Best Wireless Broadband Deals 2024 - Comparing

Every major internet provider offers great Wi-Fi discounts, and there are many different types of wireless broadband connections to select from.

The speed and dependability of your wireless internet will be affected by the sort of connection you have. However, because each type’s availability differs across the UK, you’re unlikely to have a choice of all of them.

Despite being three times quicker, superfast fibre broadband is more commonly available than most people realize, and its rates are relatively similar to normal broadband services. As a result, it’s always worth checking to see if fiber Wi-Fi offers are available in your area.

When it comes to comparing Wi-Fi deals, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Standard broadband, often known as ADSL (which stands for Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line), is the most basic sort of broadband and is widely available. It uses the UK’s copper telephone network exclusively and has typical speeds of roughly 10Mbps.

• Gigabit-per-second fiber broadband — ‘Fibre-to-the-cabinet’ (FTTC) broadband, which is available in over 95% of UK homes, is based on the Openreach fibre network and provides a considerable speed gain over regular broadband. Depending on the bundle, average speeds range from 30Mbps to 70Mbps.

• Broadband via cable — Virgin Media offers this service, which employs a different type of technology to bring broadband to your home. It has a maximum speed of 600Mbps and is available in about 52% of houses.

• Broadband via full fibre — While most fibre packages still require copper wires to connect your home to the nearest street cabinet, full fibre (also known as “fibre-to-the-premises”) delivers fiber cabling directly to your home. It’s the least commonly available service, with only roughly 21% of houses having it, but it can give blisteringly high speeds of up to 1,000Mbps (1Gbps) and is rapidly expanding its coverage across the country.

Wireless internet is available everywhere fiber broadband is available, and while fibre broadband is available in the vast majority of houses in the UK, there are still a few areas where it is not.

Some rural areas in the UK may still be without fiber broadband, and some metropolitan areas are also without it, owing to challenges in building the requisite fibre cabling (especially in purpose-built flats).

However, this affects less than 5% of UK homes, and if you are affected, there may be more acceptable alternatives, such as 4G and 5G mobile internet, that offer similar speeds to fiber.

Enter your address into our Postcode Checker to see what speeds are available in your region and which fiber packages are available. We’ll show you what speeds to expect on your street and what wireless broadband options are available.

A wireless router transmits signals in the form of Wi-Fi across your home. Continue reading for some significantly more sophisticated technical jargon.

Almost all desktops, laptops, and mobile devices will have an inbuilt receiver that will let them connect to the internet wirelessly. You can still connect wirelessly with an internet dongle or external network adapter if you have an older PC.

While Wi-Fi has a lot of jargon, there are a few crucial numbers to keep an eye on: 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac (also known as Wi-Fi 5), and, most recently, 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6). These are international Wi-Fi standards that specify how fast your wireless network will be and how many devices it will be able to handle at any given moment.

The 802.11g protocol, which transmits in the 2.4GHz frequency and has a good range but is slower than some more contemporary connections, will be used by older and less expensive routers. Newer devices may be labeled 802.11n, which uses the same bandwidth but has improved technology for quicker speeds.

However, you should look for routers that are 802.11ac approved for optimum performance at home. This implies they can also transmit on the 5GHz frequency, resulting in significantly improved device-to-router performance.

802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6, is the next generation of Wi-Fi routers. It’s supposed to make Wi-Fi considerably easier to use in congested settings like stadiums and airports — and, eventually, in our homes, thanks to its increased bandwidth and device capacity.

While some carriers include this new technology in their more modern routers, more basic internet packages sometimes do not, so you may need to purchase your router to make use of it.

Most routers included with internet packages will be pre-configured to supply your home Wi-Fi network, so you’ll only need to do a few simple things to get them up and running.

If you choose a normal broadband service, you’ll most likely only need to put your new router into your home’s master phone socket, connect it to a power outlet, and you’ll be good to go. Because many providers use Openreach’s network, no further installations are required to start up a new connection.

Although you may not choose your broadband provider based on who has the greatest wireless router, it is a good idea to think about it before you buy. All of the main internet providers have invested in their products to guarantee that new customers have access to the greatest Wi-Fi router available.

The following are the routers that come standard with the most popular broadband packages:

• Sky and Sky Q Hubs.

• BT Smart Hubs and Home Hubs

• 3.0 Virgin Media Hub

• TalkTalk Super Router and Wi-Fi Hub

• EE by Bright Boxes and the Smart Hub

There are some minor variances between each provider’s Wi-Fi hub, but the most significant distinction is between old and new routers.

Upgrade to a new router (or receive one for free when you switch to a new service) if you’re on an outdated contract with your carrier to increase your Wi-Fi strength and broadband speeds in your house.

• All new wireless routers include some form of automatic ‘channel switching,’ which allows your home hub to automatically switch to less-congested Wi-Fi channels to keep your internet connection working smoothly.

• Most contemporary wireless routers should have at least one port capable of wired gigabit connections, providing you with more alternatives when using an ethernet connection.

• The most recent wireless routers are very simple to set up. In most circumstances, connecting the router to the main internet socket and a power outlet is all that is required.

• The wireless routers offered by the major broadband providers are all well-designed and tiny, allowing you to place them discreetly in your house.

In most circumstances, you should be able to connect to your home broadband right after setting up your Wi-Fi router. However, if your wireless internet isn’t working or is running slower than usual, there are a few simple fixes you may attempt.

• Check your device – If your router has several Wi-Fi signals, it’s possible you haven’t switched on Wi-Fi access on your computer or smartphone, or you haven’t joined the correct network. First, double-check that everything on your device is in working order.

• Reboot your router – If the problem isn’t with your device, the problem may be with your router. Turn it off and disconnect it, then wait a few minutes before turning it back on to restart the network.

• Attempt to relocate your router if your Wi-Fi signal is weak or unstable. Make sure it’s in a clear area towards the center of your house, away from any obstructions or other electrical devices that could interfere with the signal.

If none of these suggestions work, see our guide to internet connectivity issues for additional details.

A new sort of wireless broadband technology has recently evolved, and it is currently being tested in select locations of the United Kingdom.

Unlike regular wireless broadband, which allows you to connect your device to your home router wirelessly, this new sort of wireless broadband is delivered to your home by a broadband provider.

This means that real broadband cables, such as fiber-optic or copper lines, aren’t required to connect your home to the internet. Instead, all you’d need is a receiver capable of receiving wireless broadband signals.

It’s big news for a lot of people since it might provide ultrafast internet to homes that don’t have it now. Because laying fiber-optic lines to every single home costs a lot of money, deploying one wireless transmitter per area would be a lot easier and more cost-effective.

However, don’t hold your breath for it to become available any time soon. The technology is still in its infancy, and it will be a long time before it is commercially available in the United States.

Wireless broadband gives you more freedom than a wired connection because it allows you to access the internet from anywhere in your home and on any device. It may not, however, provide the same speeds as a wired connection, which is something to consider if you require the maximum level of performance.

Today’s wireless routers are quite dependable, and they should provide continuous performance comparable to conventional connections. However, they may have difficulty reaching every corner of a house, necessitating the use of a signal booster.

A Wi-Fi router is required for home wireless broadband. Most broadband packages include them for free, and they come preconfigured with the necessary settings, so they should be plug-and-play. If you prefer, you can buy your own, but you’ll have to set it up yourself; your internet provider can give instructions.