» Handy advice for bonded ADSL users

Moving Christmas lights can boost bonded ADSL

Bonded ADSL business customers have been reminded about the importance of laying out offices to minimise external interference.

Sylvain Thevenot, senior director of products and alliances at communications provider TalkTalk, gave Christmas lights as an example of an unlikely device that can affect broadband speeds.

He said that fairy lights can reduce broadband performance by as much as 25 per cent.

Consequently, it was recommended that home and business users move lights well away from broadband routers and connected computers.

Writing on the TalkTalk blog, Mr Thevenot added that many customers did not understand the full range of factors that can have an effect.

"Most people think their broadband speed is affected solely by how far they are from the telephone exchange," he said.

"Although it might sound silly, interference from domestic lighting and wiring is a major problem."

Those thoughts were echoed on IT website Computeractive by Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of broadband advisory service thinkbroadband.com.

But while acknowledging that Christmas lights can interfere with wireless and non-wireless ADSL connections, he felt some internet service providers relied too much on this defence.

"ISPs often blame things like that so they can get the customer off the phone," he said. "It's not all Christmas tree lights."

Bonded ADSL is expected to be an attractive option for many business customers in 2010.

By switching to bonded ADSL, companies can enjoy far higher download rates than standard connections.

Moreover, a bonded solution often works out to be a far less expensive option than installing a dedicated leased line.