Top 10 fastest places for broadband in the UK

Are you getting the broadband speeds you're paying for? We reveal the fastest - and slowest - towns and cities in the country.

If we asked what your pet peeve is when it comes to broadband, many of you will undoubtedly complain about the speed. Your objection is likely to be more than justified since some lucky parts of the country are enjoying significantly faster speeds than others. In fact, new research from broadband comparison site, Top10 reveals the fastest towns and cities in the UK, and points the finger at those which are crawling along at snail's pace.

Interestingly, London hasn't claimed the top spot despite being a city of global economic signifiance. In fact, places in the south of England had slower average speeds than the north. The table below outlines all the winners and losers based on 100,000 broadband tests:

Top 10 fastest and slowest broadband speeds in the UK

Source: Top10.com

If you live in Huddersfield, you'll be pleased to see the top average broadband speed of 15.73mb is much faster than anywhere else, and noticeably better than the capital at just 9.05mb. Meanwhile, residents of Southampton, the slowest place in the UK, have every right to feel downright fed up with pathetic speeds of just 6.61mb. 

If your broadband speed leaves a lot to be desired, and is clearly slower than the advertised speed your actually paying for, there are two main courses of action you can take. First of all, complain to your provider and secondly, follow our five steps to getting more from your broadband package.

How to complain

The fact that there is uncertainty about your complaining options is a touch worrying though, so I'm going to try to shed some light on the process. Here's how you should go about complaining with an Internet Service Provider.

• Go direct to your Internet Service Provider with any issues. Insist they explain fully their complaints procedure before you officially register a complaint.
• It helps to document all correspondence with your Internet Service Provider, with times and dates of all discussions, as well as recording the names of any staff you speak to.

• If, after eight weeks, there has been no resolution, then you should contact an alternative dispute resolution organisation and get their advice on how to proceed. Your best bets are the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) and the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (OTELO).

Get the most from your broadband package!

While complaining is one route to getting a better broadband experience, there are plenty of things you can do at home to improve your internet connection.

1. Change your browser settings

The majority of us are still using version 7 of Internet Explorer, which downloads all files on a web page in a sequential order. As a result, if you are going onto a page with a lot of pictures, chances are it will take longer to load.

However, if you upgrade to version 8, or use a different browser (Mozilla Firefox is a popular choice among my techy friends), then you might be able to get those pages up quicker.

2. Tweak your router settings

Have a read of your router's manual. It should detail ways to maximise performance.

3. Don't let your neighbours nick it!

This is one we definitely all need to do! If you have a wireless router, then people in your street might be able to access it, and ride on your internet coat-tails, and this, sadly, can slow your own ride down.

Your wireless network will have a name - that's how you know which network to select when attempting to go online - and the vast majority of the time it will be something the manufacturers have given it. Mine is Linksys, followed by some numbers, for example.

Keeping this as the name acts as a beacon to hackers or naughty neighbours that you have not changed your security settings, so they are likely to have a go at nicking your net connection. Change the name to something more obscure, and they might be put off.

However, different routers have different methods for changing the name. I'd recommend reading the router's manual, or having a search on the net for how to do it for yours.

The second step is to set a scrambling code - this prevents anyone that doesn't know the code from connecting. It's known as a WEP key.

Again, your router manual should be able to tell you how to do this. Once you have changed the name of your connection, and set up a key, make sure you write them down or else it won't only be your neighbours that can't use your broadband!

4. Scrap going wireless

Simple but true - if your internet connection is a bit slow when you connect wirelessly, try connecting your PC or laptop directly. In fact, even the type of cable you use makes an impact; ethernet cables tend to be more efficient than USB ones.

5. Get a better aerial!

Most aerials are 2dBi (this represents the length of the aerial) so getting a longer aerial will improve your connection strength and speed. Experts reckon a 9dBi aerial will up your signal strength by up to 50%!

Those are our five top tips, but I'm certain there are loads more out there on how to get great value for money from your broadband package - be sure to share them via the comment box below!