For many modern businesses an internet connection is vital: a key tool for research, collaboration, and communication. And it's no different for businesses which are run from home, or for people who work from home.

In fact, for those of us who don't go into the office every day, an internet connection can be one of the most important elements in your world, and as such it must be both reliable and cost effective.

These days, there are a lot of options for getting online, and although the chances are that you already have a connection, it could be that you're not getting the most out of it.

Types of internet connection
There are two types of fixed broadband connection to your home or home office - Cable and ADSL. Cable works via a dedicated cable which is run to your home by a cable provider like NTL or Telewest; ADSL comes to you via your telephone landline.

Mobile Broadband
Additionally, there is the option of mobile broadband, which unlike fixed broadband can go wherever you go, allowing you to connect on the move as well as at home. This works via the mobile phone networks - and although the speed and reliability is not yet quite as good as fixed line broadband, it still makes a good alternative connection method for some and a supplemental connection for others.

What you go for obviously depends on what you need, so before you buy, sit down and work out what your requirements are. If you rarely work outside your home office, fixed line is most likely better for you. If you're out and about on a regular basis, visiting clients or similar, you may want to consider taking just mobile broadband, or opting for both. Also, consider how much time you'll be spending online, what you'll be using the connection for, and whether you could get broadband ëbundled' with other services (e.g. telephone service) to get a better price.

Getting the best broadband deal
Once you have a good idea of what you need, you can start shopping around for the best deal. One of the best places to start is an independent comparison site which should offer you all the latest deals, prices and special offers in one place for easy comparison. Things to look for when assessing the deals include business vs. consumer packages, speed, download limit, and bundled deals.

• Availability. The first thing to check for when looking at broadband is availability, as not all providers cover all areas. Use the free postcode availability checker on Broadband Genie to see what's available to you.

• Business vs. consumer. As you work from home you might tend to go straight for the home broadband packages, but in fact some of the business options might be more beneficial - often offering higher download allowances and faster speeds than home or consumer broadband packages.

• Speed. Broadband connections are sold as "up to" a headline speed, but this does not by any means guarantee that you'll experience the headline speed. However, most fixed line broadband suppliers have recently signed up to a code of practice which requires them to give an accurate estimate of the real-world speed you can expect, so you should be able to get a picture of what you can really expect.

• Download limit. This is basically an allowance of data which can be downloaded per month. Most limits don't present a problem for the average user browsing, downloading and emailing, although if you know you're going to be transferring masses of data then look for a larger cap or an unlimited deal. Research has shown that a lot of broadband users don't know what their limit is or even whether they have a limit, so to avoid over-use penalties make sure you read the small print.

• Bundled deals and special offers. Both the fixed and mobile broadband markets are competitive, so it's common to see a lot of bundled deals and special offers. Bundled deals are where you might take a second service, for example your telephone service, from the same supplier, and get a better price on both; and special offers may include limited time price reductions or freebies. These kinds of incentive can result in you getting a really good deal, but don't be too drawn in to assess the offers in terms of what you need and what the real cost is.

About the author: Ciaron Dunne is editor of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, the independent comparison website for broadband and mobile broadband.

See Broadband Choices for advice on choosing the right provider for you.