Harrogate Broadband Help
If you are having broadband supplier issues or you are not sure how fast your broadband is working we at harrogatelocal.com have tracked down a very good broadband speed checker:
How fast is your broadband?
Broadband speeds here in the UK have come under a lot of scrutiny recently with advertised download speeds sometimes being allegedly 'over sold.' There is still huge variety in broadband speeds - especially for those in a rural environment like many of us in the Harrogate area.
The main Harrogate BT exchange was upgraded to 'Local Loop Unbundled (LLU) status in 2007 which means suppliers other than BT are allowed to install their own equipment in the BT exchange. This is good for consumers as there is more choice... and often faster broadband speeds. It also means you can get packages with some suppliers to include TV delivered via the Internet connection. It's all int he name of deregulation which is really good thing.
You can find more about LLU and the status of your exchange on the excellent SamKnows website. Here is the page for the Harrogate BT exchange: www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/MYHGT
One of the key factors that affects broadband speed is how near you are to the BT exchange. If you are more than 5 kilometres you might not get broadband at all, or the speed will be a lot less than 'Up to 8mb speeds often advertised.
It gets worse: the quality of the BT phone line is also a big factor. A good example is we have 2 phone lines with broadband into the same property - one runs at 1.5mbps per second and the other at a third of the speed at 512kbps (just about the slowest broadband you can get.) The only difference is the quality of the BT cable and there's apparently not a lot we can do about it except ask BT to switch lines and that is subject to availability (and inclination.)
