When you’ve got something fast and cool, a little spring checkup is always a good idea to make sure you’re getting the best it can give. Like checking the tires on a racing bike. Or having a hot car tuned up. 

So why not give the same care to your roaring-fast NextLight internet connection?

Granted, you probably haven’t had to think about it that much. Gigabit internet connections are handy that way.  But there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re always getting as much of that gig as you can. For example:

• Update your browser: It’s a simple truth – newer browsers are faster (and more secure) than older ones, giving a smoother online experience.
• Clear the cache: If you’re new to this, the cache is where the browser keeps the images and basic info from pages you’ve visited so it can reload them quickly when you come back. When it gets full, your browser has to spend time clearing out old stuff before it can put anything new in there. Check the “advanced” options of your browser to clean out that virtual hall closet.
• Update your antivirus: You’re doing this already, right? Unwanted malware can degrade your performance (among other problems) so keep updating your antivirus program at every opportunity and run scans at least weekly.
• Get your router up, up and away: Don’t leave your router on the floor if you can avoid it – put it on a table or shelf so the signals can spread better And keep it away from other electrical devices to lessen interference.
• Reboot your router: This resets the router’s memory storage and lets it re-select the least-crowded channel available.
• Consider upgrading your router: Router technology changes fast, and the current generation – known as WiFi6 – can accommodate more devices over a longer range with more of the fiber-fast speed you expect. You can even try it out by leasing our own Wifi6 whole home solution; as with NextLight, there’s no long-term contract, so you can give it a spin for as long as you’d like.
• Check your speed: Fire up the classic PC Mag Speed Test to get an idea of how your performance is doing. For the most accurate results, use a machine with a hardline connection instead of wireless, make sure you’ve freshly rebooted and don’t run anything else at the same time that’ll keep your connection busy, like a video conference. If your upload and download speeds don’t look right, check with our tech support team and we’ll help you figure out what’s going on.

Oh, and if you’re not on our gig connection yet – well, that’s the easiest way of all to speed up your internet experience. Through April 30, you can try a NextLight gig for free for two months if you’re a new residential customer or upgrade to a NextLight gig at no added charge for two months if your home currently has a 100-meg NextLight connection.

All set and ready? Great! Have fun and enjoy the spring.

It’s time to race.