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Boxx Communications Ltd

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Cloud & IT

Internet Connection Types: A Guide for your Business

22nd February 2017 by admin

Internet Connection Types: A Guide for your BusinessA high-speed internet connection is a necessity for both homes and businesses alike, but as technology has evolved the variants in solutions has become mind-boggling.

Have ever struggled to tell the various types apart….?

Or have you been confused about what the differences are….?

Then read on, because this guide is for you!

1) ADSL – Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is one of the most common broadband services in the UK and most homes have an ADSL connection. It uses the copper lines of the BT phone network, but unlike dial-up it allows you to make phone calls at the same time as using the internet. Asymmetric refers to the fact that it has substantially greater download speeds than upload.

Our Business Broadband service offers speeds of: download 24 Mbps / upload 8 Mbps

2) FTTC – Fibre to the Cabinet runs along fibre optic cables to the street cabinets and then over the existing copper wires to home and business premises. This replacement of a large portion of copper cables with the more modern fibre optic cables gives a substantial speed boost.

FTTC is now available to over 26m premises in the UK, and Openreach’s nationwide rollout is helping the government’s target of reaching 95% of UK premises by the end of 2017.

Check here to see if it is available in your area!

Our Business Fibre Broadband offers speeds of: download up to 76 Mbps & upload up to 19 Mbps

3) EoFTTC – Ethernet over Fibre To The Cabinet is the next generation of FTTC where users have their own dedicated line (known as uncontended) from the cabinet so there is no sharing with neighbouring homes & businesses. This means they will have constant bandwidth and won’t see service degradation even at peak times.

4) GEA – Generic Ethernet Access is similar to FTTC in that it uses copper wires from the cabinet to the premises, but unlike FTTC it runs over Ethernet from the cabinet to the exchange. Offers the benefits of an Ethernet connection with lower costs.

5) EFM – Ethernet in the First Mile uses multiple copper wires where fibre is not available, and refers to the network connection between a home or premises and the first street pole, cabinet or office owned by the broadband provider.

6) FTTP – Fibre To The Premises as it’s name suggests, FTTP bypasses all copper to deliver broadband direct from the local exchange to your door, running on specially laid fibre cables and providing increased speeds

7) Ethernet Fibre uses fibre to connect directly to the telephone exchange, so does not connect via a street cabinet.

8) Leased Line is the term used to describe a dedicated ‘pipe’ running between your premises and the local exchange to provide any of the above services.

Our Direct Internet Access solution covers all of the services mentioned above. It is a bespoke offering that takes into account individual needs and requirements as well as the available infrastructure. The key benefits include symmetric download/upload speeds, uncontended bandwidth and the fact that multiple users can be online at the same time.

To talk to us about what would work best for your business, contact our experts, who will be happy to talk you through the options we offer.

Categories

Yearly Archive

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity, Hints and Tips, Services

Five tips to help boost your WiFi speed

10th January 2017 by admin

Five tips to help boost your WiFi speedUnresponsive or stuttering WiFi is one of the most frustrating problems of the modern age, but there are several things you can do for little or no cost to try and improve your speed.

1) Work out where the problem actually is…..

There are many reasons that WiFi networks slow down and become sluggish, so checking your WiFi signal strength will give you an accurate idea of what’s causing yours.

The easiest way to do this is to put a laptop close to your router and then run a free speed test. If it doesn’t improve, there may be issues with your internet connection itself, in which case you will need to get in touch with your provider so they can find a solution.

2) Check your router position…..

Fact: It really does matter where you put your router!

WiFi signals radiate outwards in all directions, so placing your router as centrally as possible between all the devices needing a connection gives you the best chance of fast and stable speed.

Your router should also lie flat, rather than on its side, and if it has antennas, these should be pointing upwards and parallel to each other.

3) Practice good internet security…..

Ensure that no-one nearby can ‘piggyback’ your signal and use your connection without permission, as this will naturally slow it down.

