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Broadband has changed the way we live. Want a movie or music? Download it. Want to talk to someone on the other side of the world? Use internet telephony. Want to play a game with real people? Log into a game site. Want to see the house where your friend lives? Mouse on over. And you do it all for a fixed monthly fee.

Broadband unleashes tremendous connection speeds from the unused capacity of ordinary copper wires. It's like humans being able to access the other 90% of their brains. But with power, comes responsibility. Broadband is no less dangerous than travelling at top speed in a fast car.

Connecting to the rest of the planet via broadband exposes your computer. Your computer's internet address tends to be fixed when you use broadband, making it easier to find on a regular basis. If you don't take security seriously, your computer can be used to send spam or denial of service attacks without your knowledge, your keystrokes can be logged and your bank details stolen.

The first thing to do when considering broadband, is to research which kind of firewall is best for you. A firewall puts up a wall between your computer and the rest of the internet, and has little doors with security guards that only allow particular information in or out. There are two kinds, hardware, which is a physical box, and software, which you install. Software has the advantage of being free in some cases, but hardware is probably the best way to go. An internet router, whether wireless or wired, usually has a firewall built in. Software firewalls are not perfect: sometimes they are set too strictly, and you cannot access other computers in your home! You will have to learn how to use your firewall and adjust its settings. Also, you will have to make sure that your computer meets the minimum specifications for the firewall, and upgrade if necessary.

If you have a wireless network, make sure too that you secure it. This not only prevents your neighbours from using your connection for their internet, it also stops mischief-making passers-by from logging in.

The next step is to work out how much broadband you need, if you're dealing with a company that charges more for higher speeds or puts a monthly download limit on your usage. Download speeds are usually faster than upload speeds. Most people want to download more, so these are the speeds you should look at. If you want broadband for everyday things like internet telephony the lower speeds will almost certainly serve you very well. Even regular music downloads are lightning fast compared with dial-up. Higher download speeds become more important if you' want movies or other exceptionally large files regularly.

Download limits are an issue for movie-lovers and gamers. Modern multiplayer games regularly release updates, and often these are very large downloads too. Higher speeds are nice for games, but not 100% necessary. You can always start low and upgrade your package if you find it's too slow or too limited.

After that, you can start looking at which companies offer the best deal and the best support. And then you can start enjoying the internet superhighway safely, at the speed that suits you best.

Learn more about this author, Janet Pieterse.
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