Oceanside CA— According to the FCC, there are 97.8 million American households and business subscribers to fixed broadband service and 223 million U.S. mobile phones with internet access. What’s more, the average household has more than six data-using devices connected to the internet.
Many consumers experience slow speed due to a number of hidden ‘speed bumps’ that are bottlenecking their bandwidth. Just as you would take your car in for a tune up, your ‘internet engine’ should be evaluated to ensure its performance is meeting the needs of your household.
How can consumers evaluate the right speed tier for their home usage, and ensure they’re actually getting the bandwidth they’re paying for?
Cox Communications technicians answer these questions everyday and suggest the following to determine how to maximize your Internet experience: review your online activity and align with the appropriate speed tier from your provider; and make sure you have the appropriate support equipment in place.

Maintenance Step #1: Review your online activity.

• According to the FCC, basic Internet functions include checking email, surfing the Internet and streaming basic videos (like your nephew’s favorite trash truck video on YouTube). High-demand applications include streaming HD videos through Hulu or Netflix, video conferencing and online gaming (when your son or daughter plays ‘Call of Duty’ with his “friends” in Germany). Not all Internet speed is the same and problems start to occur when multiple uses in one household are relying on the connection at the same time.
• Here’s a helpful chart from the FCC outlining the most common Internet uses and the minimum download speed (Megabits per second, or Mbps*) needed for adequate performance.

Maintenance Step #2: Check your equipment and settings.

1. Plug in your Ethernet cable to create a direct connection
2. Upgrade your modem to better align with the speed you need
3. Turn off devices not in use to maximize speed
4. If someone else in your household enjoys sharing music or files, upgrade your speed to cover all devices in use
5. Set your Wi-Fi transmission settings to maximum
6. Check to see if you’re sharing a Wi-Fi channel with your neighbor; if so, try another
7. Adjust the placement of your Wi-Fi modem/router to avoid obstacles through which the signal must pass
8. Upgrade to a dual-band Wi-Fi modem/router to separate devices