Common questions Straightforward answers to the stuff we’re asked most

Common questions
Straightforward answers to the stuff we’re asked most


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Something puzzling you? Then take a look below at our quick FAQs. If you can’t find the answer you want, simply give us a call on 0800 073 11 02 during office hours. Alternatively, if you’re online, email us at support@avonlinebroadband.co.uk.

Avonline’s Satellite Broadband Service availability record is 99.99% If you’re a customer experiencing a problem, please do check your equipment first. If something’s still wrong, simply get in touch.

Broadband means, very simply, a high-speed connection to the Internet that is 'always on'. It is significantly faster than the dial-up ( 56K) modems enabling you to view web content and download files more quickly. It's called broadband because it has a much larger capacity to receive (and send) data.

Yes – it really is as simple as that. Satellite Broadband is available ANYWHERE in the UK (and mainland Europe as well). As long as there is electricity, we can get you connected to Broadband wherever you need it.

This will depend on what you will be using broadband for. Most satellite broadband packages are based around how  much you use it. If you are using it for general surfing and emailing from home or a small office, our Tooway service could be the right, cost effective solution for you. However, if you are downloading lots of videos, sending very large files or you need to connect to a work network (VPN), it may be better to choose one of our proven business broadband solutions. If you would like some free, impartial advice, please feel free to call us on 0800 073 1102 and we would be happy to help you.

Under normal conditions, you can use the following information as a guideline:-

Download GB Required
2 Music Albums 0.1GB
5 Min Video Clip on YouTube 0.1GB
Low definition movie 0.75GB
40 hours web surfing 1.0GB
8 hours of internet radio 1.0GB
DVD quality movie 4.5GB

No. With our broadband packages you pay a fixed amount each month, no matter how often you use it.

There are a few specialised uses that it is important to choose the correct system for but other than that, there is not much difference between satellite and other broadband services.
Unlike some of our competitors, our packages accept direct connection to Apple, Linux, Unix or Windows NT operating systems.
Our Tooway Satellite Broadband packages are not really suitable for:

  • Some remote control software and video & voice over IP (VoIP)
  • Heavy uplink traffic, such as Web or FTP hosting
  • Certain VPN applications
  • Online gaming and peer-to-peer networking

Avonline’s Tooway satellite broadband system does not currently support “watch again” portals like BBC iPlayer but we are working on a solution

If you want to do one or more of the above, we recommend, based upon many years of providing high quality Satellite Broadband solutions, that you take a look at our Business Broadband section. These uses can be easily accommodated in our more specialised products and we are always happy to advise on such matters.

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Tooway is Avonline’s newest Broadband Satellite service. A reliable 3.6Mbps Broadband connection now available wherever you live. Avonline offers a range of four monthly download packages which means that you only need to pay for the service that is most suitable to your needs.

Avonline plc is the UK’s largest independent Satellite Broadband provider. Established in 1981, our 500 experienced installers work throughout the UK installing broadband and other digital services to around 500,000 customers each year. We are accredited by the British Standards Institute (BSI) to ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental) & OHSAS 18001 (Health & Safety) and our specially trained installers are CRB (criminal records bureau) checked.

We believe that any Company that you invite into your home or business must be able to demonstrate these standards as a minimum to give you the peace of mind that your investment is the right one.

You supply the computer, our trained installation engineer will install the satellite dish (outside) and connect it to a modem (inside).

All four Tooway packages operate at a reliable 3.6Mbps download speed. Satellite Broadband works in a different way to a normal (ADSL) connection in that you don’t “share” your connection with your neighbours.

You may have read in the press that many people that use ADSL pay for a system that consistently fails to deliver the speed that they are paying for. For example, a recent Ofcom study proved that the average speed achieved by ADSL customers buying an 8Mbps service was in fact 3.6Mbps. Therefore an 8Mbps ADSL connection is directly comparable with our Tooway packages.

No you can’t (unless you are a trained and accredited VSAT installation engineer). Because Satellite Broadband not only receives data from a satellite (much like Sky) but transmits data back to the satellite, it is crucial that your system is installed by a trained and accredited satellite broadband technician.

Avonline Tooway supports the usual webmail applications like Hotmail, Gmail, MSN and Yahoo but if you use an email client (E.g. Microsoft Outlook) you will require the use of an SMTP server to send your mail, as many ISP’s allow you to receive email but block you from sending. If that sounds like technical mumbo jumbo, yes you will get an email address and yes, we’re happy to show you exactly how it works.

