Why am I not getting the internet speed I paid for?
Posted by admin on May 8, 2013
Almost no one gets the internet performance that their ISP advertises. Variables make speeds impossible to predict, and the providers advertise the best possible speed. The difference between the advertised speed and the real speed should be reasonably close. If you are regularly getting 70% of what you are promised, you have a serious bottleneck. Visit www.speedtest.net, and click on “Begin Test” to find out what your internet speeds are. You will get three numbers… ping… download… and upload. The important number here is the download. Compare that number to the promised speeds from your provider.
You should also run that test from several devices on your network (if you have them) and compare the numbers. Speedtest.net has apps for Blackberry, iPhone and Android as well. It is possible that it is just the one system that is running slow. If that is the case, then have that device looked at. If all your devices are downloading at the same (slow) speed, then it could either be your router/modem or your ISP. Call your internet provider and have them test the connection to your modem. You can also bypass your router, and connect your computer directly to the modem and test it again.
How Companies Get You To Keep Buying New Stuff
Posted by admin on May 8, 2013
When was the last time a broken DVD player led to a trip to the repair shop? The reality is this: We don’t fix electronics anymore, we just replace them. Experts call this a growing throwaway-electronics culture. While tech companies benefit from shorter product life cycles, the by-product can harm household budgets and the planet. The end result: Electronics containing toxic substances are appearing in landfills around the world.
With inexpensive gadgets showing up at prices people can’t resist, and manufacturers building items that are too costly to repair (along with shorter warranties), they end up in the trash. One suggestion is to put the responsibility of recycling the item onto the manufacturer. That might force the manufacturers to design better, longer-lasting, less-toxic, and more-recyclable products in the first place.
So, how can you help? First, make sure that you take all your dead equipment to a recycling drop-off location. If your item is still useful… just not to you, then try and donate it to an person or organization that can use it. Most importantly, however, is to purchase well-built products in the first place. Don’t always look at the price tag.
We here at ICS will take back any electronic item that we have sold, and will either recycle it, or find someone that can use it.
