Interested in broadband for online gaming this Christmas? There is a whole world of computer games out there that come with the option of online play (multiplayer).

Before you establish which broadband package would be best for you, there are a few things you need to take a closer look at:

• Which Console are you playing games on?

• What sort of connection do you need?

• What sort of speed do you need?

• What usage allowance do you need?

• How much are you prepared to spend on broadband?

Consoles

There are now many different gaming platforms that can be connected to broadband for online gaming, the most popular being PC, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 (PS3).

There are different ways to connect these consoles, being either wired or wireless and in some cases you may want to connect more than one console or even use the broadband on your PC or laptop to surf the net, whilst someone else is playing online games.

If you want to do this, make sure you have a wireless / wired router. All of the broadband providers on our system offer this device with all new connections.

Connections

Most new broadband compatible Games Consoles and laptops are already wireless-enabled.

The Xbox 360 however does require a wireless adapter if you want to connect to the web in more ways than one.

For all types of online gaming, be it via a console, PC or laptop, you could try hard wiring your connection (plugging directly into the broadband router) with an Ethernet cable if at all possible.

This will help to ensure you keep as strong a connection as possible to the internet and avoid losing signal strength across a wireless distance. This will also help reduce any in game lag (causing the game to slow down and sometimes drop your connection to the game server altogether) and offer an overall smoother gaming experience.

What is the right speed for me?

The speed of the service is one of the most important things to consider when looking at broadband for online gaming. A good speed can make all the difference as the general game performance is largely dependent on the speed of your connection.

A poor speed can greatly reduce your whole gaming experience and prevent you from playing effectively and to the standard you expect.

Therefore the faster your connection, the lower your latency / ping (in other words, connection to game server) is, allowing your movement to be fast enough to interact with those of other players.

The first thing you need to check is the speed you should be able to achieve based on the distance from your telephone exchange. This can be done by entering your details into our Smart or Quick search found on our home page here.

If the predicted speed is less than 2MB it is questionable as to whether you will be able to achieve the desired connection to the game server to play properly. Ideally, speeds of 4MB and above will be perfect in terms of online gaming, especially if you're using one of the newer high-powered consoles such as a PS3 or Xbox 360.

If services such as O2, Be broadband, Sky and Virgin Media are available, you are much more likely to reach and exceed the desired speed requirements as these providers use new technology such as ADSL 2+ and Fibre Optic Broadband which can often double your predicted speed. This means you want to be looking for a service that offers up to 8MB or above.

Usage Allowance

All broadband packages are sold with a usage or download allowance, and when it comes to online gaming the higher the allowance, the better. Many games require regular updates which can sometimes be as big as 1GB or more.

This alone can end up using a large part of your overall usage allowance, leaving you with an allowance amount that may not be sufficient enough to last your own or your family's needs for the rest of the month.

This could result in an additional fee from your ISP. When choosing a broadband provider it would be best to aim for a package that offers at least 20GB or more per month usage, or ideally something that offers Unlimited Usage.