Don’t pay for Gig Internet if you don’t have devices to support Gig Internet

One of the most common questions I get from family and friends regarding their Gigabit internet speed, or lack thereof, is; Alex, why am I not anywhere near Gig speed when paying for Gig Internet (insert ISP name here)?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I answer their question with a question of mine; What devices are you using on your awesome new network? Gig Internet is the fastest type of Internet available, but it’s not for everyone. If you don’t have devices that can support gigabit speeds, you’re essentially paying for something you can’t use.

Reasons not to order Internet Gig

Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t order the Gigabit Internet Pack if you don’t have devices that support it:

• You will not see any benefits. The purpose of gigabit internet is to get faster speeds. If your devices can’t handle those speeds, you won’t see any benefit from upgrading to gigabit internet.
• You are wasting money. Gig Internet is more expensive than slower Internet plans. If you’re not going to use the fastest speeds, you’re just throwing your money at your ISP.
• You may slow down your network. If you have a Gigabit Internet plan, but your devices can’t support those speeds, they will throttle your network. This means that other devices on your network will be slowed down by slower devices.

So, if you’re considering upgrading to gigabit internet, make sure you have devices that can support it first. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your bloody money.

Device support

Here are some of the devices you’ll need to support gigabit internet:

• A router capable of supporting Gigabit speeds. Your ISP usually provides this for a fee, but they have been known to throttle their routers. So buying your own router and setting it up yourself will prevent those scammers from throttling your network.
• Ethernet cables capable of gigabit speeds. Cat6 or better is currently the cable you should get, you can use Cat 5e and be fine, but if you can get Cat6, get it.
• Devices with Gigabit Ethernet ports. If your devices don’t have Gigabit Ethernet ports, you won’t see any speeds close to a gig.

If you don’t have all of these things, you won’t be able to take advantage of Gigabit internet speeds.

other considerations

Of course, there are some cases where it might make sense to pay for gigabit internet even if you don’t have devices that can support it. For example, if you think you might be able to upgrade your devices in the future, or if you have a lot of people in your house who will be using the internet at the same time. You will have to make these decisions yourself.

But if you’re not sure whether you need Gigabit Internet, it’s best to start with a slower plan and upgrade later if needed.

Here are some tips for choosing the right Internet plan for your needs:

• Consider your current Internet usage. How much data do you typically use each month?
• Think about your future plans. Are you planning to upgrade your devices in the future?
• Consider the number of people who will be using the Internet in your household.

After considering these factors, you can start looking for an Internet plan. Be sure to compare prices and features before deciding.

One last thing

One more thing before you go. What about wireless speeds on Gig Internet? My wireless devices support Gig Internet.

Read the fine print from your ISP before signing the contract. Most ISPs do not guarantee Gig speeds on wireless devices. They don’t even guarantee those speeds with a wired connection but even less so on a wireless device.

So if you have a Chromecast, Apple TV, Gig-compatible smartphone or tablet. That doesn’t mean you’ll get a 1,000Mbps download wirelessly. You may see some spikes at 500Mbps, and you may even see higher when ISP loads aren’t that high.

You’ll get the fastest speeds on Gig Internet using an Ethernet cable, but you may still not see full speeds. So hooking up your Xbox, PlayStation, Apple TV, and even your Chromecast is the best way to get the fastest speeds.

What do you think? Do you use GigInternet? How often do you get full download speeds? How long do these speeds last if you see them? Share your thoughts on one of the social media pages listed below. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network. And subscribe to our RUMBLE channel for more trailers and tech videos.

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Parts of this article were written using artificial intelligence, feature image generated using artificial intelligence.