What's Gig Speed and What Can It Do?
Fast internet is basically a home essential for most of us. If you work from home, stream shows, video chat with loved ones, or enjoy a good social media scroll, you know the perils of slow internet.
So, what does fast internet look like, and what do terms like "gig" really mean?
Terminology Breakdown
Bit
To understand gigabits (Gb), you must first understand the root word: bit. A bit measures how fast data will transfer over a network. When you download a file, for example, the speed at which you can transfer the file from the internet to your computer would be measured in bits. But let’s think bigger: how fast is a gigabit?
Gigabit
A gigabit, commonly known as a gig, is a lot of bits––1 billion to be exact.
You'll also hear terms like megabit (Mb), which is equal to 1 million bits. For some perspective, it takes one thousand megabits to equal one gigabit. We've just thrown a lot of numbers at you, but here's the gist:
Quick note: bits are not the same as bytes. Typically, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes are used to measure storage on devices like smartphones, computers, flash drives, or cloud storage—not internet speed.
What's the Gig Deal?
Gigabit speed is exactly this: the ability to transfer one billion bits of data between your devices and the internet in a single second.
Sound fast? It is!
Gig-speed internet is four times faster than the average broadband speed in the US, making it some of the fastest internet around. Here are a few things you can do with gigabit-speed internet:
- Higher Quality Video Streaming
- Connect Numerous Devices at The Same Time
- 4K Resolution Gaming
- Lightning-Fast Downloading/Uploading
How Does It Work?
With LexNet, your internet experience starts with a fiber optic connection to your home. Fiber broadband uses a thin glass tube, rather than a copper line, to carry the data to your home via light.
While receiving gig speeds over a traditional coaxial cable is possible, fiber delivers some distinct advantages. The most significant benefit is that fiber provides more bandwidth while being more reliable than cable.
Internet bandwidth controls how much data can be uploaded or downloaded from your device. This differs from internet speed, which determines how fast you can upload or download data. That said, more bandwidth correlates with higher speeds.
What do all these advantages do for you? They make your signal travel faster, longer, and with less interference.
How Can I Make the Most of Fiber?
To ensure the best experience with your fiber internet, here are a couple of things to do:
- When possible, connect to your router with an ethernet cable. Some devices must use Wi-Fi, but more Wi-Fi connections mean more signal interference. Connecting your PCs and other ethernet cable devices to your router will help alleviate some of the interference.
- Place your router in a central location with as little physical obstruction as possible. The more walls your signal travels through, the weaker it gets. Try placing your router in the center of your home so that all rooms have access to the connection. Also, keep your signal away from windows or electronic devices like microwaves and refrigerators, as they can zap your signal strength.
- Remain close to your router. Wi-Fi signals will degrade as you get further from the source, so stay close to the router for the strongest signal for more important tasks.
If you're curious about the speed you're receiving, connect directly to your modem via an ethernet cable and run a speed test. You can find many speed tests online for free.
Please Note: Your speeds may differ depending on a few factors, such as the age or quality of your device, how far away you are from the router, and if you’re testing a wired or wireless connection.
LexNet offers internet packages with speeds up to 1.2Gb, so you can experience all the benefits of gigabit speed and more. Ready to see what the fuss is all about? Head to LexNet1.com and click the “Check Availability” button to see if LexNet service is available in your area. If your location is planned or still under construction, fill out the form to be the first to know when LexNet’s fiber internet is ready to serve your home or business.