If you need email sending services we would be happy to recommend a third party provider.

No you do not.

No, most computers these days come with a network card or wireless option which will allow you to connect to the internet.

Yes, it’s possible to connect the modem directly to a router, or other network LAN device, to share the connection with other users. We can supply you with a suitable router with wireless capability.

Yes. With a wireless router, anyone at your location can access the Broadband connection without needing to physically connect to the modem (hence “wireless”). We are happy to help you set this up properly (without any extra charges) when we install your system to make sure it is both secure and working properly. The wireless router box may say “plug and play” but in our experience, it’s nice to let someone who knows what they’re doing do the “plugging” and leave you to enjoy the “playing”. We’re happy to recommend a wireless router if you need our help.

Yes. Unlike some of our competitors, it is possible to connect the equipment directly to a router, or other network LAN devices, to share the connection with other users. See the answer above about using a wireless router that will enable you to share your connection with multiple users.

We do not recommend Tooway for online gaming due to something called latency (ie. The time it takes the signal to get up and down from a satellite 22,000 miles high. If you are desperate to do online gaming in a remote location, our best advice is to talk to our team about some of the Business Solutions that we offer.

Yes. With all our services connection via non Microsoft Windows platforms is straightforward.

Yes, each service is subject to a Fair Access/Fair Use Policy (FAP or FUP).  The FAP has been designed  to be as open and flexible as possible, while ensuring fair use for all users. Unlike other services, where hard transfer limits apply over which you are charged per additional MB, Avonline employ a Fair Access Policy. In summary this means that during peak usage times, heavier users of the service will experience some reduction in their connection speed, ensuring an equitable access for all users throughout the day. There are no hidden changes.

The Fair Access Policy has been defined by our Satellite Provider (Skylogic) to enable each user to receiver a high quality internet access service via Satellite. The FAP is implemented to prevent unfair use and an unacceptable use of the network.

Yes, traffic volume is measured on both the inbound and outbound connection and is measured over five time periods, as shown in the table below.

Volume Monthly Service Options
Time Period Basic 2.4GB Bronze 4GB Silver 6GB Gold 12GB
1 hr 120 MB 200 MB 300 MB 600 MB
4 hr 240 MB 400 MB 600 MB 1200 MB
1 day 400 MB 650 MB 1000 MB 2000 MB
1 week 1000 MB 1650 MB 2500 MB 5000 MB
4 week 2400 MB 4000 MB 6000 MB 12000 MB

Priority traffic is the amount of traffic that can be used (upload and download) before a restriction is applied.

This depends on the monthly service option. Please use the table above to check the services.

No, you will not be cut off but your bandwidth will be reduced until you come out of restriction. This is to help maintain a quality of service for all users.

Yes, there is however a night time policy where only 50% of the total transferred data volume is counted in the calculation. This is from the hours of 12 midnight till 6am.

Yes, you can request a copy of your FAP graph from our support team. We are also working on an online facility and hope to have this service available in the near future..

Yes, a member of our  support team will be happy to discuss any questions you may have.

If you are looking for a transportable system that can fixed to a vehicle please check our mobile system section.

As your broadband connection is 'always on', it is a good idea to install firewall software to protect you from any attempts by hackers to access the files on your computer. Avonline strongly recommends that you install a suitable Firewall and Antivirus software to protect your computer from unauthorised access from the internet. For example, ZoneAlarm is a handy personal firewall application, free for personal use (see www.zonelabs.com). You will also need software as for any other service such as your Internet Browser and Email Client Software. Commercial and free packages are available and suitable and we're happy to advise you on this subject.

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Please see our “How It Works” page for more information on the hardware and the installation.

Though conditions may vary slightly from county to county, normally planning permission is not required for your satellite dish provided you do not have other dishes on your building.
If your building is a protected historical building official permits will be required.
Also, if your location is within a short distance of an airfield, or similar, special conditions may apply. It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the rules and regulations regarding the placement of equipment on the building you occupy. However, since it is what we do for a living, we’re always pleased to offer you advice based upon our knowledge and experience but any final decisions & responsibility do remain with you.

If you do not own the building where the equipment is to be installed, you must get written authorisation from the landlord approving the installation. Avonline will normally require a copy of this prior to installation.

