 days for a migration). We will advise the ADSL username and password on e-mail. Our offer is designed for use by established customers for our telecoms service, so if you are a new customer we will be keen to involve you in that commitment.

Click here to complete an online application form.

Router Configuration

ADSL username and password will be supplied on sign-up.
Encapsulation: PPPoA
Virtual Circuit: VCI 0 VPI 38
MultiPlexing: VC
Mail Server: smtp.ukadsl.eng.net
DNS Servers: Primary 213.130.128.32 Secondary 213.130.128.33

Faults

It was earlier pointed out that the DSL protocol effectively creates an entirely separate connection within the same physical line to your premises. The switched circuit terminates in the local BT exchange on to the PSTN network. DSL termination is on to the national IP network in the same exchange.

It follows that you can experience a fault on the broadband connection without the switched circuit being in any way affected. And vice versa. Completely different BT Wholesale engineers are required to fix each type of connection. Visits by BT Wholesale engineers must be initiated by your broadband service provider, if the fault is clearly identified as a broadband fault.

If we supply your broadband as well as your line, a much quicker diagnosis and earlier rectification of the fault is possible. The bottom line is if you call out the wrong type of BT engineer, you can be charged for the abortive visit, and the rectification process will take longer.