4 facts about routers Internet service providers won't tell you

They're small, they're compact, and they affect the entire outcome of a war.

Unfortunately, we’re not talking about hobbits.

It’s your Wi-Fi router.

Wi-Fi, the wireless internet connection used in almost all homes and businesses, is made available through a Wi-Fi router. Most Wi-Fi customers get their Wi-Fi through the router provided by their ISP (internet service provider). These do a good job of handling the basics of wireless uploading and downloading. AT&T, Spectrum, CenturyLink, and many more will provide a router for you when you sign up with their service.

This does not mean that you can’t purchase a Wi-Fi router from Best Buy or Amazon. In fact, getting a Wi-Fi router on your own can help save some cash on your internet bill as you won’t have to pay the router rental fee.

Check out reviews from PC Mag, CNet, and Tom’s Guide to see which ones are considered “the best.”

While there are those that are “the best,” they may not be what’s right for you, your home, or even your internet provider.

It’s the same with hobbits.

You may like one more than the other, it’s all a question of preference.

Is One Hobbit Better Than the Other?

Your home, like you, is unique.

Don’t just go with the router that is labeled “the best” by a source that doesn’t know you.

That's like saying Frodo was the best hobbit.

You know, hobbits, from The Lord of the Rings.

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world, there were wizards, humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. The smallest of these creatures were the hobbits. These were the guys who were half the height of dwarves. Being that dwarves were half the height of humans, this made hobbits very, very short. Sometimes they were even referred to as halflings.

As a result, hobbits were regarded as unimportant. Irrelevant even.

And the hobbits, as Tolkien explained, were happy with this. They were fine to stay in their part of the world and not bother with international politics. If the outside world didn't interfere with them, they would leave the outside world alone.

One such hobbit, Frodo Baggins, came into possession of the One Ring- the one thing that could decide whether good or evil prevailed.

And so Frodo, small and unimpressive, set out with his friends to take care of the ring. Journeying with him was Samwise Gamgee otherwise known as Sam, Peregrin Took aka Perry and Meriadoc Brandybuck aka Merry. Each was unique with their own quirks and personality.

These four hobbits, though small and “irrelevant” ended up becoming the deciding factor in entire battle for the soul of the world; Merry would go on to help slay the Witch-King, Perry would play a vital role in distracting Sauron, the grand leader of the evil forces, and Sam would help Fordo get all the way to Mt. Doom, where Frodo tossed the One Ring into open lava.

Thanks to these four hobbits, peace was restored.

Not bad for four hobbits.

While it would be easy to say that Frodo was the best hobbit of all because he destroyed the One Ring, that’d be a little presumptuous. He did have the hardest job, but without help from the other three, Frodo would have never gotten close to Mt. Doom.

It's okay then to prefer Sam, Merry, or Perry to Frodo. People have their reasons for liking one over the other. Just like they have their reasons for not choosing "the best" product out there.

Like when it comes to picking a Wi-Fi router.

Bands and Numbers

Before picking a router, take stock of your Wi-Fi needs at home.

For those using one device on a consistent basis, 5 Mbps is the download speed that works best for you. With that in mind, you can save some money by avoiding the higher end routers.

If you’re downloading content on multiple devices—like Netflix through your Apple TV and streaming a game on your PlayStation 4—getting a download speed of 45 Mbps is best to handle the larger amount of data going back and forth.

Knowing this will help you decide which router is best for your home.

For homes with light internet usage, a single-band router is best. For homes with heavy internet usage, a dual-band router would be best.

Single-Band

Single-band routers use just one frequency.

This is great if you’re using a few devices throughout your home. They can handle the usual amount of data going back and forth.

The downside is the frequency they use; 2.4 GHz. This frequency is usually used by Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and wireless phones. Those devices can inadvertently disrupt your Wi-Fi signal.

Dual-Band

The dual-band routers use the 2.4 GHz frequency and a second frequency of 5 GHz. That 5 GHz frequency is less common. This second frequency is better used for third-party devices, giving you a less-impeded channel to work with. The drawback with the 5 GHz frequency is that it has a smaller coverage area. With this in mind, you may want to put your Xbox, Playstation 4, or computer closer to the router.

Dual-band routers are great for homes where multiple devices are downloading at once. You can even assign a channel to a specific device. And with more than one frequency in use, downloads can be performed simultaneously instead of one at a time.

