Pipex help and support
 
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FAQs

We frequently get asked a lot of the same questions. To make your lives easier, we have placed a list of these below so you can quickly reference what you’re looking for, so you can get on with what you really want to be doing. If you have a question that is not listed or our answer does not provide you with enough detail, then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

  • Is Pipex Business Broadband widely available?
    Pipex can supply broadband to approximately 99% of the UK population. Unlike cable, which serves approximately 60% of the population or 'unbundled' deals which serve anything up to approx 70% of the population, Pipex offers one flat price for all customers irrespective of whether our customers connect to broadband via an unbundled exchange or not.
  • How does Pipex manage traffic?
    Pipex's management system recognises and prioritises the different traffic types on the network and treats them accordingly. Our business grade products Pro, Premium and Premium Plus are given precedence which means that during peak hours your connection will remained unaffected by any high-levels of traffic.
  • I'm already signed up with another broadband provider. Can I switch my account to Pipex?
    Yes. To make the switch, simply ask your current internet service provider for your MAC (Migration Authorisation Code). Once we receive this code (it's only valid for 30 days), we can place an order for Pipex Business Broadband. If you'd like an estimate to know how fast your service could be, just type your phone number into our availability checker.

  • What does "up to 24Mb" mean?
    Megabit (abbreviated as Mb, Mbit/s or Mbps) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000 bits per second. 24Mb (24,000,000 bits per second) is the fastest theoretical download speed of our Business Broadband services. However, not all customers can get broadband this fast. The broadband speed depends on line quality, distance from your telephone exchange and the number of users using broadband from that exchange at any one time. This is why we say "up to 24Mb".
  • Up to 24Mb broadband is "rate adaptive". What does this mean?
    Because Pipex Business Broadband is rate adaptive, the speed will adjust to the maximum, stable speed, your phone line will support. The result? Where a fixed rate service connection would fail, you can just keep on downloading.
  • What affects the speed of my connection?
    The short answer is lots of things. However, the main factors are your distance from the telephone exchange, the quality of the line and line conditions. Internal wiring within your home, poor quality microfilters and electrical interference all play a big part too.
  • Is my download speed as fast as my line rate?
    No. The line rate is theoretically the fastest speed you could enjoy. However, because broadband is a shared service, it may run slower at peak times - such as 7pm in the evening - than at other times.
  • Do you get a higher upload speed with up to 24Mb Pipex Business Broadband?
    You do and it goes up to 1.3Mb, unless you take our Enhanced Upstream product on Pro and Premium Plus packages where you can receive ‘up to 2.5Mb’. Generally, the upload and downloads speeds are linked, so if you've a high download, you'll have high upload too.
  • Why does my broadband performance fluctuate over the first 10 days?
    This is a time when your broadband is finding the optimum way of working and discovering the most stable speed for your line. During this "stabilisation period", you'll notice that the speed of your broadband changes as does the time it takes to reconnect - it's all perfectly normal and will settle down after 10 days.

  • What is an ISP or Internet Service Provider?
    An Internet Service Provider or ISP is a company that provides a connection for customers to be able to access the Internet and provide additional related services such as email. ISPs allow customers to access the internet via broadband. ISPs can also provide related services such as domain name registration and hosting.
  • What is ADSL broadband?
    ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line and is a means of transferring data via standard telephone lines. The technology allows for a much faster transfer of data than conventional voice technology. This is achieved by using all available space on the telephone line that is not being used for voice calls. This is why an ADSL filter is needed to be able to split the signal into voice and broadband. It is also due to the fact that the quality of a phone line differs, that broadband speeds are specific to individual houses. ADSL is asymmetric, which means that its download speeds are much faster than its upload speeds.
  • Do I need an active BT line?
    Yes, to get Pipex Broadband customers need an active BT line where the line rental is provided and invoiced by BT.
  • Can customers have a cable line?
    Unfortunately Pipex Business Broadband does not work over cable. Customers need to have an active BT line (ADSL) in order to get Pipex services.
  • Do you support Apple Mac customers?
    Yes, all Pipex's broadband services are compatible with Apple Macs from OS 8.6 onwards (including OSX).
  • Can I keep my existing email address if I move to Pipex?
    Yes, if you own a domain name which you use for email, you can arrange to transfer this to Pipex. When you switch to Pipex we will provide you with an email address which you can use if you do not own a domain name. If you use an email address from your current ISP, it may be worth setting up email forwarding, to ensure that you continue to receive your mail but in your new Pipex inbox. You will need to check with your existing supplier if our current email address will remain active after switching your broadband connection to Pipex.
  • Can I transfer a static IP to Pipex?
    You can order additional static IP addresses when ordering Pipex Business broadband. However, it is not possible to transfer a Static IP address from one ISP to another. If you order an additional rage of 8 IP addresses (£5 a month), these will be available as soon as the account is activated. Further information about any static IP’s you have ordered will be provided in your welcome letter and email confirmation. You will be able to log in 24 hours after placing an order for a static IP and will be able to add a domain if required.
  • How much range does a Pipex wireless router have?
    Going wireless will let customers use their broadband connection typically anywhere in their home, up to 60m indoors and 100m outdoors (in ideal conditions).
  • How do I encrypt the wireless router signal and ensure that its security is set up correctly?
    The wireless router comes with a firewall that guarantees users a high level of security, monitors a wide range of attacks and denies access to any security breaches. The router uses a system called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) which acts like a bouncer and stops unauthorised people from using your wireless connection. It can be turned on or off. It also supports another system called WPA.

  • What is Enhanced Care?
    Here at Pipex, we pride ourselves on the quality of our network and know how important the Internet is to keep your business running smoothly. We also know that occasionally things beyond our control can go wrong, which is why we have created our new Enhanced Care subscription package that offers fast turnaround times in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

    As an Enhanced Care customer, your fault will be logged and escalated to the correct department immediately and a resolution reached within 10 hours. If, for whatever reason this cannot be met, we will offer you a full month's refund. Enhanced Care has a Service Level Commitment which applies only if you suffer an outage. Where an outage of service is attributed to us or our suppliers, and extends to 10 Pipex clock hours or more, you will be entitled to a credit equal to your monthly ADSL line rental. That credit will be applied against the charge for the ADSL line rental fee for the next month.

  • What is classified as an outage under Enhanced Care?
    An outage is classified as a fault, where no data traffic will transit in neither upstream nor downstream directions.
  • What are Pipex's clock hours for Enhanced Care?
    Pipex's clock hours accrue between 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday to Friday, except where these days fall on a bank holiday.
  • How do I make an Enhanced Care claim?
    Should you wish to make a claim against our Enhanced Care product, please log into MyPipex and use our 'ask a question' function to raise an incident with the subject line 'Enhanced Care claim’. This will ensure that a claim form is sent to you. Once you have completed your claim form a new incident will be created and from where you can monitor the progress of your claim.

Can I get Pipex?
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© Pipex Internet Limited, a Tiscali UK company, 20 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8HT
Registered in England, registered number 5306519
* When you check line availability you may be contacted by Pipex to discuss your requirements