Whether you’re at home, a coffee shop, an airport, or an international location, the quality of your Internet connection makes the biggest difference in how well you can work remotely. Your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) will be the most helpful for troubleshooting Internet problems at your house, but here are some general tips for setting yourself up for good Internet connections.
Check your Internet connection speeds
We recommend SpeedTest (or the SpeedTest iOS/Android app) for good, free Internet speed checking.
- If it is connected, disconnect your VPN
- Go to speedtest.net (link opens in a new window)
- Below the big GO button you'll see your internet provider listed on the left, and a server name on the right with a "Change Server" link below it. Click Change Server and then search for Carleton College. This will help you see how fast your connection to Carleton will be.
- Click the big round GO button to begin the test
Here are the results to look for:
- less than 75 milliseconds for Ping time
- 15 megabits per second (Mb/s) or more for Download speed
- 5 megabits per second (Mb/s) or more for Upload speed
Improve your Internet Connection
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is your best contact for improving your Internet connection. Here are some tips that may help you.
- If possible, connect using an Ethernet cable rather than WiFi. This will be your fastest, most reliable connection option.
- Many WiFi routers come with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz options. 2.4 GHz is slower, but also steadier, better able to pass through walls, and better able to support multiple WiFi connections at once. If you are physically near your router, the 5 GHz option may work better for you, but experiment in your own environment to see whether one option or the other offers the most stable connection.
- WiFi doesn't travel through all materials equally. People, appliances, electronics can block more signal than regular walls, for example. Try removing obstructions or changing your position so that there are as few obstructions (including your own body) between the WiFi router and your computer.
- Consider installing a newer WiFi router or a WiFi mesh network that covers your home with multiple access points. WiFi signal repeaters may also be useful to spread signal to areas farther away from your router. The Wirecutter by The New York Times regularly tests and recommends WiFi access points and mesh hardware.
- Consider changing your local ISP or your service package with your ISP if there are multiple options available in your area
- Cable and Fiber options are faster and more reliable than DSL
- A Cellular Hotspot may work depending on your area's cellular coverage, your provider's bandwidth/data restrictions, and your computing needs
- Satellite and dial-up are generally insufficient for remote work
Maintain your network security
Your ISP or even your specific WiFi router should provide you with instructions on securing your home network. We recommend working with them to ensure that you are using:
- a secure admin password on your router (used to get into and configure router settings)
- a secure WiFi password (used to connect your devices to the WiFi)
- WPA3 or WPA2 encryption (WPA and WEP options are less secure)
You can also improve your security on your computer. This should be done in addition to securing your home WiFi network.
- Use the Carleton VPN whenever you're connected to the Internet
- Make sure your computer's operating system is up to date
- Make sure that core applications (Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, Adobe, Zoom, etc) are up to date
- Turn on automatic updates for your operating system and your software applications
- Run anti-virus and anti-malware scans
- Note that Carleton does not provide software for privately owned computers. Faculty and Staff should use Carleton-supplied computers when working remotely, but here are some recommended options for protecting privately owned computers:
- Contact the ITS Helpdesk immediately if you have questions about information security
Need Help?
Please contact the ITS Helpdesk for assistance: https://go.carleton.edu/helpdesk or 507-222-5999