Ah yes, there are so many broadband package all with so many different features, but which of them do you really need?

The answer depends on how you intend to use your connection. The ideal broadband package of a casual surfer will be quite different to that of an intense gamer or download-aholic. Analyse your online needs and priorities up-front and keep them in mind as you consider broadband's bewildering bells and whistles.

To make the job a little easier, the subsequent sections on this page take a closer look at these key features...

• Connection Speed - Know your speed needs.
• Download Limit - Know your limits.
• Budget Bundles - Bundles of joy?
• Service and Support - Quality counts.

Connection speeds (also known as bandwidth) generally start at 512 Kbit/s (~0.5 Mbit/s), rising to 8 Mbit/s and beyond. (Some packages now offer 20 Mbit/s)

Connection speed is probably the most hyped broadband feature.  However, if you are a casual web user, you aren't likely to appreciate a huge difference in web experience  between low and high broadband speeds. Lower broadband speeds are quite adequate for browsing websites that aren't high on multimedia, real-time interactivity and downloads.

Conversely, the more multimedia, interactive gaming or download activity you do, the more bandwidth you will require.

Important Note: If you choose an ADSL broadband package you may find your true connection speed is somewhat less than that advertised for your package! Click here for more information.

Some broadband deals impose a monthly limit on the amount of data that can be downloaded, often termed a 'download limit' or a 'usage limit'. These limits are usually stated in Gigabytes (GB), where 1 GigaByte is approximately 1000 Megabytes (1000 MB). Usually there are extra charges if usage limits are exceeded.

At the lower end, 1 GB may sound a bit restrictive, but if you are a casual internet user think of it this way: Taking a round 50K as an approximate average download size for a static web page, you would need to view 20,000 such pages in a month before you exceeded your limit. Now, that's more than a casual amount of pages! Of course you'll probably watch a few website videos and listen to a few mp3 audio tracks along the way, but if you really are a casual user, most months you probably will download nowhere near 1 GB.

Of course, the best thing about a contract with a low download limit is it's lower price... It can pay to know your limits!

If you are constantly downloading, broadband gaming, watching web videos and/or listening to online radio then having any kind of download limit might feel a bit restrictive, and an 'Unlimited Download' package may suit you better.

If you class yourself as a more moderate broadband user then it's worth considering competitively priced packages with higher download limits.

Note: An 'Unlimited Download' package may have it's limits!

If you decide you need an 'unlimited download' package (especially if you plan to engage in a great deal of peer-to-peer file sharing) then be extra careful when checking out the contract Terms and Conditions.  Look out for a ‘fair use policy’ or ‘acceptable use policy’ operated by some providers. Such a policy often means that if your ‘unlimited’ usage is identified as excessive by the provider your effective bandwidth may be selectively restricted (throttled).

Fair usage policies differ, some providers will throttle heavy-use connections during peak traffic times, others may apply blanket penalty throttling for a given time period (eg. The month following a month of excessive usage).  In some fair usage policies, providers state that they will ultimately consider closing accounts where usage remains excessive subsequent to subscribers receiving formal warnings!

Broadband is sometimes provided alongside other services such as digital TV (Sky), mobile phone plans (Orange), and land-line deals (Sky, Talk Talk, Orange).

The broadband part of such deals is sometimes advertised as 'free broadband'. However, you do have to pay for the other services to get the 'free' bit!

The appeal of these deals is naturally strengthened if you also want the other bundled elements. However, it's still adivsable to evaluate the broadband element on it's own merits, regardless of cost (or lack thereof).

Regardless of price, the quality of your broadband service and support should always be a key factor in your choice of broadband provider.

Make sure you check out the following -

• Telephone support - Is the call free, or if chargeable is the call rate local, national or premium? Chargeable support calls are something of a hidden cost. If they are premium rate calls these hidden costs can quickly escalate!
• Email support - This should be free. It may not be as immediate as phone support, but as long as there is a reasonable and guaranteed response time this mode of support is usually adequate for non-emergency situations.
• Continuity of service - Does the broadband service have a record of high availability or are there frequent outages? To find out, check out the service status and support logs (if available) on the provider's website.

As a final check on quality issues it's worth performing web searches on the provider's name combined with relevant keywords such as 'outages','telephone support', 'helpline', 'email support', 'customer service'.

If you choose to sign up for ADSL broadband you might find that your true connection speed is less than you expected.

Advertised connection speeds indicate the bandwidth that the package will support, but for ADSL connections this may be more than the physical copper wire connection to your local telephone exchange can support.

Generally, the further away from the exchange you are, the lower your connection speed. So, unless you're located near your exchange, you're likely to experience some bandwidth degradation.

Clearly this merits consideration when making ADSL purchases. There's little point paying more for an 8 Mbit/s package if your connection can only carry 2.5 Mbit/s! Unfortunately this effect can be hard to quantify prior to signing up, but if your neighbours already have ADSL broadband installed then it's worth asking them what speeds they are achieving.

Unsurprisingly this ADSL broadband speed issue is quite a hot potato, with many computer and internet magazines highlighting the need for change in the way broadband contracts are advertised. (This Personal Computer World article 'Time for clarity in broadband contracts' gives a flavour of the media reaction). Hopefully this media reaction will influence a change for the better, but in the meantime it's a classic case of caveat emptor - let the buyer beware, or at the very least, let the buyer be aware!

Naturally, if after signing up, you notice that your connection speed is considerably lower than your 'package speed' it may be worth contacting the customer service department of your new supplier to see if they'll downsize your bandwidth and reduce your monthly payments.

You can check your internet connection speed here on ZDNet's website.