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Showing posts with the label Fiber Fast

Mid Century Fiber App Tour

 Do you take full advantage of all the things your Mid Century Fiber App can do? Here is a short rundown going over all the features it  offers, and as always if you need help with anything streaming or smart home related you can contact us at 309-778-8611 or by emailing us at   OneSource@midcentury.com Did a family member gift you a smart home device that requires a 2.4Ghz network? Have you forgotten your wireless password, or have company over and want to create a guest network? "My Network" has got you covered, simply select "My Network" and all these options and more are available to you.  The Mid Century Fiber app notifies you whenever a new device connects to your home network, but maybe you want some more information than that. "Things" allows you to not only see what devices are connected but see how much data usage individual devices have used, pause the internet, and see their IP address.  "People" allows you to create profiles for peop...

Symmetrical Speeds

                  Symmetrical speed is when your download and upload speeds are the same. This is important for many online activities that require uploading such as live-streaming, video chat, or have cloud-based technology like wireless smart home security cameras. If you’ve ever tried to sit through a class or business meeting and been met with a glitchy, pixelated experience, or had to wait for a batch of files and pictures to be uploaded to social media, your upload speed was likely to blame.                Pay attention to the next cable internet advertisement you see, unlike fiber, you’ll notice that they usually advertise only the download speed, which is for receiving data, not sending. That number may look appealing, but it’s only half of the story. Their upload speed is likely a tiny fraction of their download (around 10%), which will impact your customer exper...

Temporary Drops. What are they and why do we use them?

  Wintertime presents technical challenges to fiber installation, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still get fast, reliable internet so you can spend more time streaming, working from home, or catching up on social media all while getting away from traditional cable and satellite internet providers. Temporary drops, or “temp drops” for short are a solution  we can use while we wait for better weather condition. What is a temporary drop? During the year the ground may be frozen or too wet to bury a fiber line in the ground. During the winter months the soil is frozen, making it too hard to dig, and generally will take consistently moderate temperatures several weeks to thaw out, one or two “good” days just isn’t enough. The thawing of the ground presents its own challenges, as snow and ice melt or several days of rain contribute to an over saturation of water in the ground that limits our ability to bury a fiber line safely and effectively. Do I qualify for a temporary dr...

Next-Level Business: Fiber Technology

If you’re a business owner, big or small, you have to ask yourself: what do you value in your company? Hard workers? Reliability? Adaptability? Communication? At Mid Century Fiber, those things matter to us too. That’s why we make sure that we provide the best service possible, with these qualities in mind, to entrepreneurs like yourself. Speed & Strength No, fiber technology is no Superman, but it’s pretty darn close. Fiber-optic internet has super fast connection speeds, with options available that range from 5 Mbps to 100 Gbps. This is the kind of internet that you need to support the fast happenings within your business. The connection with fiber technology is strong, making for quality work time without the hassle of wanting to throw your computer at the wall. Reliability Because the connection is so fast and strong, it means that you can also rely on fiber-optic technology to be there when you need it most. It comes down to fiber being a stronger element than ...

Are Your Devices Fiber-Ready?

You’ve finally done it- fiber technology has been installed in your home, and you’re ready to have a great experience surfing the web. And yet, you may still be experiencing slow speeds. Before you throw your computer out the window, your devices might not be fiber-ready, which can be an easy fix. Run a Speed Test The first thing you should do is run a speed test with a provider that can utilize your connection. Currently, there are few speed test servers capable of testing gigabit speeds. Thankfully, you can use ours by using the link here or search online for others. A key piece of information is to make sure no other devices are downloading or streaming during the test. Remember, if you’re testing using a wi-fi device, your speed is automatically decreased. Verify Your Network Adapter If you’re still not seeing gigabit speeds, you should verify that your network adapter is connected at 1 Gbps: 1. Find your network connection in the lower right screen next to the cl...

Keeping Your Equipment And Software Current

If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on, it’s that the world of technology is fast-paced, ever-changing, and sometimes hard to keep up with. At Mid Century Fiber, we believe in the power of technology and its use for good, which is why we believe it’s important for everyone to implement some sort of technology software into their personal or professional life. But how do you stay up-to-date with the latest equipment and software? How do you know what you need? We have three tips to point you in the right direction! Address Your Needs & Do Your Research We get it- it’s extremely intimidating going on the internet not knowing what to look for. First and foremost, ask yourself what your needs are, what is in your price range, and what your ultimate end goal is. With the all resources out there, it can be a challenge to find what you’re looking for between all the ads, links, and images. We find that starting basic research on trusted resources like Flipboard is ...

"Fall" Back into the School Groove with Fiber Technology

September marks the first full month of being back at school and diving head first into learning. While some kids have no problem making this transition, others struggle with saying goodbye to the carefree days of summertime. Luckily, teachers are now implementing more creative and innovative ways to engage their students with technology. Here are three ways they’re getting them to log in and stay engaged! More Coursework Online Today, with so much of our world being digitized, educators are moving farther away from lecturing and more towards finding ways to collaborate with their students in and out of the classroom. Many schools now implement online databases for students to turn in their homework, access readings for class, take online quizzes, and have forum discussions. Not only does this teach them how to efficiently use a computer, but it also teaches them responsibility, online etiquette, and to think critically before they write and publish anything to the internet. ...

Back to School: Having All The Right Tools To Succeed

The weather is cooling, the alarms are set, and the textbooks are opening. As we prepare to go back to school, the internet now offers hundreds of helpful resources for kids, teens, and college students to be successful and make the most of their learning experiences. Here are some helpful links and resources that we’ve found that are sure to help students succeed and learn online! Organization Today, there are hundreds of resources online that can help not only students, but also adults stay organized with their information and schedules to utilize their time efficiently. Google Calendar is the most common calendar application used, along with organizational charts from SmartDraw that are extremely helpful. Another great resource to use is called Padlet , which acts in a way for students to personalize and organize their notes in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Infographic Creation Because we live in the digital age, the ability to create a visual that is stimulatin...

