Back to school and your Internet connection

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Six tips to help you get the most out of your Internet connection

Mother & Daughter sitting at the table on a laptop

Xplornet | September 18, 2020

Across Canada, back to school is in full swing, but in a very different way from what we’ve been used to. Kids in rural Canada will be attending class online for some, if not all, of their school days this fall. Meanwhile, many parents will still be working remotely throughout the day. This can mean a lot of demand on your Internet connection.

Let’s talk about data. Did you know video conferencing services that many students use, like Zoom, can use half the data of entertainment video streaming? And, did you know that Xplornet offers fully unlimited data on all fixed wireless services, and unlimited data on satellite services with DataXtend™? These unlimited plans give you peace of mind knowing that you won’t get charged overage fees.

Most customers will have no problem running a video conference on their Xplornet LTE or satellite Internet connection.

Let’s talk about speeds. Your connection to the Internet varies based on how many devices are connected at once and the time of day you’re using it. We’ve pulled together some helpful tips to make sure you get the most of your connection:

Optimize your settings

Zoom: Disabling HD video may help.
Google Meet: Set your video resolution to standard definition and when you don’t need video you can set it to “audio only.”
Microsoft Teams: Ask the administrator of your Teams account to adjust the bitrate for video and shared media to save on bandwidth.

Turn off screen share

If at the beginning of your meeting you were sharing your screen, you may be tempted to leave it on for the remainder of your meeting. It helps to turn it off. Screen share actually uses extra data that can affect the performance of your video conferencing service.

Mute audio or do a hybrid video/call

Muting your audio when you’re not speaking will save you a bit of bandwidth. If you’re meeting with one person and you experience lagging, another option is to keep your video conference running and call the person you’re meeting with.

Close background applications

If you have any applications open on your computer that you’re not going to use during your meeting, closing them will help. Video and music streaming sites use the most data.

Schedule meetings around off-peak times

During the day is always better than in the evening.

Use a strong router

Make sure you’re using a strong router so that you’re getting the most out of your Internet connection. With Xplornet’s WiFi router you get a commercial-grade router with a lifetime warrantee and the reassurance that our 24/7 technical support team is there to troubleshoot the router and recommend solutions to any issues.

Xplornet strives to provide the strongest most reliable connections in our service areas. We are constantly improving our network with upgrades and new product launches. If you’d like to see if there’s a new offering that might better meet your family’s needs, give us a call at 1-866-841-6001 or Check Internet Packages available at your home.