Five Ways To Know If Your Potential Home Broadband Service Provider Is Worth Your Money

home broadband

Is it your first time to get a home broadband deal? Not sure which one to get? Homebrand service providers are excellent when it comes to creating advertisements and hype for their products, but down the road, the user suffers because they couldn't find value for the service they receive. In fact, most receive less than the value they pay for because they only took the cheapest deals without knowing whether the products will suit their preferences when it comes to Internet use and surfing.

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Whether you're just getting a new broadband deal or switching to a new provider, it pays to know whether the home broadband service provider is worth your money. It is important to take note of the service provider's reliability to make sure you get the most bang from your buck.

Here are five ways to help you see if a Home Broadband Service Provider is definitely worth your money.

The Nature of Internet Use (Data and Connection-Wise)

At home, broadband use differs in many ways. Most people just love surfing social media, reading articles, checking their emails, and looking for text and image-based information over the Internet. In fact, they can live with a data cap and a lower bandwidth especially if they're not frequent users. However, if you run a media-heavy hobbies blog where you post instructional videos and articles, then you'll need better bandwidth and as much as possible the highest data cap or an unlimited one.

Every home broadband deal is actually worth your money. However, you are paying more for less value if the particular broadband offer does not suit your internet use. Make sure to list down your reasons for using the Internet and arrange them according to your personal priority.

The Number of Users

In a home where more than seven devices are connected at once, a low single-digit megabyte-per-second service will have a hard time supporting all the devices. This is ISPs provide businesses a special bundle to provide great connection for all devices in their offices.

If you're alone at home, you won't need a huge bandwidth and unlimited data allowance especially if you're only checking social media or doing some online shopping. But if you're home alone and you play online games or watch movies through streaming channels, then you'll definitely get more value out of your deal.

A family that plays online games and watches movies online while doing some light surfing on the side will need a truly heavy bandwidth. It might seem costlier, but you do get what you pay for especially if you want consistent Internet connection for multiple devices.

Different Types of Internet Services

Internet services have evolved from dial-up connections (which have 32 kilobytes per second [kbps]) to ultra-fast optic fiber connections that guarantee 100 megabytes per second (mbps). Sure enough, ultra-fast optic fiber connections are relatively more expensive, but they are reliable in terms of connectivity and provision of service.

Digital subscriber lines (DSLs) operate using regular telephone lines and can handle up to 25 mbps per second. Often, these lines work for homes with multiple devices that watch movies and play games online. However, it is not powerful enough to support a full-fledged small and medium business office or operations floor especially if they're backing up huge amounts of data online

Dial-up connections still exist and they work for certain individuals who only check their social media or surf the internet for information. The speed is not even enough to download audio files from online stores, but the amount paid for them is even less than 1/4 the price of a cup of coffee, which give the user ample internet connectivity depending on their personal situation.

Bundles (and If You Need All of Them)

Aside from looking at home broadband reviews, make sure the service provider is not upselling you unfairly through bundles. These packages may offer some advanced features and extra items that are tangible, such as new TVs and digital boxes. While they might sound cheap especially if they say installing your new connection is free (you usually pay a little more for the installment of the service), you will pay for all these new appliances monthly and yearly. If you have a television and a digital box that complies with their requirements, then don't opt for these bundles anymore.

Stick to the Internet use list you had done earlier and gauge whether the data cap is enough to satisfy all your needs. If you're paying for an unlimited cap broadband but you spend 10 hours at work or outside, then it's a huge loss. If you paid a bundle with this particular deal, then you are definitely paying more for less.

Reliability Tests

Lastly, make sure to consistently check the service's capabilities through Speedtest.net or other broadband-testing sites. These allow you to measure your download speed (the data coming into your computer) and the upload speed (the data transmitted from your computer).

During the first few months, the new service might seem unparalleled in terms of performance. But it may deteriorate later on. An objective reliability test helps you see whether your service has any trouble, allowing you to patch it up with a quick service call to your provider.