We are happy to advise on de-installation and re-installation charges. Moving the antenna/dish to another location, whether on the same building or otherwise, must be undertaken by an approved installer.
When planning your first installation, please give careful consideration to the location of your dish to minimise the likelihood of requiring a move.

Yes. To receive the broadband service it is necessary to have the satellite dish and relevant modem.  You will need to purchase the equipment outright at time of order.

We usually get customers installed within two working weeks. We do need to get all of your order paperwork correctly completed before we can start. This includes your Service Agreement, Direct Debit Mandate and Initial Payment for the hardware and installation. Our team will telephone you to carry-out Pre-Installation Survey and to arrange a convenient installation date.

There is a neat new tool on our How It Works page which allows you to type in your postcode and see which direction your dish will face. Click Here to find out more.

The standard installation allowed for in the Initial Fee is as follows: mounting on a standard brick or block wall at a height reachable on a standard double extension ladder, and not more than 30m from the proposed location of the modem.

Put simply, a satellite dish (outdoors) and a small modem (indoors). Generally we provide a 96cm dish, however in some locations a larger dish may be required to ensure strong signal strength. You will be advised in advance if a larger dish is necessary and if any additional costs apply.

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Due to the distance traveled by the signal to/from your computer and the Internet Hub, via the satellite, older satellite technologies exhibited a noticeable lag between communications. Our latest Satellite Broadband services employs software techniques to minimise this lag, including an Internet Protocol Accelerator (“ IPA”). In use, when a web page is requested for example, the IPA strips out surplus protocol data and requests, and retrieves the page in fewer larger 'pieces', than a typical dialup connection for example which assembles the page piece by piece. Similarly this technique is ideal for handling large file or email downloads.

Due to latency, when a network tool like ping typically sends small data packets, this accentuates this issue. Try using ping -t -w 2000 'address' to get round this problem. In our experience, there are much better and more reliable ways of testing for this type of network.

Click here for an independent performance testing program
This will give a good idea of your systems performance.

You can also use Avonline's FTP server to accurately check upload and download performance. Please contact our Technical Support team to arrange a test.

No, as Avonline’s Tooway service is designed to be plug n’ play. We do however advise you to use a hardware or software firewall and an anti-virus program.
If you are using a router then this will mask your ports and act as a basic firewall. If you don't have a router and/or you want a second line of defence, try downloading Zone Alarm for a free firewall.
In addition to a firewall you must run some form of anti-virus software on any system that is connected to the internet all, or most, of the time. AVG anti-virus is a free program that is worth a look, and there are many others from Norton, Sophos etc.

PLEASE NOTE: The above download links are offered for information only. Avonline are not responsible for any software you choose to download and install and can therefore not offer any support for the above products.

The standard dish installation is designed to withstand 60mph winds. Clouds and showers have little impact on satellite communications. However, torrential rain may cause degraded service in extreme conditions as signals are reflected a little by rain. Our systems automatically increase power levels to compensate for losses.

Not currently, but in the future yes. In 2011, we expect satellite Broadband speeds to exceed 10Mbps. When we do reach this point, we will be giving our current customers the first option to upgrade to the new services.

