Internet Support
General
Fiber is the gold standard in high-speed internet technology. Data moves as pulses of light over extremely thin strands of fiberglass, a fraction of the thickness of a strand of hair. This light-speed data transmission provides the upload speeds necessary for smooth video calls, lag-less gaming, seamless file sharing, and households with multiple internet users.
Unlike other internet technologies, such as copper cables, fiber is capable of delivering symmetrical upload and download speeds. Additionally, fiber does not rely on metallic conductors to run, so unreliable weather and power outages rarely threaten your signal. Simply put, its speed and reliability are lightyears faster and better than any other broadband option.
The internet is the heartbeat of the modern home. We’ve come to rely on it for work, education, entertainment, and shopping. Fiber is the best solution to provide internet because it is:
- FAST — 1000 Mbps (1G) of speed with fiber internet is about 20 times faster than standard cable. Your time is valuable, so don’t waste it waiting for your internet to load!
- RELIABLE — Fiber internet provides dedicated bandwidth directly to your home, so your speeds don’t dip during peak traffic hours or as more neighbors join the fiber family.
- SYMMETRICAL — Only fiber has symmetrical upload and download speeds so no matter what you’re doing, you can get it done quickly.
- FUTURE-PROOF — Fiber cables are more lightweight, durable, and resilient than copper. Its bandwidth capacity far exceeds what any home requires, so we’ll grow with you as technology changes in the future.
- SUSTAINABLE — Traditional cable uses about 12 times more energy than fiber. It generates less heat and is made from more sustainable materials.
Welcome to Red River Communications! Learn more about your new services, see what to expect on your first bill, register for your SMART HUB online account, and sign up for auto pay, e-statements and Red River updates.
Symmetrical speeds are when upload and download speeds are equal. Older mediums like cable and DSL are asymmetrical, meaning you aren’t able to upload data as quickly as you can download it. When your speeds are symmetrical, it means video calls work better, video games play faster, and your photos are uploaded in an instant.
Fiber-optic networks are built to transmit data through a thin glass strand using light pulses. Because each strand is dedicated to each home, there is no bandwidth-sharing between neighbors. In addition, fiber-optic networks need very little electrical power to operate. The data is transmitted at the same speed to the home as it is away from the house with very little lag. Fiber-optic networks are the fastest and most reliable home internet technology available today.
If you have a cell phone, then you have heard of 5G. It is the buzzword of all the major cellular carriers, and many are also touting their 5G home internet options.
But what is 5G? 5G is a form of wireless broadband delivered using nearby cell towers, while fiber-optic internet is connected directly to your home. FTTH (fiber to the home) connections provide dedicated bandwidth, while 5G shares bandwidth with your neighbors. Though 5G wireless is great for mobile devices when you aren’t home, fiber-optic is much faster and more reliable for the many connected devices within your home.
Upload speed refers to the rate at which you can send data to the internet, whereas download speed refers to receiving data from the internet. When you post pictures to social media, send an email, play online games, or use a webcam or videoconference, you are uploading data. You are downloading when you’re surfing the web, buying music, or using a streaming service like Netflix.
Our FiberFAST internet delivers symmetrical speeds, meaning that our upload speeds are as fast as our download speeds. This is denoted in the format of 1Gig/1Gig, 500Mbps/500Mbps, etc. The first number refers to download speed, and the second number refers to upload speed.
Other providers only offer asymmetrical speeds due to the constraints of their network infrastructure (i.e., they don’t have Fiber). Their offerings are denoted in the format of 1Gig/50Mbps, 300Mbps/30Mbps, etc. Slow upload speeds like these can significantly hamper your online experience.
Our symmetrical speeds offer the best Internet experience around—whether you’re uploading or downloading.
Many internet service providers limit the amount of data you can use each month (sometimes called “data caps”) and charge overage fees when you exceed your monthly allotment.
Not us! We have no data caps and no overage fees! With Red River Communications FiberFAST internet, you get a pure, fast, fiber-powered connection that isn’t limited by data caps, so you can maximize your experience—and maximize the service’s value.
Red River Communications is bringing our Fiber-Optic broadband network to several new communities over the next few years! Learn more about each of these projects and the process of building a FiberFAST broadband network.
Red River Communications uses Calix equipment for home internet and various other manufacturers in business installations. Below is the spec sheets for equipment in current residential operation. For specs and information about your business broadband equipment, please contact at 701-553-8309 and we will be happy to provide it.
We stand behind our service 100% and offer free repair and replacement in case of a connectivity issue at your home or business. Due to our extensive investment in network infrastructure and remote troubleshooting tools, we are often able to resolve issues from our office, which means you can be up and running again in minutes—not days.
If you do experience a service disruption, please call our office at 701-553-8309 so that our expert Customer Experience Specialists and Technicians can resolve the issue as soon as possible.
In some cases (for example, if a piece of equipment fails), a service call to your home may be necessary. Please note: if the cause of the issue is not Red River Communications equipment or service, a service call charge may be added to your next bill. For example, if you are experiencing an issue with your smart TV connecting to Wi-Fi but other devices in your home are able to connect, a service call fee will be assessed, as the issue is with a specific piece of customer-owned equipment and is outside of our control. Rest assured, this will be explained to you before any work is done.
