Sky Broadband: frequently asked questions

Sky Broadband is a range of products offering Sky TV customers quick, convenient and secure internet access. All Sky Broadband products give you a high-speed, 'always-on' connection. All Sky Broadband products come with a wireless router, 10 sky.com email addresses, and you can currently receive 12 months' free McAfee security, to help protect you and your family from spam, identity theft and other online risks.

If you are in a Sky broadband network area you can choose Sky Broadband Base, Everyday or Unlimited. If you live outside Sky's broadband network, you can get Sky Broadband Connect as an alternative from £17 a month.

We're continually expanding the network, through which we provide our broadband products, and this has already reached many, but not all parts of the country. With each day, more and more people are able to get Sky Broadband Base, Everyday and Unlimited. However, if our network hasn't reached where you live, you can still get Sky Broadband Connect, which is available almost everywhere.

Sky Broadband Base is excellent for everyday browsing, with up to 2Mb* download speed (subject to your location and line quality) and 2GB per month usage allowance. Sky Broadband Base has a free monthly subscription for Sky TV customers when you also take Sky Talk (otherwise £5 a month).

Sky Broadband Everyday* is perfect if you're a regular internet user and want to download music and short video clips. With up to 10Mb* download speed (subject to your location and line quality) and a 10GB monthly usage allowance, it's just £5 per month for Sky TV customers when you also take Sky Talk (otherwise £10 a month).

Sky Broadband Unlimited* lets your whole family download music, movies and sports clips with download speeds of up to 20Mb* (subject to your location and line quality) and unlimited usage. Sky Broadband Unlimited costs £10 per month for Sky TV customers when you also take Sky Talk (otherwise £15 a month).

Sky Broadband Connect* is for customers outside Sky's broadband network. It offers up to 8Mb* download speed (subject to your location and line quality) and a 40GB monthly usage allowance - the same as Sky Broadband Everyday - and is priced at £17 per month for Sky TV customers.

We're continually expanding the network, through which we provide our broadband products, and this has already reached many, but not all parts of the country. With each day, more and more people are able to get Sky Broadband Base, Everyday and Unlimited. However, if our network hasn't reached where you live, you can still get Sky Broadband Connect, which is available almost everywhere.

Standard set-up for £49 Sky+HD box is free (normally £30) for new customers, or £60 for existing customers. Standard set-up for Sky+ box is £30 for new customers (£15 if taken with Multiroom) or £60 for existing customers. Standard set-up for a Sky box is £60 for new and existing customers. Standard set-up £117.45 without Sky TV. Non-standard set-up may cost extra. Sky Broadband set-up fees for existing Sky TV customers £60 for Base, £30 for Everyday & Connect or free for Unlimited.

No. To get Sky Broadband, you need to join, or have joined, Sky TV. You can also choose to add Sky Talk - Sky's great-value phone service - and Sky Talk Line Rental - a phone line to replace your BT compatible line - although both these products are optional. From 1 March, you'll get a £5 per month discount on your broadband when you take Sky Talk.

To get Sky Broadband, you need to be a Sky TV customer. Joining Sky TV costs as little as £18 a month and you can order Sky Broadband as soon as you join. You'll also need a PC that meets Sky Broadband's minimum system requirements, and maintain an active landline from Sky or BT.

To get Sky Broadband, you'll need to make sure your computer meets the minimum specifications below. You'll also need to maintain an active Sky Talk landline or BT landline.

You need to stay with your chosen Sky Broadband product for a minimum of 12 months. As long as you have Sky Broadband, you will also need to be with Sky TV.

The time for a stand alone Sky Broadband installation is usually around 50 minutes. However, this may vary depending on the position of the phone connections and power cables in your home. If you are having Sky TV installed at the same time, then on average another 50 minutes and will be conducted by the same engineer.

Yes. We've made it easy to set up your Sky Broadband connection yourself. We will send you a letter to welcome you to Sky Broadband followed by a letter outlining your line activation date. Your Sky Broadband Wireless Router will then be delivered to your door, just leaving you to set it up yourself. It comes with a simple, easy-to-use installation CD and guide. Read our PDF guide to setting up Sky Broadband here.

When you order online, we ask you enter your main landline number, including the area code. This enables us to check that you have a working landline - essential for ordering Sky. We can also check to see which Sky Broadband and Sky Talk products your telephone line can support and tell you straight away before you order.

No, Sky Broadband is for residential use only.

A router allows you to connect several PCs or laptops to the internet, so several people in your home can be online at the same time. A wireless router uses radio signals to communicate between the various computers connected to it, doing away with messy cables. If your computing equipment isn't currently set up for wireless connection to the internet, you can buy the necessary equipment from Sky to enable it.

Your Sky Broadband wireless signal can be up to 150m (490ft), so you can surf the Internet anywhere in your home. Please note, the actual range you will get will depend on various factors in your home.

No. Most of today's PCs and Macs are already wireless enabled. If this is not the case, you may need to buy a wireless adapter. If you don't have a wireless enabled device, wireless adapters are available for everything from laptops to music systems.

You can connect up to 4 computers on your Sky router. To connect more than one PC using Ethernet, you simply need to attach each PC to the router using an Ethernet cable. You can connect up to four PCs in this way. To connect more than one PC wirelessly, you will need to have a wireless adapter installed on each of the PCs you wish to use and then configure each adapter with the necessary security information.

