As you may have read in last month’s Bell Ringer, ITC is excited that we are rolling out faster Internet speeds for all customers. These speeds, in many cases, will double your existing Internet download speed. This is great news for streaming high-quality content to multiple phones, tablets, and computers. With the new Internet speeds and an ITC Blast Wi-Fi router, you can stream 4K video, still have room to play online games, and even get some work done.
Why am I not seeing the faster speed on my device?
You might not see the fastest possible speed on a particular device because that device’s hardware can’t run at the new speed. The wireless antenna on your device may only be capable of connecting at 50 Mbps, or perhaps the device’s wired ethernet card is only 100 Mbps. If you have several devices like this, you can still take advantage of the speed increase because you can run more devices simultaneously. Your operating system can help determine your device’s connected speed. For example, in Windows 10, you can click the Start button, “Settings,” and click “Network & Internet.” Finally, click the “View your network properties” and look for the “Link Speed (Receive/Transmit)” entry.
Why can’t my device connect at the new speed?
As router wireless technology improves, so do the speeds. Unfortunately, our devices can usually only support the wireless technologies they were shipped with. For example, if you have a device that only supports 802.11g, you will typically only see around 20 Mbps on that device. If your device supports 802.11n, you may see a connection speed of approximately 50 Mbps. The 802.11ac wireless devices have a better chance of connecting at around 100 Mbps. If your device has the latest standard, 802.11ax, you will likely get between 100 and 400 Mbps if the conditions are good. These speeds are much slower than theoretical speeds but are what has been measured in the real world.
What can affect a wireless connection?
Interference from other electrical devices and even how far away your device is from the router are two common culprits that can limit your measured speed. Sometimes moving the device a couple of feet can help. If a device supports 5GHz and is close enough to the router, you might have a better experience. This is because the 5GHz wireless spectrum has more channels and less overall interference. The downside is that it has a shorter range when compared to the 2.4GHz signal.
Should I use a wired connection?
One way to take full advantage of your new speed is by using a wired ethernet connection. Wired ethernet connections do not suffer from many of the same problems as wireless. Interference is much less, and distances are also further. You should check the network card in your computer, though, as it might only work at 100 Mbps. Your Windows or Mac operating systems can show you if you have a 100 Mbps or 1 Gigabyte network card.
If you have questions about your new speed, figuring out why your device isn’t connecting, or want to check into a new Blast Wi-Fi router, give ITC a call at 1.800.417.8667.