Millions self-isolating – What it means for Britain’s Broadband Network

With
the pandemic that has hit the world, specific measures had to be taken to try
and curb. Individuals have been advised to observe a high standard of hygiene.
People should also practice social distancing so that the infected ones don’t
infect healthy people.

With
social distancing, most companies decided that their workers are better off
working from home. As much as that seems like a practical solution to most
companies, there may be a challenge looming when it comes to the broadband
used.

The
infrastructure used by millions of individuals in Britain may not be able to
handle the overload.

Some of the effects that may be experienced due to many rural broadband users include;

Slow internet speed

Usually,
most networks in the office have a monitoring system for the network that they
are using to avoid jamming it. This is useful in ensuring that there is an
excellent regular flow for everyone to be able to do their work.

However,
that is usually not the case when people are using the internet at home. They may take hours to be able to
download a file or a video. So just like a highway with a lot of cars, it will
take much longer for one to do their job on that broadband. It is also
important to remember that other family members will be home as well; hence
they may be downloading games, researching school projects, or even watching a
movie, which will make the internet speed even slower.

Getting multiple computer
viruses

Due
to the significant number of people trying to access different or the same
sites, an individual’s computer may get a virus. Depending on the devices that
are used, it may be easy to pick up files that have been infected and spread
the virus.

Getting hacked

Hackers
are always looking for convenient times that they can access vital information
that they can use against an individual or a corporation. Working from home may give them the necessary
loopholes to do so without a lot of struggle. Individuals at home may not have
the essential firewall that will deal with unknown malware lurking around to
get information.

Poor video quality

It
may be necessary for regular video conference calls when at home. This can be compromised
by the large number of users who are using the same internet broadband at the
same time. If a video call is required to pass information, then the sound and
picture quality could be significantly affected. People may have to deal with
unfinished sentences due to regular network hanging.

Frequent internet blackouts

In
the event that the broadband networks haven’t been upgraded, then people can
experience regular interruptions, which will disrupt the activities they are
doing on the internet. If there are people who are trading on the internet,
then they may experience lump sum losses. The research found out that there are
about 3million people in Britain who have full access to the upgraded version
of broadband.

Some of the ways that one can deal with
such issues include;

Change the position of the router

The
place where your router is placed is essential. If there is anything that is
creating a barring between you and the internet, then it should be removed. If
you have a media console, then putting it in a central place or better yet
hanging it on the wall may increase the bandwidth that you get.

Manage the connections in the home

You
should be wary of how many devices are using the internet when you want better
speed.  You can request your family
members to give you time to allow you to do your work first before they start
streaming different videos. This can be done for all the family members to be
able to keep up with their school work and other research. If the broadband you
are using is connected to pieces of equipment like TV, then you can switch off
their connections when working to reduce the overload.

Upgrade the internet plan

If
you have had the same policy or the type of types of equipment, then you should
have an upgrade. You can do that by communicating with your internet provider.
They will come and change the pieces of equipment for you to suit your current
needs or change the plan to give you more bandwidth.

You can also consider some of the
options like;

If
your job description allows, then you can change your working hours. Working at
a particular time of the day may help one to get a better internet connection.
This may require you to work in the middle of the night when most people are
not using broadband.

Have a wired connection instead of
going wireless

Most
people prefer having wireless connections to make movements easy within the
home. However, the luxury of moving around can make you have slow internet. It
is advisable to have an Ethernet cable to use. 
It will give you a better connection. The cable can be as long as you
want it to be, and they are quite cheap as well. Even though you may get a long
one try to use it in one room otherwise you may cause a family member to trip
on it and fall.  

Plug the router in the main socket

If
you are experiencing issues with your broadband, it is essential to check where
you have plugged in the main power outlet. It is advisable to use the main
outlet so that you will avoid any faulty extensions around.

Extension
cables will give you the option to have more devices at the same time but may
have an effect on the speed of the internet.  

Conclusion

During
a pandemic, it is crucial to communicate with your broadband provider. They
will be in a better position to guide you on the best ways to get a stable
internet at all times. Once you have sought for help, please follow the
guidelines that they give you.