Do you want fast and reliable internet service? Perhaps you’re new to the Olympic Peninsula or just looking for the best internet service in Sequim and Port Angeles.
…great news, we’ve go you covered! By the end of this article you’ll know what internet service providers are available, how to understand the different speed packages offered, and the best deals.
The three most common ways to receive internet service are cable broadband, DSL internet, and satellite internet. Cable internet is currently the fastest and most versatile of the three, DSL being the second best, and satellite being the slowest.
Cable Internet
To receive cable internet your home or business must have access to a cable line. To find out if your address is eligible for cable internet service, contact Wave Broadband at 1-866-928-3123. There are two companies offering cable internet in Port Angeles and Sequim:
DSL Internet
DSL internet works through your phone land-line and is also not available to everyone in Sequim and Port Angeles, but is more widely available than cable internet. Three companies offer DSL internet locally:
Satellite Internet
Numerous satellite internet providers offer service to the Olympic Peninsula and are national companies:
What You Should Know Before Choosing an Internet Service
There are a few technical concepts you want to have a grasp on before choosing the right internet service for your home or business.
Download Speed
What is 50 megabits per second download speed? What is upload speed and latency? When you type a search into Google you are uploading a small piece of information to their servers. When Google sends search results back to you, you download that information. How quickly this happens is measured in megabits per second or abbreviated as Mbps. How quickly searching occurs on a web browser depends more on the program you’re using (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc) and the computer your using, and not so much how fast your internet is. This is because the amount of data being downloaded and uploaded in searches is so small. However, if you watch Netflix, Youtube, or other videos, you will require faster download speeds, preferably at least 5 Mbps, depending on the video quality you want. If, however, you want Netflix’s 4K UHD stream, you will need 25 Mbs download speed and more if other people in your house will be using the internet simultaneously.
Upload Speed
Upload speed is not as important to most people unless they use cloud storage. Upload speed measures how quickly files and data can be sent from your computer to the internet (other servers). With faster upload speeds, cloud storage users will see their files sync and upload to cloud servers much faster. Businesses managing their websites will also benefit from faster upload speed.
Latency
There is nothing more important to online gamers than internet latency. Latency is measured in milliseconds or ms, and is the amount of delay between your computer and a remote server. In other words when you hit a button on your computer how long does it take for that information to get to a remote server and then acknowledgement of that action to get back to your computer. Wave’s internet service offers a distinct advantage to gamers in Sequim and Port Angeles for just this reason! Wave customers will typically see 15ms of latency to a server in Seattle, WA. This is exceptional and is less than half of what DSL users get and a fraction of what satellite providers offer.
Data Transfer Usage
Internet service providers limit how much total data can be uploaded and downloaded per month. This is typically measured in gigabytes (GB) per month. The average internet user will not exceed 150 GB per month and if you don’t watch a lot of video online your usage could be closer to 50 GB. However if you are an avid user of digital media resources including movies, music, and gaming, you could potentially break well past 400 GB per month. The important thing to remember when considering your data transfer usage is that most internet providers will charge you a steep fee for going over your allotment and it is cheaper to increase your monthly data transfer usage before you go over.
Conclusion: What Type and How Much
The company offering the fastest speeds at the most competitive prices is Wave Broadband. However, because not everyone has a cable line running to their home or business, you may have to look to other options. If internet latency and data transfer usage are not concerns for you, then we recommend satellite internet. Most people however will find the data usage limits to be a problem and will be better suited to a DSL provider like Century Link.
Assai Tech: One Place For All Your Technology Needs
Do you have more questions? Feel free to CONTACT US for a free personalized consultation. We offer numerous computer and technology services including computer repair, technology tutoring, web design and development, data recovery, and more. We are a local tech business in Sequim, WA and would love to help make technology your friend and not a foe!