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Bonding ADSL Broadband Lines
Dear Michael, I’ve heard that it may somehow be possible to combine two broadband lines, thus creating double the connection speed. Is this really true?
Is this a feasible way to get the desirable connection speed that most providers claim but never deliver?
Terry, Bolton
Our Broadband Expert says...
To answer your question simply - yes it is theoretically possible to combine two broadband lines, this is known as “bonding” and could lead to super fast broadband speeds.
However, while “bonding” is possible in theory, the art of combining two or more ADSL connections does require technical expertise and you should not attempt it unless you are completely confident (and competent) in what you are doing.
Line bonding theory
The basic theory behind bonding ADSL lines is the idea that combining two separate ADSL connections to connect to one computer should double your bandwidth and thus double your connection speeds.
Although this sounds simple, it is unclear whether DIY broadband bonding has ever actually worked, with many people claiming that connecting two lines to one computer does not increase overall speed.
However, there are now routers available in the U.S. that can bond your lines for you…
ADSL bonding solution
The solution currently being utilised in the U.S. is to connect two ASDL lines to one router. For this to work, you need a specially designed router, such as the ZyXel ADSL2+ Bonded 4-port Router, which is capable of supporting two ADSL2+ connections in order to increase your bandwidth and connection speed.
Unfortunately, routers like these are not yet available in the UK, but businesses in the UK can get their broadband lines “bonded” by Sharedband (www.sharedband.com). The people from Sharedband claim that their method of bonding broadband lines can increase connection speed “up by multiples”.
Interestingly, Sharedband suggest that for the best results, you should use two different ISPs for your two broadband lines.
Be Broadband’s bonding trial
Be Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) recently announced on their blog that they will be running a broadband line bonding trial, for a selection of customers on the Paddington exchange in London. They expect that their method of combining two lines through an ADSL2+ router will double speeds, providing up to 40Mbps!
Compare BE Broadband deals
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (12 months) | 10Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £17.00 | |
| Value + Evening and Weekend Calls (12 months) | 10Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £18.00 | |
| Value + Anytime Calls (12 months) | 12Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £21.00 | |
| Unlimited (12 months) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £22.00 | |
| Unlimited + Evening and Weekend Calls (12 months) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £23.00 |
If the trial goes well, we could see bonded ADSL lines available for a larger selection of home broadband customers in the future, fingers crossed!
Boost your connection speeds
If you want to improve your connection speed but can’t wait for bonding enabled routers to become available in the UK, the best thing to do is choose a super fast provider like Be Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) or look at alternative ways to improve your current speed. Check out our guide to boosting your internet speed for the top tips on accelerating your broadband or compare broadband packages with our broadband calculator.
NB Best buy tables (orange background) are always current.
Examples in the text of the article (white background) are correct at time of publication.
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