Have you ever looked at one of CenturyLink’s Internet deals and were completely baffled by the technical lingo that accompanied the details of the internet plan. This is a common scenario for most internet users as they may be more inclined to check prices rather than the speed that’s been offered in that plan.
However, your network speed probably does cross your mind, especially if you are having a bad internet day. Do you constantly run a speed test after recovering from a sluggish connection or a spotty service? Yet you still have no idea exactly how the internet speed can further be improved for speedier connectivity? Understanding internet speeds may be slightly tricky but it is not impossible.
Why It’s Important To Understand Internet Speeds
Understanding the speed of your internet may be complicated but it’s essential to understand the internet all over. While you may have heard the terms bandwidth and speed interchangeably, but never figured them to be two different aspects of the internet. The maximum volume of data that can be transmitted over your internet service is called the bandwidth. Whereas, speed is the rate at which data reaches its destination, that is, your device.
Both speed and bandwidth are measured in Megabits per second. For instance, if the selected internet plan has marketed a bandwidth of 50 Mbps, then this is the highest volume of data that can be sent over that specific network. However, if you notice that from your router to the different devices, the speed slows down. This is because the connection has been divided by the various devices in the house and lost some of the initial speed as it was sent over your Wi-Fi.
Factors that may affect internet speeds include the number of devices that are attached to the connection, the kind of digital activity that’s taking place over the home network, the time when the internet is most used, the age of the device (is it a new tech or an old piece?) and the kind of test server that’s been used.
How Does An Internet Speed Test Work?
In an internet speed test, the upload and the download speed are usually measured. When a speed test is run, a file is sent by the testing site to a test server. Measuring how long it takes will give the user download speed. Whereas, when the same file is sent again to the server, it gives the user upload speed. Once the test concludes, you will find two numbers, which reflect download and upload speeds, respectively. These speeds are usually measured in Megabits (Mbps) and higher figures are measured in Gigabits (Gbps).
For instance, if you take CenturyLink’s internet plan, Simply Unlimited Internet, it says that it offers all speeds up to 100 Mbps with unlimited data. This means that both its upload and download speed are 100 Mbps, which is pretty impressive for internet service. These are called symmetrical speeds or equal download and upload speeds.
However, if you are getting two different speeds, then that means that your upload and download speeds differ from each other. These are called asymmetrical speeds, where normally the downstream bandwidth is higher than the upstream bandwidth.
Here’s How You Need To Speed Up Your Internet
To determine the speed of your internet, it’s always useful to run it on several devices to get an accurate measure of your network connection. If your internet speed is fluctuating more than usual or is intermittently slow, you need to figure out the kind of devices it’s running on. IoT devices are known to soak a lot of that internet juice, so once your device audit is complete, you will know the exact situation of your device.
Next, what you may need to check is how much internet is used and at what time. Once you know which device is using the most internet, you will be able to adjust your timetable accordingly. For instance, if you tend to download heavy files during the first half of the day, that slows down the internet in the morning, why not shift the downloading part to nighttime, when everyone’s tucked in bed and the service has reasonably picked up speed?
Once you determine the priority of your activity, you will immediately improve your overall internet performance. Just like you switch off the lights in your house when no one’s in the room, we suggest that you switch off devices when they are no longer in use, otherwise they would just end up drinking a lot of that internet juice.
Another thing to do is always place your modem/router near the window so that it’s easier for these to catch signals. Never place your internet device nearheat or any kind of metal obstructions, as these can also cause interference in the signals. If nothing else works, restart your modem, and trust us, that still works like a charm!
The Bottom Line…
With our increased dependency on the internet, a slow network can be a hassle, especially when important matters such as a business meeting are about to take place. In that case, check out buytvinternetphone where you will find some of the top ISPs with amazing speeds that will never let you down!