Are you experiencing slow, spotty, or simply unreliable Internet access at home? Consider trying something different. There are more ways to obtain internet access at home than people realize. How do you choose the right broadband provider?
Learn more in this post.
Broadband at home: four types
Early on in the internet’s history, people used painfully slow dial-up modems that were tethered to their telephone lines. It is estimated that 21 million people still use dial-up connections. Most home internet users, however, use broadband connections.
We hear this a lot, but it is not a technical term. A broadband connection is one in which you are connected to the Internet continuously. The term broadband is also used to refer to high-speed internet connections. There are four types of broadband:
- Cable Internet
Most people access the internet through cable providers. Coaxial cables are used for this broadband connection, which can also carry a telephone line and cable TV. You can generally expect to receive speeds ranging from 3 Mbps to 100 Mbps, but you may need to take into account your location and other factors.
Cable internet can generally be installed fairly easily. Adding internet service to your existing cable TV package is as easy as making a few calls or visiting the company’s website. Additionally, bundling services will give you some savings – at least for a short time.
Cable internet has some drawbacks. Not all cable internet providers offer the best customer experience, however, some work earnestly towards customer satisfaction. Hence, it is imperative to do your research and never make a mistake when choosing cable internet. As an example, Spectrum has great customer service. Their internet plans and packages are also impressive. Check out this link today to find out more about this ISP.
- Direct Subscriber Line
DSL connects you to the internet through your phone line. It is not a dial-up modem. Streaming Netflix, playing online games, and doing other web-related tasks are very fast with DSL although it is a bit slower than cable internet.
DSL comes in two main types – asymmetrical (ADSL) and symmetrical (SDSL). ADSL speeds are faster for downloading, but slower for uploading. With SDSL, you can download and upload at the same speed.
The distance from the service provider (often significantly) affects all DSL speeds. Your speed will increase as you get closer. Because of this, the quality of DSL generally degrades away from large cities and towns.
DSL is usually an inexpensive option. It is also generally accessible. DSL connections make it possible for residents to surf the web and watch movies at home.
- Satellite
There are no connections required at your home for satellite internet services, unlike cable, phones, or other forms of wired internet. Your house is connected to the internet by a small satellite and beams internet directly to it. Speeds range from 15mbps to 30mbps.
Satellite internet is available in many areas not serviced by other providers. You will need to find a local provider, however. Satellite service is more expensive than DSL and cable.
- Fios
You get faster internet when you use Fiber Optic Service. The optical fibers transmit light pulses through tiny glass strands. By reading electrical impulses converted from these pulses traveling 186,000 miles per second, your home computer reads electrical impulses.
FiOS has a fast network. With fiber optic internet, you can download files at a maximum speed of 300 Mbps and upload files at 65 Mbps. To get the best internet experience, opt for fiber optic cables.
To get FiOS, you may need to move. There are currently only 16 states with fiber optic services, including Texas, Massachusetts, and California. FiOS can also only be purchased through AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink Hyperlink, Google Fiber, and Qwest. There may be a delay if FiOS is not available in your area.
Choosing the Best Internet Service Plan
Next, you need to select a specific plan from the options available in your area. Take into consideration the upload and download speeds.
- Downloading Speeds
Data can be downloaded to your computer at these speeds. Streaming a movie, downloading a video game, or playing a video game downloads data. Quicker download speeds make gaming more enjoyable. Slow download speeds can cause a video to freeze, connections to drop, and other problems.
- Uploading Speeds
You can measure the speed of your computer by looking at its ability to transfer data across the internet. You will need fast upload speeds if you regularly use a file server or cloud-based storage system.
You may not need extremely fast speeds, however, if you do not upload a lot of data. DSL offers symmetrical and asymmetrical upload speeds in order to prevent customers from paying for upload speeds that they do not need.
- Data Limits
Initially, broadband data limits were based on rates. There were no download limits. ISPs attempted to throttle these users but eventually decided to limit all data usage.
1000 GB of data is typically used per month. You should be able to watch Netflix for a few hours a day, surf the internet and download a few movies. As long as you do not usually download a large amount of data, you may not need a higher data limit.
However, there are a few circumstances that can profoundly affect how your data is used in the future:
- 4K Video
- Zombie Devices
Zombie Devices
These devices will not bite you! Even so, they will consume data silently and continuously in the background all day and night. Almost all of these devices are connected to the internet all the time, slowly draining your data cap.
There are many “zombie devices”, including smartwatches, smart appliances, and cameras. These devices can use data in almost any situation. As more and more of these devices are introduced into homes, the impact on data caps may be significant.
- Ultra High Definition
The future of video is in 4K. With a resolution of up to four times that of standard 1080p, 4K video is already revolutionizing video quality. However, this increase in resolution also means more data.
Approximately 4.5 gigabytes of data are used each hour by the average person watching a 1080p video. Video in 4K uses roughly four times as much data as video in 1080p. When Ultra High Definition video becomes more mainstream, the data consumption will likely be halved; however, it will still consume more data than traditional video
How will the internet evolve in the future?
In general, data consumption will rise as technology improves. 4K video and zombies illustrate this trend. If you tend to exceed your data cap, you may have to upgrade within a year even if you do not change what you do online.
In case of a long-term contract, this is something you must take into consideration. Cable companies offer bundled packages for a reduced price when you subscribe for several years. It is often the best deal to renegotiate a long-term contract when your data cap is still increasing. You might want to select a plan with a data cap that is just a bit higher than your needs now, anticipating that you will need that extra data later.
Final thoughts
It can be challenging to choose the best internet plan for your home. In addition to speed, reliability, pricing, availability in your area, and more, there are many factors to consider. Customer service is another important factor to consider. Hopefully, this post gave you an idea of what to look for when choosing a home internet plan. Now that you know pretty much everything about internet plans, it is time to decide.
Let us know in the comments which internet plan you choose. Do not hesitate to leave questions, suggestions, or queries. We will respond as quickly as possible.
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