For shared connections, especially at work, change the router password regularly so that anyone who has left the company, for example, is removed from the network.

4) Reduce interference…..

Local interference can also be an issue, as until recently WiFi only operated on the same frequency as many frequently used items such as Bluetooth headsets, cordless phones, and even microwaves.

Now there are two WiFi bands, which means you can change up, although you may need your provider’s help to do this.

5) Install a booster…..

A WiFi booster such as a signal repeater is quick and straightforward to install and can help double the distance your WiFi signal travels in many situations.

Our tech team is always on-hand to answer any questions our customers have. In fact, resolving problems is what they do best! So if you need help, don’t be afraid to give us a shout!

Categories

Yearly Archive

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity, Hints and Tips, Services

Broadband Overuse: How to avoid it!

28th September 2016 by admin

Broadband Overuse: How to avoid it!

Know your limits!

This was a gag from a Harry Enfield television comedy series many years ago.

Remember it…?

The once-popular phrase has never been more apt for data in the modern age!

As all of us are becoming more and more dependent on the internet for our downtime as well as our business lives. We’re connected for the vast majority of each day, which naturally causes a related massive up-tick in data consumption.

Whether we’re storing files, playing games or watching on-demand television, our need for data is forever increasing, and traditional data-limited broadband packages are creaking under the strain.

Just think about the logistics;

So many of the things we love to do online – and which the internet makes so easy – use huge amounts of data.

We’re not just talking about downloading music or films here, or even opening and installing apps, downloading email attachments or torrenting files.

No.

Even things such as streaming services like Netflix, YouTube and Spotify can use up a surprising amount of data, as can gaming or streaming game play for sites like Twitch.

And then there’s business use….

Having backups of your files going to cloud storage is certainly good practice – but it will also use a lot of your upload data. If you back up all of the files on your hard drive or server daily, you could be uploading 100s of GB’s to the cloud each day.

Consequently, many users are finding that their broadband package isn’t really sufficient for their everyday needs.

Not surprising when 10GB used to sound a lot;

But a video download of a game such as Grand Theft Auto could require nearly 50GB alone!

So what can you – or should you – be doing about this?

1) Know what your package limits are.

2) Look at your monthly usage over a few months, so you can see if you’re keeping within your limit or not.

3) Consider an unlimited package.

The beauty of an unlimited package is that you won’t need to worry about ever getting charged for additional usage no matter what you do (or use). And let’s face it, most of us are consistently heavy users these days.

Changing to an unlimited package is easy and quick to do;

It may not even cost much more than you are already paying for your current broadband or fibre package!

We’re always happy to help you talk through the options that would work best for your home or business – just get in touch with us and see how we can help!

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity, Hints and Tips, Services

5G is coming – and faster than you think!

2nd August 2016 by admin

5G is coming – and faster than you think!

The fifth generation of mobile networks is coming, offering speeds up to ten times faster than 4G, huge capacity and ultra-low latency.

With this new, much faster world will come a whole range of opportunities for businesses and connected devices, with Gartner forecasting that the number of connected things in use worldwide will reach 20.8 billion by 2020 as the long-promised Internet of Things (IoT) finally comes to fruition.

The IoT will see vast numbers of inanimate devices using the 5G network – driverless cars, for example, robot surgeons and full-scale smart cities.

With the massive capacity that 5G offers above its 4G predecessor, big data will finally come to the fore, and devices and apps that can gather, analyse and store huge amounts of data in real time will reap the benefits.

5G is expected to debut in 2018, with the first commercial networks available around 2020. Firms are already creating 5G ready devices and technologies.

Data is transmitted by radio waves, which are split into bands dedicated to different types of communications, and part of the excitement around 5G stems from the International Telecommunications Union restructuring of the radio network elements used to transmit data, which will solidify connection speeds and reliability.

The main upsides for both users and businesses will be; vastly improved speed and latency, and the combined effect of these on the user experience.

