If there is one connection we all crave, it is a connection to the Internet. These days, without a good internet connection, we can't watch our favorite shows, check the weather, check our email, or even use the smart features on appliances like refrigerators! Internet service providers provide us with that connection we all need. When you are shopping for an ISP or an internet service package, the more you know, the better off you will be. It is therefore our goal to help teach people about internet service providers and internet connections in general. Read the articles here to jump-start your learning process.
Have you been getting warnings from your ISP that you are going over your data caps? If so, it helps to know some reasons why this could be happening to you.
Your WiFi Is Not Secure
You may think it's convenient not having a password to your WiFi connection, but this means that neighbors may be taking advantage of your home Internet connection. If there is no password set, others could be joining your network and using your bandwidth. Verify that your WiFi network is not only secure but has a secure password that others cannot guess. Making it your name or your address is something very simple that neighbors could even guess to gain access to your home Internet connection.
Your Router Has Open Ports
Opening ports is sometimes necessary for certain apps to run. However, these ports allow others to connect to your devices from outside your home. It is entirely possible for others to use your Internet connection for nefarious purposes, such as routing traffic through your Internet connection for DDOS attacks, which will eat up your data without you even knowing it. Go through your router's settings and turn off any open ports that you do not recognize or use anymore. Some software uses common ports that people can guess to gain access to the network.
Your Family Is Running File Sharing Programs
It is always a good idea to check with the people in your household to get an idea of how much bandwidth they are using. It is possible that someone is running file-sharing programs without your permission, which is using tons of bandwidth to upload and download data. You will need to restrict usage of these programs not just for the bandwidth concerns, but because it is illegal to use them.
Your Family Gamers Use Digital Downloads
Video game consoles are making the shift to digital downloads instead of physical copies. However, a digital download of a game can easily be between 50GB and 100GB, mainly depending on the size of the game. If you have someone in your home that is frequently downloading these large games, it could be eating up your bandwidth very quickly. Consider getting them an external storage device to store their games so that they don't have to frequently delete them and re-download them to make room for other games. They likely do not realize how much data they are using to download software.
To learn more information, reach out to home internet services near you.
Share14 May 2020
