High-speed internet is quickly becoming a necessity in the modern world. Finding a company that'll do a good job as a high-speed internet provider, though, can be a pain. You need to look at a lot of factors and test the actual speed. If you're trying to find a setup that works well for you, here are a few tips to follow.
What Even Counts as "High Speed"?
At first blush, the idea of high-speed internet might seem a wishy-washy. Fortunately, the U.S. government does provide an actual definition of what counts as high speed. In 2015, the Federal Communication Commission instated the current standard. It requires that connections provide 25 Mbps of download speed and 3 Mbps of upload speed, and they have to deliver these results consistently.
Okay, so what does Mbps means, you might wonder? Mbps stands for megabits per second. A bit is the individual 1 or 0 that we think of as the absolute base level of computational power. The mega part implies roughly a million bits being transferred each second.
Notably, a megabit is different than a megabyte, a number you might see when checking the file sizes on your hard drive. There are 8 bits in a byte. Don't get mad if your 25 Mbps connection doesn't send a 25 MB file in one second. It's not supposed to because the two numbers don't interchange all that easily.
Speed Testing
If you have a friend who has a connection with a particular ISP, it's not a bad idea to take your laptop or phone and test their connection. SpeedTest.net is a popular choice. Even after you sign up for service, it's a good idea to run a new speed test. If you're not satisfied with the number, don't hesitate to call your new ISP and tell them so. When they sell you 25 Mbps, you have every right to demand that speed.
Potential Testing Issues
Your ISP may not be responsible for every slowdown in your connect. For example, using WiFi instead of an ethernet or a fiber cable tends to add latency. Your own hardware can be a bottleneck, too, especially if it's old. Having multiple devices, such as a computer, a phone, and a TV, running at once means dividing up the available resources. If you don't already have the best plan your provider offers, you may need to increase your internet speed.
Contact a provider to learn more about getting high-speed internet.
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