How To Make Sure Your Home Internet Stays Fast, Safe and Secure

Today, more and more households are relying on having multiple devices connected to their high-speed internet at the same time — but does that mean you have to sacrifice safety or upgrade your internet speed with your provider? Are there other ways to optimize your internet experience?

Here are 8 things to think about to help you ensure that the technology in your home stays fast, safe, and secure for everyone involved.

The speed you need depends on how you use the internet; the number of people and devices that use the internet at the same time can change your speed needs.
50 Mbps might be enough speed for a household to use video conferencing, play online games, post pics, stream HD movies, and more. Families who are heavier internet users, serious gamers, 4K binge streamers, etc., will need closer to 100 Mbps or more to make sure the internet connection will not be the bottleneck.
If you have a smart TV – but watch TV and movies over cable or satellite – your usage needs will be lower because that content doesn’t come over the internet.
Use a bandwidth or speed calculator to help assess your particular situation. Enter your household’s number of people, devices, and online activities and the calculator will recommend how many Mbps you need.
WiFi signals are like light: some objects interfere with it, while others let it through. It doesn’t matter how fast the internet speed coming into your house is, if the WiFi signals are being blocked or absorbed, or if they have to travel too far, you’re going to have internet dead zones.
Use the right tools. Leveraging advancements in WiFi technologies will allow you to take advantage of the speed you’re paying for and greatly improve the overall internet experience by getting that speed to all the right places. There are two types of boosters to fix the problem: WiFi extenders and WiFi mesh networks.
Address your concerns about privacy and security: does your current service plan include features for real-time protection from malware and viruses? What about identity theft protection?
Consider all of the available parental controls to protect your kids’ usage as well as tools to block unauthorized access to your camera. Check with your provider to learn more.