Troubleshooting
- Check for Outages: Contact your service provider or check their app/website for any reported outages in your area. Outages are reported on our social media pages.
- Reboot Equipment: Power cycle your router and any connected equipment. Unplug, wait 30 seconds, and reconnect.
- Inspect Cables: Ensure that fiber optic cables are securely connected to your ONT (Optical Network Terminal) and router.
- Check Power Sources: Make sure all devices, including the ONT, are properly powered. Sometimes, battery backups for ONTs might need a reset.
Fiber internet generally provides fast, consistent speeds. However, slow speeds can be caused by several factors:
- Device Limitations: Older devices or devices with lower specifications may not fully utilize fiber speeds.
- Router Placement: Place your router in a central location, away from walls or electronic devices that could interfere with signals.
- Network Congestion: Check if other users are streaming or downloading large files on the network, which can affect speeds. If this is the issue, call our office for a free Wi-Fi checkup to make sure you have the correct bandwidth for your needs.
If you know of a cable cut, please call our office immediately at 701-553-8309, so we can respond to the incident. If you are experiencing an outage, please check our social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram for any outages that may be affecting your area.
If none are listed, please contact our office and let our team know you are experiencing trouble.
The Gopher Bounty Program, sponsored by Red River Communications, is a unique initiative aimed at protecting our fiber broadband network in rural areas. Pocket gophers are known for chewing through underground fiber optic cables, often leading to unexpected service outages. To combat this issue, we’re offering a bounty of $3 per pair of gopher front feet brought to our office, provided they were caught within our service area. This program not only helps safeguard reliable internet access for our customers but also supports the community in reducing the impact of these pesky critters.
The 811 Call Before You Dig program is an essential safety resource for homeowners, contractors, and anyone planning to dig or excavate. Calling 811 before digging helps prevent serious damage to underground utilities, including fiber broadband cables. With fiber lines often buried just inches below the ground, even a simple home project—like planting a tree or installing a fence—can result in costly fiber damage if the lines aren’t properly marked.
For homeowners, an accidental cut to a fiber cable can mean loss of internet, phone, or TV service, which could disrupt remote work, online learning, and daily activities. For contractors, damaging a fiber line may halt a project, result in expensive repairs, and even create liability issues. By calling 811 before any dig, property owners and workers ensure underground lines are marked, safeguarding both the community’s connectivity and the integrity of local services.
North Dakota One Call: https://ndonecall.com/
Minnesota One Call: https://www.gopherstateonecall.org/
FAQs
In some cases, yes, but it will depend on your service provider. However, we offer local telephone, digital TV, ARLO self-monitored security cameras and cellular services. Why not have the convenience of having all your services from the same LOCAL provider?
Click here to conduct a speed test. You can also run a speed test via the free Red River Connect App.
Important note: to check the true speed of the connection to your home or business, you must physically connect to your router via Ethernet cable. If you conduct a speed test via your smartphone (or similar device) over Wi-Fi, you will likely be limited by the throughput capability of your smartphone (particularly if the device was made prior to 2021), making it appear as though you are not receiving the speed that you should.
Are you on the move? How exciting! We’ll help you stay connected from point A to point B.
- Check to see if your new home is within our service area.
- Call us at least two weeks before your scheduled move date to schedule your installation appointment.
- After installation, your current account will continue at your new location.
The answer to this question depends on many factors, including the size of your household, how many devices you own, and what you typically do online. Red River FiberFAST internet offers speeds up to 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps), making it a fantastic option for larger or more connected households spending lots of time online. If you have a smaller household, or don’t do much more than stream and surf the web, 1 Gig may be more than you need.
Visit our Internet Page for a more detailed breakdown or give our Customer Experience team a call at 701-553-8309 for help making your decision.
There are no data caps or extra charges for the amount of data you consume. All plans come with unlimited data, so you can surf, stream, game, and do whatever you need to do online without worry.
When you choose a FiberFAST package, the speed specified is what you’ll get at your home or business’s Optical Network Terminal (ONT). To make sure you get the best speed or give priority to a specific device (like a work computer or gaming console), we recommend connecting them directly to your router using a Cat5 or Cat6 ethernet cable. This method, known as “hard wiring,” boosts the Internet speed to the device by transmitting the signal over the Ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi. Wired connections provide the best speed by avoiding issues such as data loss and interference that Wi-Fi can experience due to factors like the router’s proximity. For instructions on connecting wired devices, you can check out the “Connecting Wired Devices to Your Ultimate Wi-Fi System” section in the Ultimate Wi-Fi guide.”
In most cases, however, it is not feasible to hardwire all of your devices. After all, the great thing about Wi-Fi is that it eliminates the need for wires. But it is crucial that your Wi-Fi performs well because it doesn’t matter how fast the Internet speed to your house is if your Wi-Fi can’t keep up.
That’s why we offer our Ultimate Wi-Fi service – a whole-home, managed, mesh Wi-Fi 6 network. You’ll never have to worry about Wi-Fi again. Check out the Ultimate Wi-Fi section below for more information on how to optimize your Wi-Fi.