As you would expect, dual-band routers are more expensive, so take that into account when you decide to purchase.

Tri-Band

Tri-band routers use the 2.4 GHz frequency and two frequencies of 5GHz.

Routers of this type provide the most connectivity and speed. But they’re also the most expensive. Thus, if you use one device in your home on a regular basis, then avoid dual and tri-band routers.

Numbers

No matter what router you decide to buy, you’ll notice that all will come with a number and the letters “AC.”

AC refers to Wi-Fi protocol number, 802.11ac. AC is the version of the protocol in use. There’s 802.11b, 802.11m, and others. The letters denote the gradual improvements and modifications over previous versions. 802.11ac is the current version that allows for simultaneous downloads.

When it comes to designing routers, the engineers involved decided to use this "AC" for labeling purposes. The AC is for the protocol number. 802.11ac indicates the level of the Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) the router is capable of. For example; Of all the data streaming through the router at one time, the projected maximum speed the router can handle is something like 1300 Mbps. You won’t get that speed exactly, but the router can hypothetically handle the volume of 1300 Mbps. Therefore, if you’re downloading 50 Mbps in one room and 30 Mbps in another, an AC1300 router will handle that just fine.

Of all the numbers on your router, look for the one that starts with “AC.” This is the best indicator of whether your router can handle the amount of data you plan to be downloading and uploading at one time.

Hobbits and Wi-Fi Routers

Just as there are preferences when it comes to hobbits, you can have preferences when it comes to Wi-Fi routers and ISPs. You can check out the best internet deals and packages for AT&T, Spectrum, HughesNet, Viasat, or another provider in your zip code to help you get started on your search.

And make sure to you download The Lord of the Rings onto your favorite eReader or audiobook app. It’s well worth the read! When you finish reading the books, go watch the movies. They’re good, but I’m preferable to the books.

Have you bought a Wi-Fi router on your own? Is there a Wi-Fi router you’d recommend?

When it comes to satellite internet, HughesNet is one of the dominating providers for this sub-category. Their use of technology, as well as transparency, has put them in the lead when it comes to satellite internet.

It would be easy to liken them to the blockbuster franchise Transformers, but really, HughesNet goes above and beyond while Transformers merely entertains.

And here’s why…

What’s Happening with HughesNet?

HughesNet is a satellite internet provider based out of Germantown, MD. Their primary customer base is rural residents as well as remote customers. Since a great many ISPs (internet service providers) focus on specific towns and cities, customers outside of that coverage area are left without access to the internet. HughesNet fills this gap.

Usually, the main stipulation to installation is that the potential customer has a clear view of the southern sky.

HughesNet is also working to improve satellite internet’s reliability. And they’re not the only ones.

Recently, Elon Musk and Google, among other competitors, expressed interest in launching innovative technology to improve upon satellite connectivity. One such solution involved hot air balloons that would float up to a high altitude.

HughesNet is instead sticking with what it knows- satellites.

Echostar, HughesNet’s parent company, is working with Lockheed Martin to design another wave of satellites that will incorporate innovative technology to decrease latency and improve reliability.

Last year they launched their newest line of satellites, EchoStar XIX.

With this, HughesNet rolled out their Gen5 services. Gen5 (aptly named because it’s the fifth generation of satellites they’ve commissioned) will have built-in Wi-Fi. They’ve also increased most of their packages to include more data downloads and cut back on the data restrictions. Up until now, HughesNet, as well as other satellite internet providers, would throttle the download speed of a customer who had gone over their allotted download speed.

HughesNet is aiming to avoid this with Gen5.

As they work to improve the technology they incorporate into their satellite systems, HughesNet is evolving…in a sense.

It’s not as though the machines they’re using are getting upgraded and turned into more advanced devices. This isn’t Transformers. There are a few parallels though.

Transformers; The Next Sequel

Back in 2007, the very first Transformers film was a hit.

This was thanks to the big budget behind it, as well as the massive marketing campaign to get the word out.

But big budgets can be wasted if the right crew isn’t involved. Luckily, the smart decision was made to hire Michael Bay. With his penchant for explosions and high action (everything that would make the Transformers look cool), the movie did well in at the box office and dominated the summer blockbusters of 2007.

