Test Your Devices
How Devices Impact Speed
Many things can affect your internet speeds – including your devices themselves. See what you can do to get the best speeds in your home on all your devices.
The number of devices you have connected to your network can impact your speeds on all your devices.
Your bandwidth is split between devices using the network. The more devices you have, the more each has to compete for bandwidth – which can limit the speeds each individual device can achieve. Many devices continue to download and upload information even while not in use, such as a mobile device downloading app updates.
Action to Take: Disconnect all but one device from the network, and test your speeds to get the best results. You can do this individually by device to see each device’s capabilities. Keep in mind that older devices may not be able to achieve the same speeds as newer devices.
- If only one device is impacted, it may be due to a technical or compatibility issue or limitation with that device. Contact the device manufacturer for support.
- If all devices are impacted, it may be a router or antenna issue. Restart all devices, and reboot your router and antenna. Then, retest your speeds.
- If only wireless devices are affected, but wired devices work normally:
- You may need to restart your Wi-Fi. On your device, locate the Settings area. Look for a Wi-Fi section, and find the option to turn it off. Then, turn it back on and test your connection.
- You may need to reboot your modem and wireless router, if you have one. This will allow the auto channel feature to search for and select the best Wi-Fi channel available for your modem or router.
- If you still need help with your router, please contact us. If you own your own router, refer to the equipment user guide or contact the manufacturer for support. We have a limited capability to provide support for non-Midco-provided routers.
If you consistently have issues with buffering, slow page loads and game latency caused by the multiple devices on your network, you may want to consider upgrading your Midco internet service.
Desktop computers, laptops and gaming systems use wired network adapters. They will usually be one of two types:
- Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) – This adapter is capable of anywhere from 10 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) data transmission (depending your internet package).
- Fast Ethernet (10/100) – This adapter is capable of anywhere from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps data transmission (depending on your internet package)
Action to Take: Check with your device manufacturer to confirm if your device’s adapter has the capability to reach the top speeds of your internet service.
Laptops, phones, gaming systems, TVs and other devices use wireless network adapters to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi. They will usually be one of these types:
- 802.11b – While not very common today, these adapters will slow down your wireless experience, even for newer devices. It is capable of up to 11 Mbps data transmission, and it uses a 2.4 GHz signal to transmit.
- 802.11g – These adapters replaced the 802.11b adapters, and are quite common in older devices, including as many laptops and other wireless devices since 2003. These adapters will slow down your wireless experience, even for newer devices. It is capable of up to 54 Mbps data transmission, and it uses a 2.4 GHz signal to transmit.
- 802.11n – Used in devices beginning in 2007, these adapters are capable of up to 300 Mbps data transmission and can use either a 2.4 GHz or a 5 GHz signal to transmit.
- 802.11ac – Capable of up to 1 Gbps data transmission and able to use either a 2.4 GHz or a 5 GHz signal to transmit, these wireless adapters are the current standard for wireless connectivity.
Action to Take: Check with your device manufacturer to see which adapter your devices uses.
Your computer’s operating system may affect the speeds your computer is capable of reaching. These operating systems are already optimized for Midco internet:
- Windows 7
- Windows 10
- Mac OS X (and newer)
Action to Take: Make sure you have an up-to-date operating system. Older operating systems should still work with Midco internet, but you may not be able to achieve the top speeds for your Midco internet.
Some software, programs and applications on your device can impact that device’s speeds. Virus protection, firewall and other programs that run all the time can reduce speeds during testing.
Action to Take: Disable individual programs and perform additional speed tests in order to identify any programs that may reduce your speeds. On your mobile device, make sure the program is closed and not running in the background.
If speed tests improve when a specific program is disabled, contact that software manufacturer for support. They may be able to configure the program to have less impact on your speeds.
Note: While firewall and virus protection tools may reduce speeds, we highly recommend having installing these on your device to keep it secure.
Internet browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, store information within them that can affect the speeds on your device. Clearing this information from time to time ensures the best performance for your browser and device.
Midco does not provide support for web browser software. If you need help with your browser, please visit the help websites for your specific browser. Here are some examples:
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This material includes references to products, services and/or equipment not manufactured by Midco. The respective companies retain trademark and registered trademark ownership for those referenced items.