McAfee Internet Security Suite offers PC users comprehensive protection against online risks:

• It helps block and remove viruses so you can download files without worrying, and shields your computer from security-compromising spyware
• Special features help protect and conceal your PC from would-be hackers
• Files you download are automatically backed-up so you can easily restore them and your online identity is protected, enabling you to shop, bank and email with more confidence
• Protects against Spam and 'phishing' scams, and parental filters help shield your kids from sites or content you'd rather they didn't see
• Protects you from dangerous Web sites by adding intuitive red, yellow and green icons to your web browser and search results to help keep you safe as you search, browse, and transact online, so you know you are visiting safe sites
• You will get the latest upgrades and enhancements automatically delivered, so you can be sure your Internet Security Suite is ready to combat even the latest online threats

If you use a PC, you'll receive McAfee Internet Security Suite (worth £49.99). If you use Apple Macs you'll get McAfee VirusScan (worth £19.99). As a Sky Broadband customer, you'll get your McAfee security package free for a year.

Sky Broadband gives you ten free email addresses ending with "@sky.com." You choose the first one when you order Sky Broadband and you can then set up to nine once your subscription is active.

Sky Broadband offers parental control as part of the McAfee Internet Security Suite (free for the first 12 months of your Sky Broadband subscription). This enables you to block websites, set age limits and decide at what time of day your children can go online.

Yes, Sky Broadband, and the Sky wireless router are fully compatible with Windows Vista. McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 that comes on the Broadband Get Set CD with the router is compatible with all versions of Windows Vista used with 32-bit processors (all standard versions of Windows Vista, and the majority of home users). The 2008 version available to download from www.sky.com/security is also compatible with 64-bit versions of Windows Vista (typically for advanced users).

OS X v10.2.6 (Jaguar) or later operating system, 128MB of memory, a 266MHz Power PC G3 processor, 100MB of hard drive space, the Safari browser and either a vacant Ethernet port (for a wired connection) or the Apple AirPort for a wireless connection.

Yes - although you'll first need to cancel the contract you have with your existing provider (which may have a minimum term). To switch, you'll also need to ask your existing provider for a MAC code, which you'll require when ordering Sky Broadband. If your provider is one of the few that does not provide you with a MAC code, you will need to cancel your current broadband service before you can order Sky Broadband.

If you're a cable customer, it's more complex for us to switch you to Sky Broadband than if you have a BT landline. So we have a dedicated customer services team to help. Call them on 08442 411 076, or email helpline@bskyb.com. You won't need a MAC code.

Find out more about switching from cable to Sky

Most broadband providers issue MAC codes. But if you receive your broadband from one of the few providers that doesn't, you need to contact them and cancel the broadband on your phone line. You'll need to do the same if your broadband is provided through an 'LLU' broadband network. (See also 'What is LLU?' below.) It can take up to five days for your existing broadband to be cancelled, and another five days for BT's database - which we use for reference - to be updated. So, once you've cancelled your existing broadband, it may take up to 10 days in total for your Sky Broadband to go live.

Some providers supply broadband through a local loop unbundling (LLU) network. This is a privately owned network located between the local BT exchange and the customer's home. If you're switching from an LLU broadband network, you will need to cancel your current broadband service before you can order Sky Broadband.

You need a BT compatible telephone line to use Sky broadband, though you do not have to be a BT customer. We check this when you order. If you are moving from a different telephone company or have recently moved to a new house, you need to be the registered owner of that telephone line. We suggest you wait 24 hours after your telephone line has been activated before signing up for Sky Broadband. Alternatively, why not take Sky Talk's own landline rental option, Sky Talk Line Rental?

Once you have provided Sky with a valid MAC, we aim to switch your broadband service over to Sky Broadband within 7 working days from when you place your order. We will, however, confirm by letter the exact date. The switch could take place any time up until midnight of that date.

Many broadband providers have a minimum term set out in the terms and conditions of your contract. If you're currently in the middle of a contract, please complete our Broadband reminder form. We'll contact you towards the end of your contract and provide you with additional information on all of our latest products.

A MAC code is a string of numbers you request from your existing broadband provider. Your MAC code should be 17 or 18 characters long and start with FTIP, BBDS, BBIP, or L. We use it ensure that the provision of your new Sky Broadband and the cancellation of your old service are timed together as closely as possible, to minimise the time you're without a broadband service.

Only once we've confirmed Sky Broadband is available for you to buy - you need to use the MAC code within 30 days of getting it, otherwise the code will expire. Most broadband providers are obliged to give you a MAC code within five days of you requesting it.

You need to call or write to your broadband provider in order to request a MAC code, which they will usually send to you by post within five working days. Your MAC code is valid for 30 days. We've already created a handy MAC code request letter template for you to download and listed useful phone numbers - find them here

If you're a cable customer, it's more complex for us to switch you to Sky Broadband than if you have a BT landline. So we have a dedicated customer services team to help. Call them on 08442 411 076, or email helpline@bskyb.com. You won't need a MAC code.

Find out more about switching from cable to Sky

Most broadband providers issue MAC codes. But if you receive your broadband from one of the few providers that doesn't, you need to contact them and cancel the broadband on your phone line. You'll need to do the same if your broadband is provided through an 'LLU' broadband network.

It can take up to five days for your existing broadband to be cancelled, and another five days for BT's database - which we use for reference - to be updated. So, once you've cancelled your existing broadband, it may take up to 10 days in total for your Sky Broadband to go live.

Once you have provided Sky with a valid MAC, we aim to switch your broadband service over to Sky Broadband within 7 working days from when you place your order. We will, however, confirm by letter the exact date. The switch could take place any time up until midnight of that date.