What does Broadband Mean?
Broadband is the generic term given to any
Internet service that provides a ransmission
speed or bandwidth in excess of 256Kilobits
per seconds (roughly 20 Kilobytes transferred per second). However, most plaudits generally refer to services in excess of 512Kbits when describing DSL based broadband services.

What is ADSL?
Short for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - a technology that allows computer data to be sent over existing copper telephone lines. In the UK, BT supplied ADSL supports data rates of 512Kbps to 2Mbps for receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and 64-256Kbps when
sending data (known as the upstream rate).

What is R-ADSL?
Rate Adaptive DSL is a method used to borrow some upstream bandwidth in order to improve the downstream service and signal reach. Typically this is used when premises are greater than 3.5Kms from the DSL enabled exchange. Upstream data rates will often drop to around 64Kbps.

What is a Contention Ratio (CR)?
In ADSL, network bandwidth at the exchange and ISP is shared amongst users. For example, if a service is contended at 20:1, it means that you are sharing the network bandwidth with up to 19 other users. Thus the performance of an ADSL connection will vary according to
time of day or week, depending on how many other users happen to be online at that moment - busier times tend to be during the day when more people tend to be online. Home ADSL services in the UK typically have a contention ratio of 50:1 with the more expensive Business services having a lower 20:1 ratio. Freedom255 offer ADSL services with Ratios from 50:1 to 1:1.

What does a MicroFilter/Splitter do?
A Microfilter filters out the ADSL signal from
the normal phone signal, allowing you to use
both on the same line; it also provides two sockets, one for ADSL and one for the phone/ fax/answering machine/set top box. You will need one for each socket that has telephony equipment plugged in to it.