Ensuring Continued Internet Connectivity in the Home

Learning to budget as a homeowner can be intimidating, especially in the face of potential renovations and monthly bills. Getting the most out of home renovations while remaining frugal is possible, but many options today require Internet connectivity.  It used to be difficult to gain connectivity outside of suburbs and densely populated regions, but the expansion and necessity of the Internet have encouraged companies, such as Suddenlink, to branch out and offer a wider range of coverage. The inconvenience and expense of leaving the home to seek out restaurants with Wi-Fi lead many to frustration. There is more the homeowner can do to ensure they are getting the most out of their Internet before going for the most expensive router.

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Where do you live?

Where your home is located makes less difference now than it once did. There was a time where rural homes could have absolutely no Internet access without paying through the nose for a special plan. Now there are more options, but location still matters due to satellite or tower positions. The number of devices pulling from one tower or satellite can significantly slow down the connectivity, which wouldn't be an issue if there were more towers. However, in a rural setting, there may be one tower per however many homes are in one county as opposed to the multiple towers that potentially come with living in the city or suburbs. Satellites and towers are not the only options, but they are some of the most available.

What are you using your Internet for?

How you use your Internet determines how much you need or want to spend on a plan. If you are primarily Googling and shopping, with the occasional Google document or sheet on the side, then your gigabyte coverage doesn't need to be extensive. If you are primarily an online gamer, then you need more space to run the game itself while also allowing others using the Internet the coverage to perform their tasks without causing a major lag for all family members.

How do you maintain your computer's physical health?

Treating the computer like a living entity by taking care of it may seem over the top, but the dust that accumulates within a CPU can severely impact your technology's performance. Keeping a can of compressed air on hand to clear the dust can not only preserve your technology's performance speed and encourage a long lifespan. If you need to clean the computer with a liquid, make sure everything is turned off and unplugged first. Using just a dab of rubbing alcohol on a cloth meant to clean glasses and you'll get the most out of your computer.

How do you maintain your computer's "mental" health?

When you get a new computer, you notice there are a bunch of preinstalled programs which you likely will not use. Those programs can hinder the performance of your computer, especially since a lot of them will run automatically on startup. It's a good practice to go through these programs, research each one to see if it is necessary for performance, and uninstall the ones you don't need. You can do this about once a month, removing what you use and don't use as you proceed. This will not only refresh your hard drive space but also keep your Internet working well. Many of today's programs require a degree of Internet connectivity, so when you have multiple programs pulling from the Internet while you are trying to work on an online document, you'll notice a major slowdown.

Maintaining your Internet doesn't stop at the provider. Keeping your computer clean is the best first step to ensuring connectivity, and keeping your location and usage in mind will help you in your hunt for the right router. Choosing a provider that will guide you through the process and answer any questions you have can create a trusting, lasting relationship. Many times they will allow you to test their products so you can find the ones that suit your needs. Testing your Internet speed can let you know when things aren't running correctly and help you in these product trials. This ensures you get exactly the service you need.