Reliable internet may be something you take for granted, but even the most basic plans represent a financial hardship for low-income households.
Free internet service is available in some cases. Here’s the criteria to qualify for free internet.
Do you work from home? Is someone in your house a hardcore gamer? Do you stream high-definition content from multiple devices at the same time? Your answers to these questions will help you determine how much internet speed you need.
How do you know if you’re paying too much if you do pay for the internet? First, make sure you’re getting what you paid for. If your plan includes 500 Mbps download speeds, you should be getting it. You won’t always see the exact number, but it should generally be close. Check your download and upload speeds at speedtest.net.
If you’re getting the speed you’re paying for but are noticing slowdowns, it could result from several factors. These include the number of connected devices, how many are streaming 4K, simultaneous streams, gaming, livestreaming, security cameras, video conferencing and more. In that case, you may need to upgrade your plan.
Another thing to check is if your router is in a good place. Walls and appliances can interfere with the wireless signal and slow everything down. You want to place your router high up and away from other electronics. Tap or click here for more tips on finding the best spot for your router.
RELATED: Find free Wi-Fi anywhere (but follow our No. 1 public network security rule)
Popular streaming services recommend internet download speeds to help you know what you’ll need to stream smoothly. Here are some examples:
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Websites seem sluggish and downloads take forever. It’s frustrating — especially when you’re paying for high-speed internet.
First, make sure it’s not just you. When I’m unsure if slow speeds or timeouts are part of a more significant issue, I hit Down Detector to see if others reported the same problem. Tap or click for a direct link and a few other tricks if a website won’t load.
Test yours at SpeedTest.net to see. If things are slow, it might be time for a full system reboot to clear glitches and restore your speeds. Here’s the right way to do it:
Does it ever feel like your internet is running slower than usual? Of course, it does. It’s happened to all of us at some point.
Web pages seem sluggish, while downloads and uploads seem to take forever. It’s very frustrating — especially when you’re paying for high-speed internet. Many potential issues are causing the slowdown, including problems with your device, browser or even a website you’re trying to visit.
The video conferencing service Zoom experienced audio and video issues Sunday morning, which left virtual Sunday church goers without weekly service. The problem was so bad users were unable to launch the site.
While Zoom users flooded social media to find fellow users and discuss the situation, the company took to fix the issue. Within a few hours, Zoom was back up, offering apologies. Tap or click to reveal the 11 best Zoom tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner.
