JARGON SIMPLIFIED

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THE INTERNET

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The Internet is a world-wide network that allows any device that needs Internet connectivity such as computers (laptops and desktops), media streaming devices, mobile phone, tablet and gaming equipment to communicate all over the world. Through the Internet, you can share information and communicate from anywhere to anywhere with an Internet connection. Many confuse the Internet with Wi-Fi - they are NOT the same.

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WI-FI

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Wi-Fi is wireless networking technology that allows devices with Wi-Fi capability such as computers (laptops and desktops), mobile devices (smart phones, tablets and wearables), media streaming and other equipment (printers and video cameras) to connect to the Internet.

 

Wi-Fi allows these devices - and many more - to exchange information with one another through a Wi-Fi network. Internet connectivity occurs through a router which is supplied usually for free by your ISP (which are seldom powerful enough to transmit to the whole property), which is then connected to an extender, amplifier or access point (AP). When you access Wi-Fi, you are connecting to a router via a Wi-Fi network that allows your Wi-Fi compatible devices to interface with the Internet.

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Wi-Fi 5

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Wi-Fi 5 was the first Wi-Fi standard to provide multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) technology, meaning multiple antennas could be used on both sending and receiving devices. Wi-Fi 5 is also known as 5Ghz.

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Wi-Fi 6

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Wi-Fi 6 can result in up to 75% less latency. It achieves this by handling large amounts of network traffic more efficiently. For television media streaming and gamers, this means faster downloads, better upload speeds, and more reliable media multitasking. Wi-Fi 6 brings wired and wireless signals closer to parity.

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Wi-Fi 7

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The seventh generation of Wi-Fi brings major improvements over Wi-Fi 6 and 6E and can offer speeds up to four times faster. It also includes clever advances to reduce latency, increase capacity, and boost stability and efficiency.

Like previous standards, Wi-Fi 7 is backward compatible. To take advantage of the new features and improved performance it promises, you will need to upgrade your devices. That means buying new routers and access points, not to mention new smartphones, laptops, TVs, and so on.

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ACCESS POINTS, RANGE EXTENDERS, BOOSTERS, POWERLINE ADAPTORS & AMPLIFIERS

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These are all designed to improve and extend the wireless Internet signal around your property and can be inside or outside.

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Access Points (AP's) are the most used. They broadcast Wi-Fi in the rooms they are installed in and are connected by cable to the existing cable network in your property (if built in the last 5-years). The are inobtrusive and if connected and configured professionally, will give you a seamless and drop less wireless Internet connection. There are a multitude of options on the market from various manufacturers all claiming to do the same thing - to improve Internet and Wi-Fi coverage throughout your property. Few deliver what they say "on the box" to the level they should. Mass manufacturing with a "one solution to fix all" mentality is not the way to go. No two properties are built the same!

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POWERLINE ADAPTORS

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When first released, Powerline Adaptors such as Devolo and TP-Link units, were an effective way to pass the wireless Internet connection around your property. They used the electricity cables to pass the connection. Recently with the introduction of smart electricity meters and electric car chargers, the signals become "confused" causing unreliability and drop-offs.

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RANGE EXTENDERS, BOOSTER AND AMPLIFIERS

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Range Extenders, Boosters and Amplifiers do exactly what the name suggests - again some are better than others. Primarily they are used where an existing cable network does not exist. One head unit is connected directly to the Internet router and the signal is then sent wirelessly to the other units. Again, mass manufacturing with a "one solution to fix all" mentality is not the way to go. Ideally a Range Extender or Booster needs to be chosen with technology that passes the signal through walls. Few have this specific function. Units supplied and installed by Pedigree Wireless Networking have this function as standard.​

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ISP'S (INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS)

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An ISP is the operator who controls the Internet and to whom you pay money to access to the Internet usually on a fixed term contractual basis.

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In Portugal there are 5 main ISP's - MEO, NOS, Vodafone, NoWo and Starlink. There are other smaller ISP's who operate using existing communication lines who resell the services packaged as their own.

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MEO is the national operator. They supply internet in 3 guises - Fibre, DSL and 4G / 5G. Contracts are for 1 or 2-years.

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NOS supply internet in 2 guises - Fibre and 4G / 5G. Contracts are for 1 or 2-years.

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Vodafone supply internet in 2 guises - Fibre and 4G / 5G. Contracts are for 1 or 2-years.

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NoWo supply internet in 2 guises - Fibre and 4G / 5G. Contracts are for 1 or 2-years.

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Starlink supply internet using one technology - internet via satellite. There is NO CONTRACT with Starlink!

 

Fibre while it shows high speed internet speeds, can like all line-based Internet connections, suffer from down time through cable breakages, junction problems, vandalism, cable theft and cyber-attacks. NOS Fibre is in most locations, not fully Fibre - it is interlaced with copper cable which is slower to transmit and can be subject to issues.

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DSL (digital subscriber line) is old technology and is defined as a type of Internet connection that uses the voice frequency of telephone lines to send and receive Internet data and traffic. Speeds are low and not stable often only achieving up to 12Mbps so very low speeds by today's standards. This is usually only seen in rural locations or in properties where there are no Fibre lines installed or there is no space for an additional Fibre line which happens only too often but shouldn't.

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4G / 5G uses cellular technology to connect to a mast. While this used to be a good option, with the huge increase in the number of mobile devices being used, added to by holiday makers using their devices when on holiday, breakdowns, slow connections and outages are more common than reported.

