10 ways to speed up your internet connection today

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Are you suffering from slow internet speeds at home?

Also: How to convert your home’s old TV cable into powerful Ethernet lines

Connectivity drops, bottlenecks, lagged content streaming and downloads, and slow speeds are all common problems with home internet services — and it may not be the fault of your internet service provider (ISP). True, the routers typically provided by ISPs are basic and may not be able to handle modern-day data demands, but there are ways to improve your speed relatively easily in 2023. 

Below, we explore common reasons why your internet might be slow and offer suggestions for fixing them. 

If you have constant speed problems, your bandwidth is the first thing you should consider. 

Ensure you are on a package that can cope with today’s array of devices and their demand for bandwidth. ZDNET’s Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols noted that a minimum speed of 30Mbps is recommended. 

While many areas are only served with cable connections, fiber provides the best speeds. If you want a fiber service but your ISP doesn’t offer one, in some cases, you can register your interest with your ISP — and if enough people follow suit, this might mark your location on the map for earlier installation projects. 

Also: The top satellite internet services compared: Starlink and alternatives

The general rule is that you will need more bandwidth if you have multiple devices and streaming services on the go. 

Your internet provider may throttle your service if it decides you use too much bandwidth. This is more common when you are on a basic package. If this is the case, you must call your service provider. You might also need to renegotiate your package, upgrade, or, if you aren’t being offered a good deal, switch providers entirely.

If you are already on a high-speed package and you are suffering slow internet speeds, despite the service you’re paying for, you should check your connection. If you are paying for a subscription of up to 30Mbps, for example, and are only receiving speeds of 2 or 3Mbps, it may be an issue

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5 things to know today: Fisk departure, MSUM president, Spectator conduct, Computer class, Humanities Medal – InForum

1. Trail of firings, meetings, emails detail events preceding West Fargo administrator’s abrupt departure

When City Administrator Tina Fisk left her resignation letter on the desk of Mayor Bernie Dardis the morning of Wednesday, March 15, for some, the resignation seemed abrupt.

Others, including elected city leaders, had voiced concerns about her performance, and one had told her he was ready to call for her termination.

Less than 10 days earlier, when Commissioner Mark Simmons requested the city reinstate annual performance reviews of all employees at the March 6 commission meeting, he said it would potentially prevent what recently happened in the finance department.

Simmons and other commissioners refused to elaborate on that comment at the time, but information obtained by The Forum indicates the firing of several finance department staff members is part of what prompted Fisk’s departure.

West Fargo Communications Director Melissa Richard said no formal complaints had been filed in the past few months against anyone in the finance department or against Fisk.

Read more from The Forum’s Wendy Reuer

2. MSUM’s next president says university must keep challenging itself: ‘We can’t become complacent’

Tim Downs was introduced Friday, March 24, 2023, as the next president of Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

As Tim Downs took the stage at the Roland Dille Center for the Arts on Friday, March 24, he said his heart “was swelling with Dragon pride.”

Downs, the next president of Minnesota State University Moorhead, will succeed current President Anne Blackhurst starting July 1. Blackhurst has been president of MSUM since 2014 and plans to retire.

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system chose Downs from among five finalists, and his selection was announced Wednesday.

Downs, who’s currently the interim chief of staff at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, was greeted on the MSUM campus by staff and students at a gathering Friday. He told the crowd he will work toward a smooth transition, which he described as a “mind meld” with Blackhurst.

“Throughout the application process I felt a connection. The strong culture of

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