Internet Best Practices for Lessons

The most common issues we encounter with lessons are internet issues. But it doesn’t have to be this way!

It’s easy to figure out if there’s an internet issue on your end by checking your Internet bandwidth using an online speed test, such as nperf, Speedtest, Comparitech or just google “internet speed test.”

Speed tests look at both the download and upload speed. It’s common to only look at the download speed, but when you’re on a video call, the upload speed is vital as well. Anything above an upload speed of 10 Mbps should work. However, the higher the better.

Once we know internet speed isn’t the problem, these are the things to consider:

1. Use A Wired Connection

The first (and easiest) thing is to try and plug your computer into the actual modem. So instead of using the wireless network, use an ethernet cable (which looks a bit similar to an old-fashioned phone cable) to connect your computer directly to the modem.

2. Set Up Closer to the Router

If you can’t use a wired connection, try moving closer to your router. This little video is really helpful in understanding why this is important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UygPcBCFRrA

3. Free Up The Bandwidth

If you can try to make sure nobody else in the house is bogging down the network with use. This issue happens a lot during lessons. Someone watching Netflix or playing an online game at the same time can greatly interrupt the session. 

4. Ask Your Internet Provider for Help

If all else fails contact your internet service provider for help troubleshooting. Sometimes there are settings on their end that can make a difference.