When it comes to the Internet, remember the one big thing you can’t control is the quality and speed of the connection. The internet comes down a wire (in modern parlance, the pipe) supplied by a telecoms, or media company. And if you’re looking for internet connection upgrades, then you have to get the basics right first.

So, if you want to upgrade, ensure that you have the best possible platform from which to start.

Thus, you should have a good telephone line, the fastest Broadband service you can afford and a pucker receiver/transmitter (router) for the connection.

Now, a quick word about the telephone line. This is not as daft as it sounds and those with poor telephone lines will know what the problem is. Not all telephone lines are the same and if you think you have a poor connection, speak to the provider of your infrastructure. Broadband works in the UK a bit by accident. It’s only because the first lines were laid with copper that the system could be built in the first place. Copper has great connectivity and allows a Broadband signal to travel the five, or so miles before it begins to disintegrate. But in the 1970s, when expansion of the network was in full swing, but money tight, BT often used cheaper materials for the wiring and Broadband is not so effective across these lines. So many households are finding that if they sit someway from the exchange and they have the cheaper wiring, the connection speeds will never be much more than one, to two mega bits per second.

Broadband, by the way, is a term which neatly describes the larger pipe through which the bits of information are sent. The wider the pipe, the bigger the transmission loads and speeds. A speed of 512 kilobits is about a half-a-meg and the slowest practical Broadband speed. Nowadays, you need to looking at least speeds of between one and two megs to make it worthwhile to use.

Now, once you have the line sorted out, try to afford the best possible speed provided by your company. But beware, Broadband speeds have the same reputation as a fisherman describing his latest catch. Rarely do they match what’s written on the box. So providers tend to use well-worn phrases such as “…speeds of up to 20Mbps…”. The catch is in the use of the words, ‘up to’ of course.

And speeds of 20Mbps plus are only really possible using a network which exploits fibre optics technology and that is going to take decades to cover the UK.

Okay, your line is good, you’ve got the best possible connection speed and now comes your router. This is usually supplied by the Broadband service provider and stick with their equipment: it’s usually been tested properly and is compatible with their infrastructure.

Next comes the part of the process which is really down to you and your computers. And the next point of contention is the connection between the router, and your computer. There are two options: cable, or wireless. A Ethernet cable provides a solid, fast-speed link, which links router and computer. But, of course, it’s only as good as the length of the cable.

Wireless is eminently preferable because it allows the computer to be sat anywhere within range. And that’s the rub. Wireless signals can be affected by range, walls (they don’t like thick stone walls), metallic objects and other transmitters, and receivers. Which means that they can become distracted. Always consider the ‘sight’ lines when matching up the wireless router with the computer. If too long away, or if the signal is having to blast through a four foot stone wall, you’ll have problems.

Next step is to ensure that computer and router, via your wireless network, are speaking together properly. If they are not, then internet connection upgrades will be pointless.

And once you’ve ticked off all those boxes, the final step will be to check that you have the best possible application software on your computer which makes everything come together to deliver the full potential.

With all this done, then you will have the best possible platform to consider upgrades which are necessary to deliver a top user experience.