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Satellite Broadband Users

Satellite Broadband Users



Satellite Broadband call to action

Get connected anywhere in Europe - Fast. Call us now on 0800 130 3131



Option 1 (24 month contract)
Key Terms and Conditions

  • All prices are quoted inclusive of UK VAT.
  • All hardware under lease is covered by a return to base (RTB) hardware warranty.
  • Minimum Contract Term - 24 months. Thereafter 30 days written notice is required from point of receipt of a completed Avonline Termination Request form. You can request an electronic copy at any time from broadband@avonline.co.uk. The completed form must be completed and emailed back to us at the same email address for the service termination to be initiated.
  • All customers are subject to a Fair Access Policy (FAP). For more detailed information please refer to   FAQ’s at www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk/faqs which show the latest FAP conditions.
  • All systems are PC and Mac compatible.
  • A standard installation includes the provision of one network connection up to 10m. Additional CAT5 points can usually be provided during the installation visit at £45 per point up to a distance of 10m. We would be pleased to provide a quotation for more extensive network requirements upon request.
  • A standard installation is based upon a UK mainland installation within a three hour journey to the customer premises and is subject to site survey. Customers will be provided with a site specific installation quotation in the event that additional travelling times and expenses are likely to be incurred.
  • Configuration of Customer’s existing wireless LAN or Ethernet routing equipment will be charged at £70 per hour. Under no circumstances will Avonline plc accept any responsibility or liability for the customer’s existing equipment installation, configuration or maintenance.
  • The Initial Charge (Installation & Activation), any Additional Options, the 1st Monthly Service Charge and 1st Monthly Hardware Rental Charge,(including VoIP) is payable in advance of the installation. We accept advance payment by Credit Card, BACS and bank transfer.
  • BACS or bank transfer to :-
    Barclays Bank Plc, Park House, Newbrick Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8TN.
    Sterling A/C; Sort Code:20-13-42; Account Number:53261328
    IBAN No: GB23 BARC 2013 4253 2613 28
    BIC No: BARCGB6423.
  • All recurring charges are payable monthly in advance by direct debit. It is condition of contract that we must receive a completed Direct Debit mandate in advance of the installation.
  • Credit Card details must be provided and will be used if a Direct Debit payment is declined.
  • Any other form of settlement for monthly charges e.g. credit card will incur a handling charge of £2.50 per transaction. Any transaction requiring re-presentation e.g. declined direct debits or credit cards will incur an administration charge of £25 per instance.
  • Customers who default on more then 2 payments in any rolling 12 month period lose the right to pay by instalments and will be required to pay annually in advance with no discounts.
  • Avonline reserves the right to charge a late payment fee of 5% for all charges more than 7 days overdue.
  • Handling, Administration and Late Payment Charges incurred will be added to the next invoice.
  • Service level downgrades are charged at £25.00 per downgrade request.
  • If an order is cancelled within 21 days of the agreed installation date, 20% of the initial setup charge (includes: hardware, install and 1st month’s service/s) will be deducted from the cost.
  • Avonline has the right to recover any hardware that has been provided at anytime during the contract if your account is in arrears.
  • If this contract is cancelled by you prior to end of the Minimum Contract Term, you will immediately become liable for all outstanding recurring monthly and any other one off charges, including early termination charges, properly due to the end of the minimum contract term. You authorise Avonline plc to collect these charges using direct debit, credit card or any other payment means Avonline choose.
  • Transfer or other Offers and Incentives are subject to change without notice.

Option 2 (12 month contract)
Key Terms and Conditions

  • All prices are quoted inclusive of UK VAT.
  • All hardware is sold with 12 months return to base (RTB) hardware warranty.
  • Minimum Contract Term - 12 months. Thereafter 30 days written notice is required from point of receipt of a completed Avonline Termination Request form. You can request an electronic copy at any time from broadband@avonline.co.uk. The completed form must be completed and emailed back to us at the same email address for the service termination to be initiated.
  •  All customers are subject to a Fair Access Policy (FAP). For more detailed information please refer to   FAQ’s at www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk/faqs/ which show the latest FAP conditions.
  • All systems are PC and Mac compatible.
  • A standard installation includes the provision of one network access point (CAT5 point). Additional CAT5 points can usually be provided during the installation visit at £45 per point up to a distance of 10m. We would be pleased to provide a quotation for more extensive network requirements upon request.
  • A standard installation is based upon a UK mainland installation within a three hour journey to the customer premises and is subject to site survey. Customers will be provided with a site specific installation quotation in the event that additional travelling times and expenses are likely to be incurred.
  • Configuration of Customer’s existing wireless LAN or Ethernet routing equipment will be charged at £70 per hour. Under no circumstances will Avonline plc not accept any responsibility or liability for the customer’s existing equipment installation, configuration or maintenance.
  • The Initial Charge (Hardware, Installation), any Additional Options and the 1st Monthly Service Charge (including VoIP) is payable in advance of the installation. We accept advance payment by Credit Card, BACS, bank transfer.
  • BACS or bank transfer to :-
    Barclays Bank Plc, Park House, Newbrick Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8TN.
    Sterling A/C; Sort Code:20-13-42; Account Number:53261328
    IBAN No: GB23 BARC 2013 4253 2613 28
    BIC No: BARCGB6423.
  • All recurring charges are payable monthly in advance by direct debit. It is condition of contract that we must receive a completed Direct Debit mandate in advance of the installation. Any other form of settlement for monthly charges e.g. credit card will incur a handling charge of £2.50 per transaction. Any transaction requiring re-presentation e.g. declined direct debits or credit cards will incur an administration charge of £25 per instance.
  • Customers who default on more than 2 payments in any rolling 12 month period lose the right to pay by instalments and will be required to pay annually in advance with no discounts.
  • Avonline reserves the right to charge a late payment fee for all charges more than 7 days overdue.
  • Handling, Administration and Late Payment Charges incurred will be added to the next invoice.
  • Service level downgrades are charged at £25.00 per downgrade request.
  • Transfer or other Offers and Incentives are subject to change without notice.
  • If you cancel your order within 14 days of the agreed installation date you will be liable for 20% of the initial setup charge (includes: hardware, install and first month’s service).

