What to do about Slow Internet in the Home Office

What to do about Slow Internet in the Home Office 

Most home internet connections are fine. Someone in the family can be streaming Netflix. Another person can be checking email or paying bills with no problems. Yet the demands on the internet connection have grown. People still want to do all those things, but nowadays they work from home. What can help with the demand? 

Improving Internet Connectivity 

Internet connections vary depending on where you are. You could enjoy blazing fast internet, that allows you to upload large files in minutes, even while someone else blasts zombies in a multi-player video game. A couple of streets away, a user lacks bandwidth. They cannot take part in a conference call without connectivity issues. 

Home office internet connectivity depends on many factors. One of which is your internet service provider (ISP). Some ISPs are not as good as others. They may be cheaper, but they could be overselling their capabilities. This results in slowdowns. Higher-priced ISPs are less likely to have this problem as they have factored in the demand for bandwidth into their pricing structure. You may gain speed by switching to a different provider. 

The kind of network connectivity available is also a consideration. Your network provider transports its signal over copper wiring. If that is the case, the internet signal degrades with distance. Those further away from the exchange will have slower internet than someone closer in. Unless you want to move, there is not much you can do about this one. 

Fiber-optic cables are becoming available in different areas. The ISPs charge more for these connections, but reliability benefits. Fiber loses only 3% of its signal over distances greater than one hundred meters. Copper can lose up to 94%! Fiber is more durable and lacks the conductivity issues of copper. Copper can be vulnerable to power lines, lightning, and signal-scrambling. 

Another factor may be the plan you are on. The ISP may have a 100+ Mbps plan, and you are only on the 12 Mbps.  Also find out if your plan is subject to a data cap. ISPs set up a data threshold limiting the amount of data you can use in a month or at times of the day. 

Get Expert Insight into Your Internet 

You might also receive help with upgrading your home internet connections. An IT expert can come in and look at the hardware you are using to get online. It could be as simple as an upgraded router, gateway or moving your wireless access points. That 15-year-old blue Linksys router may not cut it anymore!

Our IT gurus can also find whether a Wi-Fi booster or mesh solution would help. In your area, you may have a 4G or 5G wireless possibility. It is more expensive but can be another way to get the speed you need. 

Point-to-point Wi-Fi might also be a possibility. If you are within range of a location providing business-grade internet, it may work to set up a dish on your roof.  

For more remote locations Satellite Internet may be your only choice. Remember that satellite internet needs a clear line-of-sight connection to the signal source. 

Consider how you can upgrade your internet connection at home. Call us at (877) 686-6642 to learn more!

‍