On the Internet, speed is measured in bits per second (bps). A kilobit per second (kbps) delivers 1000 bits per second and a megabit per second (Mbps) is 1,000,000 bits per second.
Download speed is the time it takes for your computer to access a webpage from a server. Downloading documents, purchasing songs or streaming videos are all examples of downloads. So, with a download speed of up to 50 Mbps with MCTV’s 50 Mbps service, you can download a picture more five times faster than you could with 10 Mbps service.
Upload speed is the time it takes for your computer to send information to a remote computer. Posting a video or picture on a sharing site are examples of uploads. The faster the upload speed, the faster your video or picture will be posted.
Things that could affect your speed:
- Time of day and site you’re visiting. During peak hours in the evening and on weekends, overall Internet traffic is higher causing more congestion. Popular sites, like video streaming sites, can also become congested when they have high traffic.
- Multiple devices connected to the Internet. Especially if multiple devices are using a large amount of data at the same time such as streaming videos.
- Automatic updates or syncing with the cloud. Many smartphones and tablets are set to constantly check for email messages, communicate with a cloud or check for updates. If you have several devices doing this it can cause your Internet speed to slow down. The best remedy is to turn off automatic updates and/or set your email to check for messages less frequently. Refer to your device’s owner’s manual for instructions to change these settings.
- Online data backups, including Carbonite and iCloud/iTunes syncing, should be set to run during off-peak hours when you are not using your device.
- Adware and spyware on your computer will create a constant stream of pop-up ads causing your entire computer to run more slowly.
- Computer hardware including processors, hard drives and network cards can impact the speed at which your computer can process Internet data.
- Operating systems that have become corrupted, misconfigured or inefficient due to age. Operating systems become inefficient through age or extensive use which can affect your Internet speed.
- Your cable modem’s location. If the signal delivered to your modem is too strong, too weak or too noisy, your Internet service can be affected. Our technicians will test the Internet signal on the cable line where we install your modem. Moving the modem or adding a splitter to this line may cause issues. Please notify MCTV if you need to move your modem or make changes to your wiring.
Test your Internet speed.