5G is significantly faster than previous generations – a full HD movie can be downloaded in under 10 seconds. Response times of 1 millisecond compared with around 50 for 4G also means that movies can be played before they have downloaded. For the user, these will combine to give the feeling of limitless bandwidth and a connection that is always available.

Any downsides? There will be challenges for developers, businesses and IT departments alike as they look to make the most of the opportunities 5G offers while being alive to the potential issues of dealing with the volume and storage of data that all of the connected devices will create.

Cost is also uncertain, as the technology is still under construction.

But what is certain is that harnessing the power of big data will be critical to making the most of 5G – so get ready!

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Connectivity

Digital Strategy: Why every business should have one

21st June 2016 by admin

Digital Strategy: Why every business should have one

With the advent of a truly online business culture, cloud working and social networks, SMEs are now able to compete with the big guns on a more level playing field than ever before…..

But just because they can doesn’t mean it will be easy – and it is becoming increasingly obvious that having a digital strategy is becoming an essential part of business planning.

According to the latest research from Ingram Micro Cloud, who conducted a detailed survey of end users at this year’s Cloud Expo Europe, just over half of UK businesses have an active digital transformation strategy or are currently putting one in place.

The result, according to the research, is that 71 per cent of the over 200 surveyed will be ‘Digitally Transformed’ by 2018, with over 80 per cent saying that the Cloud is playing a very important or even critical role in their online plans.

Crucially, it is becoming clear that small companies can often use their size to their advantage. Being nimble and agile in their offerings where bigger companies are locked into set product paths, with existing suppliers or agreed timelines.

The important things to remember when creating a digital strategy include:

  • Be ambitious!
  • Play to your own company strengths, rather than trying to be something you are not.
  • Delivering value in your niche is key!
  • Keep an eye to how you can capitalise on and adapt to the fast-changing technological landscape.
  • Stay relevant to your customer base as you seek new opportunities is also important for continued growth.

The survey also identified risk-taking as a corporate norm for the first time and the desire of a large proportion of employees to work for companies committed to digital progress.

We already knew it but digital shows no signs of slowing anytime soon!

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Hints and Tips

Starting a business: Why it has never been simpler!

25th May 2016 by admin

Starting a business: Why it has never been simpler!

Starting a business today is simpler than it’s ever been – and we have technology to thank for that…..

Having a great idea and choosing a name aside, a decade ago setting up a business meant finding an office, getting a phone line put in and buying a computer to put on your desk. So a substantial upfront investment in costs was required, including a lease, hardware, and often minimum terms which could leave you heavily out of pocket if you didn’t make a go of things straight away.

And now….? It really couldn’t be any easier. While you certainly still need that great idea and company name, setting up a new business now can, depending on your line of work, be as simple as opening your laptop and logging on to your home wifi. These lower costs mean fewer barriers to access, so starting a business is an option for a lot more people – which can only be a good thing for both competition and innovation.

There’s no need in many cases to even have a premises, although many still want that. Work can now be done on the go, in the café or local pub – in short anywhere that has an internet connection. Often it can be done direct from your phone – and who could have imagined that a decade ago?!

But of course, nothing in this world worth having is ever 100 per cent easy, and while you may be happily and successfully doing your work from the local café, you may well find that your customers prefer dealing with the sort of world they’ve become used to over the years.

Often, this manifests itself in customer service and conventional call handling – people like the sense of permanence and stability that ringing an office brings, even if the business they are dealing with is small or has staff who are often out and about.

Luckily, technology has kept up here as well. Products such as VoIP can be very effective, with the system allowing you to transfer calls seamlessly between users and offices. Perfect for set-ups where everyone is on the go but you don’t want or need the expense of secretarial staff. You can connect wherever you are – and the calls are cheaper too! But this innovation has not come at the cost of quality, as VoIP is also powerful and reliable enough for video conferencing too.

So look into VoIP now to see if it’s a good solution for your company – we’ll be happy to advise you on the options available!

Filed Under: Cloud & IT, Services, Voice

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