Transformers, based on toys from Japan, developed a mythos that grew and grew as more and more toys were created. As a result, there were cartoons and even an animated movie in 1986. While this film was just a continuation of the cartoon series, it could stand alone. It may have lacked the gleam and style of a Michael Bay film, but it’s pure 80s nostalgia for anyone who’s seen it.

Double the nostalgia points if you watched it before watching the recent Transformers incarnations.

Instead of relying on hand-drawn animation, the newer films use copious amounts of computer-generated imagery. When each one debuted, they symbolized the height of CGI filmmaking and technology.

Like all big films, however, Transformers didn’t age well.

To date, there have been five transformers movies, and the last one did not do well. Although it was considered a commercial success, this was in large part thanks to the younger demographic that enjoyed lots of explosions, robots, fighting, and a shallow story.

Steve Jablonsky, however, delivered a dynamic soundtrack for each film. While the subject matter may have been “sub-par,” his music is something to be heard though. That’s one aspect of the movie that hasn’t changed.

Each successive film, however, seemed to rewrite the history of the Transformers. Although the toys came without a backstory, Hasbro set about creating one. Readers of the original comic books and those who watched the original cartoons would have a better idea of how Transformers was “supposed” to go. This mythos, however, was largely ignored for the movies. The original narrative of the cartoons was cut out, and the Transformers franchise was turned into a money-making machine for the summer movie season.

Instead, the movies were formulaic. Each one could be boiled down to a simple equation like:

The equation was used again and again for each subsequent movie. There was a difference though as the equation for each new movie was multiplied by a factor of five to outdo the previous one. When that happens, each subsequent movie will suffer a loss of excitement and allure by a factor of ten. And while the author of this piece is not very good at math (he barely passed), he knows that that math will not hold up for long.

The last Transformers film was announced to be the last one directed by Bay. Although there is a standalone movie based on Bumblebee coming out soon, we have yet to see if this will revive the franchise.

Parallels

While HughesNet is a real company and the Transformers films are a work of fiction, there are a few parallels between the two;

By The Numbers

HughesNet, thanks to their capabilities as a satellite internet company, has availability in all fifty states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The only stipulation being that the customer must be able to see the southern sky clearly to receive a signal from the satellite passing overhead. Thanks to this capability, of the 42,000 zip codes in the United States, HughesNet has a presence in 33,131 of them. When the author utilizes some basic math skills, that turns out to be 79%.

HughesNet, being a satellite internet provider, may not be considered “fast” when compared with other providers. For example, Netflix keeps track of the download speeds of all the providers that support the streaming service. They track the rate at which providers can download content during peak hours. These peak hours are generally between 5 pm and 10 pm every day.

From September 2017 to September 2018, HughesNet averaged .67 Mbps.

That number may seem low.

On the upside, HughesNet advertises their speed “as is.” You won’t see “speeds up to” in their marketing. For this reason, the FCC ranked them first in advertised download speeds. This transparency has translated to higher than average customer service reviews.

Unlike Transformers, HughesNet is upfront about their technology and how it’s going to work in a typical situation.

HughesNet and the Future

There is one industry where satellites are the primary source of internet- travel.

With more and more people commuting for work and/or traveling, a satellite is the only option for providing internet connectivity. This will only help HughesNet.

As they work to improve satellite internet, either through their current equipment or by launching new material, HughesNet will be at the forefront of the industry for the foreseeable future.

If you’re interested in HughesNet, take a look at their internet deals and packages to see if they’re right for you and your home. They are considered one of the best ISPs when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Do you have HughesNet in your home? Do you like the service? What could be improved?

Are you a Transformers fan? What did you think of the newest movies? What about the Bumblebee film coming out later this year?

Post your answers in our comments section and keep reading On The Download!

Frontier Communications, based out of Norwalk, Connecticut, is going the extra mile for residential and business customers.

While they do have round-the-clock customer service, there is something more that customers can expect.

Let’s set the scene here;

A circular council chamber. Ringing the outside of the chambers are stone chairs. The walls are ornately designed and the windows are stained glass. Outside is a beautiful sunny day. This casts the room in a warm yellow hue with hints of reds and greens from the windows.

Each chair is occupied by what you would expect; a character from a fantasy novel. One’s a wizard, another’s a knight, and there’s elves, dwarves, giants, and other creatures filling out the rest of the seats.

Entering the room is a simple person. No flashy clothes or arrogant airs about this person.

They’re just your average customer. They could be a residential customer or a business customer, makes no difference.

