Are you experiencing problems with your EE broadband? As EE broadband covers both mobile and home broadband there are a number of problems that you could encounter. If EE is your dual provider it is important to know what these problems are for both types of broadband and what can be done about them. If you have problems this article will help. If you are looking to get EE broadband this piece is equally for you.
What does EE broadband offer?
Before you can look at the problems you may have you should know what broadband this provider actually offers. EE offers both mobile and home broadband but there is more to know than just this. The mobile broadband offered by this provider works on the 4G network as opposed to the 3G network. The home broadband can be one of the two different connection types. These types are ADSL or phone line broadband and fibre optic or cable broadband.
Mobile broadband connection problems
Many people worry about whether they will be able to connect to the internet while using mobile broadband. The main problem with connectivity is the coverage range of the provider. There are a few ways that you can find out the coverage range of any provider.
Using coverage maps is the first stop. Coverage maps are provided by the service provider and can be accessed from their website.
Asking other consumers in your area is another way to find out coverage. This is perhaps the more realistic of the two ways. When you use the method you will be able to find out where the signal is best in your area and where it is weak.
As EE uses the 4G network it is important to find out more about this network. 4G is a newer connection to mobile broadband and as such does not have the same coverage range. Of course if the 4G network is not available then the mobile broadband used will be the 3G network. However, there is 10% of country that does not have access to the 3G network. The areas which are most affected are the rural parts of the South West, Wales and Scotland.
Of course there are connection problems experienced by people in urban areas. These problems are most common during peak traffic times. The reason for this is pure congestion on the network as there are more people trying to use the network than the network can support. There is nothing that can really be done to remedy this.
The best way to avoid general mobile connection problems is to find out the coverage zone of the provider and see if you are in it. You should also consider limiting your usage during peak times. Of course to do this you will need to find out when the peak times are.
Problems with speed
Many users find they experience problems with their connection speed with both mobile and home broadband offered by this provider. There are certain reasons for speed problems and there solutions to a few of the problems.
With mobile broadband you have to consider the network you are connected to. If you are expecting 4G speeds but are actually on the 3G network you will be disappointed. 4G offers up to 5 times the speed of 3G which is a maximum of 21mb per second.
If you are connected to the correct network but are still experiencing problems there are three main reasons:
Electrical interference if you are trying to connect while close to large pylons or power stations then you will experience problems. The reason for this is that these areas of large electrical currents interfere with the signal for the mobile broadband network.
Your location if you are quite a distance from the closest mobile phone tower you will have a weaker signal. If the signal is weaker the speed will decrease.
The time of day there are certain peak times when there are more users on the connection. At these times the network will be congested and the speeds for everyone will decrease.
If you are looking at a home broadband connection you will also have to consider the type of connection. Cable connections often have fewer speed problems. There are a few reasons why your ADSL connection may be slow.
The distance from your exchange the further you are from the local exchange the slower your speeds will be. The reason for this is that the further a signal has to travel the weaker and slower it becomes.
The quality of your equipment if you have a router that can handle only a certain speed then you will not be able to get more than that. You should also look at the phone line as this might be limited in the speeds it can support.
Where your wireless router is the location of your router can actually weaken the signal. Weaker wireless signals will have slower speeds. There are certain devices which can interfere with the wireless signal. Additionally if the single has to travel through a number of rooms and walls the speed will be slower when it reaches you.
The number of people using the connection if there are a number of people or devices using the connection the overall speeds will slow down.
Mobile broadband installation problems
Dongles are the most common way that people connect to mobile broadband. To use these connections you will need software which is installed on all dongles. You should technically plug your USB dongle into your computer and the software should auto-install. The installation will be done through a software wizard.
A common problem is that you plug the dongle in and nothing happens. If this does happen you should try a different USB port. This has been known to give good results. Of course you may still have the problem after trying this. If you still have problems you should check your USB ports with other devices before you move onto the next solution.
Another solution is to plug the dongle in and then find the device through Windows Explorer. From there you will be able to manually start the installation process.
Sam Jones was looking to change his home broadband service so did a quick search on uSwitch to see what offers were available. He found several EE broadband deals at a price that fit right into his budget
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