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Internet via satellite or Starlink, is tomorrow's technology available today. It does not suffer with cable issues as there are none. It does not suffer from overuse of the mobile networking masts as only registered users can connect to it. It does not suffer from oversubscribed lines (contention see below) as it is a one-user one-connection system. It does not suffer from latency (see below) as with other ISP connections.

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In our view and experience, Starlink is the way forward whether you are based in a rural location or in a town / city.

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Pedigree Wireless Networking has done the legwork using our years of experience and sifted through the good from the bad to ensure that every installation we do, will perform at optimum - for you.

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QUALITY OF SERVICE - (QoS)

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Quality of service (QoS) is the use of mechanisms or technologies by ISPs to control traffic and ensure the performance of critical applications with a limited network capacity.

 

It enables organisations to adjust their overall network traffic by prioritizing specific high-performance applications.

QoS is typically applied to networks that carry traffic for resource-intensive systems.

 

Common resource-intensive systems for which it is required include Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), online gaming, media streaming, videoconferencing, video on demand (VOD), and Voice over IP (VoIP).

 

Using QoS in networking, organisations can change the performance of multiple applications on their network. This allows them to "traffic shape" their network and change the way that packets are routed to the Internet or other networks which can cause delays or "buffering". This can have an adverse-affect for end-users.

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As per the QoS meaning, the key goal is to enable networks and organisations to prioritize traffic, which includes offering dedicated bandwidth, controlled jitter, and lower latency. The technologies used to ensure this are vital to enhancing the performance of business applications, wide-area networks (WANs), and service provider networks.  

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Most ISPs bundle additional services to their packages diversifying their attention. Starlink is different. They concentrate on the supply and delivery of high-speed Internet wherever you are and are not blinded by other factors such as telephone or television supply as is the case with most other ISP's making it the clear choice when considering Internet for your property.

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CONTENTION

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Contention is best described as competition for speed. In a local network in your home (not the Internet) this could be several devices competing for the same connection. Too many devices on a network can result in poorer download and upload speeds.

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Contention can also apply to your Internet connection - whether it is Fibre, 4G, 5G or DSL. The contention ratio is determined by how many customers the ISP shares across the common infrastructure, for example those using the same Internet cable or cellular mast to and from the local exchange.

 

At peak times your connection quality can drop even with minimal or no other devices connected within your property. If your Internet connection is poor, despite your ISP offering good speeds, it could be the result of a high contention ratio.​ All cable and cellular ISPs have contention ratio's.

 

Starlink does not have this issue as it does not rely on cables to and from a local exchange or masts.

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Contention ratio describes the number of devices in comparison to the number of networks or cables providing a connection. 3 devices connected to one Wi-Fi router would have a contention ratio of 3:1 or 50 broadband users relying on the same cable to and from the local exchange would have a ratio of 50:1.

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Most ISPs reportedly have a contention ration of 50:1 on residential lines. This means if an Internet line is feeding 50 people at the same time and the line has a maximum capability of 500Mbps, the realistic speed will be 500Mbps divided by 50 = 10Mbps. If the ratio was 10:1 the realistic speed would be 50Mbps.

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The ideal contention ratio for peak performance is 1:1 or an "uncontended" connection. An uncontended connection offers peak performance and can be achieved with a leased line. Leased lines aren’t always possible and can be very expensive.

 

Starlink is a 1:1 ratio internet system as the connection from your Starlink receiver / sender is unique to you.

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LATENCY

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Latency is the time it takes for a packet of data to go from its origination to its destination. Latency is measured in milliseconds. A latency speed of 50 milliseconds or more (less than one-tenth of one second) can result in poor network and internet performance.

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People that rely on real-time applications and data such as media streaming, a low latency network connection is critical. Replication cycles are nearly instantaneous, information can be accessed and updated without delay and customers experiences will be improved.

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A variety of factors can affect network latency, including the quality of the Wi-Fi equipment, Internet and network connections, as well as the physical distance the data must travel and the geographic location of the receiving equipment.

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Latency can have a serious impact on not just network performance, but your entertainment as well. The importance of latency in today’s digitally driven society cannot be overstated. High latency can severely hamper the performance of streaming services. When these systems experience high latency, the result is inefficiencies, interruptions often known as "buffering".

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In essence, latency isn’t just a technical concern; it has profound implications for customer experiences and the evolution.

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Investing in a well-architected Internet connection can address and often mitigate the challenges commonly encountered with older, piecemeal networks or outdated copper infrastructures. By prioritizing modern networking solutions such as Starlink, end-users can significantly enhance their application performance and experience.

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When measuring latency, less than 50 milliseconds is often considered "good", less than 40 milliseconds very good and less than 30 milliseconds, excellent. A latency speed above 50 milliseconds can start to cause noticeable delays in applications and services. If a user's connection has high latency, they can experience delays.

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SPEEDTESTS - ARE THEY ACCURATE?

 

Most of us are familiar with popular internet speed test services.

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What these sites do is to let you test your upload and download bandwidth, giving you an indication about the quality of your connection to the Internet. But - how accurate are they?

 

Sadly, they're often not at all accurate. Sometimes, it's because the method the service uses isn't great, but often it's because of an overlooked detail. Bear in mind, a speed test is only an indication of the potential speed but not the actual speed.

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WHAT IS THE BEST INTERNET TO INSTALL?

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With speeds over 300Mbps in most cases and a contention ratio of 1:1 and no cables to be stolen, get damaged or break, there is (in our opinion), only one clear choice - Starlink!