In today’s world, the internet is everything. After all, this is the information age. There is nothing more frustrating than having a poor or no internet connection when you’re trying to access information from the net.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have taken advantage of this situation and are actively looking for new customers. More subscribers are seeking these services every day.
In all this, the question always remains, ‘Can I get a reliable internet connection with optimal speeds?’ It is a question that triggers every one of us to look for the best ISP providers based on their marketing strategies.
Unfortunately, not all ISP providers can reach the ideal standards of internet provision, often inconveniencing the end-users.
You can easily check your internet connection speeds by visiting www.speed.co.ke and get updated on your bandwidth speed and usage.
What to look for in an ISP provider
It is a legitimate assumption that any ISP provider would adhere to the rules and regulations that govern internet provision within the designated area.
Nonetheless, the need to establish and expand the market base has led them to create frivolous marketing techniques that misguide the customers.
As the client, it is your responsibility to make sure that your ISP provider meets your requirements for an awesome internet experience.
In this article, we will highlight the key areas to look for when looking for the best ISP provider:
- The internet provider should have a responsive customer support system
- The internet connection should have strong and reliable speeds
- The ISP provider should have fair connection costs
- Should be able to provide various internet options
- Should have reasonable internet packages data capping
Hazards to reliable internet connections
Granted, not all systems are perfect. Even so, you will find that some ISP providers purposely mislead the customers by making false promises in their advertising. Moreover, you will find that they try to abscond from their responsibilities in fixing the problems arising during connectivity by giving you unreasonable responses and solutions.
In truth, the tolerance for low internet speeds and connection failure is dwindling.
When you find that you have an incessant problem with internet connectivity, the problem is most likely on the provider’s side. We will highlight some of the actions which you should take to ensure that the connectivity problem is not on your end.
Checking for problems with your internet connectivity
Foremost, you can ascertain that the connection problem is not on your side by connecting to another device of the same caliber. For most folk, the first thought that runs through their minds when experiencing connection problems is that their device is faulty. You can also check for the internet speeds using SpeedTest.net. It is easy to rule out your device as part of the problem by simply connecting your internet to another device.
If the connection is still faulty, you can try power cycling your device. To execute the power cycling process effectively, shut down your device, unplug it from the power source for at least thirty seconds and restart the device. If your device has detachable batteries, you can also try unplugging the batteries before powering on the device.
Another way in which you can check for problems in internet connectivity is by power cycling your router. Again, follow the same procedure that you used to check your device. In the case that you are not using a router, then power cycle your modem and check the results.
Finally, diagnose the internet quality by checking the internet speeds, power levels, and interpreting them accordingly.
It is easy to execute this process using the web browser by simply keying in your modem’s or router’s IP address. The webpage will display a list of protocols but your primary focus should be on the upstream and downstream power levels. For the downstream, the ideal internet connectivity occurs when the power levels are between -7 to +7dBmV. Similarly, the upstream power levels should be between 38-48dBmV.
Get the best services from your ISP provider
As we have established, ISP providers can be a real pain in the neck. You have to be smarter to get your money’s worth. It is outrageous that most ISP providers keep getting complainant calls, stating problems arising in the connectivity. As such, vigilance is advised, and proper channels should be followed to ensure that you are compensated for the subscribed ISP services.
The first thing that you need to know before angrily making that call to customer support is the things that constitute a valid complaint. In an earlier part of this article, we carefully delineated the various steps that you can take to ensure that the internet connectivity problem is not on your end. Make sure that you carefully and critically analyze your devices for weaknesses before prompting the provider.
Once you make a reasonable request to check your connectivity, the provider is obligated to check and fix these problems, and hastily. Alternatively, you can file a formal complaint stating that the ISP provider has failed to offer the advertised services, charged you unfairly, among others.
It is worth noting that you should document everything that you are experiencing. Consequently, you will have the legitimate evidence needed to prove your case. A bold move would be to log on to any calls and texts, not forgetting the attached timelines of the corresponding communications to and from the provider. What’s more, you can record the conversations between you and the providers.
Takeaway
The internet can be an asset to you and your business, but only if you have a strong and reliable connection. Therefore, the ideal internet connectivity is in very high demand as multiple users continue to embrace real-time online systems and applications.
ISP providers take advantage of the demand and engage in false advertising to lure customers into enrolling in their services.
It is only fair that you ascertain that the ISP provider achieves its advertised standards of competence. In addition, you should know the preliminary steps to take, in case of any unfortunate circumstances, determine the root causes, and take affirmative action towards resolving them.
