When is the last time you ran a speed test on your network? In a recent assessment we did for a client the other day we ran a speed test. They were getting 200Mbps from their current Internet Service Provider. When we sat down and talked to the client about their internet. They stated they have not really had any issues. The internet is slow for some, it has gone down maybe once in 6 months, but overall it works.
During our assessment we found that what they were paying for was not what they were getting. Their Internet Service Provider was charging them for services that didn’t align with the speed test. They were being charged for 500Mbps.
There are a few things as to why their internet speeds did not align with what they were getting, why some users said it was slow for them, and why sometimes it goes down. The next step would be to contact the Internet Service Provider to address the issue.
When contacting the Internet Service Provider, they will run their own test. The test they run is checking the speed from their pinpoint all the way to your building. If their test concludes that the speed they are pinging is the speed you’re paying for then something within the building is causing the internet to taper down. Thus, giving you a lower speed than what you paid for.
If that is the case then you will need to evaluate a few things. The internet connects to your modem and router. On top of this connection you also have your network switch, your network firewall, your server, and all of the workstations within your business. Keep in mind that there are other things that are connected to your network such as wireless wifi access points, phones, copiers, printer, alarm systems, and cameras.
When you have devices that also use the internet to be able to run you have to take the time to troubleshoot each and every device that is connected to the network that then connect to your internet. If during the troubleshooting process, you find that you have dated equipment that could very well be why you’re not getting the speeds you paid for. If you find that all of your equipment is up to date, then you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider and troubleshoot on their end as to why you’re not getting the speeds you paid for.
Your internet should always be working at optimal speeds. If the internet is slow then your employees aren’t productive. If the internet is down intermittently then you also lose productivity. And if you aren’t getting the speeds, you’re paying for then you’re just basically giving your money away.