To say that the internet is an integral part of today’s global economy would be an understatement. Competition is intense and the performance of a company’s web-based assets can make or break it. An effective internet structure that connects the cloud, CDNs, and data centers to clients, employees and partners, is the secret to having a prominent online presence for the company.
The demand for high bandwidth within businesses is at an all-time high. The reason for this spike in usage can be attributed to video-conferencing, widespread adoption of the cloud, bandwidth intensive business applications and most importantly, Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD). This substantial demand for bandwidth, on a network, causes lag in speed. In our experience, as a managed service provider in Los Angeles, these lags can cause interruptions in your work flow that have negative effects on your company’s operations.
So What Should You Do?
A majority of you will have a natural reflex to increase your internet’s bandwidth capacity, while that is an effective method to increase your internet speed it will also raise your costs. Moreover, according to a recent study by Ookla Speedtest, the U.S. ranks a shocking 31st in the world in terms of average download speeds. The leaders in the world are Hong Kong at 72.49 Mbps and Singapore on 58.84 Mbps. And America? Averaging speeds of 20.77 Mbps. If that is any indication, companies in U.S. face internet speed lags regardless of your bandwidth capacity. Now the question arises, “What should one do to improve their internet speeds?”
1. Internet Speed Monitor
It is a simple, yet powerful tool that assists you in evaluating your bandwidth consumption. This tool can be used to collect bandwidth usage data and measure your internet speeds or any other network connections. A good internet speed monitor can aid you in detecting possible sources of network problems and can help you track down suspicious network activity. This tool also helps keep track of your incoming and outgoing traffic. I personally suggest the NetWorx software for the most accurate results.
2. Internet Performance Test
This tool helps you analyze your download speed, upload speed, pings and some determine your computer network system’s IPV6 capability. It allows you to measure the actual performance of your internet connection closely representing the internet experience of your company. Furthermore, it also gives you certain steps to follow to optimize your internet speed according to your internet connections. Speedtest.net by Ookla is one the best software out there specifically for this purpose.
3. Internet Connection Monitor
Does your internet connection play peek-a-boo with you? You’ve called your service provider but all too often the response is “Well, it’s working fine now.” Then, an internet connection monitor is going to be your favorite. My personal favorite is the internet connection monitor by West Valley Technical Services. It keeps a log of when and for how long your internet connection was disabled. Moreover, as soon as your internet disconnects, this tools will sound an alert and troubleshoot it.
If your internet bandwidth and speeds don’t improve despite using these methods, it’s indicative of a deeper problem, tied directly to the quality and capability of your internet provider. As one of the premium managed IT service provider in Los Angeles, NIC offers a vendor management service to its clients that includes internet providers.
Since 2002, we are helping our clients effortlessly solve their bandwidth problems. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can solve your company’s internet woes.