Smartphones & Homes: Where to Next?

Hollywood has been making films for decades predicting what the future will look like in regards to our relationship with technology. Whether it’s having robots as maids, a smart home that wants to become part of the family, or a computer system that takes over the world, there’s usually a negative connotation in regards to the growing power of what technology can do. However, the year 2017 may be the year that it all changes. Home automation, which is the ability to control items around the house with a push of a button or voice command, is in the future - it’s a matter of educating society on how we can benefit from all the technological advances. Save Time Currently, there are a plethora of products on the market that, if installed into your home, could make life ten times easier for you and your family. From security systems to controlling your heating and cooling system, we now hold the capability of controlling our home in the palm of our hand - quite literally. Havi...

3 Ways Fiber Technology Can Help You Grow Your Small Business

When it comes to the internet, everything is all about fast, stress-free connection. If you’re a small business owner, having a reliable internet connection can be crucial for running your business successfully. Fortunately, with fiber technology that goes up to 1 gig internet speed, there are several benefits that help with a running a small business. Faster Downloads Whether you’re a one-man show working out of your home or part of a small team, having access to reliable, quality internet is a huge factor when it comes it comes to running a successful business. With the majority of banking, processing, ordering, and communication happening via Internet, you need internet that can keep up with the fast-paced environment of a small business. Having the ability have faster downloads and uploads keeps you on track and is one less thing for you to worry about.  Cheaper Prices We understand that as a small business owner, being smart with your money is vital. Nowadays...

Fiber Technology: Making Life Easier For You

As the technology world progresses, it’s important that you are given the tools to keep up with the times and take advantage of all the benefits that the internet has to offer. With ability to find out any information with the click of a button, watch any movie or you wish, and even begin to dive into the world of virtual reality, wouldn’t you like to have the most reliable and dependable streaming network? That’s where fiber technology comes in: a way for you to work, learn, and play all with a fast and dependable Internet connection with speeds up to 1 Gig. For Business In today’s modern world, no matter what type of business you run, you need an internet plan that works as hard as you and your employees do. If you were to switch over to using fiber technology, your business would be able to keep up with the growing demands of large files, cloud services, and other business applications. Mid Century Fiber offers business internet plans along with local customer support ...

Four Things You Can Do Better With Fiber Technology

In 2016, there were over 3 billion Internet users online at any given time. As that number has increased year after year, so has the demand for fast, reliable internet. Fiber technology is a new and improved way to enjoy the knowledge and fun the internet has to offer. Here the are top four things you can do better with Fiber Technology: Streaming Are you an avid Netflix user? Or maybe it’s Amazon Prime, Hulu, or HBO Now. If you have any subscriptions to the these companies, fiber technology can help you save money and keep your favorite shows and movies going nonstop with minimal interruptions. Gaming Are you sick of glitchy internet that keeps you from winning your games? With fiber technology, our different speed and bandwidth options provide you with services that can make a gamer’s dream come true. With a better internet connection comes better communication with fellow players and ultimately a greater gaming experience. Schooling It’s the worst when your internet do...

Over The Top TV Streaming

Storytelling as a form of entertainment has been around for centuries, and it’s something that will continue to evolve. From plays to photographs to film, we value the art form and how technology has made everything so accessible. Television has been around for the last few decades, but now the future is here: OTT. What is OTT? You might be asking yourself: what in the world is OTT? It stands for Over The Top, and it’s one of the newest ways for you to receive your favorite shows and movies. Unlike other services like traditional cable or satellite, OTT delivers film and TV content through the internet. What are the uses of OTT? It may seem like a lot to take in, but many services that consumers use actually would benefit from OTT. If you are a subscriber to Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now or Amazon Prime, all of these services use streaming to bring your favorite shows and movies to you.  Why should you switch? Each consumer has different uses and needs when it comes to ...

Choosing the Right Internet Plan for Your Needs

Selecting the appropriate internet plan for you family is a balance between what your budget allows and how much speed and bandwidth you need. These factors will vary depending not only on your budget, but on how you plan to use your internet connection. It’s important to have the right internet plan so that you and your family get the most enjoyment and ease out of your online experience. ●      Determine how you use the internet. If you just use it for occasional web surfing and email, you most likely can get away with having a lower speed. For gamers and those who download a lot of music and videos, stream videos, or use internet TV services such as Netflix, a higher speed makes a big difference in the ease of downloading and streaming, and minimizing buffering problems. ●      Determine how many devices will be using it. Shared internet, especially when multiple devices will be using it simultaneously, requires more speed and bandwidt...

Superior Speed & Reliability of Fiber-to-the-Home Internet

Whether you use your home internet for work or play, speed and reliability is extremely important. If you work from home and want your internet to perform as well as it does at the office, then consider fiber-to-the-home internet. If you require a speedy data connection to satisfy your addiction to streaming movies, TV shows, or playing web-based video games, then consider fiber-to-the-home internet. But what is fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet? FTTH or Mid Century Fiber is the delivery of a communications signal over fiber optics to a home or business. This fiber will replace the existing copper infrastructure such as telephone wires and coaxial cable. Fiber-to-the-home is a relatively new and fast growing method of providing higher bandwidth to consumers and businesses, which enables more robust Internet, telephone, and television services. Fiber optic internet sends data faster than basic cable internet. It’s delivered on a dedicated line, which facilitates more consistent speed ...