Dial-up vs. broadband connection: the pros and pros of high speed Internet

Two of the Internet's most popular sites are YouTube and Facebook. Unfortunately, if you have a dial-up Internet connection, you will not be able to view these sites at the optimum level.

The impaired view that you will have of certain social interaction websites isn't the only downside to dial-up; it also takes a lot longer to download music and visit websites with heavy video or graphic content. This is where a high speed broadband connection comes in handy.

Why can't I view certain websites properly on dial-up?

Although you are able to access sites such as YouTube and Facebook with standard dial-up, you cannot do so without transmission interruptions due to dial-up connections not being compatible with the speed required to view video. Buffering through standards is time consuming and eats away valuable viewing time. At the end of it, you most likely won't have even heard the entire footage.

If you are addicted to music download sites such as iTunes and Ripit.com, you will be able to access these with a dial-up connection, but downloading entire albums can tie up your phone line for hours.

With dial-up, it can take up to 30 minutes, sometimes more, to download a standard track. So you can imagine the time consumed downloading an entire album. You may have to download over several days so you don't hog the phone line. High speed connections are recommended because they don't just save you download time; they also save you money on connection. In addition, high speed Internet allows you to browse for long periods of time without worrying about missed calls and without being interrupted by pesky incoming calls.

What type of connection do I need to view websites properly?

Facebook and YouTube are best enjoyed with ADSL 2/2+, Cable and DSL connections as these were specially designed for increased data rates. It is almost pointless trying to enjoy data hungry applications with speeds of below 256 kilobits per second. If you are sure you need a dial-up connection, compare our dial-up plans to view the latest offers.