Internet performance, downtime and productivity by Christian Nellemann, CEO, XLN Telecom on 08-Oct-2013

As an SME owner, a strong and reliable internet connection is vital says Christian Nellemann, founder and group CEO of XLN Telecom. If your internet goes down, you stand to lose e-mail access, VoIP phone systems, mobile card payment terminals, cloud-hosted services and many other business-critical functions. At best, you’ll suffer disruption, but there’s also a very high risk of loss of income.

An obvious solution is to upgrade to a larger and more expensive internet package. However, there are a few things you can try first that could minimise the disruptions caused by a slow or unreliable internet connection before having to splash out on a new contract.

Double check your contract

Be warned that not all 'unlimited internet' packages are unlimited. Some contracts contain clauses that set limits so that a particular user doesn’t hog all the bandwidth in one area. Going over this limit often results in a speed cap without you even realising it. So double check your contract to make sure you’re aware of such restrictions. Your ISP might well be limiting your internet speed at peak times for bandwidth heavy sites, so you’ll need to double check this too.

Check your router

If your router is more than five years old, it really is time for an upgrade. A newer router will provide you with a wider wireless range, a faster connection and improved security. Modern wireless devices, including tablets and smart phones, can operate on the most up-to-date high speed wireless connections. But, if your router is too old, it won’t be able to offer this frequency and your devices will be slower as a result.

Check the location of your router

It seems like an obvious point to make, but in order to get the best connection, you need to make sure your router is positioned with the fewest obstacles between it and your wireless devices. If it’s stuck in the corner of the room next to the phone socket, you should consider moving it.

If you’re done this and the connection is still slow, it might be worth investing in a signal booster to improve coverage. You should also have a look at connecting your most mission-critical devices directly to the router using an Ethernet cable. This reduces the chances of your wireless devices interfering with each other, which also slows down your connection.

Check for malware

Malware and other computer viruses reduce processing power and use up a great deal of internet bandwidth, thereby reducing the speed of your internet experience. It’s therefore vital that you ensure your anti-virus software on every device is up-to-date. It’s also worth running an anti-virus check on a regular basis, just in case.

If you regularly suffer from loss of internet and your business is totally reliant on a fast connection, it is worth considering fibre (providing it’s available in your area) or upgrading to a heavy-use contract. However, if these tips can save you from having to spend more on a faster connection, then it is certainly worth making sure you’ve got the above covered.

For more information, please visit: www.xlntelecom.co.uk.

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