The Covid pandemic has changed lives around the globe. Where the Internet was simply a means to an end and relevant to our everyday work requirements, it has now become an absolute necessity. We are completely dependent on this technology these days. There’s so much that people are accomplishing online at the moment, from running businesses and schools to everyday tasks such as buying groceries and essentials.
We need stable internet connections for communicating and staying in touch with family, for staying updated about all that’s happening around us. Additionally, due to the lockdown situation prevailing all over the world, work is being conducted online from home. Hospitals and medical officers are conducting online appointments with patients to prevent the continuous spread of the pandemic.
The Internet has become the major source of relaxation and recreation as well. with everything closed outdoors, people are turning to their internet connection for streaming movies and playing online games. However, finding an internet connection that’s reliable and affordable at the same time can be difficult. CenturyLink Internet gives you the exact mix of both these services. They are offering reliable connectivity while keeping the rates within reach of most American families.
There are two types of connections available with CenturyLink, DSL, and Fiber-Optic. DSL is much more widely accessible than their fiber-optic connection. Different speeds are available at different locations throughout the USA. They range between 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps. The price remains constant for all these speeds, that is, $49 per month. Their fiber-optic plan provides speeds up to 940 Mbps and the price is set at $65 per month.
Due to the pandemic, most people are stuck at home and therefore, most of them are also always online at the same time. This means that your internet connection bandwidth is going to suffer. In such times when your connection seems impossibly slow or glitchy, there are a few things that you can try to resolve this issue on your own.
Improve your internet download speed
Before getting our hands dirty in trying to right a wrong, first, let’s see where your bandwidth or download speed actually stands. Simply search online for a speed test application in your search engine. Select one of the options displayed as a result. The website will automatically start reviewing your connection speed when you click on the Run button. Do this a few times until you get a viable result.
Check all your devices
You may have both wired as well as wireless devices inside your home. To troubleshoot a faulty connection, first, check all the connected devices. If you have a bigger household, there may be a little too many devices attached to a single connection. This entails that your data speed is being eaten up by every one of them.
If you have fewer devices connected at one time, your bandwidth will not suffer as much. When we talk about devices, we are including every wired and wireless device. This means that your smartphones, tabs, IoT devices, TVs, security systems, etc., are all included in this.
Gauge your absolute usage
Once you are aware of the number of devices attached, now it’s time to realize whether all of them are priority devices or you can do without a few. To clarify this, take the example of a workday. You are stuck with your office online and are submitting reports and worksheets from home. Your kids are sitting in the TV lounge, streaming videos of their favorite YouTuber. Now work is works and it takes precedence over everything.
Similarly, it is understandable that staying in touch is important and video calls are such a nice way of staying in the loop with friends and family. However, live videos take a lot of bandwidth. The same goes for using VPN on your devices. Try limiting these activities to a time when there’s no priority usage required.
If you have people in the house with flexible work or schooling schedules then ask them to use the off-peak hours so that their work is never disturbed or compromise in any way. A little coordination among family members goes a long way in ensuring healthy relationships.
Once you’re done with taking inventory of your usage and devices, let’s skip to the actual practical part. You can try the following steps to improve your connection speed. In case they don’t work, you can always call CenturyLink’s customer services for detailed support.
- Turn off unnecessary devices and gadgets
Try keeping all the unrequired devices and gadgets off. And by turning them off, we mean you actually turn them off or cut their power source. Devices that are put on standby or sleep mode keep taking some of the bandwidth of your internet connection. Turn off all your streaming devices unless you need them. Any gaming console that you have should be unplugged and turned off. If you use music streaming services then keep them turned off as well.
- Check the location of your modem/router
Sometimes, all you’re lacking is putting the modem or router at an optimum location inside the house. Do not keep them at a low position near the ground. Try hoisting them up at a location, which will face less disruption of signals. Moreover, that location should be somewhere central to the whole of your household. Don’t place it near the window in hot, humid weather or near magnetic devices or microwaves
- Reboot the modem
Most of the transmitting equipment comes with reset buttons. Sometimes, the easiest fix for a slow connection is simply the rebooting of the device. When you reboot the machine, the software inside it is also reset. This resets the internet connection, resolving any minor flaw that may have occurred at some point. Or, you can check for software or hardware updates.
- Wi-Fi extender for signal strength
You may have an old router, which doesn’t spread signals properly throughout the house. If you don’t want to invest in a new router then you can simply buy a Wi-Fi extender. It extends your internet connection’s signals without losing the bandwidth.
Slow internet is unacceptable because it means loss of time. CenturyLink internet connections are a good affordable way of staying connected to high-speed internet. In addition to that, they are offering their “price for life” guarantee. You can check the Localcabledeals webpage for further information regarding prices and plans.