Click here to download full contract terms (PDF, 116KB)

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Terms and Conditions relating to use of this web site

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Privacy Policy

At Avonline PLC, we are committed to protecting your privacy. We have published this data protection guide to ensure that you are fully aware of how and why we collect information from you and to whom such information is disclosed.

1. What information do we collect?

When you shop on our website, we will ask you to input and will collect Personal Information from you such as your name, e-mail address, billing address, delivery address, telephone number, product selections, credit card or other payment information and a password. We may also collect, and our third party providers of advertisements and content may collect, information about where you are on the internet (eg the URL you came from, IP address, domain types like .co.uk and .com), your browser type and the country where your computer is located, the pages of our website that were viewed during your visit, the advertisements you clicked on, and any search terms that you entered on our website. We may collect this information even if you do not register with us.

We will treat all your Personal Information as confidential (although we reserve the right to disclose this information in the circumstances set out below).

2. How do we use your information?

This site is being monitored and may capture information about your visit to improve the quality of the service we provide.

We may use your information for the following purposes:

  1. Processing your orders;
  2. To disclose information about you to any relevant regulator if they require it or to anyone else, if we have a legal duty to do so;
  3. Monitor customer traffic patterns and site usage to help us develop the design and layout of the site;
  4. To serve website content and advertisements to you;
  5. To administer this website;
  6. If you opt-in, we may occasionally notify you about enhancements to our services such as; functionality changes, special features and offers.
  7. The information we hold about you may also be used to analyse your browsing preferences as part of our marketing programme. This may help us to select and tailor products, services or special discounts we think you will be interested to hear about;
  8. We may also monitor or record telephone conversations with you to ensure consistent service levels, to prevent or detect fraud and for training purposes;
  9. If you unsubscribe from Avonline PLC email communications, it may take twenty working days to unsubscribe you. To find out how to change your communication preferences, please see below.

By providing us with your personal information you consent to our processing your personal data for the above purposes.

The personal information you are required to provide when you register should be true and accurate at the time of completion. You agree not to impersonate any other person or to use a false name or personal details which you are not authorised to use.

3. How do we protect your information?

When you create a shopping account while ordering online you automatically opt-in to receive information from Avonline PLC either online by post, e-mail or telephone, about products, promotions or special offers which we feel may be of interest to you. In the event that you do not wish to be contacted for such purposes, you have the option to opt out at any time.

Your Personal Information may be disclosed to other businesses within Avonline PLC. We will not release your Personal Information to any company outside of Avonline PLC for mailing or marketing purposes.

If you do not wish to receive further information regarding new products, promotions and special offers from Avonline PLC, please email unsubscribe@avonline.co.uk with your full contact name or call our Customer Services team on 0800 130 3131.

We follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of information, which you have given to us, to prevent unauthorised access. Our security procedures mean that we may occasionally request proof of identity before we are able to disclose information to you.

4. Cookies

New technologies are emerging on the internet that help us to deliver customised visitor experiences. In particular, there is a technology called "cookies" which may be used by us to provide you with customised information from our website.

A cookie is an element of data that a website can send to your browser, which then may store it on your system. Cookies allow us to understand who has seen which pages and advertisements, to determine how frequently particular pages are visited and to determine the most popular areas of our website. Cookies also allow us to make our website more user friendly.

We use cookies so that we can give you a better experience when you return to our website. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies.

You do not have to accept cookies, and you should read the information that came with your browser software to see how you can set up your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, this will give you the opportunity to decide whether to accept it.

5. Consent

When you opt-in to communication with Avonline PLC you are consenting to the collection, processing and potential communication from other Avonline PLC companies.

6. Changes

Avonline PLC may amend this policy from time to time to take into account developments in the website and changes to information collected.

7. Summary

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We use information we collect on our site to make shopping at www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk possible and to enhance your overall shopping experience.

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