Whether looking for broadband for the first time, or more commonly, looking to switch broadband suppliers to get a better deal, it is always important to compare all broadband options that are available to you.

The first thing to do is to make sure you narrow down the options to those that are available to you, not all broadband deals are available in all locations, so before getting excited about a particular deal you need to be sure you only compare options you can actually get. Its so simple to do, just go to our broadband postcode checker, enter your postcode and it will automatically discard all the deals you cannot get. You can then browse only the deals available in your area.

There are a few basics you will want to consider:

Price : a key factor for most people, but remember that the cheapest deal is not always the best, the old saying “you get what you pay for" applies to broadband as equally to anything else in life!

Contract Length : Some deals tie you in for longer than others, the longer the deal the better the price on average, but will the same broadband deal still be the best for you in 2 years time? On the flip side some people are reassured to know what there payments will be for a fixed period.

Download speed : Some deals are faster than others, but when comparing make sure to look at what we estimate your actual download speed would be for a deal, in the majority of cases it will be less than the “up to" amount claimed by the supplier.

Download allowance : Some deals offer truly unlimited downloads. Others offer unlimited downloads with whats known as a "Fair Use Policy" or FUP for short, if you break the FUP then you may be charged extra or your download speed may be reduced for a while. Other deals offer a fixed monthly allowance, if you exceed the allowance then it may be a small charge for the extra usage or you may find your speeds limited till the start of the next month. Think about how much you use (or intend to use) your broadband connection when deciding how much download allowance you need, this guide may help you.

Modems/wireless routers : Do you have a router or modem already or do you need one supplied? Some deals offer free equipment, others may make a charge and some even expect you to supply your own (great if you know what you are doing, a nightmare for some people!).

Freebies! : Some deals now come with free gifts, this can range from free laptop offers, free ipods even free TV's. It might be something that can swing your decision, but remember that nothing in life is truly free, you usually end up paying for the freebie with a higher monthly cost than if you take a deal without a freebie.

User Reviews : user reviews can be an invaluable way of finding out what kind of service a supplier really gives. We have thousands of real user reviews of broadband suppliers. You can help us by rating your current supplier here. With all reviews though it's worth remembering that every supplier will upset some of their customers some of the time, and that people are quicker to make a noise about a poor service than an excellent one.

Bundled Services : Many broadband deals now come with a phone service, or digital TV. Going for a bundled service can be a great way to save money in some cases, but the best broadband suppliers may not necessarily be the best TV providers and vice versa. For some people they make life easier, other people hate them!

Type of broadband : Broadband comes in many flavours, ADSL, Fibre Optic, Mobile to name just three. They all have advantages and disadvantages, we have detailed guides for each.

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