The person is lost. There’s so much information out there that it’s confusing.

And not just confusing, but beyond comprehension.

The council chairs empty as the characters encircle the bewildered guest.

“We’ll help you.” The wizard says. “We’ll show you the way. We are…“

(Pause for dramatic effect)

“…your fellowship!”

(Cue music and fade out)

Not So Dramatic

Was that too much?

Theatrics aside, Frontier Communications has launched a new marketing campaign- “Don’t Go It Alone.”

For those who think in much more dramatic terms, it is like having your own personal fellowship. Although it won’t be nine creatures from a fantasy realm. Well, seven actually; Aragorn and Boromir are human. But that’s beside the point.

What’s important to remember here is Frontier Communications focus on helping the customer.

And there are two ways they’re doing this.

Residential

With the “Don’t Go It Alone” Campaign, Frontier Communications is acting as the guide for technology.

It’s the “in” thing these days to be tech-savvy. For most, however, that’s quite a challenge.

Getting a computer and setting it up has been a simplified process. But getting the most out of your computer, your internet, and even your smartphone is something else. Knowing how the computer works with all of its software programs and parts is difficult. In fact, those with computer engineering degrees can find it difficult.

One approach is “trial and error.” Over a long enough timeline of trying, a user will be able to figure out how to make a computer program do a specific task. Like with Excel and figure out averages. One can keep punching in commands to the function bar and they’ll get there eventually.

But who has time for all of that?

By sitting in front of a computer, or with your smartphone, and tapping at all the little icons and punching in commands, you’ll be busy for a while. Though you may not get to the “mastery” level, you’ll at least get to “proficient.” In the meantime, however, you’ll have to forgo spending time with friends, family, and your job.

Again, who has time for that?

And who wants to risk their relationship with their friends, or losing their job?

Frontier Communications is banking on this by training their employees to be all-inclusive “guides.”

Since the campaign was launched on October 9^th, 2018, we have yet to see how effective it is.

Business

Frontier Communications is also helping out their business and enterprise customers by launching Frontier Connect WAN.

A WAN (Wide Area Network) is a means to connect parts of a business that may not be in the same place. Given the rise of remote workers, as well as the popularity of outsourcing work, WAN’s are growing in appeal.

By the way, it’s WAN, not wand. We got away from the fantasy allegory a few paragraphs back.

Anyway, WAN’s are similar to LAN’s (local area networks).

Remember, back in the day, when it was just an Xbox?

Everyone was playing Halo and the Xbox came equipped to hook up to a LAN. This allowed for more than just four players to play against each other. Now they could expand to as many as sixteen.

Sixteen!

Back in 1999, this was a big deal.

The main restriction here was the LAN was confined to a specific range, hence the name Local Area.

WAN’s do the same thing but over much greater distances.

This allows for a company or organization to create a WAN and have their own little network. Only employees of the company have access to the WAN.

Frontier Connect WAN is providing this.

By using software to define the WAN, business customers can access it via the cloud. Cybersecurity software keeps the WAN contained and free from intruders, while other software allows for sharing and collaboration on files and programs.

Business customers lease the software from Frontier Communications. From there they can create their own “mini-internet.”

Unfortunately, this is for business only. Not a company-wide Halo 1 tournament.

Sigh.

By The Numbers

Frontier Communications is available in 29 states, according to their website. They currently have a presence in 8,076 zip codes.

When it comes to downloading speed, Frontier Communications is doing well. This is proven by the Netflix ISP Speed Index. Netflix monitors the download speeds of all the providers who offer the streaming service. During peak hours, generally between 5 pm and 10 pm at night, Netflix is watching to see how fast providers are able to download their content.

From September 2017 to September 2018, Frontier Communications averaged 3.35 Mbps. For peak hours, that’s not bad!

Therefore, if you’re looking for a reliable internet, Frontier Communications is a good option. They have both cable and fiber options.

The ISP entered into the fiber market a few years back. They’ve installed some fiber lines themselves, but they’ve also bought up existing lines from both Verizon and AT&T. This has worked out well for them as they’re able to stay competitive during peak hours.

One more thing; Frontier doesn’t have data caps on its plans!

Join the Fellowship

As Frontier Communications engages with its customers to help them navigate technology, they’ll continue to expand as well.

