There’s nothing like the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning. But if several people in your family will be receiving new cell phones, tablets or laptops, that excitement could quickly turn to frustration if they can’t all download games or stream movies fast enough. It’s worth your time to discuss your internet package with Red River before the holidays arrive and ensure all your home’s web-enabled devices perform as expected.
How much bandwidth do I need?
The total bandwidth each household needs varies based on the number of web-enabled devices each has and how they are used. Let’s say you have two adults and two children in your home, your devices may look something like this:
- Two Laptop Computers
- Three Tablets / E-Readers
- Four Mobile Phones
- One Game Console
- One Smart TV
That is a total of 11 web-enabled devices all potentially using internet bandwidth at once. Plus, since the holidays are a key time to add or replace devices, that number could grow. A combination of these could be pushing you to exceed your bandwidth package and slowing down all your devices.
What may seem like an Internet issue may simply be a ‘demand’ issue which is easily addressed by adjusting your internet bandwidth package.
What other factors may affect my Internet Speed?
Aside from figuring that everyone in your household will be using their electronics at once, you also have to consider other things that will slow down your internet:
- Types of usage – Gaming, streaming, and uploading / downloading files will use larger amounts of bandwidth besides simply surfing. Be sure to close unused apps, windows, and files to keep your home running at optimal speeds.
- Older devices – A laptop that’s five years or older will suck up more bandwidth than a new one, which can slow down other devices. Consider replacing older electronics or don’t use them during peak family data usage times.
- An old router – An old or underpowered Wi-Fi router will slow down your FiberFAST connection to a crawl. It can make videos constantly buffer and cause dropped connections all over your home. But, there’s a better way. Upgrade to our FiberFAST WIFI, our trained technicians will OPTIMIZE your Wi-Fi where you need to use it the most. The best part? There’s no expensive equipment to buy or replace. We take care of everything for only $6.95 PER MONTH and a $99 one-time optimization fee*.
Find Out How Much Bandwidth Your Home Needs for the Holidays!
At Red River Communications, we have the best speeds available in the area and competitive pricing, so you don’t have to worry about your family being frustrated with lagging new devices. Take a look at our internet packages to see which one may be right for you, and contact us any time to get help from a friendly and local Customer Experience Specialist.