In this technology-saturated world, it’ll be interesting to see how that type of help will play out. It’s one thing to claim to be helpful but being helpful is a different thing. If Frontier Communications is genuine in this endeavor, they could end up rebranding themselves entirely.

It’s still too early to tell.

But for those who want to go with Frontier Communications as their ISP, or to switch from another ISP, then check out the best Frontier Communications Deals and Packages.

Who knows, you could be joining a Fellowship and setting off on an epic adventure. Or you may just find an answer to a nagging technology question.

It will most likely be the latter. But the former would still be a lot of fun though.

CenturyLink, based out of Monroe, LA, has been consistently working hard to help both residential and business customers stay connected. The argument could be made that all internet service providers (ISPs) do this. That is, after all, their main job. Because an ISP who doesn’t keep their customers connected will not be around for long. Despite this, there are still the okay, the good, and the exceptional ISPs. The difference between the ISPs who are exceptional, and those who aren’t, is not defined by awards. Sure, awards are nice. And it’s easy to point to them and say “we won that because we did X really well.” In fact, CenturyLink earned Frost & Sullivan’s Growth Excellence Award for 2018. And earned their Top Hybrid Service Provider in the Asia-Pacific region for the fourth year in a row. And that’s just naming the awards won for this year. But it’s not about the awards. The mark of a good ISP is when they can deliver this service without anyone noticing. In the ISP industry, as with many others, customers are quick to point out when things go wrong. Even if it’s a minor detail, there is always that “one” customer who will make a fuss about it. This is where the bulk of customer complaints/reviews come from. While these are helpful in deducing quality, they’re to be taken with a grain of salt. Reviews are usually written by someone who’s upset and wants to vent about it. As the old saying goes “You only notice it when it goes wrong.”

When It’s Obvious

When It’s Not

Back to CenturyLink…

By the Numbers

With a presence in 39 states and 7,339 zip codes, CenturyLink is one of the top ten largest ISPs in the nation. They’re working to expand that presence, hence, the recent merger with Level 3. CenturyLink is also expanding overseas. They have a presence in other countries and are looking to reach out into more. But let’s focus on just the United States for now. CenturyLink provides internet, cable, and voice services through three technologies. What they’re best known for is their DSL service, which is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. When it comes to fiber, CenturyLink has fiber connections in fifteen states, offering Gigabit Download speeds. Lastly, CenturyLink also offers fixed wireless. This service is available to both rural and urban customers. It’s a good option for those who don’t want a DSL connection, fiber is unavailable, and don’t want to go with satellite. Check out the best internet deals to find out CenturyLink’s availability in your area. The common complaint with ISPs is their speeds “as fast as” marketing. This means that the speed they’re advertising is not always the speed you get. When it comes to CenturyLink, they’re ranked in the top 60 ISPs when it comes to speed during peak hours. Peak hours are generally between 5 pm and 10 pm. This is when Netflix notices higher than average downloads through their service. They monitor each provider to see how fast they’re downloading during these times and post the results online. For CenturyLink, from August 2017 to August 2018, they averaged 3.31 Mbps for both their fiber and DSL services. This is a good score.

Businesses

Connect with CenturyLink

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It is impressive, however, how drum corps’ work to choreograph and orchestrate these halftime shows. To do so takes a lot of time and effort to perfect the routine. Marching bands showcase this skill with yearly competitions, giving them an opportunity to shine. It’s too bad they don’t get as much attention as football does. CenturyLink, while not a marching band, is working hard to make multiple pieces move and work together with little or no issues involved. It’s not easy, nor should it be. And to earn awards means that someone’s watching. So if you’re in the market for a new ISP, be it for your home or your business, check out CenturyLink. It’ll be worth your time.

Updated 02/26/2020

The ISP (internet service provider) industry is full of tough competition. Much like the fabled game of golf, being an ISP requires companies to read the landscape and adjust as necessary. Larger, more established companies are seen as the favorites, easy winners. But they're ignorant of the challengers. Challengers like WOW (Wide Open West). Coming up this weekend, the PGA is hosting the Ryder Cup in Paris, France, at Le Golf National Golf Course. It’s one of the many tour championships the PGA hosts throughout the year. And much like internet service providers, there are the well-known names, and then there are the challengers.

Golf is Golf

ISPs are Not Like a Game of Golf

Whole-Home Wi-Fi

Mesh Wi-Fi

WOW! as a Challenger

Competing 24/7

Check out WOW!